Thoughts from a Spinster

1. According to a presentation on Friday (presenter's description of certain women in literary history), I am well on my way to being a spinster.

2. I can't tell you how many times this weekend I've been asked, "Where are you in your program?" (ie Doctoral Program) Um . . . finished 6.5 years ago. How young do I look? Note: Just last month, I was asked if I've retired.

3. Just because someone attends a research conference doesn't mean they must be in Higher Ed. Some folks enjoy working within school districts at various levels. No need to look down upon us or feel sorry for us or assume we don't have our Doctorates yet. The comments/questions weren't so bad, but the facial expressions and body language that went along with it were pretty brutal. 

4. Learning is fun and allows us to gain so many new ideas. I have a few ideas to share with everyone for vocabulary and other literacy strategies, with our History Dept. on making History more engaging, with our Creative Writing teacher, with our Spanish teacher, and with our Science Coordinator for our 1 to 1 iPad initiative. I have a few ideas for my own research too.

5. I'm a great timekeeper for presenters during their presentations. However, they must pay attention to me in order to stay on time. 

6. There is no Shepherd's Pie like the Shepherd's Pie served/eaten in an authentic London Pub. MMMmmmmm, good! Blue Anchor Pub is delicious!

7. My niece and nephew are so creative and had some of the best Halloween costumes ever.  She went as Junie B. Jones to school and a Minion for trick-or-treating. He went as the main character from Maze Runner to school and an old man or old Native American or something while trick-or-treating.

8. It is very hard being away from family on a holiday.

9. Conferences aren't all fun and games. I had to get some work done too, so I knocked out two tests. One more to go. (Nothing like procrastinating.)

Happy Birthday, Dad, and Happy Halloween, everyone!

For many, Halloween means candy, costumes, parties, haunted houses, and the like. For me, it is/was something different. It has always meant a birthday--my dad's birthday. We always had cake with Halloween decorations and ice cream before heading out to trick-or-treat, and those little celebrations took place at home or in the Jackrabbit Stadium press box. I've carried on that little tradition the last 11 years, and I hope to be able to today, too.

Happy Halloween, everyone!
Happy 69th Birthday, Dad, as you celebrate with the angels.

I didn't find any gluten-free cake, so I had frozen yogurt to celebrate.

Halloween

For many, Halloween is (or was) a night to dress-up, walk the streets going door-to-door, and trick-or-treating.  Children begin at very early ages and continue through high school in some areas.  Adults carry on the fun by throwing and attending Halloween parties. Some children attend Fall Festivals, trunk-or-treat, and city and/or church celebrations.

For me, Halloween was first and foremost my dad's birthday.  I hate that I never had a conversation with my grandparents about having a child on Halloween.  Dad liked his birthday.  In pictures of my first Halloween, he is dressed in a mask and I have on a little costume.  He walked me to the neighbors' house to trick-or-treat.

Growing up, before we could go trick-or-treating, we sang "Happy Birthday" and had cake.  Yes, it was always decorated for Halloween, and I always looked forward to it.  I was never really into the dressing up part, so Halloween was a birthday celebration for me.  When I was in college, I came home, baked a cake, and took it to him at the football stadium where he ran the clock and the press box for whatever home games there were those nights.  We sang in front of his friends and left cake and plates/plasticware for them.

While my street can be pretty spooky at night, we never had many trick-or-treaters.  On non-game nights, Dad stayed home with our cat, Blue, which was totally black, and waited for trick-or-treaters, if there were any.  Mom walked the streets with us as we gathered candy.  As an adult and as Granny aged, we would go to her house to hand out candy.  She would get as many as 500 trick-or-treaters in a night. Granny loved Halloween, seeing all the kids dressed-up, and visiting with everyone.

After Dad passed away, we spent every Halloween helping Granny. But . . . before we did that, I would get cookies or cupcakes, and I would take my niece and nephew to the cemetery.  We would sit on a blank, sing "Happy Birthday," and tell Grandpa whatever they wanted.  We didn't tell anyone what we did.  It was just for us.

This Halloween will be a little hard.  Dad isn't here.  Granny isn't here.  The kids don't live here.  Not really sure what Mom and I will do this year.

It just might include cookies or cupcakes.  :-)

Pumpkins

I LOVE carving pumpkins!

When I was little, my dad loved doing it, so it really meant we sat and watched.  When we got older and our own pumpkins, we finally got to design and carve our own.

This year, I attended a church small group gathering where everyone carved jack-o-lanterns. I helped my BFF's kids with theirs, and I had a ton of fun.

I was a little sad that I wouldn't get to carve pumpkins with my niece and nephew, but I remembered we would be visiting them before Halloween.  I got some tiny ones, that we learned could be carved, but we also got big ones when we visited.

I think they turned out really cute!

 little mini jack-o-lantern

 another little mini jack-o-lantern

 a regular sized pumpkin

 another regular sized pumpkin