The pieces are slowly coming together to create the mural of my new life. Like riding that old bike, there are some things that come naturally after many years in an occupation. Readying a classroom is one of those things. Twenty of this, 40 of that. Office supplies. A comfortable desk chair. Collecting the tangible items is quite easy and fun.
After a wonderful lunch yesterday with new friends, I remembered I hadn’t visited Dollar Tree for months. DT is a teacher’s best friend. For any holiday, they’re stocked with trinkets for prizes, as well as important Back to School Items. Painfully, it is no longer Dollar Tree. It’s $1.25 Tree. Going up and down the aisles, I remember how VST always found the coolest additions to my classroom. Even when he put his retirement dreams on hold for my work, he did his best to make my life easier. He sacrificed a lot during the school years between 2015-2017.
After buying 80 items, which would have cost $80 in the olden days, I returned home to Oliver. My next project will be to prepare a nice place for Oliver during the hot days when I’m at work.
Make no mistake on this. Oliver is not yet mature enough to wander the halls of Winterpast without restraint. In so many ways, he is now a real dog. August 6th we’ll celebrate his 4th birthday. Just now, he’s learning that life is not one big chew toy. He’s perfectly house-trained, as long as I remember for him. To stay home alone is just more than this dynamo could handle. There would be damage.
Oliver is a fair weather kind of dog. He doesn’t like weather that is under 65 degrees or wet. He also detests weather that is over 80 degrees with no shade. We have a 15 degree spread in which he will go outside for no more than 15 minutes and then, he’s jumping at the door to come back in. For goodness sakes, something earth shattering could happen and he wants to be involved in every little detail. I think he actually has a journal hidden somewhere to jot down the activities of the day. He is a writer’s dog, for sure.
Winterpast came with a doggie door. Oliver knows it. If treats are involved, he even goes in and out. Otherwise, he has no use for this invention. He wants to enter and exit the yard through the sliding glass door, like all the other humans around here. My plan is to put a large crate right by the doggie door to give him access to air conditioning and shade.
My yard is a great environment for a dog. Perfect fencing, all in great repair. Paths on which to run. Beautiful lawn on which to jump, play, and roll around. Trees under which to lay. Even patches of wet dirt in which to dig. He owns his very own swimming pool with clean fresh water. Lots of natural shade. Oliver could care less. 65 – 80 degrees without intense sunshine. Otherwise, he wants to be inside. Solutions will come, because after August 15th, I’ll be gone during the day.
Such silly problems, eh?
Considering the blessing in my life, I’m in awe of my God that made them all possible. He has commandeered this school bus of life and I’m along for the ride. When I think of everything that needed to happen, and how it all unfolded, I see a string of miracles.
Still being alive and well two years after Terry’s death and five years after my retirement date, I found the door to the rest of my life opened. My happiness is here and now.
The Nevada Teacher Credentialing website initially indicated that I needed three classes to renew my license. In reality, only one was required. There was one spot left at University of Phoenix in the right course allowing me to complete this requirement one day before the 2022-23 school year begins.
My computer led me to Lyon County School District and the little advertisement that stated so simply… “Teacher’s needed”.
The words flew onto the pages of the application as if I had written the questions myself. My references were still employed by Lyon County School District holding respected positions.
My interview was with new “old friends” that I’d met only minutes before who asked questions that were familiar and easily answered.
The expected offer came and was accepted after a night of prayer blessed by my new principal.
Projects around Winterpast are coming together with lightning speed, as I prepare for 185 school days of work.
Walking has become something I find I enjoy, as I set a goal for my own pilgrimage towards Camino de Santiago in the Autumn of my 69th year to honor my one great love, VST.
All these things wouldn’t have been possible without God’s blessing and guidance on this my new path. Knowing this makes the new scenery on this journey all the more beautiful.
Have a wonderful Monday. Do something you love. Love something you’re doing.
More tomorrow.