Regina Felty's Blog, page 3

Dearest Daughter, You Are Enough

Her body trembled as she pressed against me. I could feel the weakness and uncertainty she felt seep from her skin into my body as I absorbed the waves of emotion. She was hurting because of the cruel words of another. The icy dread and anger crept quietly into my soul although I spoke softly and comforted her with my words.

This gentle, fragile girl I cradled was my daughter. A part of my very soul. The soft essence of her was an extension of myself. The cry of her heart matched the tones of my own in perfect harmony.

She wept. Tears slowly drifting down her pale cheeks while my own turned inward and coursed steadily through the corridors of my spirit. 

If only I could reach into her soul and grind out the etchings that had engraved themselves in her mind. The ones that whispered and taunted, “You are not enough.” If I could retrieve the pages stored in the blueprint of her spirit, I would rewrite them to reassure her that she had value beyond this person.

Her maternal grandmother and great-grandmother before her cry out from their graves.

In life, they too had born the lifelong scars she was slowly marking on her own heart with every acceptance of abuse and rejection. Her maternal grandmother…suffering shame, never feeling beautiful and valued because his fists had taken teeth so that she refused to smile and left marks on her skin that would never be eradicated. Broken both inside and out, her worth in her own eyes faded as a slowly-dying ember of a once-vibrant fire. Eyes are the windows to the soul. In her eyes, the soul reflected pools of sorrow because she believed–as her mother had before her, after suffering at the hands of a man–that she deserved no better. Her worth was calculated by the small morsels he threw at her like a dog cowering in a corner.

If I could call back the voices of her grandmothers to harmonize with mine, the message would reverberate through the caverns of eternity…

Daughter, you are the very essence of God’s beauty. A jewel of His perfect design. There is no one but the God who formed every womanly curve and set every molded bone of your body that can hang a price tag of value and worth on you. None. Not one.

Your God has clothed you with honor and strength as a woman of great value. No mortal man can strip that title from you. You alone hold the power to remove its protection over you and willingly lay it at the feet of another to judge you by their standards.

You are elegant and lovely. God has crowned you with majesty as a woman of precious value. He has made you free to spread your wings. Lift up your head. Turn your eyes and look into the face of God. In His eyes, you will see what He sees…

“You are enough…more than enough.”

 

*Note: This was written to my daughter a few years back. She has given me permission to share it that it might help other young women.

Related post: “Dear Mother of a Teenage Daughter”

 

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Opposites Attract (It’s True!)

I could see my husband was beaming with pride over his innovation of finding a way to stop the vertical blinds hanging in our bedroom from clapping together when the air conditioner came on at night. I cringed and had to cup a hand on my mouth to incarcerate the flood of words ready to pour out. Lined across the bottom of the blinds, like a rigid sentry on serious duty, was a…(give me second, here)…POOL NOODLE! A six-foot, bright royal blue, with a slight kink in the middle, pool noodle! The ceiling fan was on in the bedroom and–my husband confidently demonstrated–the blinds were pressed snuggly against the window, quiet as a church mouse.

I shuddered. I wanted to growl. If he could have read my thoughts, we’d probably be in marriage counseling. But, I smiled and made one teeny, tiny request, “Could we keep the noodle under our bed during the day?”

We Had a Bit of a Rough Start

Andy and I have been married for over thirty years after only knowing each other for two weeks before we tied the knot (we weren’t living for God back then). We always joke that, if we had known each other longer before marriage, we never would have said, “I do.” When they say “opposites attract,” Andy and I are the poster children for that ad.

My husband would do anything for me. He’s my number one fan when it comes to my writing–even though he hates to read. He does dishes, irons his own clothes, pushes a vacuum when I need help, and so much more. But…well, we just aren’t always on the same page.

The Quarantine Life

COVID-19 quarantine experience. I’ve been loving it and also hating it. I’m not a big girl, but I have put on a few pounds these past four months of staying home all day. One morning, I announced to my husband that I was cutting out most junk foods and making better choices (I don’t diet–that’s a bad word in my book). As always, Andy was so supportive. Until two days later…

“Hey, hon, I’m gonna go sit on the bed and read awhile,” I tell him. Adjusting the pillows behind my back, I hear the telltale crackle of plastic wrap and peel back the pillows to discover a pack of Oreo cookies and a Reese’s Fast Break chocolate bar under the pile. Then, Andy walks in.

“Awwww,” he says. (He obviously misunderstood my look of consternation to be one of adoration for the element of surprise.) “I just got you a little something in case you get a craving.” 

Yeah, I ate them. (Well, not in one sitting, thank God.)

Opposites DO Attract

I adore coffee with tons of creamer. He hates coffee–only Diet Mt. Dew for him. He’s a morning person. I’m a die-hard night owl. Andy dreams of skydiving off a cliff down to a glorious valley. I can’t even look over the side rail of a two-story mall without getting dizzy. I believe the iPhone is the only way to go. Andy would die before he surrendered his Android. Oh, well…we still love each other.

I drive him nuts too. Andy has one lone Ohio State Buckeyes wall calendar above his desk in our shared office. He has it all marked up with bills due, doctor appointments, etc. I, on the other hand, have a leather Filofax organizer with monthly and weekly inserts, two dot journals for organizing projects, numerous charming “to do” list sticky pads, and a host of other organizing paraphernalia. That’s just me. So, I  understood his vexation when I opened an Amazon (my BFF these days) envelope to reveal a small calendar book. 

“Regina! What in the world?! Why do you need another calendar?” Andy asked.

I didn’t miss a beat.

“Oh, this is an hourly calendar for work. Everything’s remote right now at school and I have to keep my classes organized,” I smiled lovingly over at him.

Making it Work

But, Andy and I make it work. We love to laugh and both possess a sarcastic streak. We have matching blue lounge chairs and footstools and cook dinner together every night. Both of us own electric toothbrushes and both agree to listen to ocean sounds when we go to sleep at night. Those combos work for us and keep us from strangling one another.

Even as I type this (sitting next to him in our matching chairs with the bright blue pool noodle against the blinds next to me), I am completely distracted by the gaping hole in the bottom of his work shirt. He has a whole closet full of presentable shirts. If any of MY clothes had holes, they would already be in the Goodwill bag.

But…I reach for a sip of coffee over spitting out a complaint. He would just tell me, “It’s just a work shirt, Regina. It doesn’t really matter that much.” And, he’s right. 

Well, to him, he’s right. 

And I’m okay with that.

Disclaimer: No spouse’s feelings were injured as a result of this blog post and full permission has been granted by my spouse for its distribution. (Just laugh!)

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“And When…” (Facing Your Enemies With Faith)

The Syrian enemy was closing in to destroy Judah. The people were petrified. Nowhere to turn, their destruction was imminent. Judah’s king, Jehoshaphat, set his heart to seek God and proclaimed a fast throughout all the land. 

Standing in the court of Solomon’s Temple, Jehoshaphat summoned the people to prayer. Echoing the words of King Solomon when he dedicated the temple, he prayed these words:

“If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.”   (2 Chronicles 20:9)

Following the leadership of Jehoshaphat, all of the men of Judah, including their wives and children, cried as one voice with their king “…neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.” (2 Chronicles 20:12)

God always responds to humbleness and complete dependence on him.

Moving upon Jahaziel, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, God sends a message to Judah:

“…Hearken ye, all of Judah…and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.”  (2 Chronicles 20:15)

God reassures them that they would not have to physically fight, but that he still required them to go out to the battle. The men of Judah were not to stay home and tremble in their houses. God commanded them to go and meet the enemy as he approached. This was an undeviating test of their faith.

How would they be able to watch God defeat their enemy if they remained hidden in the city? God was about to bolster their faith…BY their action…WITH their full participation. 

Jehoshaphat leads his people in putting action to their faith. The armies of the enemy were near, the danger palpable and undeniable. But, watch what the king does: Jehoshaphat bows his head to the ground to worship…and the people again follow their leader’s example. (2 Chronicles 20:18)

Faith always causes a chain reaction. The Bible says, in verse 19, that the Levites “…stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high.” 

All this was happening before the enemy’s arrival. Before the battle had begun. When it was time to face their enemy, Judah was ready. Crossing the wilderness of Tekoa to meet the Syrians, Jehoshaphat halts the company and bolsters the people one last time, “Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established, believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.” (vs. 20)

Victories come through faith and active worship. 

Before moving forward, singers are appointed to lead the army and proclaim: “Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth forever.” (vs. 21)

The next two words are some of the most moving ones in the whole chapter:

“And when…” (vs. 22)

Wait…wasn’t God already planning to perform this miracle anyway? Yes, he was. 

Still, God was taking them along for the show and because of their worship and faith he was going to make it a glorious one. Why wouldn’t he? His children were watching!

“And when…” (I love these anticipatory words!)

God stepped onto the stage. 

“And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.”  (vs. 22)

What is incredibly exciting about this scenario is that Jehoshaphat and his people had not even arrived on the scene yet! 

God had sent them to the battleground BUT had already destroyed their enemy before they even arrived. Why did God lead them there in the aftermath? Why couldn’t they have waited at home until someone brought word that their enemy was defeated? 

“And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.” (vs. 24)

How did this happen?! The enemy had actually turned and killed each other! 

Now we understand why God had led his people to the battleground: To see the enemy that they had so greatly feared completely destroyed (…and none escaped) AND to carry away the spoil their enemy had left behind.

‘And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance…more than they could carry away; and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.” (vs. 25)

Perhaps you’ve written in your journal the promise that you felt God gave you. It may be tucked deep in your heart, waiting to bloom into reality. Perhaps you’re still waiting, feeling like your hopes have been shelved, trekking day after day to watch for the clouds to turn into the hand of God moving on your behalf. 

It’s never easy to trod through the wilderness, knowing that the enemy is near, coming straight at you with the purpose of destroying you. You believe that God promised you victory–that the overwhelming odds against you are going to turn in your favor.

You’ve worshipped, shouted, danced in victory…all before the battle was even won. 

In faith.

Because you believed the promise.

God’s time is not our time. He sees farther into the future than we do. How do you know that the enemy has not already been vanquished just beyond that last hill and you just haven’t arrived yet to see it?

Praise anyway. Worship as if the deed is already done. Give glory to God through the fear, the doubt, the questions.

God will respond and your victory will be much greater than you dreamed. All the provisions of faith and energy that you depleted to get there will be restored beyond what you could have imagined. For the people of Judah, the spoil was “…more than they could carry away…” (vs. 25). 

Could it be that God will bless you in such a way that you will be able to share that abundance with others? That people around you facing their own battles will have sustenance from your spoil to equip them for their own journey?

You may be a Jehoshaphat–a fearless leader–among your peers as you prepare to meet the unseen enemy just ahead. And when you do, God will have already secured your victory!

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A Day in the Life of a Sign Language Interpreter: Social Distancing

Never had to know how to use Zoom or Google Hangouts before? Virtual conferencing and video meetings with multiple participants a new thing for you?
Well, you have two days to figure it out!

Welcome to “Quarantine Interpreting” in the midst of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. I’m Regina and I’ll be your presenter for this session. (Go learn what that meaneth…)

Our team of sign language interpreters met yesterday morning via Google Hangouts (a video conferencing program through G Suite) to practice using the platform. After a series of “So-and-so, could you please mute yourself? The kids hollering in the background is distracting” and “Why can’t I see myself? Where am I?” answered with, “You have to turn your video permission on,” we were finally ready to explore this new resource. 

It was enjoyable catching up with coworkers and holding up my coffee cup in a virtual toast, and I found I had really missed the gang these past three (or is it four?) weeks. We even sang “Happy Birthday” to my lead interpreter and laughed about the Great Toilet Paper Shortage. It was all fun and games until…we tried to use sign language with one another.

The goal was to rehearse what interpreting for our students virtually over Zoom or Google Hangouts would look like so that we could provide equal access for our Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students to the online distance learning that schools were now forced to engage with due to school closures and social distancing.

What we ended up looking like were sluggish mimes trapped in a virtual matrix as our hands left swooping ghost images across our individual squares–like drunk contestants in the game show, Hollywood Squares. 

I’m feeling a bit nervous now. I have an hour-long ELA class to interpret tomorrow. My student is either going to feel completely frustrated if I can’t get the kinks worked out of this “virtual experience-thingy” or hilariously laughing at my artistic hand-antics and relying on the less-than-adequate captioning on the screen.

But…we are sign language interpreters!

Masters at adapting to unique situations and environments and professional gurus of language mediation. No little social-distancing interruption is going to throw us off course!

At least, that’s what I tell myself every day as I prepare for the great unknown, uncharted territory of quarantine interpreting. 

Let’s do this! (Want to hear about other experiences in “A Day in the Life of a Sign Language Interpreter?” Check out THIS BLOG POST.)

Regina

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We Hung Our Harps (When Your Song is Silenced)

“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?”

(Psalm 137:1-4, KJV)

 

I want to weep for them. Their anguish is raw, palpable…heart-wrenching.

A people once embraced by the favor of God and blessed before all nations. Now, they find themselves debased and enslaved by their enemy. 

Far from home. Paralyzed with fear. Identity stripped.

Their captors taunting them with the very source of their former strength.

“Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”

But their voices were silent. 

“They hung their harps…”

The very instrument used to praise God, a wellspring of comfort, and a connection to their identity as a people. 

With heads hung in despair, they walk by the flourishing, green trees that line the majestic Euphrates River before them…feeling completely defeated and abandoned by God.

That’s exactly how I feel right now, you may be saying.

No words are sufficient enough to express the anguish of a broken soul.

Wrongs done to us. Being taken advantage of. Those who look into our tear-filled eyes–and walk away.

“For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.” (Isaiah 54:7, KJV)

You may not see or feel him, but God waits quietly in the shadows. In his time–not ours.

Deliverance will come.

Even in the iron grip of an oppressive enemy, God’s people possessed the instrument of praise but had no heart to use it. The powerful anointing crushed because the people languished in mourning. 

Imagine singing songs of Zion that boast about the defeat of the enemy while you sit crushed beneath that enemy’s foot?

“How shall we sing…?” Their hearts cried.

But…what if they had sang…even in the prison camp of their captors?

We christen our lowest, darkest moments as being a “desert experience,” but here we find God’s people standing by the life-giving Euphrates River with its beautiful willow (poplar) trees full of birdsong, surrounded by a thriving landscape that pulsated with life and energy. 

Maybe you face enemies right now: bitter disappointment, your body wracked with pain, grief and depression, crippling fear…

The enemy slips in close and whispers mocking words, “Sing the songs of Zion, child of God. You are hopelessly bound—where is your song now?”

And your voice falls silent, your harp dangling limply at your side, brooding thoughts of hanging that harp on the willow and just walking away from it all. You’re done…

Not yet.

You still retain the instrument of your praise in your possession. Lift the harp, let your fingers drift across the strings, bringing them to life with song. Let your voice ripple over the other captives that share this place with you. Let them hear your praise in spite of your crippling circumstance. Sing the songs of Zion in the very face of your enemies…even as they taunt you. 

And watch what God will do.

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Emergency Landing: Life’s Unexpected Diversions

I was cleaning out the small college refrigerator in our class for the weekend, throwing out someone’s wrinkled tangerine and a few stray ketchup packets. In the door, I spied my travel-size bottle of coffee creamer. It was half-full. Cool, I’ll have creamer for Monday.

That was two Fridays ago. We received the news over that weekend that Arizona schools would be closed until the end of March. 

My job situation had changed in less than forty-eight hours.

We hear about an aircraft making an emergency landing when there is an imminent threat to the safety of those aboard. Wherever the passengers had thought they were going when they boarded the flight, didn’t end up there. There was a forced diversion of their plans and their intended location. Admittedly, no one is probably very happy about being “knocked off course,” so to speak, but they are indisputably grateful when they land safely.

We all have big plans on the vision boards of our life. I’m going to pay my house off in five years… Or, I’m going to have my college degree before I’m twenty-one. Take this from the girl who has taken eleven years to finish her college degree: Life doesn’t always go as predicted.

There are a lot of “emergency landings” in our life when we have a clear destination in mind, spread our wings for flight, and are unexpectedly intercepted mid-flight by a cancer diagnosis, the loss of a job, a failed relationship, the COVID-19 virus…you name it.

You are hurting. You are frustrated. You feel shelved.

But, after the cloud of dust settles from your unintentional landing back to Earth, take a step back. Is there a possibility that you’ve landed in a better place? Are you stronger and better equipped to take to the skies the next time? 

Or…maybe you’ve discovered that you had been headed in the wrong direction the whole time.

Just my little thought for today.

Keep your family close and stay safe, my friends.

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Dear Starbucks Barista:

Dear Starbucks Barista:

When I smiled at you over the cash register and gave you my drink order (along with an impulsive pastry purchase), I was honored that you asked what church I attend because you recognized that I always wear dresses when I drop in to work on my writing. You told me that you’re Pentecostal Apostolic too. How cool is that?!

When I sat down and told my husband about our chat, he mentioned that the two of you have talked several times already about his favorite college football team: Ohio State Buckeyes (How did I miss these conversations?). I just died laughing when you walked over to our table a few minutes later and informed my husband that you should start calling him “Brother Buckeye.” I didn’t get much writing done tonight but it was worth it.

I have to ask though. 

How do you manage to keep smiling when someone glides up to your register and orders a trenta, half skim milk, half soy milk, split quad shots, no foam latte with whip, two Splendas, two pumps of vanilla, and cinnamon sprinkled on top? I mean, will they even notice that half the milk isn’t soy?

I applaud you. You have to possess special patience to be a barista.

Maybe it’s the soothing, rich aroma of fresh java floating around you that keeps you so calm and pleasant. It would definitely have that effect on me. I’m always snatching the nearest bag of coffee from the display and trying to sniff it through the foil packaging. That’s how much I love coffee. Maybe I should consider becoming a barista…

Oh, and I bet you already knew that it’s a common belief that you can judge someone’s personality based on how they take their coffee! I even wrote a whole blog post about it here.

When you started mopping the floors tonight, I realized that you were getting ready to close. Walking across your freshly-mopped floor, (sorry about that), I peeked once more at the sugar cookies in the display case. That’s when she walked up to the counter…the other superstar barista working with you tonight. 

“Would you like a free pumpkin spice bread?” she asked, reaching into the display case and tucking a large piece into a tidy little brown bag.

Did I mention how amazing the baristas at my local Starbucks are? Yeah, well, there it is again.

I was so impressed that I even left my own sticky note on the appreciation display your customers created since, apparently, they think you’re awesome too.

See you again next weekend!

Regina

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Showing Grace to Myself

I had set out the whole-wheat egg noodles and a container of broth in preparation for making a wholesome chicken noodle soup for dinner tonight. At 3:45 p.m., I sent a text to my husband, “Can you order pizza for dinner? Thin crust pepperoni with green pepper.”

I wasn’t feeling the soup today after all. And I’m OK with that.

I’m a goal-oriented gal—thriving on constructing lists complete with tidy little checkboxes to color in with the completion of each task. For example, during the #last90days of 2019, I have challenged myself to complete five top goals each day and—you guessed it—I color in those five squares every day with great pride

But, when I look at my list of “things to accomplish”, I fuss over any empty squares staring vacantly up at me from the page—like inconspicuous portholes to the Land of the Losers. (Yeah, I know…dramatic.)

Does that make me a perfectionist? Is that a bad or a good thing?

This bleeds over into my “cloak-and-dagger” sidekick of being an author. Being an author is the Ultimate Cure for Perfectionism.

The words never flow on paper (or screen) like I imagine them in my mind and it doesn’t matter that I’ve run my work through paid versions of Grammarly and ProWritingAid or forked out big bucks for a professional to edit my manuscript: There will STILL be missed errors.

This is where the Frozen song, Let it Go, might prove helpful…if I wasn’t already sick of hearing the kids at school sing it. 

Even better, I should park myself in front of my mirror (Where, ironically, I have written the words “You are Enough” with a dry-erase marker) and remind myself to show a little grace to the girl in the mirror. 

I’m considering rethinking how I design my list of things to do as well, adding little checkboxes for items like:

sit and stare out the window for fifteen minutes—do nothing else 
enjoy the dust on the furniture today—scribble your name in it for fun

Then, color those squares in like a rock star! 

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When My Plans are Not God’s Plans

 

Our family loves music. We blast it while we work in the kitchen and while we’re getting ready for church, sing our hearts out on road trips, and I even have a special playlist for my prayer time. 

But there are certain songs that stand out to me because they represent times in my life when the lyrics spoke directly to a specific need and reminded me that God is in control of my destiny. I look back at when my husband was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The song was “Praise You in This Storm” by Casting Crowns. When our church family struggled through a deep valley, it was “I Held On” by Shara McKee. 

A song might be on repeat for days as it ministers to my heart, assuring me of God’s provision and that my situation is not foreign to him. (I mean, someone wrote the words to the song—so this trial isn’t unique to just me.)

Recently, that song for me was “Broken Ladders” by Selah. Let me share part of the lyrics:

You never asked me to be king.   Build my tower up to the sky.

So, why do I try?…

 

…You never asked me to be complete.   By myself, find all I need.

So, why do I try?

 

All you ever wanted was my heart…my heart…my simple heart.

To you, that’s all that really matters.  Why do I feel I have to reach?

Believe I have to rise?  When you never said I had to climb

These broken ladders.

Why is it that we feel we have to achieve things and reach goals that were never ordained by God for us?

John the Baptist served a vital purpose in God’s plan and was called “more than a prophet” by Jesus. Yet, we don’t have record of him raising a family, he probably never had a best friend, didn’t get to be an active part of Jesus’ ministry, etc. He died a prisoner. Talk about feeling like he missed the boat… But, John knew from childhood what his purpose was and that the calling was great even though he may have had his moments when he felt inconsequential.

Do you ever feel that life is leaving you behind? We look around us at all the opportunities we are missing and wonder why God has kept them from us. 

In our frustration, we take it upon ourselves to start climbing random “ladders” of opportunity to reach higher places and achieve greater things. 

Then, when we face failure after failure or only make it halfway before the dream crumbles under us and we land right back where we started, we are devastated and disillusioned.

Because it was OUR plan—not God’s. 

As the words of the song point out, WE are the ones that feel that we have to obtain a certain goal in life in order for us to feel successful. God warned us in his word that “…my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways…” (Isaiah 55:8). 

That’s hard to swallow. Somewhere in your life, you will have to decide if you will follow God’s plan—even if he asks you to fade into obscurity in order for his glory to stand in the forefront—or whether you will force your way onto the stage and demand the spotlight, at the risk of falling on your face in shame in the aftermath.

Through all your dreams of grandeur and need for accolades and prosperity, God’s vision for you is simple: He just wants your heart…your simple heart.

Enjoy this live version of “Broken Ladders” by Selah:

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Halloween at the Middle School

This Thursday is Halloween.

And that always makes things interesting in middle school. The students where I work will show up decked out in an interesting assortment of Halloween costumes—some delightfully creative (like the girl who designed her “shadow” that followed her around all day) while others are…well, disturbing.

It always makes me grin to see a kid who is too cool to handle the dead butterfly in science or mess up his hair in Phys Ed transform himself into a cube-shaped Enderman from Minecraft which, according to the general consensus here at school, is no longer “cool” to play.

A few of the students announced today that they’ll be showing up on Thursday in an inflatable dinosaur costume. We don’t get many notable earthquakes here in Southern Arizona, but it might be worth having one just to see these inflated creatures attempt to stuff their swollen bodies under a narrow school desk. Just saying…

I don’t dress up for Halloween, but, if I did, I could see myself dressing as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. It just makes sense since I already work around “little people” all day who act like they know what they are doing but really don’t, so we all feel a little “lost”. Plus, I have a propensity for walking around mumbling, “There’s no place like home” as I muddle through my work day (minus the fancy shiny red shoes).

The day after Halloween will be interesting too. Staff and students will be in a stupor most of the school day (TGIF), recovering from late-night Halloween parties and suffering from sugar-induced hangovers. Faces will show traces of costume-makeup residue that didn’t completely wash off and there is sure to be a few unnatural colors streaked through hair that will take a few washes to bring under submission.

And me?

Well, we don’t have a history of tornadoes here in Southern Arizona either, but I just might keep an eye on the skies for one this week. Any adventure could happen in a middle school. 

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