So, my house had started looking like Santa's bag exploded! But in the days following family gatherings, I am tired and I am still stressed. The decorations can wait, and those dishes will eventually get done, right? The past few days were all about the family....having 6 grandsons at their great grandparents house for a day of celebration was all that mattered! That is my why! I worked so hard to get just the right things for those sweet boys. Those 6 little boys. The squeals. The excitement. The hugs. The smiles. They each enjoyed the day of presents and family. 

That, my friends is what it is all about. Family. 

Thinking back to when my boys were little. When life was hurried and hard. We rushed from one set of grandparents to another great grandparents and back and forth to share with everyone who loved us. Everyone loved us well. Was it always easy? No. Was it always appreciated? Honestly, no. But looking back, I am glad we did it. Our boys have memories of traditions that included people that loved them. Now as I am a grandmother myself, I am very thankful for the times I am blessed with a boy or all the boys visiting. 

But then the mess (then and now). The left over wrapping paper, receipts, Amazon boxes, you know....all the things. Things that remind me just how blessed I am. Thank you, Lord, that I needed to wrap 657 presents this year for the people I love! 

So today, I attempted to clear the clutter. Scraps of wrapping paper. Holiday mugs that I pull out each season. Left over bags. My Santa pictures.

The AT&T technician was to be my first connection to the outside world for the day, and he couldn't see all the mess (I don't think he would have acutally cared, but the pressure we put on oursleves is real.) Before he arrived (even though he came 2 hours earlier than I expected!) I put all the decorations to their prospective Amazon boxes, and moved the tree out of the way. I unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher. 

The sweet technician worked for over 90 minutes to get the internet hooked up in spite of the unmoveable cabinet that I had built in front of the access point. Bless him! Today, he was hero-status!

My sweet mom showed up to help me move boxes to the attic....she handed things up to me and even pushed my back while I pushed the 70+ year old ladder back into the roof and latched the door. 

The house is a wee bit better than it was this morning. The internet is feeding my YouTubeTV. The dishes are clean. The just emptied trash can is now full and awaiting next weeks' trash service. It is ready for 2024 with no left over Christmas remaining.

The house is quiet. Fender is asleep at my feet. I ate dinner out with friends, so dishes are still clean. 

As much as I am ready to watch 2023 go away, I have a bit of stress about what comes in the new year. I do know that God goes before me. The things that surprise me, do not surprise Him. He will guide me to make the right choices about the things that come my way. and that brings a bit of peace to this tired soul.

As we have officially entered September, I am looking forward to football and cooler temperatures! Tommorrow, Sept 2, ushers in college games for all to enjoy! 

I don't necessarily support or cheer for any specific team. I am a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, but I've not attended many games due to one reason or another. Recently, there was a big debate on a friend's FB page about my alma mater. With the comments I have determined to make attending the local games more often. Maybe I will find a group of friends and start a tailgating group.  I enjoy the game and am proud that we have been home to some former and current NFL players. 

As you watch your teams, remember to call me for any potential new 'touchdowns' in a new home! I would love to coach you to a victory!

I originally retired from the world of education in 2021. I went full time into real estate and loved the change. Last fall, I received a phone call asking if I would consider a year-long contract to return to the classroom. I thought about it, and ultimately decided that this would be a good opportunity for various reasons. On September 9, I arrived at the new-to-me-school to work for a former teacher friend in her special education department.

I made so many friends here as we tiptoed through the days of working with children with trauma. Such trauma. I don't even know what has happened to them, but I saw their anger. I heard their cries for help. I felt their pain. 

From elopements, destruction, assaults, restraints, and isolations, I was in a constant state of fight or flight. BUT I fell in love with these kiddos. The underdogs. The ones who are hard to love by most teachers' standards. 

Their behaviors were so sporadic that teaching them the 3 Rs had fallen to the wayside. 

Enter Kathy Paul.

We began with little minute lessons. Once one thing was mastered, we celebrated. Then we moved to lesson #2.  And we celebrated. This was not a daily routine at first, but by the end of the year, I can say that these kids made progress! 

One went from a K level to a 1st grade level. In his world, that was HUGE!

One child doesn't drop the F-bomb every day anymore. 

One child mastered 150 sight words! 

As the year ended, I became very emotional. So proud of the kids and their hard work. Proud of my assistants who helped me help them day in and day out. Walking out of that school on the last day was hard. I just pray that these boys will remember a bit of what I taught them as they return in August. I always hope they remember that they are loved.

Today, I am thankful for friends who go the distance with me. Those friends who I may not talk to for a few weeks (or months), but I know if I called right now, we would pick up right where we left off. Friends that are more like family. 

I've been fortunate to make friends throughout my life. Teaching friends. Church friends. Baseball friends. Goat friends. Real Estate friends. Parent friends. So many friends have touched my life. 

I got a text earlier this week asking me about my favorite flower. I responded iris. If you know me, you know I love the little purple irises that originated in a small community when my mom was a toddler. Her father, my grandfather, dug up a small bunch of these little irises and took them when they moved "across the mountain." My Pa died when I was a youngster of 5 years old, but I have heard the story many times in my 55 years. I have transplanted many small bunches of those flowers as I have moved ffrom house to house through the years. So, an iris must be my favorite flower!

After I responded, my dear friend (actually cousin-niece-little sister) texted back that she is adding new tattoos of flowers that represent women who have been instrumental in shaping her life. Que the tears! 

I am so honored that she considers me one of the women who guided her. She is a recently divorced mom who is doing life with her two boys beautifully. I am so proud of her for reclaiming her life when things went in a different direction. I am watching her as I continue to walk the path of a different direction. 

I hope you have a friend who has been there for all the turns of life. Maybe I will work up the nerve to get a tattoo designed to honor my tribe of supportive women in my life. Maybe I won't. But. No matter what I decide to do about a tatoo. I am grateful for my tribe of friends who have walked the distance with me.