The Good Ole Days

Looking at old photos, it's always fun to reminisce about the days gone by. Back in the 80's, when I started my teaching career in Farnhamville, IA, I formed friendships that continue to this day. We were a close knit group who worked and socialized together. The Cedar Valley School District consolidated with Prairie School District to form Prairie Valley in 1989 which led to my move to Denver.

As the yearbook adviser at Cedar Valley, I had to learn to operate a darkroom and became friends with and got help from a photographer in Fort Dodge, IA. He set up a temporary photo studio in another teachers garage during the annual Old Settlers Days in Farny, along with costumes and props. We were the "guinea pigs" for them getting set up on an August day back in 1987. Summer was coming to a close and we were about to start on another school year. Our friendship was evident by the smiles on our faces. Oh, the "Good Ole Days...".

L to R: Rita, Lori, Diane, Sarah, Sharon and Marge.

Art Teachers Workshop

I'm giving a talk to a group of art teachers tomorrow at an Art Teachers Workshop in Cedar Falls, IA. I'll share on how I use my school Art Gallery Blog in my classes and how easy it is to create a blog.
I've been meeting with this group of teachers at our Area Education Agency for about 19 years. Some of us have been around for that long and of course there are always new faces. We love getting together to share lessons and inspire each other. We're expecting a little freezing rain and snow, if it's freezing rain it doesn't matter if it's a little or a lot! Ugh... drive safely, I'm riding with another art teacher!

When Pigs Fly?

The sooner you fall behind, the more time you'll have to catch up. –Anonymous

Well, it's a busy week for me and I had this picture on my computer of some Johnson relatives from long ago, standing in a wagon in the feed lot with pigs surrounding them. I think I see my Grandpa Joe with the tie on and his sister Emma Long over on the far right and I wonder what made them think to have their picture taken this way? Your guess is as good as mine.
You've all heard the saying "It'll happen when pigs fly!" I have good intentions but this week is full of UNI art students observing in my classroom, sick kids out of class, a few kids with attitude, helping kids plan for homecoming, student reviews, trying to make care packages for art teachers whose art rooms were caught in the IA tornados and/or floods from this summer, working with tech support at school, the constant grading that needs to be done and top my work world with housework and preparing for a garage sale this weekend (possibility of rain!) I don't know where to turn first, so am ignoring the list for a bit to write here. Well with all the things on my "to-do list" I'm thinking it'll all get done when pigs fly!
Maybe I'm trying to spread too many seeds this week. :-)