School Daze

Fall is just around the corner and summer is giving its last push before the season shifts.  This time of year still brings a flood of memories and emotions of those first days of school – does it for you, too?  My senses take it all in…..smells, the change in the air, certain songs.  Here are snippets from those school days – a – long – time - ago….

ELEMENTARY BEGINNINGS

Lunch boxes and thermos, brown bags for the ‘cool’ kids….sandwiches wrapped in waxed paper…. Tuna, egg salad, peanut butter and jelly….

Jell-O....KoolAid....celery and peanut butter.....

~ Giggles ~

Best friends…. popular and not-so-popular kids….shy kids, bully kids….New dresses and shoes – “hand-me-down” favorites….

Cigar box full of supplies….Elmer’s glue dries on your skin and peels off….penmanship….big erasers…..pencils always kept sharpened…..

Nice teachers and not-so-nice teachers…. Mr. Roy, Miss McKinney, Mrs. Doht, Mr. McGregor, Mrs. Gibson, Mr. Richey, Mr. Jacoby….

Safety patrol….tetherball….3ȼ milk….Excitement….P.E. class….Girl Scouts….Jr. Rose Festival….

Sunday School….VBS…..Mrs. Heinz, Mr. and Mrs. Hood, Mrs. Rainer, Mrs. Kennedy…..ah, pillars in those formative years….orphan pennies…..Master the Tempest is Raging….jungle stories….

Riding bikes….laughter…..happiness….best friends forever

TRANSITIONS

Shell shock

Class schedules…..finding classrooms….anxiety…..a sea of students passing in the halls….strangers…..lost…..Algebra…..P.E…..English…..Biology…..Reg. Room….

Some great teachers….Mr. Street, Mr. Bolin, Mr. Walls, Mr. Stuart.....homework…..grades….

                        Marching Band practice….uniforms…..concerts….bassoon…..

Excitement…anxiety….after school jobs…..driving permits, license…..

Green Eyed Lady blaring from the juke box in the cafeteria….french fries and milkshake lunches….short skirts….hot pants…..cars….boyfriends…..proms…..

                        Football games….dates….clicks….abortions….racial tensions….

Youth Group….5^th Quarter….Peter and Mary Jean Kopp, David and Becky Templeton, Lynn and Sheri Sanders….my parents….forever impacted….follower of Jesus….

            Friendships....childhood fades….graduation – to – what?

One Thousand Gifts Continues

101….. Education opportunities

102….. Wallpaper and all its layers

103….. Husband’s teachable moments

104….. Hurdles to overcome

105….. The clothes I own

106….. New relationships

107….. Waiting on the LORD for His goodness and mercy

108….. Hot weather

109….. Assignments

110….. Husband’s perseverance