Tyler ISD takes some whacky holidays. We get a random day off about once a month. I think they call them "teacher work days" or some nonsense, but I'm looking out the window and I don't see any vehicles in the parking lot over there. Are they working from home?! We've always had a break on Martin Luther King Jr's birthday, but our school district decided to turn it into a 4-day weekend. So I decided to take a 4-day weekend, too! :)
Today, Madi and I are being lazy with two of our favorite people: Madi's BFF Baily, and Baily's baby brother, Lane. And it has been some serious lazy around here! All of us are still in our pj's, the girls slept 'til 9:15, and Lane is napping right now. We're waiting for him to wake up so we can play with him! It's pretty much a perfect day!
Tomorrow is the 2nd meeting of the Tyler Area 2010 Camaro Club! I have to admit, when these folks first contacted me, I laughed. A lot. I thought it was sooo silly, and I wasn't going to go. Madi talked me into it, because she wanted to see all of the other Camaros. (She's kind of a huge fan, now that we have one.) It was actually a lot of fun, and seeing all those cars together was pretty stinkin' cool! So I think we'll go tomorrow and see all of our friends (car and human), and check out our new additions. :)
Sunday is, of course, Cowboys Sunday, and we'll be hosting another party at our house. So fun!! My 3 favorite food groups will be represented: burgers and brats and junk food! Oh, and I love football. Have I mentioned that lately? GO COWBOYS!
Monday will be Casey Day. I'm cashing in my gift certificate for a one-hour massage, manicure, and deluxe pedicure. I love to be pampered. I am SO looking forward to Monday!
I hope you all enjoy your weekend as much as I will!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
It's Just Stuff
I was reminded this week of what it means to be a Good Samaritan.
A local man was cooking breakfast in his home when he heard a loud crash outside. The East Texas Deep Freeze we are currently living in had caused the road outside of his home to ice over, and a truck had left the roadway and flipped, coming to rest against a tree. He ran outside to check on the occupants of the truck and offer assistance.
In his hurried departure from his kitchen, he left a hot skillet on the stove. A few minutes after heading outside to help two complete strangers, he turned around to see his home engulfed in flames. Apparently the grease from the skillet ignited a fire in his kitchen, and within moments his entire home was consumed.
In an interview with local news reporters, he said that he had run inside to retreive his dog, and to move the skillet from the stove to stop the fire. The smoke was too thick and he had to get out. Aside from his dog, he lost everything. He had no insurance.
The driver and passenger of the truck were ok, but visibly shaken - possibly from the wreck, but more likely because of the complete act of selflessness that another human had just displayed.
In a follow up interview with the local man, who had returned to his home the next day to try to salvage something from the shell of his home, the reporter asked if he would do it again. He didn't hesitate, never stumbled - he said yes. Given the same circumstances with the same outcome, he would do it again.
This 60-year-old man, now homeless and without any worldly possessions except the clothes on his body and the dog by his side, taught me an incredible lesson.
It's just stuff. And it's not worth more than the safety of another human being.
Every time I get a new claim, I take a recorded statement from each of the involved parties. There are several questions about their personal info, the scene of the accident, and what happened. But there are two questions that I ask every time to which I rarely get the answer I'm hoping for: Were there any witnesses? Did anyone stop to help? Nine times out of ten, the answer is "no." NO?! Were people so busy that day that they forgot what it meant to be human?! To CARE about the safety and condition of people around them?
A man heard a crash outside of his house, stopped what he was doing, and ran outside to help. He could have stayed inside. He could have ignored the sound of the crash, or dismissed it as someone else's problem. But he didn't.
And his story touched my heart. So I am sharing it, in the hopes of maybe changing the way others react to the people and circumstances around them.
A local man was cooking breakfast in his home when he heard a loud crash outside. The East Texas Deep Freeze we are currently living in had caused the road outside of his home to ice over, and a truck had left the roadway and flipped, coming to rest against a tree. He ran outside to check on the occupants of the truck and offer assistance.
In his hurried departure from his kitchen, he left a hot skillet on the stove. A few minutes after heading outside to help two complete strangers, he turned around to see his home engulfed in flames. Apparently the grease from the skillet ignited a fire in his kitchen, and within moments his entire home was consumed.
In an interview with local news reporters, he said that he had run inside to retreive his dog, and to move the skillet from the stove to stop the fire. The smoke was too thick and he had to get out. Aside from his dog, he lost everything. He had no insurance.
The driver and passenger of the truck were ok, but visibly shaken - possibly from the wreck, but more likely because of the complete act of selflessness that another human had just displayed.
In a follow up interview with the local man, who had returned to his home the next day to try to salvage something from the shell of his home, the reporter asked if he would do it again. He didn't hesitate, never stumbled - he said yes. Given the same circumstances with the same outcome, he would do it again.
This 60-year-old man, now homeless and without any worldly possessions except the clothes on his body and the dog by his side, taught me an incredible lesson.
It's just stuff. And it's not worth more than the safety of another human being.
Every time I get a new claim, I take a recorded statement from each of the involved parties. There are several questions about their personal info, the scene of the accident, and what happened. But there are two questions that I ask every time to which I rarely get the answer I'm hoping for: Were there any witnesses? Did anyone stop to help? Nine times out of ten, the answer is "no." NO?! Were people so busy that day that they forgot what it meant to be human?! To CARE about the safety and condition of people around them?
A man heard a crash outside of his house, stopped what he was doing, and ran outside to help. He could have stayed inside. He could have ignored the sound of the crash, or dismissed it as someone else's problem. But he didn't.
And his story touched my heart. So I am sharing it, in the hopes of maybe changing the way others react to the people and circumstances around them.
Monday, January 04, 2010
Pass It On
Madison and I enjoyed a UT-Tyler basketball game yesterday, courtesy of her (read: her father's) fabulous cookie dough selling skills. I didn't realize how much I know about basketball until I was seated next to an inquisitive 10-year-old who likes to know everything...about everything.
Lucky for her, I was in an "answering" mood!
She wanted to know all about scoring. Why are those worth 3, but those are only worth 2? How come that guy gets to stand there and shoot for free, and all those other guys have to just watch? Why do they get to grab the ball if it doesn't go in after the 2nd free shot, but not the 1st one?
And then there were the scoreboards, and all their fancy lights. What does the "B" mean? What about the arrow? What's a jump ball?
For nearly two hours, I shared with her every detail that I could think to tell her about the sport of basketball. I've spent an entire football season teaching her what I know about the pigskin. (Which honestly isn't much, compared to most. I didn't discover my love for football until about 4 years ago.) It wasn't that we sat down together and I schooled her on how to play - it just happened. She has questions, and I have answers. Usually.
It made me realize that, as parents, we are a wealth of information and knowledge just waiting to be summoned. I'm sure I've always known that, though sometimes I'm guilty of not taking the time to stop and share. But why do we wait for the questions before we share the answers? Why DON'T we take the time to share what we know at every opportunity?
I always struggle with "resolutions" as each new year begins. I don't like to place a time stamp on the changes or improvements I'd like to make in my life. I want them to be more than a cliche.
But as I sat next to my daughter, remembering what it was like to be so young and wide-eyed, and full of questions and life and open-mindedness, I realized that I MUST make a change. I must always remember to share what I know, to help shape her into a well-rounded, intelligent, thoughtful individual who will hopefully one day have the chance to pass on a small slice of what I've taught her.
I must always remember to pass it on....
I think we'll be taking advantage of every possible UT-Tyler sporting event. :)
Lucky for her, I was in an "answering" mood!
She wanted to know all about scoring. Why are those worth 3, but those are only worth 2? How come that guy gets to stand there and shoot for free, and all those other guys have to just watch? Why do they get to grab the ball if it doesn't go in after the 2nd free shot, but not the 1st one?
And then there were the scoreboards, and all their fancy lights. What does the "B" mean? What about the arrow? What's a jump ball?
For nearly two hours, I shared with her every detail that I could think to tell her about the sport of basketball. I've spent an entire football season teaching her what I know about the pigskin. (Which honestly isn't much, compared to most. I didn't discover my love for football until about 4 years ago.) It wasn't that we sat down together and I schooled her on how to play - it just happened. She has questions, and I have answers. Usually.
It made me realize that, as parents, we are a wealth of information and knowledge just waiting to be summoned. I'm sure I've always known that, though sometimes I'm guilty of not taking the time to stop and share. But why do we wait for the questions before we share the answers? Why DON'T we take the time to share what we know at every opportunity?
I always struggle with "resolutions" as each new year begins. I don't like to place a time stamp on the changes or improvements I'd like to make in my life. I want them to be more than a cliche.
But as I sat next to my daughter, remembering what it was like to be so young and wide-eyed, and full of questions and life and open-mindedness, I realized that I MUST make a change. I must always remember to share what I know, to help shape her into a well-rounded, intelligent, thoughtful individual who will hopefully one day have the chance to pass on a small slice of what I've taught her.
I must always remember to pass it on....
I think we'll be taking advantage of every possible UT-Tyler sporting event. :)
Sunday, January 03, 2010
A New Year...a Renewed Me!
I know it's very cliche - everyone is "restarting" their blog as they welcome 2010. It's the "in" thing to do. All the cool kids are doing it. What can I say - I'm a lemming.
Actually, I'm not. I'm me. And I need to keep a record of the "me" that I am constantly becoming. Each year, as the calendar rolls to another January, I seem to remember less and less of the preceeding 11 months. As I get older, life seems to accelerate at a higher rate of speed. I can remember being on Christmas break as a kid in school - it felt like an eternity! There was plenty of time to play with friends, to explore new toys, to eat delicious food, to annoy my sister. The possibilities were limitless. Now I sit here wondering how in the world it is already January 3rd. And 2010?! Seriously?? How did THAT happen?
So on my honor, I will try to update this blog regularly. I won't call it a resolution. I'll call it a revolution, from the Latin revolutio, "a turn around." Hold on and enjoy the ride!
Actually, I'm not. I'm me. And I need to keep a record of the "me" that I am constantly becoming. Each year, as the calendar rolls to another January, I seem to remember less and less of the preceeding 11 months. As I get older, life seems to accelerate at a higher rate of speed. I can remember being on Christmas break as a kid in school - it felt like an eternity! There was plenty of time to play with friends, to explore new toys, to eat delicious food, to annoy my sister. The possibilities were limitless. Now I sit here wondering how in the world it is already January 3rd. And 2010?! Seriously?? How did THAT happen?
So on my honor, I will try to update this blog regularly. I won't call it a resolution. I'll call it a revolution, from the Latin revolutio, "a turn around." Hold on and enjoy the ride!
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