2019 Turks and Caicos

2019 Memorial Day picnic

Ed and I are very lucky, we get to have family gatherings sometimes.  Today was another grateful, thankful, lucky day

Amanda and Todd hosted the gathering, and appropriately included several of their friends.  

We missed Joey a lot though.  

I enjoyed meeting Todd's Aunt Rita, who is 92.  I think I had met her once before at Maddie's baby shower.

Epiphany Stories

I've had many many good teachers, helpful teachers and caring teachers.  

But one teacher I had in junior high remains burned in my memory.  He was my math teacher, I'll call him Mr. M.  

I was a good student, and doing well in math.  One day, near the end of school, Mr. M. ask me to stay behind after class.  I still remember his room, first floor, at the end of the hall, with a view of the two lane road outside.   

I was seated in my usual seat, in a back corner I think.  He walked back and sat down near me.  I got a little nervous.  I was thinking, "Wonder what this is about?  I'm doing all my homework, getting A's and B's."

It didn't take Mr. M very long to get to the point.  He reached out and patted my arm.  "Barbara, you have such a pretty face."
He continued, "but I'm afraid you are going to be one of those girls that has to watch your weight."
He went on...and on.  But I could only hear the buzzing in my ears.  

I was shrinking right there on the spot.  I was getting small so I could slip, unnoticed, between the cracks in the asbestos tile floor, right through the underlying concrete.   

This is a photo of me near those precious years of beginning obesity concerns.