Retirement

TaDaaaa....Woo Hoo.....Yipeeeeeee.....Praise the Lord!

Today is my first official day of retirement! (yes, I know I've been out of school since since May 28th, but it's just felt like summer break.) My peers headed back to work today.

By 8:30 this morning, I had sent Maggie off to her babysitting job, went to the Burger Bar for breakfast and then to the Family Dollar Store. Things I don't usually get to do. Then home to do laundry and haul out/trash/file/put in it's proper place all the s*&# in my hallway that has been 'stored' there for way too long. (I did find some missing treasures!)

I have enjoyed peace and quiet-not a radio or television on. It's just been me and Oliver, the cat. Of course, I have missed my best buddy, Maggie.

Yesterday, I was telling Rosy and Maggie that a couple of weeks before each school year, I would always get this excitement about the new beginnings of a school year. I'd enjoy going to the school supply stores to get things for 'my kids' and my classroom 'queendom'. But in the last two years, my excitement had faded~ but not totally disappeared. I suppose that's the 'sign' that it's time to turn in the ole roll/grade book, throw away old lesson plans, and retire my teacher bell*.

Today has been good. I'm looking forward to tomorrow, the next day, the next, etc.
Retirement...yep, it's a good thing! But you know, I might just have to ring that bell every once in awhile to hear that familiar sound and be remined of those 31 blessed years in education. I am a very lucky gal.

(*My buddy, Steve Hawkins, gave me that 'teacher bell' as a college graduation gift in 1979. It's been on my desk wherever I was planted. Thanks, SAH!)