Category: Retired Life
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Five Things This Retired Teacher Still Loves About Back-to-School Season
Any day now, it’ll be back to the classroom for several of my teacher friends. But not for me! I’ve been retired for a few years now. Even though I don’t miss teaching in a secondary English classroom, five things about this time of year still warm my heart: 1.) Catching a really good sale…
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The Kids in Your Life Need Manga
This week, I’m exhausted but happy after a weeklong visit from my sweet ten-year-old granddaughter! We’ve packed in all sorts of fun activities, including a couple of trips to the bookstore, where Chloe picked up some new reading material in her favorite genre: manga! I’ve turned over this space to her today. Read on as…
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When the World Literally Starts Spinning
Nothing seems straight these days. Aside from Jerry’s dying in the hospital just as we were ready to leave after his heart surgery and recovery, other things aren’t quite lining up, either. I first noticed it in my kitchen. In those early days of wanting the kids nearby, I offered to make supper for us…
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What’s your birthday gift to the USA? A lesson from Monticello
Last Fourth of July, my husband and I were on the road, headed home from Colonial Williamsburg with our nine-year-old granddaughter. We saw the sign for Jefferson’s Monticello and decided to take the tour. The home itself had always fascinated me, but somehow, we’d never been this close or had the time to stop. This…
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Working Together – Apart
It was always Jerry’s. I tried to leave it alone, even when I learned something new or remembered something from my class taught by the experts. But now, without him, the garden along the fence- his garden- is a mess. Eventually, we learned a secret to sustain our successful second marriage. Or else we came…
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Living Up to a Surprising Family Legacy
I have an impressive role model. Seven years ago today, I spent the day in New Castle, Indiana, paging through musty books, peering at microfilm newspaper articles, and digging through gigantic, bound court record books. My son Ted Shideler and I were just starting my second Lilly Teacher Creativity Fellowship Award project. For the past…
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One Month Later: Knowing Myself is Crucial
At 66, I’ve learned a thing or two. Much about teaching and learning, of course. Also a bit about succeeding and “failing.” And a good deal about myself, too. This past month has been the ultimate exam in how well I know myself. One thing I’ve learned during this past month of my new situation-…
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Carrying On
Carrying on Morning devotionsMorning Bible readingMorning prayer I’m keeping theroutine. But Lord,I’m hurting:I’m lonely, I’m sad,I’m afraid. I hear that frog croaking,the spring peeper outsidemy back window,and I wonder howI’ll do the hard stuff.How will I removeanother dried-upfrog stuck in thedoorjamb, likelast year? Last year, when Jerry did it. My lists seem overwhelming.I cross off…
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Staff by Staff: How Piano Lessons Taught Me to Tackle Life’s Challenges One Measure at a Time
I should’ve known I could do it. I’ve seen others do it. One of my kids played the drum set for years, and seeing him perform in a couple of bands proved to me that it’s possible. But I didn’t think I could. No, the chances that I could make my hands do two different…
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From double-sided cabinets to persimmon pudding: Four generations in and out of the kitchen
When my mom was a girl, children weren’t exactly welcome in the kitchen with the grown-ups. But I love having my granddaughter as sous-chef!
