Not enough on my plate?!

Sometimes I think I have too much on my plate. It is rare that there's not enough. And the times when it should be filled sparely are not when I'm eating, although I am trying to change that. This week, the plate was too full on the work side, but doing much better on the food side. To reward myself, I bought this new plate! Morning Ramble has gotten me thinking about eating the French way. Pretty settings for pretty food. The idea of eating whatever you like, just on smaller plates, could work, I'm thinking. At least it's as good as any other idea I've tried. We'll see how it works.

The too full part of the work plate this week involved staffing. Our math teacher announced his retirement in March after 32 years here. We had known this might happen, but couldn't do anything until it was official. We had someone in mind, though, and went after him as soon as we could. He said yes, but after three months of thinking things would work out, they fell through thanks to a visa issue. After sifting through dozens of new applicants, we landed another one we thought was great, this time a woman. She, too, accepted our offer and was even packing to come when, you guessed it, immigration reared its ugly head again and her move was blocked. So, we had to go back to a couple of runner-ups and go through the interview process yet again. That's what consumed this week. Meeting with, eating with, and interviewing new prospects. Finally, we chose one of them and he accepted and actually signed a contract! That wasn't until Thursday afternoon. I told my superintendent that next time, we'd "better buy American!" Truth to tell, though, I think this is the best fit of the three. When you leave things in God's hands, He always comes through...

Meanwhile, I've been struggling with lazy and incompetent student workers and finally had to fire them...after they ruined the newly laid floor in our elementary hallway with their carelessness not two days after it was completed. I'm not a little upset about that, you can be sure!

In between all this, I met with the new associate pastor of the church who is going to teach our service learning classes this year and who has an ambitious program he wanted to lay out for me. It's interesting and exciting, and includes a major street ministry component. Reminds me of our service work senior year in academy. We didn't realize it then, at least I didn't, but our class was the first in the nation to do community service as part of the curriculum. Now, service is a staple everywhere, Christian and public, high schol and college.

I also had several meetings with new students and their parents. They all seemed nice enough. One kid was coming from an all boys boarding school that had a "farm dorm" where the boys in that dorm had to work on the farm, although other boys could "visit" and "do stuff like shovel out stalls and feed cows if they wanted." I can't imagine too many young boys choosing to do that, at least not any that I know! This kid also plays the flute and acts. I'm wondering how he'll fit in with the rougher more athletic-minded city boys that mostly populate our school.

Today, I go out to my sister's to spend the night because we are flying out to Nashville (with a bunch of teachers from her school) from Manchester at 7:30 a.m. Sunday. The shuttle leaves at 4 a.m., so I thought it made more sense to spend the night than get up before 3 to drive in the a.m. We are going to our national teachers' convention Sunday-Wednesday. She has a couple of presentations to make. I chose to just sit back, relax, and enjoy...although it's a little hard to do considering all that's left to do here. But, since I have to go, I might as well have fun, right?! I will see lots and lots of old friends there--college classmates who are teachers other places, former students who are now teachers, former colleagues, former teachers and bosses...yes, it should be good. When we return, though, we'll have to hit the road running. Summer's just about over...and yes, I have too much on my plate. Better go on a diet!!!!

Pictures: The new plate I got yesterday; hydrangeas by my classroom; flower bed by my classroom; our hotel, Nashville; Garden entrance to hotel; Nashville; hotel lobby (by far the most extravagant place I've stayed, I think.