SIN CITY...

Nope, not Vegas--Austin!  Weekend before last I went to Austin for the State Student Council Advisors meeting.  The conference was good, and I met people who had lots of ideas, got telephone numbers in case I need to talk.   At least half the state of Wyoming was there to support the "'Pokes,'" who were playing UT Saturday night.  I even met a couple from Chester, Montana on the elevator who flew in for the game.  They had UT apparel on (traitors).  One of the surprises was taking a rickshaw ride down town.  There were a lot of these contraptions on the street Saturday, before and after the game.  I was on the twelfth floor of the hotel,  and could see them wending their way from all the hotels to the stadium.  How these boys kept from being dehydrated, is more than I will ever know.  Most of them pulled with a bicycle, but a few did it the old fashioned way--on foot.  Another lady and I rode one down to 6th street, and that boy's clothes were soaked through, because Austin was hot and sultry. 

 As you can imagine, there wasn't a chunky rickshaw puller in the bunch.   We ate at the Thai Passion--first time for Thai food, and it was really good!  Sixth street is the old part of Austin, and has been renovated for noisy, rowdy  entertainment, and it is only a hop-skip-and jump from the capitol, where even more roudy, noisy stuff goes on. 

There is live music every where, which is just one of Austin's many boasts, so on the way back we did stop at Pete's Dueling Piano Bar to listen to some music. The piano playing was good, but their singing was pretty bad.  It was fun to watch the two piano players work the crowd, trying to manipulate more money for a song.

 Amongst all of the entertainment spots sits the Driscoll Hotel, all sedate and beautiful.  It was built in 1886, back when they knew how to build beautiful buildings, and it is open for business. 

I took this while I was in the rickshaw.

I didn't go to the capitol building , but here it is covered in scaffolding.  It is beautiful, and taller than the U.S. capitol building.  I think each capitol building I have seen is beautiful and special in their own way.

 

The only souvenir I brought back was a card advertising Coyote Ugly, which I will send to Cactis Lily as soon as I can find an envelope for it.  Some college girls were handing them out to anyone and everyone on the street.  

The t-shirts in the airport either have a long horn on them, or "Keep Austin weird."  It was a pleasant visit, but I am glad to be back where weird is not normal, and there is a little less burnt orange in the environment!

Once more--a Mustang!

I went to Garfield County High School in Jordan, Montana many years ago, and our mascot was the Mustang; our colors were black and orange.  The school was small--maybe  there were 30 who graduated with me;  every one knew each other.  I lived in the dorm part of the time, with all the other country kids; it was a fun time, and I bawled after graduation.  It was Gloria Rath's fault.  She was standing beside me in the line as people came by to congratulate us, and hug us, or shake our hand.  It wasn't long before Gloria started blubbering and I broke down with her.  I became a teacher and my entire teaching career has been in three small towns about like Jordan.  Well, here I am, a Mustang once more.  Our colors are black and gold, not too different.

However, the school population is a lot different.  At this point we have 850 enrolled in high school!  Heck, that is more than dwell in the entire city of Rankin, or Jordan, Montana.  I am in culture shock with 131 students, seven classes, and student council.  STUCO is a BIG DEAL here, and I am just praying every day that God tips me off before I make a mistake.    We are finished with the first two weeks of school, and what a workout it was--7 classes, and one conference, 131 students!  Luckily, I have a class period for student council with only the officers.  Somehow I have got to get FCCLA going, because there are kids in my classes who could really benefit from this organization.  I am still on a learning curve here, so I won't try FCCLA right away.  I am glad I have the opportunity to work here, because the people are great, and the kids are good kids.  It is nice living in a town with a full-fledged grocery store and a couple of Dollar Stores.  The best part is being 37 miles from my cute, and amazing grandson!  Have a blessed week.

So Long, Rankin--

it's been good to know you.  After a total of 18 years I am going to move on up the road to a 3-A high school.

I will miss the hills, and the little main street going through the middle of the town--a town where you really don't have to lock the doors when you leave the house.

  In this desert the  mesquites are short, and

 and the cacs are tall, and vicious;

the agave blooms are 20 feet tall,

and Pepe` greets us  when Rita and I walk. I will miss basket ball games in the new gym, and in

the old gym, and shoot I may even miss doing concession stands and proms!

I'll miss seeing the kids on the elementary playground, and

how could I ever forget the time I spent at Gossett Elementary?

 I will remember the track meets where Roberto threw the shot,  and

 Rankin High School, where I learned how to teach home economics, special ed., and enjoyed the day to day activities of Roberto and his friends when they were scholars there.  It was a magical time in our lives!

There are many special memories about Red Devil Stadium, where Bob and I watched Roberto play some great 11-man football, and the boys  put lots of points on the scoreboard (Roberto was named All State his senior year). 

Yes, there are many wonderful memories for us at Rankin.  I will especially miss my daily walks with Rita (she kept me going when I would have rather done something else) and talked me through some pretty tough stuff.  To my prayer partners, Jennifer, Anita, Evelynn, and Jo Beth--keep praying, and say some prayers for me.  Paula, I will miss our Emmaus reunion meetings.
We are only 100 miles away from each other, and that is not far at all.  So, I will just say--thanks for the wonderful memories!  I love each and every one of you who have been a part of our lives.  May God bless you, protect you, and make you prosper.

                                                                                                        

Living in Chaos!

No, chaos is not a small village west of Alpine or somewhere on the Mexican border.  It is in the newly remodled house I moved to, and now all my possessions are boxed and ready to move again.  After 18 years, I am going on to another adventure????  Only time will tell whether it was a smart thing to do.  One thing about it, I have cleaned out, thrown away, given away a lot of junk at school and here at the house. 

We have had a lot of rain from the hurricane, and the tarantulas, millipedes and turtles are on the move because of it.  I love to see the tarantulas walking in their mechanical gait across the highways, and I cheer them on, hoping they won't get squashed.  This one on the toe of my shoe was marching across the drive way at school. Here he is trying to escape.

At least I have had a little time this summer to enjoy the grandbaby, who is nearly crawling and loves to eat peas!

More later, and until then let God lead your life.  You will be in for excitement!

Germany Sent Us Their Best!

Just for the school year 2009-2010, though.  Miss Lena Burbach, our exchange student from Germany, made her way to West Texas for climate and culture shock!  It was August; the kids were running cross country in desert heat, and they had been in training for several weeks when Lena got here.  She opted out of cross country, but dived into basket ball and track.  She is an amazing student--speaks and reads, and understands English at an amazing level .  I had the pleasure of having Lena in Apparel, and also Nutrition and Food Science.  During the spring semester she a a couple of other girls tackled a design project for Texas Technology Student Association, something none of us had ever done.  The theme was business attire, and here she is in the pants and blouse.  We took a blouse, and suit pattern that fit Lena, cut them to pieces in order to move darts, change the shape of darts.  This was a button up the front blouse.

Then we made a yoke, moved all the front darts  into tucks attached to the yoke.  One of the girls sewed the

fluffy, gathered strips of bias cut chiffon on the yoke.

We made the plain cap sleeves into short puffed sleeves, and made it open in the back with a tie at the waist line.

Then we made a flared peplum for the back, and changed the princess darts into a semi-circle on the front.

You can barely see the semi-circular dart, but it ties in to the peplum.  We were disqualified at the gate, because the girls weren't wearing the TTSA uniform--my fault totally.   I don't know about you but when it's my first time out of the chute, I really don't know what to expect.  But the process was great, and getting to work with a smart girl like Lena was priceless.  Lena is on her way back to Germany as I write this.  God bless you! 

Cowboy! I Found the Pictures!

Cowboy as a kid, about 17 probably, and here he is a young soldier boy in the mid-60s.  

Happy Birthday, Cowboy!

Happy birthday Cowboy (on the left and Vern Pluhar on the right, summer '09).  There isn't a day goes by that I don't think about you, and breathe a prayer for you.  You were my best friend while we were growing up, and I guess we sort of kept each other alive during those years.  After all, we did have some close calls. I just wish we weren't so far apart, but until the distance gets closer, just know that I love you, and care for you just as much as ever.  Have a good day, and a utterly fantastic, and exciting year.  See you when I get there.  Your sister.  Rosie 

P.S.  I couldn't find the picture I really wanted to put on here.  Things are chaos.  I am moving next door.