~OK, so THAT was a fast week~

With the best of intentions I cleaned off the kitchen table yesterday morning, finally finding the bottom of it after at least a couple of good weeks of even making the attempt.  I guess I've been busy doing other things as was evidenced by the fact that four Hutchinson News papers remained in the unread state from mid-July.  Before I pitched them to the recycle pile, I read through them any way.  Old news to some yet new to me.  I wasn't in the obit section and the crossword was still quite viable.  The "good" was gleaned from them and before I knew it, the table was clean. 

For about one hour.

It's Sunday morning here along the Western Slopes in the great Centennial state of Colorado.  This place, nestled deep into a valley with all kinds of scenery surrounding me in one gigantic panoramic view, has been my home now for nearly 15 months.  Although it seemed to take forever and  a day to get used to being here after living in the great state of Kansas for over half of a century, I am doing so much better at it.  I found my place here, my niche, my reason for being and have settled into life now.  It took a while.  In thinking about life yesterday, I was inspired to think that this place, so very far away from home for me, is where God has chosen for me to complete my magnum opus, what ever great work that was set out for me to do.  I am determined to continue with my part of "the plan".

The week that has just completed flew by at supersonic speed and I'm sitting here this morning wondering where in the heck all the time went to.  The first week of school is in "the books' and tomorrow starts a new week for us there.  "The 22" are a sweet bunch of little people and we are slowly getting used to one another and what it will take to have a successful year in first grade.  The time we have is limited and most precious and as their teacher I have to be ever mindful of that.  We are working to build a community of learners, children who will be friends with one another for the next 170+ school days and beyond.  Many of them will stay together throughout elementary, middle and high school.  For better or worse~  I desire for them to learn now at their young and tender age that they need to support one another, to encourage each other, to "hold their feet to that proverbial fire" in order that they make it in life.  The way I figure it, there is no easier or more convenient time to learn that lesson than right now.  Friends reading this, if you are so inclined to do please pray for us to have a successful school year.  Not only my class but classes everywhere in this world.  Children need all the guidance and love and prayers that can be offered up on their behalf.  Thank you~

It was a week of ALS Ice Bucket Challenges as was most apparent by all of the wonderful videos that I saw on Facebook as well as nationally on TV and online.  Mike and I decided to get ours taken care of a couple of nights back and I challenged the rest of my family members to do the same in memory and honor of our brother Mike who passed away from Lou Gehrig's disease in 2007.  I was touched to see videos of the good folks at Shep Chevrolet back in my hometown of Haven, Kansas as they did theirs in respect for the passing of my brother.  His home there was only a block or two away from their business.  I nearly cried....  Ok, Ok I DID shed a tear to see that one done as well as the one my older sister, Sherry St. Clair did, at her former school in Altus, Oklahoma.  She has health issues of her own going on but that didn't dissuade her from allowing her former principal dump a bucket of ice cold water atop her head in front of the students there.  Her trusty walker/sidekick "Sophie" was parked to her side and bravely she announced with a kiss to Heaven above that she was willing to do it to bring awareness to the disease that took our brother's life less than a month after his diagnosis.  Some of the most inspirational and heartwarming challenges have come from ALS victims themselves, so many of them already in wheelchairs or confined to their beds.  May the cure be found someday very soon, that others may be spared the trial of going through what so many families have thus far.  The Scott Family included~

Day is trying to break here along the Western Slopes and the sky is filled with clouds making it nearly impossible to know that the sun is arising.  Silverjack Mountain is standing tall, like a sentinel watching over the people in the valley below.  The San Juans are barren of snow but it won't be long before that is no longer the case.  The Black Canyon is cloud covered too and the road back to Kansas and "somewhere over the rainbow" would be a wet one to traverse this day.  Up on Monarch Pass, it's in the low 50's and by the looks of their forecast for the week, it will be a wet and rainy one as well.  The seasons are going to change so very soon and as summer hands off the baton to autumn, it always seems a little sad.  Autumn is beautiful here and I hope that winter allows fall a little extra time this year.  We shall find out in the weeks and months ahead and as always, we accept what comes our way.  Be it bad or good, it is just what it is.

What shall happen to us in the week that lies ahead?  Well, pretty sure that only God knows the answer to that one.  Whatever it will be, I figure it's as good an idea as any to just hold hands and stick together to see one another through it all.  For all the people who have lifted me up and picked up the extra slack in life on my behalf, I give thanks.  May someday I return the kindness to you.

Hey, I hardly ever sit at it during the course of any given day but I do try to keep it cleaned up from time to time.  I am so very blessed to be a teacher at Olathe Elementary School in Colorado.  The bottom picture was taken in late July before I got started getting the room ready.  It looks so much better now :)  22 little people helped to add the much needed finishing touches.  They gave it the "human touch".