Junior High PE

I am curious about Jane. She is an albino; a person with white hair, milky white skin, and pink eyes. She is the first albino I have ever seen. I don’t know her, she in my Physical Education class.

We are learning to shoot with the bow and arrow. I sneak a peek at Jane and see her raise her bow and pull the bowstring back by her ear. She hooks her glasses with the bowstring and shoots them across the field. The glasses rotate in little circles as they fly through the air. If the target is the ground, she has scored a bull’s eye. The bell rings, ending the class, and we all run to the dressing room.

The next sport we learn is soccer. Ms. Jean, the teacher, explains the rules and we are ready to play. Jane is on my team. The ball is put into play. Mary kicks the ball to me, I run with it, and pass it to Jane. Jane is a little off balance when she plants her left foot, draws back her right foot and kicks her left foot out from under her. She falls on top of the ball. The opposing team sees an opening, and attacks with the energy of a school of sharks in a feeding frenzy. Both teams dash toward the goal. Jane lies there moaning. She will have some color tomorrow, if albinos can turn black and blue. I like Jane. She’s funny.

We are now one goal down. In Junior High PE class there are no referees with yellow and red cards to come to the rescue. It’s “Survival of the Fittest.” My team puts the ball into play and we race toward the goal, the goalie looks up in terror! She sees the whole class rushing at her and runs for safety at the sideline. Saving life is more important than saving a goal, especial when it’s your life, and like the losers always say, “It’s only a game.” We score and once more we are saved by the bell, and the period is over.

The next day Ms. Jean decided that I am too rough, I prefer skilled, for my class mates to guard, so she will play against me. I am delighted. I am going to show her how good I am. Jane passes me the ball and I am running down the field when Ms. Jean goes for the ball; I knock her down, run over her and black her eye with my elbow. We both feel like crying. I love this teacher!

First Aid is the next subject in PE class, and it will be useful in surviving this class! To stop bleeding you elevate the limb and apply direct pressure to the wound. In case of fainting the head should not be higher than the heart. Ice is applied for sprains and bruises, or you could just get out of class using that age old ploy, a fake PE excuse.

School Daze

Today I took my second Chinese Brush Painting lesson. It is nothing like western painting. Every stroke is done just so so. The teacher was encouraging, but it looked like a bunch of ink blots to me. Tomorrow I will have my second creative writing class. At the first class I had them all laughing, but I expect to get dumped on sooner or later. Both classes are in local adult education. I'm also taking a Children's Literature writing class, and I like it very much. This class is online.

Beware!

Love is catching and can be spread by caring, hugging and service to others. I gave an art lesson to my neighbors, sisters 7 and 9 years of age, and the dam is open and I am being flooded with love. Every day they come to visit and want to take care of me. Yesterday they brought me cake, oranges, a bracelet the 7-year-old made, and then they begged me to go to dinner with them. They said their mother would pay. I had already eaten, and after much begging, I promised to go next time. I have been reading the MS Kitty book to them. I now realize that I need to plan daily art projects. They stay here until their mother comes to get them. I love it and so does Ms Kitty because they play with her.

I also made a new friend at church, a grandma-lady that is visiting her family in Chino. I invited her to lunch at the Avocado House, and she invited me to visit her in St. George, Utah.

Dumb it down for me

Today I register for classes in Chinese brush painting and creative writing. This is in addition to the children's writing course I am taking on line. The two new courses are for six weeks and I will miss one week when I go to visit the Belnaps. Education or vacation? Vacation wins!
I made a new friend last week when I gave a painting lesson to my seven year old neighbor. She painted an apple. My grandkids may remember learning to paint an apple. I collected a hug and was well paid.

Hurray!

My house is termite free--well it wasn't exactly free but it is over. I stayed with
Aunt Betty two nights and all of my renters had to move out too. Ms Kitty had a bad time. The termite man turned on the BIG fan before I got her out of the house and scared her. She hates the car and because she was in a strange place she hid in the closet for the first day. Moving Ms Kitty is a lot like moving a baby. I had to take her sand box, water dispenser, food dispenser, and the travel carrier. I forgot her scratching board but found one in Bettie's garage. I will be un-bagging things for days. On the bright side I am cleaning the shelves and getting ride of a LOT of things that should have gone a long time ago.

During the termite inspection it was discovered that more repairs were needed on the outside of the apartment. Ken has taken care of that and hopefully my 'Winchester House' has all the repairs it needs for a while.

Ms Kitty goes to the Vet

I took Ms Kitty to the Vet Tuesday. She wouldn't get into the carrier! I tried pushing her in head first..no luck. I tried standing the carrier on end and dropping her in, she spread her feet and held on to the sides..no luck. My back hurt, I gave up and set the carrier on the floor with the door open..she went in!

At the doctors office she wouldn't come out! I pulled, pushed and tried to dump her out..no luck. I removed the top half of the carrier. She remained in the bottom half, now the doctor could examine her. She had a slight fever and got an antibiotic shot. She weights 12 pounds and I had to have help caring her in the carrier. I now know there is no pill for Ms Kitty's personality and I'm the one that needs help.

Sweet Memories

MOTHER’S DAY BREAKFAST

”Shush, Ricky don’t wake Mama up!” cautioned Crystal, “you’ll spoil the surprise.”

“OK, Ok I’m sorry. What can we fix?” answered Ricky.

Crystal said, “A lady on television made ‘Eggs in a Frame’ and that’s what I want to cook.”

“I saw that program too, I’m the biggest, and I’ll cook.” Ricky said.

“I’m big too, I’m seven and you’re only nine.”

“So, I’m the oldest and the oldest does the cooking” explained Ricky, making up rules to support his case. “I butter the bread, cut a circle in the middle and put it in the skillet. Then I break the egg into the hole and it cooks there.”

I’ll get a glass of milk too.” Said Crystal “Mother will love having breakfast in bed.”

Mother pretends to sleep and awaits the sweetest, if not the best breakfast, of the year.

“I’m going to pick a flower for the tray.” Crystal said.


Smiling broadly, and bearing the breakfast tray, the children enter the bedroom. The tray contains the food, a handmade Mothers Day card, and a long stem rose. It is in a small vase complete with water. The motion of the tray causes the vase to topple over and spill water over the plate of food.

“That’s alright” said mother “I don’t like dry toast.”

The children watch with eager anticipation as mother takes the first bite. In spite of the generous amount of salt, on the eggs, she smiles and says, “Yummy, thank you.” Everyone feels a warm glow.

After hug and kisses, mother cleans up the kitchen. It looks like a cyclone has hit it. Life returns to normal and awaits next year’s “surprise” Mother’s Day breakfast in bed.