So here's the short of it, 
This week the retirement parties and receptions are in full swing.

And here's the long.

This is the last week of school for kids.  I can hardly believe another school year has flown by.  At every school there are receptions and after hours dutch treat outings for the teachers that have spent so many years teaching.

This afternoon a friend told me the story of the year her father retired.  He had spent 40 something years as a science teacher for 9th graders.  On the last period of the very last day, very close to the end of the period, his classroom door opened and there was the principal stepping into the room -- followed closely by other administrators, teachers who were on planning, and then former students and students from that year, as well as some current upper classmen.  All these people came into the room and stood around the perimeter of the class, and then everyone including his current students began clapping.  Don't you know that must have brought tears to his eyes.  He's been retired for almost three years and still talks about that amazing send off.

I hope lots of the teachers who retire this year have some kind of wonderful experience like this to take them into their world of retirement.

So here's the short of it, 
I'm awfully old to just be learning of Julia Ward Howe's intention concerning Mother's Day. 

And here's the long.

It turns out that Mother's day in its current American incarnation began with Julia Ward Howe.  Howe was determined after the carnage of the Civil War to do something to put a stop to war.

Here's how she called for an International Mother's Day to celebrate peace and motherhood.

Arise, then, women of this day!
Arise all women who have hearts,
Whether your baptism be that of water or of tears
Say firmly:
 
"We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands shall not come to us reeking of carnage,
For caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of 
charity, mercy and patience.
 
"We women of one country
Will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."
  
From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with 
Our own. It says, "Disarm, Disarm!"
The sword of murder is not the balance of justice!
Blood does not wipe out dishonor
Nor violence indicate possession.
As men have of ten forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons of war.
 
Let women now leave all that may be left of home
For a great and earnest day of counsel.
 
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
 
Let them then solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace,
Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,
But of God.
 
In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality
May be appointed and held at some place deemed most convenient
And at the earliest period consistent with its objects
To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
The amicable settlement of international questions.
The great and general interests of peace.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY.
May Julia Ward Howe's vision for how this day should be celebrated is amazing.

So here's the short of it, 
This evening we went to Dayton, TN --

And here's the long.

One of my former colleagues lost his mother and the visitation was this evening.  Alan had the great idea that after the visitation we could eat dinner at Fehn's.

Fehn’s 1891 House Restaurant

Alan grew up with Fehn's in at least 3 incarnations in Chattanooga, and I get the impression that it was a family favorite.  I never ate there before Alan -- but we had lunch with the parents and Shelley and Daniel at the Fehn's on the river before we got married.  Then when they moved out to Hixson, we ate there several times for family occasions.  They closed down a few years ago and recently, they opened up in an old school house building from 1891.  They've redone the old place and made 4 nice cozy dining rooms.  We were in the room on the bottom floor on the right in this picture.

The windows were open; the transoms were open; and the ceiling fans were on. There was a lovely breeze in the room, and the food was as good as either of us remembered it.

So here's the short of it, 
Alan and I had a lovely evening tonight. 


And here's the long.


We finally used a gift card that we got several years ago and treated ourselves to dinner at The Melting Pot. It was really nice. We had a great server - a young man who is studying to be a teacher one day.

Next time we think we'll just order the salmon.  It was definitely the very best thing we had!

We decided that we should maybe go back again sometime, but for now we are both full and sleepy!


Night to all!

So here's the short of it, 
If you follow the sign...

And here's the long.

Follow the signs for a fun time!

The Belvoir Neighborhood Association hosted the first of several gatherings called the Neighborhood Road Show. Our catty-corner back door neighbors hosted it.  About 6:30 we walked up to their front yard to visit around with our friends and neighbors and have a hot dog.

When Alan and I headed up the alley to the Marler's yard, Sophie let us know that she wasn't one bit happy with not being allowed to go along.  We had only been there about 10 minutes when Alan said, "Lynn, look over there."  Sophie had gotten out and came up to find us.  I knew it would be pointless to take her home and try to leave her in the yard again, so I encouraged her to walk back home with me. She was quite happy to take me back home.  I got her leash and we went back for the rest of the evening. She really did very well considering that she's awfully shy around people.

So hurray to the neighborhood for having events to get the neighbors out and talking to one another.  And yea to Sophie for being such a great dog.

So here's the short of it, 
North Carolina voted in Amendment 1.

And here's the long.

FACT: The last time North Carolina amended their constitution on marriage it was to ban interracial marriage.

I'm deeply disappointed that North Carolina voted to approve Amendment 1.  

I am going to defer to a blogger who has addressed this much more eloquently than I ever could.  I hope you'll read this post at Crumbs From the Communion Table. 

So here's the short of it,
School year 2011-12 is 

And here's the long.

I can hardly believe that school is winding down - less than two weeks to go. It seems like just a month ago that we were gathering for in-service to get everything underway for the new year.  Now we are ready to graduate seniors, transition little guys to middle school, and middle schoolers to high school. Teachers are holding everything together for two more weeks and then it will all be done.

It's too busy to think much about it during the school day, but during the evenings, this is a good time of year to just be reflective - what was good, what not so much.  What can we do differently.  What can we do better.  What can we continue to do with les and less money.

I really do feel grateful that I've had lots of years of doing work that I really believe has made a difference for a few folks here and there.  Yep - I've done some dumb things here and there, but mostly I'm glad for lessons learned and the chance to try harder.

So tomorrow I get to get up and go tackle it again.