For upon whatever your job might be~

     A late good afternoon greeting everyone out there and sending you best wishes  from a place very far away called Olathe, Colorado.  I'm typing this blog post from my desk in one of the fourth grade rooms here at Olathe Elementary School.  I've been here working for a couple of hours or so and before it's time to leave and call it "good" for the day, I wanted to stop to say "hello" and that I am thinking of you all right now at this very moment.  

     It's the Labor Day weekend, the last official holiday "hurrah" for the summer of 2013.  You know, I never really have gotten too much into the idea of this coming Monday's significance on the calendar.  It's not that I don't appreciate all of the folks who "labor" each and every day because heck, I'm one of them too.  To be right honest with you, the only "labor days" that have held much importance to me were October 2, 1980~October 6, 1988~and December 26, 1990, the "labor dates" of the births of my three children.  Other than that, I can take or leave the official holiday but I am glad for any of you who get the chance to rest from your labors and have the day off.  And to all of the other folks who aren't so lucky and find themselves still at it, just like any other day of the week, I thank you in advance for the services you will provide.

     I have learned many valuable lessons in this life about the jobs that we all must do each day and perhaps one of the most important ones I have learned this summer.  I've been a CNA throughout the course of the last three months providing home health care to the elderly and disabled here in Montrose County, Colorado.   I took the job in early June before I realized there was a chance to return to teaching in the fall.  I wanted something to do, a way to earn money and at the same time provide a much needed service to some very special people.  The pay was minimal at best but just as in teaching, the rewards were immeasurable.  And by the way, a hug feels just as good when it's given to you by an 80-year old as it does by an 8-year old.  I've been the blessed recipient of smiles and hugs from both ends of the age spectrum.

     Anyone who has ever been a CNA in a long-term care setting knows what I speak of when I say how rewarding taking care of the elderly indeed is.  All summer long, I have bathed patients, fixed their meals, cleaned their kitchens, scrubbed their toilets, held their hands in conversation, listened to them as they told their stories, assured them when they were afraid, and listened some more.  Twenty years ago, I wouldn't have believed that I could help someone in and out of the bathroom when they needed assistance or provided post-mortem care after their death.  I would have cringed at either thought, now so very long ago, but I have done both and I am not afraid.  It's a blessing to help people hang on to what fragile health many of them have.  The people I have cared for during the past months here are trying desperately to remain in their own homes in lieu of spending their final days in a long-term care setting.  I applaud them for their determination in so doing and I could only wish to grow up to be as stubborn and determined as they have show themselves to be.  They are like heroes to me.

     I have only one more weekend to work as a home-health CNA before I have to call it "quits".  The demands of school and learning so very much in a new reading and math curriculum will take all of the energy and time that I have to spare.  At age nearly 58, I know my limits and it's with sadness that I must relinquish some extra responsibility at this point in time.  I don't regret one bit taking the job this summer, in fact this job saved me from myself in a lot of ways.  You know, it's pretty hard to feel homesick and sad when you have wonderful people like Mary, Everett, Barbara and Toby waiting for you to come and help them.  They made my day and helped me a whole lot more than I was able to help them some days.  The really neat thing about it was this~they did it without even knowing it.

     So whatever your job in life is, may it be one that brings you peace and comfort.  I thank you for everything that you do that helps so many others, nearly all of them unknown to me.  Do you find joy and contentment in whatever you may do for a living?  If not, perhaps it is time for a change.  As for me, never made a bunch of money doing what I do but at night, when I lay my head on the pillow, I have no trouble at all going to sleep.  Wishing the same for you all as well.

Have a great Labor Day weekend everyone.  Love to you guys, one and all.

  The woods near where my son and daughter-in-law were married last month on Whidbey Island, Washington~It reminded me of Heaven.

As some gave all......

It came in the mail yesterday, a rather unusual brown manila envelope with an even more unusual return address in the corner.  When Mike asked me if I knew anyone in Maryland, I had to pause a moment.  "Uhm, no I don't think so", was my reply.  The name of the sender didn't even come close to ringing the "proverbial bell" but just as soon as I opened it, I knew exactly what it was.  

On the fourth of July this summer, Mike and I had the chance to visit the Vietnam Veteran's Traveling Wall when it came to Montrose for a 5-day stay at one of our local parks.  Both of us had seen it  before but we  were very anxious to have the chance to see it once again.  It was a cool and overcast Thursday and we spent about an hour walking along the wall and seeing the many names that have been inscribed on it,  now over 58,000 in all.  We weren't alone.  Many others from this community had ventured out to see it as well.

I was particularly interested in finding the names of three young men that I knew from the wall and asked for help as I found the inscriptions for two men from my hometown of Haven, Kansas as well as the name of my sister Cindy's brother-in-law from California.  As I gave the names of Henry Fisher, Sergio Albert and Tommy Daniels to one of the volunteers working there I asked if it would be ok if I made a rubbing of the inscriptions to take home with me.  She told me that it wasn't allowed  but that if I wanted to, I could fill out a card at the front table requesting that a volunteer for "the Wall" make the journey there and do it for me.  So before we left, Mike helped me to fill out three cards, one for each of the men that I knew of in the hope that someone would indeed do this kindness for me.  Until the envelope arrived in our mailbox along Locust Road yesterday, I had nearly forgotten about it.  

I was so struck by the letter and the words contained therein, that I am including it in this blog post  in order that you all might read it as well.  As a young girl growing up in the little Reno County town of Haven, Kansas the Vietnam War seemed so very far away yet all it took to make it seem so very real to me and all of the rest of the folks that lived there, was to bury two of our town's young men less than two weeks apart from one another in the summer of 1967.  Their graves, actually quite close to one another in Laurel Cemetery, serve as a poignant reminder of the verse from the "Good Book", John 15:13-"No greater love hath a man than this, that he would lay down his life for a friend."  

For all of those who served and died in Vietnam and all of the other wars that our country has endured, this Kansas farm girl gives her thanks.  For all of those who served and returned home alive yet bearing the wounds of war for the rest of their days on earth, my heart goes out to you.  My hope will always be that the sacrifices made by so many will never be forgotten by those of who remain.  

For Henry, Sergio, Tommy and all the many others whose names are inscribed on that magnificent wall, I will forever owe a debt of gratitude.  The letter and the rubbing of the name of "Henry Lee Fisher" are shown below.  Sorry for the tiny print of the letter.  Wish I could have figured out the magic formula for making it bigger yet I hope you can still read it.  Have a good evening everyone and best wishes from the Western Slopes of Colorado.  I am alive and well, thanks be to God.

At the "Wall" here in Montrose this summer.  I had just located Henry Fisher's name.

What will your year have brought you?

Just a short message this morning, dear friends and family with the hopes that your day will be one of peace, joy and love.  If obstacles should get in your way, I hope you can overcome them by either going around them, over them, or by plowing right straight through them.  I've got a few of them facing me today and I hope to be able to remember that good advice I just gave you.  :)  

With less than 125 days remaining in the year 2013, do you ever wonder what you will remember this year for?  Mine has seen a couple of changes, here and there.  How about you?  My advice via this online blog, this bucket list journey of mine has always been and forever will be the same~Live your life to its fullest.  Live each day as if it were your last one.  Do not look back because the future isn't going to be found behind us all. 

On the last day of the year of 2012, my blog post was a pictorial one of all the interesting and fun things that happened to me along the 365 days that made up the year.  I'm reprinting it below if you would care so to read.  I think that my blog post of 2013 will be a little different, but it will be filled with the things that I felt to be the most important of each of my days.  The clock on the wall says "TIME TO GET TO SCHOOL PEGGY!" and so off to find another day of adventure with fourth graders is at hand.  Take care all of you and remember to do something really good for yourself today, no matter what it takes!  Have a good Monday because it's August 26th, 2013 and a great day to be alive in.  Rejoice and give thanks!

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Good bye 2012! Memorable moments in photos

Late January, LAST cast finally came off for poor "old lefty"!  Another 8 weeks in a long arm, hot neon  pink, "get the heck out of the way" splint.

Mid-February~having fun looking through all of the old records I had and bemoaning the fact that I could no longer listen to them. (All I had to do was wait a bit...it all changed for me, thanks to my dear friends Amy, Michael and Jan :)  Developing my "over my dead body pile!

Late March-"old lefty's" 9 month saga on the road to getting better was finally done!  Dr. Chan pronounced it as "good as it will ever get".  No more casts, no more splints :)

Mid-April-went to Mennonite Relief Sale with $500 in hand to bid on this beautiful blue quilt.  Realized when it was all over, that I was about $500 too short :(  Next year..... Just wait cause I'll be back!

Last part of May-a peaceful moment in time along the way to find my first lighthouse ever.  Owego, NY  Flowers left there in remembrance of two very special people in this life, no longer with us.

Last day of May-I found it!  The Portland Head Lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.  The dream of my whole lifetime was finally realized!

June-the front porch of "home, sweet home" on 14th Street in Hutchinson, Kansas.

July 4th-My first big ride since getting hurt...the 20 mile Sterling Bike Hike

First week in August-after a summer of drought conditions, we woke up to one heck of a "gully washer" in our part of the country.  How nice to see the water standing in the streets as we all woke up that day.

First week of September- My infamous attempt at being the Kansas State Fair Spelling Bee Champion-went out rather quickly it seemed.  Don Etchison, former teaching colleague at Yoder Grade School and fellow participant that day.

Mid-October~at the Haven Fall Festival with 3 of the best friends a person could ever ask for.  Annetta, Toni and Joyce.  Sitting in our "usual" spot in front of the old Grier Pharmacy building.

First of November-chasing the sunset in the last moments of the day.  From the top of Rayl's Hill, Hutchinson, Kansas.  God's handiwork at its finest of hours~

December-so thankful for a job that I love to go to each day.  What a blessing~I love being called "teacher".

Happy New Year 2013 to all of you out there.  God's blessings be upon all of you, my dear friends.

For in the blink of an eye

A good Sunday afternoon to everyone out there and I hope that your day has been an "ok" one.   I'm sitting here at school taking a bit of a break from all of the planning, cleaning, and organizing of my fourth grade classroom.  Having been at it for most of the weekend, I'm kind of hoping to draw it to a close soon and head back to Montrose for the remainder of this day.  There has been very much to do and I have realized finally that I cannot possibly  finish it all today, even if I tried.  Thus, it would seem the "sane approach" to call it "good" pretty dang quick.

It's August the 25th, another day in the year 2013 but it is also the anniversary of the 71st birthday of my late sister, Janice Scott Wilson.  I come from a big family with seven of us kids in all and Janice, well she was second to the top of the "big kids" part of our clan while I was second to the bottom of the "little kids" part of the group.  There was such a huge span in ages between the two boys and five girls in my family.  Janice had already graduated from high school by the time I entered kindergarten in the fall of 1960.  I don't have a lot of memories of her from my growing up years because by the time I was old enough to remember all of that much, she had married and moved away from home. It seems a bit strange to other people but our folks had their first baby within a year of their marriage and from that moment on from 1941-1957, they made their little  family.  It never did seem all that unusual to me as a kid growing up for all of us to be so spread out in age.  It's just the way that things were.

I was barely a freshman  in high school the year that Janice was killed in a car accident, only a few miles from her home in rural Harvey County.  It was a beautiful early November, Indian summer kind of day. She was crossing over  Highway 50 near the town of Halstead, KS when a semi pulling two trailers hit her broadside.  It killed her instantly.  I'll never forget walking down Main Street with my little sister Cindy that afternoon of the accident.  We were on our way to the restaurant after school when one of our family's friends, Mable Nicklaus, found us and took us to her house to wait for our parents to return from the hospital over at Halstead.  Dear Mable never told us what had happened, only saying that our folks had to be gone for something and that they'd be back soon.  You know now years later, I admire her for what she had to do for us that afternoon.  It couldn't have been easy for Mable to know what she did know about Janice dying and yet to not let on to either of us kids.  When she finally delivered us to our folks, there were tears in her eyes as they told my little sister and I the news of the accident.  Mable Nicklaus was a dear friend to us all.

It was a traumatic day for our family and one that changed our lives forever in ways that we had never thought of before.  Janice's little baby girl Kimberly had been with her mom that afternoon.  Although she wasn't killed, she was in critical condition after the accident.  My parents brought her home to live the remainder of her days with them and that is a whole other story.   November 4, 1969 became etched in our hearts and minds as they day we lost the very first of our siblings.  I'm not sure that my parents were ever the same again.  Janice had just turned the very young age of 27 and when she was laid to rest four days after the accident there was a void felt beyond imagination.

I had to get older and become wiser in my years, before I ever fully realized the impact her passing had upon me as a person.  I remember the year that I turned 27 back in 1982 that I finally realized just what a horrible thing it was to die so very young.  Now soon approaching the autumn of my 58th year, I have lived to see twice as many years as she did.  Although my life has been filled with its share of ups and downs, trials and tribulations, heart ache and abundant blessings as well, I still give thanks for the gift of the many years the Lord has thus far given to me.  I'm sure that Janice would have wished for the same, that gift of many years.  But in her "part of the plan", the journey would be done quickly and with haste.  It was her destiny to become the daughter of John and Lois Scott, a sister to the 6 of us Scott kids, the wife of Lee Wilson and the mother of two tiny little girls and once that all came to fruition, it was her time to go.

It's with a degree of sadness that I have to admit that I have a hard time remembering what she was  like, in fact it's difficult  for me to even remember her at all.  I used to be able to hear and recall the sound of her voice but that long ago left me.  Her picture, her image in my mind is very fuzzy but I imagine that she looked a lot like the rest of the Scott kids did only she was the only real blonde in the bunch of us.  I used to feel bad that I couldn't remember her but now I realize that with the passage of time some things become inevitable.  Although I don't really have a memory of  her any longer, I have never stopped loving her as my sister.  Perhaps some of you have had a similar experience such as I.  

Well, the clock on the wall says it's 3:07 p.m and you now what, I think I'm going home now.  If my sister Janice were still here with us on this late August day, I think she'd tell me that life is too short to not at least enjoy an hour or two of a Sunday afternoon.  Although I haven't seen her now for well over 40 years, I know that some day I will see her again in Heaven.  Even though I have forgotten what she looked like today, in that glorious time to come there will be no doubt about who she is.

Have a great rest of this Sunday everyone out there and enjoy your life to its fullest.  Janice was living proof, a testament to the fact that in the "blink of an eye" it can all be over.  My friends and family, live your lives with no regrets.  Make time to live.

One of the few photos that I still have of her~age 17, ten years before she was killed.  Frozen in time actually in my mind this way.

Me at age 27~little did I realize all of the places my life's path would take me to and now nearly 31 years later I am still alive and well.  It was a part of my "plan".

For upon the time when things must change~

Hey, good morning everyone out there from the Western Slopes where a mild breeze is blowing out of the south east and the sky is very filled with clouds.  The weather here, at least to me, seems to be changing as the seasons begin to do their yearly dance and change partners as they go.  It seems more and more like fall which is now due to arrive in less than a month.  Funny how you remember things from your past but if I were to describe the weather right now, it would be a combination between the last day of the Kansas State Fair and a North Dakota wheat harvest.  You would have to have lived the life I have to understand what I mean when I say that but that's a whole other story.

You know, I went through a couple of changes (or a thousand) when I moved to Colorado earlier this summer.  Many of those changes were like the taste of the proverbial "hard and bitter pill to swallow" but somehow or another, I managed to survive them even though at the time I was sure I would not.  Perhaps some of the greatest of challenges arose when I felt like I was being forced to relinquish my allegiance to my home, the great state of Kansas. I began to feel like that guy the history books call "Benedict Arnold" or something.  It was during those times that my original bouts of homesickness seemed to be the most debilitating and my attitude became "sucky" at best and much farther beyond that at its worst.

I hadn't been here even a week before I made the journey down to the local driver's license bureau just a few miles away from our house.  My Kansas DL, valid yet for another 3 years, would have to be replaced with a new driving permit from here in Colorado.  Man, was that one a hard cross to bear.  I'd held onto that license for the better part of 42 years and to just unceremoniously surrender my "ticket" to the world of driving freedom to some blonde-haired lady behind the counter was just a little more than I wanted to have to do.  But I did.  I'll never forget the experience because when I naively asked her if I could keep my license she looked at me and said, "You aren't in Kansas any more Dorothy", as she stamped the word "void" across my Hutchinson address.  When she added her maniacal laugh to it as she handed the old license back to me, well she might as well have just stabbed me in the heart.  I tucked my old Kansas DL back into my wallet that early June day and that is where it has stayed since then.  If it's against the law to carry your old driver's license in your wallet here in Colorado, then please start saving up your pennies to start the "Peggy Miller Renfro" defense fund, ok?  :) I thank you in advance.

Ok, although I am sometimes very meek and mild, I have a rebellious streak in me that sometimes "rears its ugly head" and I hope it never leaves me.  Can you believe that they would post a sign like that?  :)

And then, well THEN came the issue of license plates for my Honda Civic.   All summer long I knew the day would come when my Kansas tag would have to go, only to be replaced by some yucky Colorado one. Sorry to offend any of the good folks here but I have seen Colorado tags all of my life and the current green/white combination of the mountains has never been my favorite all time one. Because the current tag I was using would expire on the last day of August, all summer long I knew that I had several weeks in which to think about it.  I could still feel like I was a flatlander somehow.  Yet, because I am not a fan of being pulled over by any of the Colorado state troopers that I see every morning on my way to school, this week I decided I'd better get in and get new plates.  It was actually a much less painful experience than I thought it would be.  With all of the paperwork in hand and a much shorter wait than I would normally have experienced back in the tag line at the Reno County Courthouse, I purchased my new plates.  Much to my pleasant surprise, I actually was charged $100 less than I would have if I were to have renewed back in Kansas.  Because of the savings and my disdain for the regular plates, I was able to choose for an extra $50 a speciality plate of my liking.  There are dozens here to select from but it didn't take me long to pick out the one that I wanted.  I did it for Eleanore, for "old lefty", and for the unknown dear man from Missouri who provided the bone material that I needed for the repair of my arm when it was "busted to smithereens" back in 2011.  I say to you always, please "Donate Life".

Slowly, with the tiniest of baby steps, little by little I have become more accustomed to living here along the Western Slopes.  It has taken over 3 months for me to come to the place where I am this morning.  Although I still miss things back in Kansas, I have found myself way too busy as of late to sit around a pine for a place that meant everything to me.  And that, my friends and family, is a good thing.  Every morning I have a reason to get out bed and get going and those reasons go by 17 different names.  I am their teacher!  Through all of the struggles with getting used to this very changed life of mine, God's plan for me all along was to be here and ready to assume the responsibilities of teaching one of the fourth grade classes at Olathe Elementary School.  I'm having to learn a lot of stuff very, very quickly and my main goal of the day is to always stay one step ahead of the kids.  

My life as a teacher is so much different here in Colorado and even though I have been in education for over 35 years now, I feel like I am working towards getting my "FFA Green Hand" or something.  (I hope I used that analogy correctly because I am afraid that somewhere out there is a former FFA member who is saying to themselves, "What the heck is she talking about?")  I'm blessed to be working with a great staff of people and a principal who really cares about those he leads each day.  

And about that man, our principal Mr. Brummitt, I would be so remiss if I didn't tell you about the weird experience that I had with him and the rest of my class on only the second day of school this past week.  It was math time and we were just getting ready to do some "mental math" when Joe stopped in to observe what we were doing.  He hadn't been there more than a couple of minutes when all of a sudden as I was speaking, one of my very front top crowns came loose and simply popped out of my mouth and into my hand.  Talk about your humiliating and most horrifying of experiences.  What could I do?  I was standing there with a gaping hole in my mouth and a very old crown in the palm of my hand.  I looked at him and the students in front of me and said, "Well this isn't good!"  Mr. Brummitt, well he didn't miss a beat.  He got up from his chair, asked me if I had a dentist and when he learned that I didn't, told me to wait a minute that he'd be right back.  In less than 5 minutes he returned with the news that his own personal dentist would see me and that I should go right away to get it cemented back in.  Joe took over my class and even arranged for a ride for me to get back to Montrose for the appointment.  (what a day for me to not have my own vehicle at school~another whole story).  When I left the room, eyes filled with tears, I thanked him for helping me and apologized for the inconvenience that it would cause everyone.  He looked at me and with a very sincere voice proclaimed, "Mrs. Renfro that's what we do here at Olathe Elementary" and you know what, he meant every word of it.  Is it any wonder that I am glad to be a teacher once again?

Well speaking of school, it's really time to get going.  My once neat teacher's desk is stacked with piles of stuff to do this day.  Keep praying, if you are so inclined, for all the teachers out there who daily walk into classrooms and try their best to make a difference in the lives of the children they are entrusted with.  Sometimes it is difficult~sometimes it is easy but always in the end, it is worth it.  When my life is over, whenever that may be, I will never have regretted giving the years that I did to education.  We are all born to do something in this world....I was born to be a teacher.  Even though this year will be one of the most challenging that I ever had, I am more determined to make a difference in that classroom than I would ever be afraid to try.  Have a good weekend everyone out there, my friends and family.  Love to all of you.

My old friend, Monarch Pass on the very first trip I made here back in early January of this year.  We'll be crossing back over it in early October in order to make the trip back home to Kansas for my 40th class reunion.  Hoping the weather will be decent enough to cross over it because whether it is or not, I am going!  Cannot wait to be back in Reno County and especially my hometown, Haven, Kansas.  Lots and lots of really good folks live there and I intend to join them that day.

The things we will remember~

Good morning everyone out there, dear friends and family all!  It's the early morning hours here in Montrose and the sky outside is as "black as the night".  All along Highway 50 the cars and semis are heading out~some going east and some going west.  Sometimes it is kind of fun to just sit here and watch them and wonder where they are really going in life today.  It takes so little to amaze me most days.  

So hard to imagine that the month of August will soon be coming to a close and before we know it "September" will show at the top of the calendar on our kitchen wall.  Back home in the city of Hutchinson, Kansas the folks there will be gearing up for the Kansas State Fair to begin in about 3 weeks more time.  My house on 14th Street is just a few short blocks from the great "Kansas Get Together" and thus it was just like having a few thousand people more at the supper table every night.  You know, when I was living there it kind of got annoying to put up with the noise, traffic, and extra people for that 10 day span of time.  I was always glad to see the fair end.  Now, in a weird sort of way, I think I will miss it.

Last year at fair time, I decided to enter the first ever "Senior Spelling Bee" offered during the early days of the fair of 2012.  I've had a lifelong love of orthography and decided that since I was definitely over 50 (the age established to enter as an official contestant) that I'd give it a try.  What the heck?  It couldn't hurt.  I entered, went out in round #2, and had the best three spelling hours of my life.  Although I won't be there up on the stage this year I am still so very glad that I had the chance to have a little fun with it this September past.  I'm reprinting the blog post from that day in September of 2012 for you if you would care so to read.  

Time to get ready to go to school soon.  17 9-year olds will be knocking at the door and ready to begin their new school day.  I hope to inspire them to become good spellers as well and even in these days of "auto correct" and "spell check", that knowing how to be a good speller is an admirable thing to strive for.  

Have a great day everyone out there!  I am alive and well in Montrose, Colorado and wish for you a day filled with peace, joy, happiness and most of all love.  Thanks for being my good friends.  How would we get through life without that most precious of gifts~friendship.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Well what the heck? At LEAST I learned another new word today :)

The pile of t-shirts and sweatshirts on my bed this morning should have been a pretty good indication of the way things were going to turn out for the day.  This morning was the official "First Annual Senior Spelling Bee" at the Kansas State Fairgrounds and as a contestant I was hoping to find a combination of clothes that would be comfortable and what the heck, I'll admit it...EVEN bring me "good luck" to be wearing.  About six clothing changes later, well I did what I should have done in the beginning.  I grabbed my favorite "Haven High School Alumni" hoody that identifies me as a member of the graduating class of 1973 and a long sleeve t-shirt and out the door I went. 

I live about a mile from the fairgrounds and I knew that it would be way easier to just walk there instead of trying to drive and find a parking spot.  We were blessed here in our part of the state to receive some much needed moisture last evening that carried on into the overnight hours and was still coming down this morning.  So I took off on foot, headed northbound, with the hopes that I could just dodge the raindrops long enough to make it to the fairgrounds.  And if not, well you know I don't mind getting rained on, especially during one of the driest years I can remember.  So when all was said and done, it was definitely a "bring on the rain moment".  

There's nothing like a nice cold Kansas northwest wind at, let's say 15-20 mph, to wake a person up, especially one that didn't sleep all that well the night before.   I hurried along the way, partially because it was about 40 degrees colder than the day before, partially because I didn't want to be late.  As it turns out, I didn't have to worry about the "being late" part.  The fairgrounds in the early morning hours are nearly deserted and today's inclement weather had pretty much cleared the pathway over to the 4H Encampment Building where the spelling bee was to occur.

Upon arrival, I headed over to where the crowd was gathered.  The check in table held all of our name tags and you had to stop over there to let them know you hadn't chickened out and actually showed up for the contest.  It was an interesting assortment of folks and since this contest was for those 50 years of age and older, well for once I felt like the "baby" of the group.  I was amazed to see folks well into their 70's checking in as contestants.  What was even MORE amazing was the name tag I saw right next to mine, which was soon to be picked up by an old friend from my days of teaching at good old "Yoder A&M".  Our photo is shown below~

Meet Don Etchison, a now retired teacher who spent nearly all of his teaching career as the 7th and 8th grade teacher and coach of ALL sports at Yoder Grade School.  I spent 20 years at Yoder, part of USD 312-Haven, as the 1st and 2nd grade teacher.  Don and I go "way back" and I can't remember the last time I was able to visit with him even though we only live about 20 miles from one another.  So to meet him on the fairgrounds at this particular event was totally unexpected.  To know that Don was one of the contestants was a little nerve-wracking because, well let's just be honest about this, Don has always been one heck of a speller.  We laughed about meeting in the "strangest" of places and I asked him to take it "easy" on me today and as a matter of courtesy, to at LEAST miss a word or two on the written exam.  :)


At the 9:00 a.m. "appointed" hour,  "the 25" made their way to one of the rooms in the Encampment Building to go through the first part of the spelling bee~the "written" exam.  The whole idea behind the written part of the test was to determine the top 15 of the group.  It would be those 15 people who would advance on to the stage to participate in the oral part.  As we sat around the tables waiting for the pronouncing of the words to begin, I had the chance to speak with a nice lady from Salina who had come, just like me, to participate in her first state fair spelling bee.  She had forgotten her glasses and realized it was too late to go back, so she had to rely upon her husband's "specs" as she called them to get her through the written part.  They were a cute couple~she was the contestant and he was her "cheerleader".  They've been retired now for many years and attending the fair was just something they always do. 

When the written part finally began, I began to commiserate with all of the students that I have taught in now, well over 35 years.  I shared their "test anxiety", felt their uncertainty.  As each of the 30 words were pronounced, I found myself concentrating on each letter, every sound that I thought I had heard.  I made sure my handwriting was legible because the judges made it "crystal clear" that if they couldn't read it, then it was wrong.  Geesch, where had I heard THAT before?  

Of the 30 words pronounced, there were 5 that I had never heard of before.  I could tell by the groans of those around me that I wasn't alone.  I began to wonder, where do they come up with these words?  How on earth did I get to be nearly 57 years old and never ONCE hear the word "tautology" uttered?  It was a humbling moment for THIS teacher, to realize that hey, I still have a lot to learn in this life.  As the last word was pronounced, I breathed a sigh of relief that at least this part was over and maybe, JUST maybe I would have done well enough to advance to the oral part on stage.  

While we waited in the auditorium for the first set of results, several of the spelling bee contestants took seats around where I was sitting with Don.  It was so interesting to hear of their stories, people from all over the state who enjoyed the art of spelling.  Many had been champions in their younger years, several remembering the "very" word that they went out on.  When I shared my story of missing the word "haphazardly" as an 8th grader in the Reno County Spelling Bee of 1969, they shook their head in acknowledgement.  The same things had indeed happened to many of them.  It was as if all of a sudden we were ALL members of the same "orthography club" and it kind of felt nice to meet these folks today, even if only for this short while.

When the results of the written test were ready and the names were being called out, I had hoped that I would at least be called to go on stage to spell.  As it turned out, my name was the third one to be called.  My experience with spelling bees has always lent me to believe that you really don't want to be one of the first 5 called to the stage and as the first round began I soon found out why that was to be the case today.

I knew I was doomed, that it was soon to be over when I heard the woman pronounce my word.  It was like "deja vu", like 1969 all over again.  What "haphazardly" was to me on that fateful day as an 8th grader, today's word would soon become.

"Your word is garrulous."

I cannot tell you how it feels to have a word pronounced to you that you have never, ever heard before in all of your life.  I'm sure that the judges must have sensed the look of shock and bewilderment on my face.  I asked for the word to be pronounced, used in a sentence and given a definition.  Trust me, NOTHING helped!  So what do you do when you're standing there in front of a microphone absolutely "drawing a blank" about how to spell a word?  Well, you do the only thing you can~you just start spelling and hope to goodness that you don't look too bad when it's all over.

I drew a couple of deep breaths and sighed~G-A-R-A-L-O-U-S were the letters that came out of my mouth and I added, just as my own personal signature, "But I know that's wrong."  The judges shook their head in agreement with me and I took my seat.  One by one, the rest of group fell, victims to even more difficult words than I had.  The contest was down to the last two when I had to leave to get back to school and so I haven't learned yet who finally was the winner.  But whoever it was, I applaud them for their spelling abilities.  What a great group of people to spend the morning with!

The day is done and evening is approaching so very soon.  It's been a good day and even though I didn't win I had a great time.  My record from 1969 STILL stands for me and perhaps somewhere on the earth there is a person wishing that they too could have been the 5th best speller of all time.  I learned a lot, that's for sure and one of the main things would be that I still have a lot to learn.  And yes, I just want to say one more thing~ I love it when kids are surprised to learn that their teachers don't know everything :)  It was my hope that by participating in this spelling bee that my students could see the value of lifelong learning.  I wanted them to know that the English language is filled with words that can be a lot of fun to know and understand and yes, to know that even in a world filled with "spell checks", the "art of spelling" is alive and well!

Have a great evening friends~hope that wherever you are, you are safe, well, and at peace with this life~

A letter to the children~

In just a few short hours, the first bell of the school day will be ringing here in this part of the world and all of the students in the Montrose-Olathe School District will enter inside of the buildings to begin the 2013-2014 school term.  17 fourth-grade students are waiting for their new teacher Mrs. Renfro to meet them at the door and one of the first things that I will do this morning is to read them the letter shown below.  

I am one blessed woman to have been chosen out of many others to lead this classroom of students along life's way this year.  If you would be so inclined to do, please pray for me~send good thoughts my way that I am able to step into a position that may well be one of the most challenging and at the same time rewarding ones that I have ever known in 36 years of education.

Have a good day everyone out there, friends and family!  I love you guys all and hope that this day will be a blessed one for you all as well.  This is the day that has been made for me and if you are reading this, then it has been made for you too!  We woke up today~there is a reason for being here.  Go out and find what you have in store for you.


Dear 4th grade students,

Good morning dear young ones and welcome to our classroom for this school year.  It's very early as I type this letter to you, in fact most of you are still snoozing away sound asleep in your beds at home.  Soon we will all be together in one of the most beautiful schools that I have seen in all of my life~Olathe Elementary School and thus our fourth grade year shall begin.

You know, I was in fourth grade once too even though now it was so very many long years ago.  In fact, it was 49 years ago, so many that I actually just had to take out the calculator to figure it out myself!  Yet even though it was nearly half of a century ago, I still remember so very many things about it.  Our teacher was the most kind and loving woman you could have imagined and we called her "Mrs. Harris".  She loved us very much and expected us to always do our very best each day.  As a fourth grader I found my lifelong love for the spelling of words and my dislike for Weekly Readers.  I made friends with other kids like Kathy, Becky, Terry Ellen, Allen, and Jenise.  And I caught the red measles and was sicker than a dog for 3 weeks but I lived to tell the story.  What in the world are the "red measles" you ask?  Thank goodness that's one vocabulary word you have never had to learn in your young lives.  I'll tell you about it some day.

We have so much to find out about this year, both you all as the students and myself as your teacher.  Chances are extremely good that I will learn as much from you (or even more at times) than you learn from me.  Who ever said that adults cannot learn from children?  A very foolish grown up did, that's who!  When I was a fourth grader, math was my least favorite subject.  How about you?  Do you sometimes feel the same way?  Do you love to read?  I hope so!  How about writing?  Does it sometimes become a challenge for you or perhaps is it one of the easiest things for you to accomplish?  All of us in this classroom today have our own sets of strengths and weaknesses.  My hope, my vision is that we can work together, collaborate with one another, to make this the best fourth grade year that was ever possible.  Will you help me?

One last thing and then I promise I'll be quiet for a while.  You know, we are going to learn so very much within the excellent curriculum that has been set up for the students of our school district this year.  What opportunities await you all to become even better readers, writers and mathematicians!  But not everything that I teach you, not everything that you learn will come from inside a book.  I want to help you with the learning of some of "life's lessons", like how to become better citizens and neighbors not only to the 18 of us within these four walls but to the hallways, playground and beyond.  I want us to find ways to help people in our community and if possible, those that live far beyond our borders here in Montrose County.  And by the way you guys, I know we hear all kinds of bad things that happen in this world of ours but I am here to tell you this morning that  I don't want you to listen to that.  Instead, every single day I want you to find the "good" that this world has to offer all of us and believe me when I say to you that there is plenty of it to find.  In fact I am going to make a wild guess that you yourself will be a part of that "good" in the days that lie ahead of us.  I have a feeling and usually my feeling is pretty much right on target.  

Well, it's time to go now and get things ready for this new day.  I'm proud to meet you and very blessed that I will be your teacher.  I have a feeling that despite all of the challenges that lie ahead, this will be the best year for me as an educator and by the way, I've had 35 years before this one to judge it from.  My goal is to facilitate your learning in such a way that it will be the best year ever for you as well.  Let's get started!

Love,

Mrs. Renfro

There once was a little girl named Peggy Scott and she was a fourth grader too!  

A reason for everything, a part of the plan

A very good Sunday morning to you all and as the character Charlotte would have said from E.B. White's Charlotte's Web, "Salutations."  It's so very early in the morning hours here and I am up and on cup of coffee #1 of many to follow for this day.  It will be a long one, a day I have left to finish up everything on the old "to do" list before school starts tomorrow morning.  As I peered into the bathroom mirror a moment ago and caught sight of my very weary and tired face, I'm sure I could have been the inspiration for the phrase "dead tired".  Life made a very dramatic change for me, now 6 days ago when I accepted a position as one of the fourth grade teachers for a wonderful school near here, Olathe Elementary.  I've been on the "run" since that day and although I'm exhausted I couldn't be happier.  So it begins!

As school starts anew, now in about 24 hours, I cannot help to stop and think just what a summer this has been for me.  It may well go down in the "Peggy Renfro history book" as the most memorable summer ever and not because it was all good either.  It's not a government secret or anything that I have been extremely homesick.  Shoot, as I look back over my blog posts from June and July, being lonely for Kansas, my family and friends and the old life I used to have was a very prevalent theme.  I didn't like Colorado and just kept telling people that there needed to be one big fat hole bulldozed between here and my home state of Kansas so I could look back and see through.  My dear husband Mike, whom I dearly love, spent many an evening listening to his new wife telling him that I missed home as  well as generally adding in the phrase, "I want to go back."  But I did not leave.  How many times I imagined a pioneer woman, just like me, whose husband would tire of listening to the incessant whining and simply trade her to the Indians for a new horse or something.  What I am telling you is that he did a whole lot of listening and still loves me.

Aside from the fact that I moved to Montrose to begin a life anew with Mike,  all summer long I have questioned very seriously what in the heck I was doing here.  What was God's purpose in sending me to this place that was well over 600 miles away from my home in Kansas?  Did He have something in mind for me?  What would happen to me?  Would I ever be happy here or satisfied?  I have been full of questions since I arrived here and it was beginning to get the best of me.  And then came last Monday morning.

I'm not even going to try to explain how the opportunity came for me to teach fourth grade this year and perhaps we could just suffice it to say that it could not have arrived at a better time. And as in everything in my 57-year old life, when I finally stopped trying to figure out the reason or the purpose of this all, God made it known to me.  I smile now as I think of Him watching my half-hearted attempts at figuring out what I was supposed to do here and finally after 3 months saying to me, "Hey, Peggy.  If you would just leave this all to me it would be a whole lot quicker and easier for you kid."  

And thus for me, I feel blessed to say that tomorrow begins my 36th year of returning to  a job that I hold near and dear to my heart, that of being an educator.   Never, never in my wildest of dreams did I think it would happen here in this place, south western Colorado.  I've driven through the little town of Olathe a dozen times this summer and not even once did I say, "That's where I'll be teaching some day!"  But at the right time, God's time, it has happened for me.  I know now why I was brought here~it wasn't just some random act in my life's plan that I was transplanted from the flatlands of Kansas to the mountains of Colorado.  Everything that has happened from January of this year until now was a small part my life's plan, drawn out long before I ever even arrived on the face of this earth.  And although I have questioned it  hundreds of times during my 21,116 days of life, I am at peace in my heart that someone who is so many times wiser than I am is in charge of it all.     
Well, it's definitely time to get a move on because this is one day that I cannot afford to trade much "daylight for dark".  The wind is blowing out of the east once more as it comes off of Cerro Summit and my bare feet are a little chilly right now as the early morning breeze comes in out of the kitchen window.  I want you all to know that I am ok and that little by little life has become easier here for me.  Being shown to me what I was supposed to do here has been a blessing to me, a REAL blessing.  Although I will always consider Kansas to be my home, I am happy to finally say that I don't mind living in Colorado and believe me when I say to you, that is a definite change in attitude for the better.  Thanks friends and family for all of the kind and encouraging messages that you have sent to me in the weeks that have passed.  They came when I needed them the most :)  Have a great Sunday all of you.  This is the 18th day of August, 2013~a great day to be alive in and if you think it's good today, then just wait until tomorrow.  It'll be even better.  

 Three men who mean "this world" to me~my husband Mike, my oldest son Ricky, my dear friend LeRoy on the day that Mike and I were married.

My 3 blessings whom I love with all of my heart and miss them so very much.  
                                  Ricky Miller, Grahame and Ursela Hemman

Summer school from 2011~just look at those faces~  Now that's why I am a teacher.

Once I was a fourth grader

Good morning everyone out there and best wishes, the day's greetings to you from the Western Slopes of the state of Colorado.  It's early but not near as early as it should be.  There's a lot to do around here today and even though I had the best intentions of getting up by 4:30, that didn't happen.  But I woke up, alive and well and if you are reading this then the same happened for you too.  Welcome to another day of life :)

Summer "officially" is over for me as of noontime today even though the calendar on the wall assures us that there are several weeks more to come.  But it's "back to school" time for me and tens of thousands of other teachers across the nation.  Soon, if not already, the desks and chairs in classrooms everywhere will be filled with kids who have returned to learn yet another year in school.  I feel blessed to have been a part of it for I am a teacher and there's no other profession in this world that I would rather have devoted my life to.  "Year #36", I have come to you."

When I retired "AGAIN" back in Kansas and made the move here to Montrose with my new husband Mike, I never had any intention of returning to the classroom and I MEAN it.  In fact, after Mike and I were married that afternoon on the last day of school, the only things we carried out with us were the gifts, cards, and other memorabilia from our wedding.  I either gave or threw away every single thing that I had in my old classroom that was related to being a teacher.  I had always felt blessed to have taught for 32 years and figured at that time, it was "ok" to call it quits.  Then a few months later, I returned to school for another 3 years of time so I figured that definitely 35 years was a good plenty.  I believe I was wrong~

It's an interesting story as to how I got to this point in time and I won't be able to go into everything here in this blog post, but I learned just 2 days ago that I would be taking a fourth grade teaching position in a small community just to the north of Montrose by about ten miles.  Olathe Elementary had an opening that just came about in the past days and so I inquired about it.  In about 3 hours time, I was interviewed, then hired and believe me when I say to you that I could not feel any better about a decision that I have made.  It feels good, no let me say that in a different way~It feels great to be back in the classroom once again.  God's blessings, His miracles continue to find me and I give thanks, always.

School begins for the students this coming Monday, August 19th and there is much to do in order to be ready for that first of days.  In 35 years of teaching students, I have never started a position so very close to the day of opening as I will have this time.  My classroom is not even half ready to go so I'm pretty sure that I won't be "trading much daylight for dark" for a long time to come.  But you know what?  I still have faith in myself that I will make it.

I have never taught fourth graders as a whole group before and I now as I sit here typing this blog post, I'm sure glad for the 15 years of my career in which I was either a Title I or an ESL teacher.  It was during those times that I taught small group rotations of all grade levels in reading and math.  Fourth grade students were among those.  It will be quite different for me and a challenge but hey, I like a challenge.  I told one of my young teaching partners that I would be looking to her for a lot of guidance and wisdom.  She just laughed and said that she was going to say the very same thing to me!  Our school is staffed by the finest of people and I know that everything is going to be ok.  For that I rejoice and give thanks.

It's time for me to get going but before I do, I wanted to say one other thing.  The next time you happen to drive by a school anywhere in this country, I don't care if it's in Olathe, Colorado, Hutchinson, Kansas, or Owego, New York or shoot anywhere else in between, remember this~Inside of it are lots and lots of folks who are trying to make a difference for the good in the lives of the young people entrusted to them.  There's a school secretary answering your phone calls, a custodian who is cleaning the floors in order that school looks presentable, and a school nurse who makes sure that the kid whose tummy hurt earlier in the day is now feeling better.  There is a principal making the rounds throughout the building and watching over and providing assistance to the people therein.  A classroom para is there working hard trying to assist the students and the teachers in all matters of the educational day.  That great smell emanating from the lunchroom?  Well it didn't get there all by its lonesome.  The kitchen staff is hard at work making sure that no one has to go hungry and that everyone has the opportunity to sit down for breakfast and lunch.  There are speech clinicians, school psychologists, counselors and a dozen more volunteers that go in and out of the buildings each day in order that things run smoothly.  And oh yeah, here's the strange thing.  They don't get paid enough to do what they do but they do it any way because of the one thing they are there for, the bottom line~the kids.  As I approach the autumn of my 58th year,  I am glad that I can say I belong to the most honourable profession ever.  I am a teacher.

Have a great day everyone!  Take care of yourselves and one another this day.  By the way, have I told you lately just how glad I am that we are friends?  Pretty sure that I don't say that near enough :)

 I've taken a lot of "teacher" pictures over the years, but this one will pretty much always remain one of my favourites.  My very last class of ESL students at Avenue A Elementary before I retired the "first time" back in 2010.

 Hey, I really was a fourth grader once, no kidding!  This group of kids stuck together like glue back in those days.  Our dear and now "sainted" in Heaven teacher, Mrs. Harris, loved us all so very much and wanted the best for each of her students.  Fourth grade was the year I learned how fun it was to spell words and how boring Weekly Reader time could be.  Elizabeth Harris, you were a wonderfully kind and caring teacher.  I loved you.  Do you see me in the photo?

Me standing alongside the best fourth grade teacher that I ever knew, my sister Sherry St. Clair.  This photo was taken at Avenue A back in 2010.  We had both decided to retire from teaching the very same year, Sherry with over 40 years of teaching and me with 32 years.  Dying laughing here, neither of us stayed retired for more than a couple of months.  Sherry is still there in the classrooms of her longtime school attendance center, Roosevelt Elementary.  I learned how to become the best teacher I could be simply by watching and emulating her.  Thanks to you, my big sister.

upon remembering the gift of someone's life

Good morning dear friends and family, wherever you may be in this huge world of ours this day.  Two years ago on August 10, 2011, my life changed forever when I received the gift of a cadaver's bone segment in order to repair my badly busted up and "smashed to smithereen's" left arm.  As the good doctor, Prince Chan of the Kansas Orthopaedic Center of Wichita, began the extensive process of repairing all of the damage done because of my infamous "curb jumping" incident, he determined the best way to try to save my wrist was to use the harvested bone segments of a 45-year old man from my neighbour state of Missouri.  As I lay there on the operating table, I had no idea what was happening in the repair process.  It was only as I waited in recovery, that I learned of the special gift that would become a part of me, a part of who I was, for the remainder of my days on earth.  

When I came back from the hospital that day, my sister Cindy helped me to type the following blog post.  I am reprinting it below for those who would care to read it today.  I said then, I say now, and will say until the day I take my last breath~I will be forever beholden to that unknown man who gave the gift of new life to me and to countless others.   This is my "shameless plug" to all of you reading this~please consider donating your organs, tissue and bone upon your death.   I know that it's not something we like to consider, certainly not a subject of conversation that folks enjoy bringing up.  But the truth of the matter is that the need is a gazillion times greater than could ever be accommodated.  It will always remain "bittersweet" to me, that my arm could be made usable again only because of the gift given at the time of another man's death.  

My favourite Bible verse, of all time now, shall be always~

"No greater love hath a man than this, that he would lay down his life for a friend."  
From the "Good Book", John 15:13  

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Home

This is Cindy, Peggy's YOUNGER sister!  I am helping her type this update, as she is not going to be typing on her own for a long while. 


My surgery today went about as well as could be expected, which was all I was asking for anyways.  We left for the land of miracles at 5:30 a.m., and how nice it was to have to wrap a Dillons bag around my cast so it wouldn't get wet.  Hutchinson was one of the areas in south central Kansas that received the gift of moisture, and I couldn't have been given a better send off than to leave in a downpour of rain.


The folks at the Kansas Orthopedic Center are among the best as far as I am concerned.  From the moment I walked in until the moment I left, I was given the best patient care I have ever received.  They definitely know their stuff.


As was expected, when they opened up my arm it did look like a bomb had gone off inside.  Everything was a mess and it took over an hour to insert the plates and screws that would help my arm remain in place while the healing begins.  They spent a great deal of time cleaning out debris from the original accident.


When I saw Dr. Chan on Monday, he didn't promise that he could fix it, but did promise that he would do his best.  I am more than confident that he did just that.  Now we have to wait and see what happens next.  It will take months to determine the final outcome as to whether or not I receive ANY mobility back in my wrist.


When I got to the recovery room, I received the most bittersweet news that I believe I have ever received in my 55 years of living.  The nurse was going through my paperwork with me, and she showed me a piece of paper on the top that I will never forget.  It turns out that one of the things they had to do as they tried to fix my arm was to transplant a bone segment that was harvested from a donor's body.  It was that piece of bone that helped to lengthen and repair all the damage that I did last week when I wrecked my bike.


To imagine that somewhere on this earth someone cared for others more than them self to sign a donor card, was pretty overwhelming to me.  When the nurse told me, I got a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes.  I didn't realize that receiving a transplanted bone was even a possibility in surgery today. What a bittersweet feeling to know that someone had to die in order that my arm could be repaired.  I may never know who gave that bone segment to me, but who ever they might have been, they will now live within me forever.


You wouldn't think that a small section of human bone would have the significance that it did today. But for me it will determine how much use I will get back in my wrist in the future.


No matter what the results of today's surgery are in the years ahead, I will always remember and hold close to my heart that special gift of a donated bone segment.  Without it, my chances of getting better were slim to none. 


Now's here's my question to all of you...Have any of you already decided to be a donor upon your death?  By the way, there IS no right or wrong answer.  The decision has to be made by you and you alone.  


I've always been a strong supporter of organ donation.  For me, it makes absolutely no sense at all to bury my body with all of the organs still intact.  Why not let the doctors harvest my liver, kidneys, heart, lungs, or the corneas of my eyes to someone on this earth who really needs them?


 Only recently have I learned of the great demand for bone and skin donations. My three children know very well of my desire to give what ever in the world is needed from my body when I die.  And as of today, I realize the importance of paying it forward in such a manner.


I'll be spending the next few days recuperating here at home and anticipating returning to school on August 15th.  Thank you everyone for your kindness, prayers, and good thoughts.  I am not giving up hope that this will work out, but I realize that my chances don't look so good at this time.  Several of us spoke last night of the chance of a miracle taking place.  I have come to realize that perhaps the miracle had already happened last Thursday.  And that would be that I am alive in the first place.  And you know, I think I can live with that.