Happy Spring - Random Things that make me smile!

Wildflowers!

Seeing bluebonnets for the first time each spring always makes me smile. Central Texas is definitely a beautiful place to live in the spring. I miss seeing the dogwood trees like we had in Kilgore when I grew up, but having bluebonnets helps make up for it.

Babies!

Today we went to Rosebud to see our family over there. Brad, Amy, and Brooklyn were there. Seeing Brooklyn always makes me smile. She was having fun with her new hopping-singing Easter bunnies. I love holding babies and can't wait to see my other new great-niece just born last weekend.

My Sashadog!

My siberian husky has been such a wonderful comfort for me. When our last dog died I was so heartbroken. Sasha has definitely helped me smile again. She is so sweet and gentle with children. I love watching her run and play.

Kids!

Yesterday at school one of my Kindergarten classes know that I really like to color.

We were singing about Little Bunny Foo-Foo and had a songsheet to go with it. One of the boys wanted me to sit and color with him. He very carefully picked out color by color that I would need for my picture. First he handed me a green for the grass, then he told me I would need a brown for the rabbit. When I shaded one of the bushes in a light green, he immediately got a dark green and colored over it....telling me I hadn't done it right. Yes, kids make me smile!

Tim!

When one is married to someone who likes to tease you all the time...well you either smile or get mad. Tim has been really sick since last fall and the constant teasing and being funny was snuffed out by his pain. Now...he is finally better. I'm definitely smiling and thanking God that Tim has come through pneumonia, mono, sarcoidoisis and severe back pain and is still able to laugh and tease.

Audrey!

Today we got back from Rosebud and just as I walked in the door my cell phone rang and the name on the screen was Audrey....I am so blessed to be a mother who has a daughter who calls me just to say hi...that she's having a beautiful day. I have had so many times that she has made me smile...okay...let's be real...smile and cry!

Family and Friends!

To all my family who are also my friends - thanks for making me smile with your love and kindness.

Happy Easter

Hearts and Top Hats

It's February....one of my favorite months. Being a teacher it seems our lives are easily marked with holidays and symbols of the seasons. Those of you who are in early education know what I mean....snowflakes - January; hearts and top hats - February; kites or shamrocks- March....okay....you see what I mean.



February is one my favorite months not only because of St. Valentine's Day but also because it's the birthday of one of all-time favorite presidents, Abe Lincoln. This is the 200th year of his birth on February 12, 1809. I was first fascinated by him when I had to read about him for a girl scout program. I had to memorize a poem and then be in a skit about the time he walked several miles to return extra change that he had gotten by mistake at a general store.



I also have enjoyed reading many other stories about him as I have grown older. For those that are not as familiar with his remarkable personality, he was truly a tall man...not only in stature but in his heart. I think it's ironic that on Abe's 200th birthday we have a president who laid his hand on the same Bible with similar lean and tall features and represented the state of Illinois.

I doubt if President Obama will ever sport a top hat or grow a beard, but hopefully he will adorn his heart the way Mr. Lincoln did with fervant prayer and guidance for our country in a time of darkness.



Happy February - May your top hat be full of happy hearts ~ Sharon

"Tis Better to Give than Receive"

It's always sort of sad to say goodbye to the holiday season. I still haven't taken down the tree but I have put a lot of the other decorative items away. Of course it's also sad to have to say goodbye to Audrey knowing that it will be awhile before we get to spend time together once again.

As I reflect over this past holiday season, this year I saw evidence of our children getting more and more expensive gifts....more and more gifts, period! I'm sure that Santa Claus' deliveries may have been leaner in some homes, but some of the children I talked to after Christmas didn't seem to have any recession woes at all. I couldn't help but think back to my own childhood and the lessons that my parents tried to hand down.

Since most of the people that look at this blog are primarily family, then most of you know that Christmas during my childhood was not filled with presents under the tree because there wasn't a tree. I'm still not sure all of the reasons that mom and dad objected to all of the traditions but I distinctly remember them remember them teaching me to think...What are you giving someone? rather than What are getting for Christmas? or What do you want for Christmas?"

Instead of ever making out a list for Santa..(which of course we never believed in) we were asked to pick out a gift for some other child in our class or grade that perhaps was less fortunate. Now of course we were all wearing hand-me-downs and had meals that consisted of bread of gravy at times, but still we were so blessed and I never realized that our financial means were so tight.

One of my favorite memories of giving was during 2nd grade. A girl named Dawn had a single mom and I believe the mother was sick a lot. She loved to draw and so I decided that she would be my choice this year. So mom took me down to Duncan's Five and Dime Store and as I recall we bought a sketch pad, colored pencils, and other art supplies. Then we delivered them to her house. She opened the bag and I'll never forget the look on her red-freckled face: sheer surprise and elation! At that moment I learned the true meaning of the season....which is the age old words of wisdom I entitled this post....Tis better to give than receive.

So to Mom...who occasionally reads my blog.... Thank you that even though as a child I felt really sorry for myself on the day back to school after Christmas break when everyone listed their new inventory of toys....Thank you! Thank you for helping me learn this lesson.

Yes, years down the road, when I was in junior high, Dad had a change of heart regarding the usual traditions of the tree, gift exchanging and even putting lights on the house! However I don't think he ever had a change of heart that the lessons of Christ were always supposed to be about giving rather than receiving.

Long Time No Blog

Well when school started the blogging seemed to stop. I've been busy like everybody else but I think I just didn't feel like sharing anything as well. But....today is Thanksgiving and I certainly have been thinking about the many things that I am thankful for.....

Spiritual blessings - God's neverending love, grace, mercy and forgiveness; the gift of prayer

Blessings of love - my husband, my daughter, my mom, sister and brothers and all of the family that comes through marriages and extended family; the gift of friends...true friends that stay with you through the good and the bad;

Physical blessings - so numerous but heres a few that come to mind first -
a job that I love (teaching kids about music); a warm (and cool) home;
plenty to eat, a great bed to sleep in, a car that works, clean running water,
healthcare insurance and despite having Multiple Sclerosis having decent health;

Icing on the cake - Music, flowers, my dog Sasha, children's hugs and laughs, living in a country with so many freedoms, and especially today - my favorite - Pumpkin Pie!

Good ol' days?

Many times I get emails with sentiments of how things used to be or you hear someone say..."things are just not like they used to be." Well I certainly can identify with these feelings at times. Perhaps that is why I love to go to the downtown Temple Dollar General Store. Just walking into the very old building with its quaint musty smell, hardwood floors somehow takes me back in time to Duncan's Five and Dime in downtown Kilgore years ago in the '60's.

But on the other hand....the other day my mom mentioned how that she had to quit working back in the 50's when she was pregnant with Vern. No, it wasn't due to health reasons...but due to the fact that when a woman started showing she could no longer be out in a public job. Wow!!! It got to me thinking...maybe the good ol'days weren't always so good.

So step back to 1960 when I was born and then imagine how crazy these things would sound:

• Barak Obama - African American Democratic Presidential nominee


• Sarah Palin - Mother of five Republican VP nominee


• Cell phones, computers, not to mentions families having more than one in their homes


• The Internet - Ebay - Google -


• Video - live feed of hurricanes, wars, Olympics brought right into our living rooms


• Access to all kinds of music with the touch of a button


• Having a choice of more than 3 different TV stations


• Sonograms, MRI's, improved cancer treatments, vaccines, etc.

Well obviously I could keep typing and perhaps you've got a few of your own to add. I know that many wonderful values have been lost in these present times but I'm certainly grateful for the improvements that our world has seen.

James 1:17 - Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights

friendship in unexpected places

Tonight I have been looking at all of my families' blogs and realized that it's been quite awhile since I posted something new on mine. I turned around and realized that September is next week, school is starting on Tuesday and the summer is over. I always have mixed feelings as we transition from one season to another....at least when it comes to going back to school! I love teaching, but I'll be honest... I love my summer mornings...getting to take my time walking SashaDog and piddling around the house.

Well speaking of Sasha dog....we had a tiny stray kitten come up in the yard yesterday and MamaSashaDog appeared in full force. We aren't really cat lovers and with cat allergies in the family, we couldn't keep her but neither could we just let her get run over so went we brought in the house until the animal shelter opened. Sasha licked her and tried to get all of the fleas off of her then she let her share her food. She never left her alone. It was pretty sweet.

Student Sightings

Elementary music teachers have a wonderful and unique advantage. Not only do you usually
get to teach everyone at the school (which in Temple averages about 500 students), but you also experience the joy of seeing them grow up year from the innocent 5 year old to the not so innocent 5th grader ready to move onto middle school.

Almost every outing that I make to the grocery store, mall or even a wedding, brings encounters with students that I currently teach or students that I formerly taught. In some cases it also brings the opportunity to see students I taught with their children who I also have taught.

Sometimes I spot them and just smile and pass on by if they don't recognize me. Other times I hear a voice yell out me....Mrs. Lightfoot!!!! If they call out Mrs. Thweatt!!! then I know without even looking that the voice is coming from the school of Jefferson where Audrey went and I taught from 1988-1998.

In the picture above on the right, I had the opportunity to pose for a picture with one of my former students Ashley Hill at a recent wedding we attended. I remember her beautiful voice singing "Part of Your World" and she sat on the stage of the CAC dressed up like Ariel, The Little Mermaid. Then I had the wonderful opportunity to teach her sweet daughter, Kelleigh at Thornton.

In the picture on the left, we happened to run into these guys..cousins and former classmates of Audrey, Braxton Brown and Korell McBride. They had posed 12 years ago together with Audrey at her 10th birthday party after giving her a rose. Korell and Braxton were outstanding performers in many of the shows we did for that group. I just happened to have my camera in my purse so after hugging them and getting the latest scoop about them, I went for the picture.

Sadly sometimes I spot former students and it's not a joyous moment. Recently I saw on the news the mug shot of the young man who tragically struck and killed a Temple resident and then fled the scene. I instantly remembered him as a young sweet boy who liked to help me. Those moments usually bring me to tears and then I know that God allowed me to remember them so that I can pray for them.

Now that Tim is also working in the school system we often make a fun bet about who will see the most students when we go out.

When I really think about it, teaching brings with it an awesome responsibility but the rewards are awesome!