$60!
Yesterday, my mom and I ventured out to Office Depot and TJ Maxx. She had to get a printer and some pillows and I had to get school supplies. All teachers understand the joy that is school supply shopping. There is nothing better than new highlighters, freshly sharpened pencils, and piles of Post-It notes. Why do we need 180 purple Post-It notes? I don't know. Don't ask me these difficult questions. I don't have all of the answers. Everything was on sale at Office Depot... (staplers for $1, gel pens for $4, boxes of highlighters for $6!!!!!)!! I decided this year that my syllabus will be pastel blue, so I got some paper. A blast I tell you! ... But then... We went across the street to TJ Maxx. Have you ever been to this heavenly emporium? I was so excited that I even shared a pic of my buggy on Instagram. The color scheme for my new classroom (home away from home--I'll live there for 9 hours a day) is blush and bashful. Just kidding! That's a Steel Magnolias reference. My color scheme is aqua/turquoise/gold/white. So, naturally, I had to find super random cutesy stuff like lamps and rugs and jars and ribbon and washi tape and picture frames. I cannot wait to show you! Teachers go back Monday; therefore, I cannot sleep. I'm too thrilled! It really is my first day of a new school. I feel like Maggie must be feeling. Will they like me? What will I wear? Who will I sit with at lunch? Where will I park? Everything will be fine, of course. Just a little new school year anxiety. Just adding a few more wrinkles... If you looked deep in my heart you would see two little Clintons in raining balloons and confetti. Once I get settled, I'll share some pics.
Xoxo Maggie always wants to help. This can be a fantastic thing! She wants to paint with me a lot, so I finally figured out that she can do my base coats. Today we are working on something for my friend Amanda's kitchen. Yellow is such a cheerful color and reminds me of yummy lemons! I hope that it will brighten up her kitchen and make her smile. I will post a pic of the final product. You too can have a Carrie and Maggie original! If you want me to make YOU something, leave your request and send $30 for a 12x12 or 11x14, $60 for a 16x20 if you want another size just let me know. My paypal is [email protected]. Xoxo Jack is helping too.
Everything changed. Throughout the past year I have prayed more than ever before. God put me in a specific situation in order to teach me to trust Him and have patience. The more I reflect upon it, the more I am shocked at how blatantly obvious the lesson has been. He led me to leave a school where I was liked and respected by administration, my colleagues, and my students and go somewhere new. Not just a new system, but a WHOLE NEW SYSTEM WITH A BRAND NEW SCHOOL! As in, the school wasn't even complete until the late July. It was quite a ride. Having come around to the resolution of all of that intensity, I can see the road so clearly that He was paving for me. He had a hand in it all. He even had a hand in who would go through it with me. My mother, for one. My mother. My best friend. My confidante. My playmate. My life-long companion. The woman I respect and revere among all women on this planet. We went through this together. I am an only child and for the first four years of my life, she was all I had. She played with me, took care of me, clothed me. Then she brought in my dad and he helped to take care of me and provide for me and support both of us. His girls. So, I see God put us together for a reason. He led us there and had us hold onto one another. I thought we were close before. I didn't think we could get any closer; I was wrong. We are stronger than ever and we have both learned to TRUST and have PATIENCE. We probably were supposed to learn something about worrying, but those lessons never seen to stick with me. I'm a worrywart. So, yesterday changed it all. Turned it all around. We both have been blessed with amazing opportunities for this fall. These opportunities came in His perfect timing. I never understood what that meant -- "His timing" -- until this year. Maggie is in a school that seems to have been made just for her. Jack will go to a daycare we all adore. The people are phenomenal -- and it's so close to Maggie's school!! (Both schools are really close to my parents' house). This is just a dream situation. ... And Spencer and Bill are doing great, too. Thank you to those of you who stuck by us and have encouraged me.
Looking forward to the best school year yet. the best job... Like, a dream situation.
I can't even write more because I'm so shocked and excited and thankful and relieved and fired up. I can't wait to share this journey with you! I just finished this glorious tale. There is a story behind my love for Ann Packer. Years and years ago, when Bill and I first met, we discovered a mutual love of books. I let him borrow a book by Ann Packer.
I was trying to send him a message through the relationship between two of the characters. I wonder if he picked up on it? He never mentioned it, but he also never returned the book, so who knows. Bill says that his father used to tell him NOT to loan out books. If you loan one out, you might as well consider it a gift. When we reconnected years later, I discovered that my sweet Bill STILL HAD THE BOOK! I considered it a sign that he loved me. I was right, as usual. (kidding) Anyway, back to this more recent enjoyable Ann Packer novel, The Children's Crusade follows a family led by its patriarch named BILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (coincidence -- I didn't read this because of that) and his return from war, his marriage, and his children. Then, each child tells his or her personal story, all revolving around their family. The siblings are all very close and their stories are all intertwined beautifully. Each sibling is strikingly different, and I seemed to relate more to Ryan, although he is much more precious than I. What really stuck me was the mother. She was a PIECE OF WORK. You'll see. Shockingly un-involved... you'll see, you'll see. She made my stomach churn. Here is a recent review for your perusal: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/16/books/review-the-childrens-crusade-by-ann-packer.html?_r=0 Enjoy! |
AuthorCarrie Rice lives in Pike Road, AL with her daughter, son, husband, and pug. Archives
April 2017
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