Veteran's Day

Although Veteran's Day is actually tomorrow, our school district commemorated the occasion today with an assembly that included participation from all of our schools: elementary, middle, and high school.  It is the only assembly all year that is serious in nature and involves the students and members of the community--all in honor of those who have been in the armed services for our country.  The Cub Scouts brought forth (and retired) the Colors.  We said the Pledge of Allegiance.  We sang The National Anthem.  A student read a letter from the President.  The choirs sang, the band played, and a couple of select students read both original and published poems and essays.  The veterans on staff were all announced, as well as those community members in attendance.  The band played a particularly moving song Hymn to the Fallen.  (Shortly after our assembly, I was out on lunch break and heard that same song as the background to Greg Garrison's tribute to veterans on AM radio.)  Then there was a moment of silence, during which Taps was played.  It was in that moment that I silently told my father, who passed away in 1994, how much I was thinking of him at this time.  And, of course, I fought back the tears...  (WHY didn't I think to bring tissue??)

I have written tributes to my military family members before, but they don't do justice to how very proud I am of all of them.  My father, Commander Floyd D. Covill, USNR, was a member of Tom Brokaw's The Greatest Generation, and the older I get, the more I appreciate all that they went through just to survive and raise their families with dignity and values in trying times.  May God continue to bless and protect our fighting men!

I came home from school exhausted today.  The kids are loud, and the particular combination of a couple of "rotation" classes that I have this nine weeks gives me a few challenging students twice a day.  UGH!  I note, with interest, that I am not the ONLY one burned out by the end of the day.  Even the younger teachers are tearing their hair out, so I have company!  Anyway, when I got home, I tried to nap.  (Once again, it didn't work.  My nap gene seems to be broken!)  Okay...so nothing to do but go out and rake leaves while the temps were still good and I still had an hour of daylight.   I raked some yesterday (wet leaves), and got a small section of the yard done.  Considering how much of the yard was left, I was feeling quite discouraged.  I raked and raked...and then, out of nowhere, came a young man (a neighbor whom I had never met) with a rake, asking if I wanted a hand.  I said, "Sure," but what I really meant was "Hell, yeah!"  We raked until we couldn't see anymore, and between the two of us, we got ALL of the front and side yards done.  I am ecstatic!  The fellow wouldn't take any money, but I will see to it that he gets a little cash gift in his mailbox!

And now, for the REALLY great news:  Nathan's boss, a man who has purchased the golf course where Nate works on contract from the owner, told Nathan a couple of weeks ago that the course was probably going belly-up, and that if Nathan got another job offer, he should take it.  Well...THAT'S obviously not the good news.  The good news is that Nathan got a call tonight from the actual owner of the course, telling him that even if the course goes to foreclosure, he will still have a job.  Hallelujah!  What an enormous relief!!!!  Megan cried.  I should!  Nate and Meg moved to Muncie a year-and-a-half ago, with Nathan's acceptance of a nice job at a nice golf course.  Then, with almost no notice, the course was sold, and Nathan was out of a job.  Miraculously, another golf course had an opening, and he was hired, with almost no loss of time or pay.  A close call...followed so closely by this one.  They will still have financial problems, but at least they won't be out on the street with no income!  God is good!