Lori when re you coming back to VT? this fall sometime? Hope so cuz it'll come and see you if you are.

Thank you, thank you! I'm already feeling better. That confidence issue just hits me every once in a while. Or maybe more than once in a while, but it doesn't usually get me so down like it did this time. Patti, I just realized that since you weren't at the reunion, I didn't give you a copy of my book of poems. I'll have to give you one sometime.... It's so good to have "blog friends." I love you guys.

Well it just so happens that I keep my copies of your poems (circa 2005) close by. Having just re-read them, I can tell you in no particular order my favorites of the day.

Unwelcome Guests, Scar, Tears, and Sweet Tea.

Here's the great thing about today's choices. Lori, your poems are so personal and meaningful that my need for them and feelings for and about them change with my moods and my life's needs. In a couple of days, I might have different needs for your poetry. I'll find it, I'm sure of that.

Thanks for being so willing and for be able to share these parts of you my very dear friend.

Lori, you are great and your poems are heartfelt! You have no need to feel unworthy of the others. We are all different and they should respect that aspect. I used to worry about how others thought of me at school (adults) and now, its like this is who I am. I don't have to change myself or worry about what they think because the only thing that matters is how you feel about YOU! Be confident in who you are! I avoid confrontation because I don't like it but if I have to give an opinion I can. Sometimes I just choose not to.
Trust me I know about the not understanding things too....just tell them you have to think about it a little longer! I think you are wonderful, creative, sensitive and giving. Believe in You. Happy Thoughts.............

Happy Birthday from me too, Karen! It's good to hear what you've all been up to. I'm not up to anything exciting right now, Kathi. I felt good the first week back and thought I managed to escape the effects of jet lag this time. But I guess it hit me a week later--that overwhelming feeling of having a million things to do. And I'm feeling sorry for myself and need to complain a little. Hope you don't mind. If you do, don't read this! I'm just having some bad feelings about myself regarding that poetry group I'm in. I feel like I'm the "dumbest one in the class" and hate feeling like that. There are only 5 of us, but I feel like the others write much better poems than I do. I also have a problem giving feedback to them on their poems. I like to talk when I have something to say, not when I feel like I HAVE to say something. Then I suddenly have nothing to say. And sometimes I don't understand their poems and am embarrassed to admit that cuz it seems like I'm the only one who doesn't get it. Okay, is that enough? Can you just tell me how wonderful I am????

Happy Birthday Karen, hope you have some help at home taking care of Rich. You seem to be one of the busiest ladies I know. Family care taking, travel and general doing. It's what's keeps you going I suppose. All those things that are on your schedule. Hopefully you are finding time for just taking care of you too!

I guess that we've gotten the rain you need Kathi. Lot's of hard rain but this weekend is supposed to be cooler but pleasant. A nice long weekend.
Dave is looking at housing in the Bangor area. He keeps saying he's going to find a nice, fun community that'll entice me to come down to live. He's crazy, its not going to happen . You don't move somewhere and randomly find the perfect little neighbor community. It takes years of living somewhere to meet people and get involved in the life.
We talked about getting a place on a lake but that can't happen without selling this house. That's not going to happen.
Our first week of school finishes up tomorrow. Then we have two more 4 - day weeks before we get into the usual 5 day week. My new job is changing everyday. I get assigned more and more different tasks each day. I only see a couple of kids in my "room" each day. Later on, a few weeks or more from now we'll start an after school program for at risk students. That means anyone failing even one class will be required to participate. For now, I do mostly clerical duties.

I guess there just isn't much exciting news for anyone to write! I am back into the swing of school. I have written names so many times that I could tell you, alphabetically who is in the class really fast! Kindergarten teachers are doing homevisits this week so our kids don't actually come until Tuesday. It makes it nice that we get some sort of idea what the group will be like before they come. Interesting so far! We do have a new librarian who is also a redhead, so we might start a "redhead club'....she is pretty funny. Anyways, I think things will go well.
Pat, I hope that your new class has started off well....What are you doing?
Lori, what exciting adventures have you been up to since you got home? It really was fun getting to see you in June.
I know that Karen was in Florida last week taking care of her mother-in-law and got home Tuesday night on her birthday. Happy Birthday Karen! Yesterday Rich had surgery on his shoulder, so now she is playing nurse again!
Brian and Richard, where are you guys? Kids are back at school so now you have no excuse!
Hot here today, thundering now, not sure if the storm will hit here or go around. We really need rain.
Happy thoughts and .....hello, back!

yeah, what she said............Hello, Hello???

Hello??? Hello???? Anyone out there?????