Happy Thanksgiving: A montage of memories
When I was teaching first grade, I wore a pilgrim dress that I scored from Good Will (I'm not kidding, I looked like a pilgrim), showed A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and served popcorn and toast (just like Snoopy) at our first grade feast. Karen Jane and her friend, Kari, came on by and played with the kids helping them put puzzles together. I liked wearing that pilgrim dress. I've found that in teaching high school, I can't wear some of the dorky things that I usually enjoy wearing. First graders didn't really care what I wore...high schoolers make fun of me enough as it is. Last year, I got harassed so much about wearing certain shoes that curled up at the toe (a few girls called them elf shoes) that I ended up donating them to Good Will. Students continuously make fun of my tendancy to wear socks with my shoes (no matter what kind of shoes they are...except for flip flops) and I have a few girls who are just itching to take me to American Eagle in order for me to get some new jeans (and of course, not the high waisted kind, right?). Sadly, I won't be wearing the pilgrim dress to school tomorrow.
I used to have a theory about Thanksgiving and Good Friday. I think I was quite young, maybe 8 or 9, when I formed this theory: It always rains on Thanksgiving and Good Friday. I used to think that each Good Friday around 3 pm (the time Christ died) it would begin raining...not a huge thunderstorm, just a light, drizzling rain. And, I was right for several years. Also, it ALWAYS rained on Thanksgiving. My theory hasn't held up in recent years though. But believe you me, when Thanksgiving and Good Friday roll around, I'm always waiting all day to see if it's going to rain.
My mom used to give me a new Christmas album on Thanksgiving. Maybe this didn't happen every year, but it happened enough for me to have a memory of it. One year, in particular, I remember getting this great compilation Christmas tape (before I had even heard of CDs) with Amy Grant and Sandi Patti singing "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear." I think that was the first time I had ever heard that song. I would play that song over and over and of course I would only pipe in with my vocals during Amy's parts.
Pretty much every year in junior and senior high school, my mom and I served dinner to homeless/less fortunate folks down at Salvation Army. We even did it my freshman year of college...which is where this story comes from. So, I was donning my spiffy homemade apron with ABM written on the top. One of the guys at my table asked what the ABM stood for. After telling him that my name was Alisa Beth Mix, he then said, "Whoa, I think your dad was my art teacher!" It was true, I was serving my dad's former student (of like 25 years ago). Serving dinner at the Salvation Army was definitely one of the best ideas my mom ever had. Of course I cried every year, but I loved it.
There's nothing I like more than tracing my hand and making a turkey out of it. Speaking of turkeys, Lauren and Sammi (two of my darling girls in 4th period) made me hand turkeys today and they're proudly being displayed on my magnetic chalkboard!
That's all for tonight, folks! Keep it real. Eat turkey. Watch for rain.
I used to have a theory about Thanksgiving and Good Friday. I think I was quite young, maybe 8 or 9, when I formed this theory: It always rains on Thanksgiving and Good Friday. I used to think that each Good Friday around 3 pm (the time Christ died) it would begin raining...not a huge thunderstorm, just a light, drizzling rain. And, I was right for several years. Also, it ALWAYS rained on Thanksgiving. My theory hasn't held up in recent years though. But believe you me, when Thanksgiving and Good Friday roll around, I'm always waiting all day to see if it's going to rain.
My mom used to give me a new Christmas album on Thanksgiving. Maybe this didn't happen every year, but it happened enough for me to have a memory of it. One year, in particular, I remember getting this great compilation Christmas tape (before I had even heard of CDs) with Amy Grant and Sandi Patti singing "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear." I think that was the first time I had ever heard that song. I would play that song over and over and of course I would only pipe in with my vocals during Amy's parts.
Pretty much every year in junior and senior high school, my mom and I served dinner to homeless/less fortunate folks down at Salvation Army. We even did it my freshman year of college...which is where this story comes from. So, I was donning my spiffy homemade apron with ABM written on the top. One of the guys at my table asked what the ABM stood for. After telling him that my name was Alisa Beth Mix, he then said, "Whoa, I think your dad was my art teacher!" It was true, I was serving my dad's former student (of like 25 years ago). Serving dinner at the Salvation Army was definitely one of the best ideas my mom ever had. Of course I cried every year, but I loved it.
There's nothing I like more than tracing my hand and making a turkey out of it. Speaking of turkeys, Lauren and Sammi (two of my darling girls in 4th period) made me hand turkeys today and they're proudly being displayed on my magnetic chalkboard!
That's all for tonight, folks! Keep it real. Eat turkey. Watch for rain.
posted by alisa beth at 6:58 PM
4 Comments:
I was born during an ice storm and for years and years it always rained, or snowed on my birthday. Only on the more recent side has there been days where my birthday had no rain/snow whatsoever.
In case you don't get rain tomorrow, do know that I am getting snow for the next couple of days. We are supposed to be getting enough to where it will stick around for a bit, so I'll have to see about taking some pics.
Matt
And a funny for the day...
A young man named John received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary.
Every word out of the bird's mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity. John tried and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music and anything else he could think of to "clean up" the bird's vocabulary. Finally, John was fed up and he yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back. John shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even ruder. John, in desperation, threw up his hand, grabbed the bird and put him in the freezer. For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed. Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard for over a minute. Fearing that he'd hurt the parrot, John quickly opened the door to the freezer. The parrot calmly stepped out onto John's outstretched arms and said "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior." John was stunned at the change in the bird's attitude. As he was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, the bird continued, "May I ask what the turkey did?"
Matt
hey a-b, it's scary how much we have in common. you like old books and poetry, i like old books and poetry. you used to live in england, my dad is from england. your dad taught art, my dad teaches art. the list gets longer and longer...
Alisa,
I LOVED reading this blog b/c of the memory of what you did when you taught first grade (and my son!) at RCA. AND....did you know???? That b/c of that wonderful memory....this year my class got to watch Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving and eat popcorn and toast and pretzels too? Thanks for the memories AND a great idea!
Joy =)
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