Yesterday I subbed in Diane's 5th grade classroom while she was at a training session (the first of three) at the District Office.  (She has been tasked with passing along whatever program it is that they're presenting to the rest of the teaching staff at Park Meadows.)  I will also be subbing for her when she attends the third session in December, but unfortunately the second one, in November, falls on the date of our annual quilting program (and potluck) with Pat Knoechel, sister of Quilt-in-a-Day Eleanor Burns. I never want to miss that, so they'll just have to limp along that day with a random sub.

As I was walking across campus to Diane's classroom yesterday the morning I had to pass the cafeteria, where everyone in line immediately recognized me as the Word Wizard.  They were disappointed that I was 'only' subbing, but eagerly hoped it would be in their class.  I had to disappoint them yet again.

My day of subbing went well.  I had convinced Diane that she didn't need to leave lesson plans for me (didn't take too much arm twisting) and did my own thing.  The 5th grade has been departmentalized into three sections recently, which meant I only had each portion for a third of the day and was able to do the 'same' activities three times.  My plans included a recitation of The Cremation of Sam McGee (and pursuant vocabulary lesson), some creative writing exercises from Making It Strange (which I discovered and used the first year I taught, in 1972), several chapters from Always Wear Clean Underwear (which delve into the deeper meanings of all those sayings on 'The List' that prove how much our parents love us), and finally finished up with a promised juggling at the end (after which we computed the mean, median, and mode of my ten juggling attempts.  I am sorely out of practice!)

By the time I got home around 4:00 my back was a little unhappy from all the standing (where do people get the idea that teachers sit all day?)  I also had Hand Washing Duty outside the cafeteria before lunch, and Bus Duty after school.  But otherwise I wasn't too exhausted, and in fact I was awake until almost midnight (that could have been the handful of chocolate kisses I nibbled on for dessert?)  I am reading a delightful book (The Bookman's Tale, by Charlie Lovett) touted as "an intelligent thriller that is also a love song for books and the people who relish them."  That's me!  

Not sure if I mentioned that AQG got wind of a request from a sheriff in Idaho who was looking for donations of bandanas (or simply squares of cotton fabric cut with pinking shears) for the firemen to soak and use during their recent labors fighting the massive wildfires up there.  Obviously they kept needing to replace the cloths with clean wet ones.  I did my part, and then promptly forgot about it.  So it was a pleasant surprise to get a lovely thank-you note from the sheriff.  (They received over 15,000 bandanas, and even if everyone sent in multiple donations, that's a lot of postage!)

From Alex's FaceBook page Monday:
U of A! I'll be on campus today visiting the Greek houses and talking about our upcoming trips!

Unfortunately he didn't get to connect with Lisa while he was down there, but at least he tried.  Tom and I are planning a trip down to Tucson to see her on the 28th to coincide with a concert I want to attend that afternoon up on Mt. Lemmon.

In a bit I'm off to Busy Bees, which is always fun.  And since I have a coupon for 35th Ave. burning a hole in my pocket (I let the last one expire!) I 'might' just have to swing down there afterward and see 'if' I can find something to purchase! 

And as I'm off to enjoy MY day, here's hoping you also enjoy yours!