My Family Needs Your Prayers

I don't profess to be particularly religious, although I was brought up in the Catholic Church and went to mass as often as my parents sent me, but in the last week I have probably said more prayers than the last 10 years combined. I am one of ten children, 7 boys and 3 girls and I am the youngest. We are a very tight knit group and since both of our parents have passed, my dad when I was a teenager and my mom a little over a year ago, we have needed each other even more than in the past.

Just last week, on Friday morning, my brother who is the oldest had a very serious stroke. It was actually a hemorrhagic stroke and the bleeding was in the middle of his brain. He is not in very good shape right now but we are hoping for the best. He is not really responding to any stimuli and we are not sure how much he can comprehend. Now this is a man who lived a very healthy lifestyle, working out 3 times per week and eating a healthy diet and was very active and vibrant, but I guess you just never know what life can throw at you. Anyway he is a bit of father figure to me as well, since my own dad died when I was young and my brother is just about 20 years older than me, so needless to say him and I have always been close. So what I'm asking is if anyone has any extra prayers or would like to take a minute and offer one up, we're taking. We could really use them.

It's Crazy Isn't It?

Jayjay

Friday Fill In

And...here we go!



1. Right now, I'm feeling concerned.
2. Home is where I want to be.
3. How does one know when to quit??
4. Life keeps me on track.
5. Please don't judge people before you know them..
6. Naturefills me with joy.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to the gym, tomorrow my plans include groceries and school work and Sunday, I want to do some baking.!

Busy Week

So I haven't had much time this week to do all the internet visiting that I would like to do, it has just been one of those busy weeks. We all have them, that's for sure. Now that I have a minute, and only about a minute, I just thought I'd write a few lines to refresh myself and anyone who may read this.

The week is quickly approaching it's end and I am looking forward to this weekend. Not because there is anything special I have to do this weekend, but because there isn't anything. This weekend is wide open and I think I'll just spend some time at home, do some reading, and some of the dreaded housework and just relax. Sometimes it's just those simple things that can seem so exciting just because it's wide open and free and you don't have anything you HAVE to do. Cheers for free weekends.

It's Crazy Isn't It?

Jayjay

Friday October 17

And...here we go!

Friday Fill In

Thanks Janet.

1. Follow the yellow brick road.
2. Sunscreen is something I always take with me on vacation.
3. To achieve your goals, you must work hard.
4. I'm a softie is something I'd like you to know about me.
5. I have a soft spot for unruly kids..
6. Hope floats.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a concert, tomorrow my plans include Laundry and chores and Sunday, I want to go on a nature hike!

I Love Long Weekends

You have to love a long weekend, that extra day just adds so much. We had a great weekend with family and friends, got lots of chores done and got to enjoy the outdoors also because the weather was great.

Even though the autumn is just a precursor to winter, I still love it. I love the crisp, dry air, the wonderful colours, Thanksgiving and even though winter is coming it brings thoughts of (dare I say it) Christmas, which is another one of my favourite holidays.

This fall I plan to really enjoy myself and take in as much of the outdoors as possible. I have also decided to take on a more positive attitude toward winter. Remember when you were a kid and a snowfall was exciting because you looked forward to sledding and making snowmen and skating, instead of heating and shoveling. So to that end I have made a vow to do more sledding and skating and snowman making and less shoveling and maybe, just maybe I will enjoy this winter like I did when I was a child.

It's Crazy Isn't It?

JayJay

Thanksgiving Weekend At Last!

Thanksgiving Weekend. The first long weekend of the school year. Wow that extra day on the weekend sure makes a difference.

I always find Thanksgiving works, it makes me sit back and think of all the things I am grateful for and really cherish. So for today I thought I would list a few in no particular order:

1. My husband and 2 children
2. My 7 brothers and 2 sisters
3. My parents who have both passed on, but were awesome parents, friends, mentors,
people.
4. Living in a free country
5. The ocean - I am thankful every day for the ocean.
6. My profession - even though it is at times frustrating, I love it.
7. Books - good books
8. Sunshine
9. Rain
10. Music

Of course there are many more things, but these are some that I cherish and am grateful for every day. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

It's Crazy Isn't It?

Jayjay

And Some Days Not So Normal

Have you ever read the poem May You Always Have Enough…by Patricia Bankhead. It reads as follows:

May you always have enough…

Joy to make you laugh
Hope to make you smile
Sorrow to keep you praying
Faith through your trials

Peace so you can rest
Pain to make you strong
Wealth to meet your needs
Friends to cheer you on

May God give you enough love from day to day
To help somebody else along the way

Well just a day after I had written about the greatness of a normal day, I had a not normal day. We had a situation at school, which was somewhat frightening, my oldest moved out (again), and many other little things, which were not normal, occurred. It reminded me of this poem because it made me think if we didn't have those days, which are "not normal", then we might not recognize the wonderful serenity that goes hand in hand with a normal day. I think this poem should also include the line "enough chaos to make normal seem like the best thing on earth".

It’s Crazy Isn’t It?

JayJay

A Normal Day

Today was quite a normal day for me (whatever normal may be). I woke up at my normal time. I had a shower and ate my normal breakfast (cheerios). Then I did my normal things: dried my hair, makeup (not too much), brushed the teeth and got dressed. I woke my daughter up at her normal time and left for work at my normal time.

It was a normal day at school, some ups, some downs and things were normal for a Monday. I got home at my normal time and went about my normal getting supper ready, etc.

Sometimes normal is great.

It's Crazy Isn't It?

Jayjay

Friday Fill Ins

And...here we go!



1. October is full of colour, crisp air and that wonderful aroma that only occurs in the autumn.
2. Crazy drivers scare me!
3. Leaves are falling all around, it's a cornucopia of colour and texture and paints the earth with a carpet of warm tones.
4. My favorite horror movie is The Birds because it scares you without ghouls, goblins or psychotic serial killers .
5. Good food, good wine, good company = good memories.
6. It was a dark and stormy night and I was curled up with a good book seeking solace in it's pages.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing, tomorrow my plans include a trip to the Scarecrow Festival and Sunday, I want to go on a hike and enjoy the crisp fall air!

JayJay

Now That Made My Day

You sometimes wonder, when you're in the teaching profession, if you ever really touch anyone or make a change, or even teach them something. It can at times be a lonely and thankless job, but then there are the bright spots.

I received an email today from a former student who is now in high school. I taught him math in both grades 8 and 9. The email was a thank you letter for being a great teacher and giving him the tools he needed to be successful in high school. Now, this student whom we will call Mr. Lazypants, is a very intelligent young man, but he wasn't the best at applying himself. He cruised through most of his early years in school just doing enough to get by. For some reason I saw the potential in this kid and really pushed him to challenge himself. No doubt, he resented the pushing at times, especially the after school detentions for not doing his work and the extra help sessions at lunch time or after school, but with maturity he has come to understand why I pushed so hard. This year he is taking advanced grade 10 math and told me in his email that he felt he was having success because I pushed him and made sure he knew his stuff. He has aspirations of becoming an engineer and I know he is capable.

It seems like a little thing to some, just one email, but to me it was reassurance that we do get through sometimes and it is worth the effort. We can't get them all, but we can get to some of them and when you hear from even one, it really makes your day. So go ahead write a letter to a former teacher whom you felt touched your life, it'll make their day too, I guarantee it.

It's Crazy Isn't It?

JayJay

Speechless

Well I'd like to think of something earth shattering or incredibly motivating to say, but I'm just too tired. Busy day, week, month at school and I am just too tired to think tonight. I'm calling it a day and hopefully tomorrow I'll have more energy and will be able to come up with something better than this. Night-night all.

It's Crazy Isn't It

Jayjay

Hurricane Kyle

Well folks Kyle came and he left. By the time he got to where I live it was down graded to a Tropical Storm. We did have some high winds, with storm surge, but nothing as bad as was feared. Some parts of the province were harder hit and had some property damage and downed trees as well as power outages, but overall we fared very well.

The good new is that people were ready this time, unlike 5 years ago when Hurricane Juan hit. It's nice to know that people actually learned from the last hurricane and even though we didn't need it we were all prepared. History is the greatest teacher.

It's Crazy Isn't It?

Jayjay

Tropical Storm Kyle

5 years ago tomorrow Nova Scotia was hit with a rather damaging hurricane named Juan. It took us a long time to recover and some of the recovery is still in progress. Tomorrow we are awaiting a visit from Tropical Storm Kyle with predictions of winds just below hurricane strength and up to 100 mm of rain. Now I usually enjoy a good storm, my home is located on ocean frontage property and it can be brutal and beautiful at the same time, but I'm not opening welcoming arms for Kyle.

We have spent the day battening down the hatches and making sure we have batteries and other necessary supplies, since after Juan we went for a week without electricity, but I'm hoping the preparation is all for naught and Kyle loses his strength or better yet leaves us alone totally. Anyway according to the meteorologists we should be prepared, it's pretty much a sure thing and will hit around mid afternoon tomorrow and go through most of the night. So I'll say a prayer that it's not that bad, that no-one gets hurt, and the damage will be minimal and hopefully it will be answered. If not, then we will once again pick up the pieces (literally) just as we did 5 years ago and life shall move forward. As I said I enjoy a good storm, but I think maybe this one not so much.

It's Crazy Isn't It?

JayJay

There's Got To Be An Easier Way

Sometimes I just think "there's got to be an easier way to make a living". We had a fun day at our school just the other day. It's a day to promote school spirit and for the students and teachers to related to each other on another level and get to know each other better at the beginning of the school year. The day is filled with fun activities including a BBQ for lunch, which is not an easy task with 500 students. I was one of the coordinators for this event again this year. The planning, as you can imagine, takes a considerable amount of time, for which we are not paid. The day of is spent running around making sure everything is in place and all the activities flow smoothly, which can be a challenge in a junior high school.

To get to the point on this day I had to tolerate a verbal assault from a disgruntled student. He wasn't happy about just about everything that took place that day and didn't mind screaming, I mean sharing his opinion with every teacher that happened by. Apparently, by the time I crossed his path he had had a belly full of being annoyed and other such nonsense and figured he would just let loose. Now, out of about 500 students, this was the only one voicing complaints (in an incredibly rude and disrespectful manner I might add), but yet it is the one that just sticks with you for some reason.

It is very difficult in a situation like this, where so many staff members had put in extra time and effort to host a great event such as we had, not to let loose on the offending student as he had on everyone else. So I brought him into the office, only to be barraged en route by continued insults which had graduated into profanities and veiled threats that weren't very veiled and I thought to myself there must be an easier way to make a living and began to consider some options. I was still contemplating my options when I ran into a student whom I have had the pleasure to teach for the last 2 years. I like to call her Miss Dimples. She struggles academically and her parents (who are very loving) are not wealthy enough to hand over all the amenities that some of our teenagers have come to expect these days, but she is honest, and vibrant and an incredibly hard worker. She looked at me with with a smile on her lips and in her eyes and said, "Miss, this is my favourite day all year. I always look forward to it and you know next year when I'm in High School I'm really going to miss it, but most of all I'm going to miss all the teachers in this building, they're the best."

As you can imagine this brought me out of my funk and made me realise, there is an easier way to make a living, but I can't think of one that can be more rewarding. Thanks Miss Dimples for putting things into perspective for me and for not letting one bad apple spoil the barrel.

It's Crazy Isn't It?

Jayjay

Anniversary Weekend

This weekend my husband and I celebrated 22 years of marriage. It's kind of exciting in this day and age to be able to say that with so many couples not making it. We are at that point in our marriage where our children are young adults and we once again have the freedom (or most of the freedom) we had when we were first married. The difference is we are now very comfortable in our own skins (that comes with time and life experience, especially for the ladies) and with each other. We can sit and have a conversation, watch a TV show together, work outside in the yard side by side, or just sit in a room without saying anything and we are very content.

Today we took a 2 hour hike in a majestic coastal area very close to our home called High Head. Some of the time we talked and for a good deal of it we just took in the sight of the beautiful Atlantic, smelled the heath berries and drank in the wonders of nature. It was a great day we both totally enjoyed. It was such a simple activity but it meant more than spending hundreds of dollars on a dinner or a night away. I hope in another 22 years we can still do those things, but if not we will replace them with something else just as meaningful to us.

It's Crazy Isn't It?

Jayjay

Back to Reality

So summer has almost ended according to the calender, but has ended for those of us who teach as a career. It's funny when summer comes to an end I always feel a little melancholy and also a little excited wondering what my academic year will be like.

On one hand I start to realize that it may a long time before I can feel the warmth (the real warmth) of the sun on my face. I enjoy autumn, but I know after that comes the dreaded winter and the messy spring before that lazy, hazy feeling can return. It is probably a good thing for me, as I seem to get bored easily and I think the seasonal changes help me to be more appreciative of that wonderful season we call summer.

On the other hand I look forward to getting a whole new crop of students. It's always kind of exciting to start fresh each year and see where it takes you. Don't get me wrong, by the end of the school year I may be just as happy to bid them farewell, but for now it's a new group and a new beginning.

I'm hoping for great things this year (as I always do) and I know that on some levels I will be disappointed and on others I will be amazed. That's one of the joys of teaching, each day is different from the one before and the one after.

Anyway, I bid farewell to summer and welcome to a new school year. We shall travel through the seasons together both teaching and learning and in ten short months we will welcome another summer into our midst.

It's Crazy Isn't It?

Jayjay

The Olympic Games, what an amazing time when many nations of the world converge to compete in the spirit of fair play. It is such a wonderful concept and has a way of eliciting national pride out of even the smallest of nations.

The problem I have right now is the whining going on about our Canadian Team not winning enough medals, or so far any, for that matter. I was under the impression we sent our athletes to compete in the hope that they would do their best and make our country proud and I think many, if not most of them, have done just that. Our team does not have the some of the advantages of a number of other nations, most notably financially. I watch the coverage on CBC and then on NBC and the difference is so marked. Our own CBC acknowledges the great triumph of any athlete whether they are Canadian or not, NBC has an almost exclusive focus on their own in an almost nauseating way. WE DO NOT WANT TO BECOME LIKE NBC.

So let's be proud of our athletes and honor their achievements with or without a medal.

It's Crazy Isn't It?
JayJay

The Ocean Speaks

A Visit From a Woodpecker

I often watch the birds during the day as they get busy with their flapping around and doing whatever it is they need to do, but today, I saw something I have never seen before. A woodpecker perched itself on my clothesline. Now, I have seen woodpeckers before, but never perched on a clothesline. It wasn't hard to tell he wasn't used to it because he had great difficulty keeping his balance. He stayed for about 5 minutes and had a good look around while I stood just a few feet away and watched. It was wonderful to see one so close up and to see one standing still for such a long time.

Anyway, believe it or not, that was my excitement for today and it was really kind of exciting. We see a lot of wild creature where I live including many deer, fox, squirrels, whales, porpoise and the believe it or not the odd owl, but this was something new and different. Nature is a wonderful thing.

It's Crazy Isn't It?

Jay Jay

Rain, Rain I Love You

It's another one of those gray, rainy days where the air is heavy and warm and all things are very still, except for the water drops falling from the sky. I love these days. Things have been getting pretty dry and the forest fire index is very high, so thank you Mother Nature for taking care of yourself. I'm not sure how she does it, but she manages.

Anyway I enjoy a good thunder and lightning storm now and again, it makes you feel alive and puts you in awe of just what Mother Nature can do when she puts her mind to it. Tomorrow, the plants will be greener, the air fresher and the grass will need mowing. The earth, like the people in it, is in need of a shower now and then and she just had a good one. Enjoy the day.

It's Crazy Isn't It?

Jay Jay

They'll Always Be Your Baby

It's funny, my 20 year old daughter often reminds me she doesn't need my help, advice, input, etc, as you see she is 20, of which I am constantly reminded. Well this week she got sick, a nasty virus, high fever, vomiting, fever blisters, the whole nine yards. Suddenly, this very independent, strong, vital woman needed her mommy, big time. I feel kind of guilty saying this, but, it felt good, she still needs me and we all want to feel needed. I took her to the doctor and kept watch on her fever, wiped her forehead with cold compresses and made sure she kept hydrated and I did not mind one bit.

Don't get me wrong, I know she's becoming an adult and the day will come when she can take care of herself, probably sooner than later, but it felt good to be the mommy again, which I haven't experienced for quite some time. I feel the apron strings letting go and I know I am trying my best to let them go as needed, but they will always be my babies no matter how old they are.

It's Crazy Isn't It?

Jay Jay

I'm Coming Around

Yesterday, as you may have read, was just one of those days where I just felt totally disconnected. So, I did what I said I was going to do. I put on the mP3 player and went for a long walk. There is something very spiritual about going on a walk by yourself with some of your favorite music playing in only your ears. It makes you feel like you are really alone, not lonely, but alone and when you are truly alone I find you can do some of your best thinking. I managed to sort some things out and come to some conclusions, not earth shattering conclusions, but things that are important to me. I guess you could say I put some things in perspective, which is always a good place to put things. Anyway, it did the trick, today I am feeling much better. I think I have my feet squarely planted on terra firma and I'm ready to take on the rest of my life, or at least today anyway.

I'm not sure what happens on those days, if it's just hormonal, or environment or what, but that disconnected feeling is sure an odd place to be. I think this time it maybe did me some good and maybe that's what it's all about, nature's way of getting people to put their life in perspective. Anyway, I'm feeling good today, positive even and I'm looking forward to a great one.

It's Crazy Isn't It?

JayJay

It's just one of those days where you just feel very disconnected from everyone and everything. I'm not sure why it happens, but it does. So, I have decided to keep to myself today, for the most part. I'm going to plug in my mP3 player, go for a long walk and try to figure out what's going on, or not going on. As Colin Hay says in his song "I'm Waiting for My Real Life to Begin".

It's Crazy Isn't It?

JayJay

The 4th of July

So today is a big day in the States, July 4th. There'll be flag flying, congested freeways with travelers trying to reach destinations other than home, picnics, parades, fireworks, fairs and lots of singing of America the Beautiful, God Bless America and of course the Star Spangled Banner. The whole country will shut down and spend millions of dollars celebrating "Independence Day". Our neighbors to the south sure know how to do it up, which is great, I'm happy for them and I hope they all have a great day.

The thing that irritates me about July 4th is not the Americans, but some of our fellow Canadians. In the last few days, I've heard people lament that Canada Day is not nearly as showy or brilliant as July 4th. Well, I don't think it needs to be as grand as all that. Canadians are known worldwide for being the gentler nation, more conservative and subdued and I think we should take great pride in that fact. So we don't have as many parades or fireworks and our highways are not as congested with travelers thinking they need to go somewhere for this holiday. We have a wonderful celebration on Parliament Hill, communities small and large orchestrate their own parties and many families use the day to get together and celebrate and it seems most people really enjoy the day.

I'm proud of my nation and the way it celebrates and I think we should all feel the same. Don't get me wrong, I think what the Americans do is right for America, but we are not America. Remember the old saying sometimes less is more.

Crazy Isn't It? Jay Jay

The Sunny Days of Summer

So we wait all winter for the summer to arrive and when it does, we're still not happy. People will complain about the heat and the humidity and the road construction and the tourists and the price of gas and oil (even though it isn't heating season). Well people it could be worse. You could live in a communist country with no rights or privileges. There could be no tourists and therefore no revenue generated for most of our small businesses. There could be no road construction and then our cars would be beat to a snot all year long driving on pot hole ridden streets. There could be no heat or humidity and, well then it would just be winter. So don't worry, be happy, at least for 3 months of the year.

It's Crazy Isn't It? Jay Jay