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The Waking
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.
I learn by going where I cannot go.
We think by feeling. What is there to know?
I hear my being dance from ear to ear.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
Of those so close beside me, which are you?
God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there,
And learn by going where I have to go.
Light takes the Tree, but who can tell us how?
The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair;
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
Great Nature has another thing to do
To you and me; so take the lively air,
And, lovely, learn by going where to go.
This shaking keeps me steady. I should know.
What falls away is always. And is near.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I learn by going where I have to go.
--Theodore Roethke
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Joy's Updates - Straight from the Horse's Mouth.
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Sunday, January 28, 2007
Another Week Goes By
I just had another busy week with another one ahead. Retirement is still good! I've been driving "Miss Tina" to Lipscomb on Monday nights while she's finishing the last semester of her Master's. She's so over-extended and stressed out that she passes out periodically, so I thought this would be a good way to get her there safely and for us to have time to visit as well. While she's in class, Linda V. and I have gone out to eat and had time to visit, too. Linda and I went to see the tour of Dancing with the Stars last Sunday night and had so much fun! It was really neat to see all that dancing in person, and we enjoyed it tremendously. We want to find a way to be at one of those tables around the dance floor next year and will need to find two more people to join us if we can find out how to get the tickets. They go on sale early and don't seem to be advertised. So Linda and I had two nights in a row.
Tuesday I took Mother to Nashville for her eye appointment. Her next surgery on the other eye will be in the morning. I have to get up in the middle of the night at 5:00 am to get her there at 7:00 for her surgery. Since I usually go to bed around 1:30 or 2:00, 5 really is the middle of the night for me. Wish her luck with this and let's all hope it goes as well as the first one did. She's a little more concerned about this one since it's the eye that has had more problems. I'm spending the night with her at her house tomorrow night and will stick around most of the day Tuesday.
At a meeting Monday morning, I got two more homebound students. For those of you not in the "ed biz" what that means is that they are students who are sick and will be out for two weeks or more and need a teacher to go to their homes and help them with their assignments and administer tests. I work with their classroom teachers and try to keep them on track so that when they return to school, they aren't behind. It's a lot of extra work for their teachers and responsibility for the student to complete all the work without classroom instruction. Also, since they are sick or injured, it's even harder for them to do everything. We are supposed to work with them three hours a week which is definitely not the same as being in class. They miss so much. Sometimes the students don't need too much help but sometimes they do, so I have to be able to help them with whatever they are taking in school. Usually that's not too difficult but at times it can be. I taught homebound students for many years when I was teaching because we teachers always need extra jobs that bring in more money, and it pays well. I'm enjoying it now that I'm retired and waited long enough that I was ready to do some teaching again. It's so good to see my friends at school (right now the ones I have are at DCHS which is keeping me busy, but I'll get some at Creek Wood eventually, too) again and get out some. It's always been fulfilling to do this, and I've worked with some students and their families I got close to. As Jim Pass said it satisfies my "teaching jones" to do this again.
Speaking of Jim, I've given him a new nickname, Jimmy Thumbs, since he's a reflexologist. I told him it was his gangster name. He likes it.
Tuesday and Wednesday I met with my homebound students after going to school to get their assignments. Thursday afternoon was my regular day at Feet & More Wellness Center aka Dickson Vitamin Center. Friday morning I took assignments to school and then picked up Mother and met Brian and Melissa in Bellevue to pick up Brendan. We went to the Bellevue Center for him to play while Mother shopped. Then we came back to Dickson and had lunch and toured the special ed office for the ones I used to work with to meet Brendan. We had a full day of fun and activity. Yesterday after waking up at 2:30 am and saying he wanted to be awake, Brendan and I had a long morning! I managed to keep him in bed until 7:30, but he didn't really go back to sleep, and neither did I! We attempted to get his hair cut which didn't work out. Thank goodness, he took a nap yesterday afternoon and was a new lad after that. Last night he went to sleep around 10:30 and slept until 8:30 this morning! Now he's watching the Teletubbies while I'm writing this and doing laundry. We have more fun things planned this afternoon before his parents come get him this evening. They went to ChattaCon for the weekend and are having a wonderful time. My Litte Buddy Brendan and I are, too. It's exhausting when you aren't used to it, but I'm hanging in there!
Friday after we said we were going to lunch, one of the women at the sp ed office asked Brendan what he wanted to eat, and he answered crème brulee. She said he would have a hard time finding any in Dickson. I said that sometimes Jackie made some at the Silver Spoon and that we'd try there to see if she did. Amazingly enough, she'd made some that day, so I got some for him and Mother and me. He couldn't wait to get home and eat it and enjoyed every mouthful. He's a good eater and not too picky. His parents enjoy good food and have exposed him to all kinds.
After The Aristocats tape finished rewinding, Brendan noticed The Lawrence Welk Show on public television and loved it. He named the musical instruments, and we discussed members of his family who played various ones. Melissa's father was a music professor and Concert Master of the Birmingham Symphony, so Brendan said the violinist was his grandfather. He's definitely an entertaining child never at a loss for something to say.
So this next week will involve Mother's eye surgery and homebound students as well as a 12-hour work week at the vitamin place since I'll work all day Wednesday and Thursday afternoon. I do have the occasional Wednesday and Saturday now and then over there but mostly just a grueling 4-hour work week. I really like Jim and Azelia and enjoy being there with them and the customers.
I'll check back with you later. Only one person gave me any HDTV advice. Thank you, Ellen! I want to get my den shaped up and have the TV for the Oscars, so I can invite company over to watch it. Wish me luck.
10:42:00 AM
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