Memorial Day weekend:
On May 30, 1868, the first official Memorial Day observance was held at Arlington National Cemetery to honor and to decorate the graves of those who died during the Civil War. Today, Memorial Day serves as an opportunity to pause and remember the sacrifices of more than one million Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen who gave their lives to secure our freedoms.Textbook season: From now until the end of the school year it is textbook season in the library. In addition to checking in all the textbooks checked out in September to students we also have to surplus a sizable number of the books this year. Surplussing means several extra steps for us including boxing the books up for the district warehousemen to pick up. I just counted. We have 567 student books left to surplus. Now if the kids would just return them!
A life well-lived: Yesterday we attended the Memorial service for a friend who died last month of lung cancer. Kim was an incredible person who loved God and wanted other people to love him, too. You couldn't be in her presence without feeling that love just rolling off of her. Over 400 people attended the service, another testament to her incredible personality. Even in her dark days of disease and pain she held to faith and kept up her incredible testimony by blogging about her faith and life. Kim was not only a friend but she was my daughters' piano teacher. She was an amazing role model for them. I was so glad that both of them were able to attend the service with Don and I yesterday. It felt like a very important thing to do together.
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| Eyeconic, Pomegranate-Lemonade...my new rose bushes |
Books read this week:
- Zealot: the Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan...controversial and eye-opening.
Currently reading:
- Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor. I am making progress but it is slow. Disc 12 of 16.
- Noggin by John Corey Whalen. Actually I didn't read a word of this book this week. Can you tell that textbooks and the end of the year is coming? Everyday I come home from school beat!
Musical selection: The Stars and Stripes Forever
Happy Memorial Day tomorrow!
Love the coloring on Eyeconic roses :)
ReplyDeleteI know I love them. I put them in the big blue pots on the deck.
DeleteCancer is insidious. It goes after people weather they have it or not. It hurts so many and changes so many lives. I'm glad you all got to go to the service together. Even 2 1/2 years after treatment, cancer is part of my daughter's daily life. Its effects never let up.
ReplyDeleteYour roses are lovely! This year I can't seem to even grow hostas!
Your daughter is very brave. And caregivers have such a burden to bear, too. Kim had lung cancer even though she didn't smoke so her cancer was a lot like any random cancer that has no seeming reason as its cause. So tragic.
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