Back-to-School Birthday Hodgepodge

As a child, I sometimes lived in states where school started in mid- August, but I don't remember ever celebrating my  late August birthday in an elementary school class.  Cupcakes from home? Special banner on the front of my desk?  Or 25 kids singing "Happy Birthday" out of tune at the tops of their lungs? 

Nope. None of that stuff that teachers seem to do nowadays.  I  just don't think it was part of the school culture when I was a kid.  So last century! 

But when school started after Labor Day, my birthday was almost forgotten by everyone except family. Back-to-school hubbub trumped everyone's event calendar. 

Good thing I've put all that babyish self-centered nonsense behind me now that I'm an adult. 

Good thing I don't get excited about stretching my birthday from mid-August to Labor Day and beyond. Good thing I don't blog about it for three weeks in a row. 

Good thing  I don't rip open  all birthday cards like I'm ten. 
 You'd have thought so by the way I opened this one from Sally .

She made my day! A birthday card from a bloggy friend that came in the snail mail????? OVER THE TOP EXCITING!!!

Here it is!!! 

She wrote the sweetest message on the facing page. Please go say hello to her over at the 5 Henry's! She's a regular in these here HP parts and I'm so thrilled to connect . She's my West Coast alter ego. 

An-y-way.....all that to introduce THIS!!

1.  What's something you wanted to do this summer that you never got around to actually doing?  

Redecorating my master bedroom .  Just had other priorities including physical therapy for a shoulder that's hard to scrape faux finishes with. 

And yes, that was the worst sentence structure in grammatical history, but do I care?  Yes. Am I gonna rewrite it? No. It hurts my shoulder.

2. Share a favorite memory of your own back -to-school days as a child.

Clearly, it didn't involve celebrating my birthday at school. Did I mention that? 

I think it was the excitement of seeing who my new teacher was going to be and what students were in my class, where my desk was.    

When I became a teacher later in life, albeit a brief stint in actual classrooms, I looked forward to meeting new students--and seeing my new desk. (Hint: It was the biggest one. Yay!)

3.  What's one chore or daily task you prefer doing 'old-school' ?

In the school year (keeping with the theme) I enjoy taking my son (7th grade this year--i know, I can hardly believe it, either!)  to and from school.  I would miss that time (16 minutes each way) if he rode a bus.  This morning I prayed aloud in the car as I drove. I guess I was getting long-winded; when I was finished he said, "I thought you were going to start praying for John's dog's leg  and Susie's grandmother's knees."  

(You know, the prayer requests of kiddoes in Sunday School that take up the whole first half hour but we love that kids care so much about their neighbor's dog's leg?)

4.  Share something you've learned in life through the 'school of hard knocks'.

Want a list?   

I didn't think so. 

One thing?  That I am replaceable.

Or at least the things I do can be done by other people.

5.  As a child, did you mostly bring or buy your lunch for school? What was your favorite thing to find in your lunchbox?

Mostly brought it.  My favorite thing to find  in my lunchbox was a quarter. My mom always sent the most nutritious lunches (thanks, Mama) but almost never a sweet treat or junk food. I would take the quarter she meant for milk and buy an ice cream sandwich. (Hey, it was in the dairy food group.)

6. Football season is upon us which has me wondering... how big of a sports fan are you (not just football) ? On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being 'I scream at the players through my television screen' and 1 being 'is knitting a sport?' where do you fall in fandom? 

I'm a 5.  I can take it or leave it, unless the Ravens or Orioles are doing extremely well, but honestly, ever since Ray Lewis retired, I'm really not a big Ravens fan anymore, and I am not an informed O's fan either. 

I do prefer to have either a screen or some hand sewing in my lap no matter what I'm watching. 

7. Share a favorite quote you think might inspire students of all ages at the start of a new school year. 

"If you want to have friends, you must show thyself friendly and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."  Prov. 18:24    

Two bits of wisdom in one small verse: 

       -Don't be shy and self-centered. Reach out and make others feel the way you wish they'd make you feel. Do it first. Everyone is just as nervous as you are, with just as many hang-ups. Get over yourself and be a good friend.

         -Jesus is that friend who sticks closer to you than any blood relative. 

8.   My friend Renee , the one with breast cancer, is in the hospital again, with blood clots in her arm and near her collarbone. Never a good thing, so please pray for her.  She has already lost her hair  (had it shaved) and also three of her  seven kids shaved theirs in support--including her eldest daughter who had long brunette hair.  Simply amazing love.   If Renee' is up to company tomorrow, I plan to visit her. If not, I'll see what I can do to ease her burden from afar (help homeschool for a day, 

take a meal, something).