First Day

My first day of blogging! I have wanted to set up my own blog for quite a while and now that I have, I can't get started. Guess I'll just jump in! I am a retired teacher, who substitutes to supplement my retirement check and to keep my hand in teaching. I taught school 30 years: 23 years in 6th grade in middle school and 7 years in elementary school in 5th, 3rd, and 2nd grades. I really liked teaching, but a catastrophic event last year totally changed my life: my 18-year-old son, Glenn, was killed in an automobile accident. My teaching career ended that day; I could not return to teaching other people's children when my precious son was gone. My life as I knew it ended that day! Thankfully, I was eligible for retirement. Now I am busy doing all the things I have always really wanted to do, but thought I didn't have time to do. I have learned the hard way to slow down, enjoy little things, take advantage of every precious moment I have with the ones I love, and trust God. I live one day at a time and rarely make plans past the next day or the next few days. My wonderful daughter, Katie, is 17-years-old. She has had a hard time dealing with her brother's death; they were very close. We support each other in this adventure of building a new life. Their father, Jerry, (we are separated, but remain good friends) is a big part of Katie's life. Luckily, Jerry and I were able to be there for each other when our son passed away, and continue to support each other. I am addicted to cross-stitching, and have found a wonderful outlet for my grief in charity stitching. I stitch squares for Love Quilts, Cole's Quilts, and Quilts 4 Kids.I have been cross-stitching since 1979 (WOW, am I old!) My other main hobby is my pets. I have 2 poodles: Sugar, a black female, and Coco, a chocolate brown male. Sugar weighs 11 lbs. , and Coco weighs 6 lbs. But Coco thinks he's as big (if not bigger) than Sugar. They both have personality plus, and have kept me half-way sane this last year. Pets can be so therapeutic! I refer to them as "the Kids." I also have a parakeet, PD Bird. This is a bird with attitude! Some days he loves me, and some days he pecks the fire out of me. But he is a great listener! I spill out my heart to him and he never interrupts or tells anyone else what I said!
Labels: Family
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by Vicki
11/17/06
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