Early Spring in Arlington

Dear Friends,

We put on our shorts today, it’s 81 degrees! So sorry to rub it in, honest, but we are still agog with the weather. Had a guy come today to give us an estimate on shoring up the butt-ugly fence and when we get that fixed, I can plant my assortment of climbing vines and flowers! Can hardly wait! We have Kale and Pansies out front and are putting in two different kinds of yucca and a crape myrtle. It isn’t finished yet, but already looks so much better than the scrubby little rose and weeds that were there.

I am still working on getting “credentialed” to substitute teach. Had to take an on-line course on how to use the various high-tech teaching aids in the classroom, and spend a day in orientation, plus six hours observing in various classrooms. It all went well except for the 7th grader who knocked me flat in the hallway. Wuh! I recall going down kind of slow and gracefully, but judging from the looks on the kids’ faces it must have been quite stunning.

I got fingerprinted and they called yesterday and said the FBI wouldn’t accept my prints so I have to have it done again. The officer wouldn’t, or couldn’t say why. Something about my swirls being funny. I’m sure it’s just the pin pricks from quilting on my finger tips. Or else it’s the Black Panther meetings in my home in 1964…..

Dave is still riding with the Rusty Chain Gang. It’s our turn to host the monthly dinner in April. We get about 30 – 35 folks so will look for a restaurant which can seat us and agrees to separate checks!

I have gotten a calling in the Church. A calling can be a request from the Bishop to do a job for an indefinite length of time in whatever area someone is needed. I am a teacher in the nursery, herding 18 month to 3 year olds. So I attend Church services for an hour and work in the nursery for two hours every Sunday. I love the little kids but am having a little trouble getting up and down off the floor.

Kevin and Shelly and Morgan Ann were here last week for almost four days. It was so great to be with them. We didn’t do anything much, just ate together, picnicking and grilling, but it was really good. They haven’t seen the sun for so long they got up in the morning and hit the back yard. Everyone got a little burned and they were SO proud! They went to Phoenix from here and I think it rained.

Jason and Jamie and the kids are all fine. Xander is the star of his baseball team, after a pretty sad basketball season. (You don’t know sad until you watch 8 year olds play for 40 minutes and the score is 4 to 10.) Katie is playing volleyball and doing very, very well on the french horn. Becca is wrapping up her tumbling lessons and trying out for cheerleader in a couple of weeks. She’s a freshman, so I guess it’s the JV squad. Susie totaled the Swan family second car; went to sleep on the way home and hit everything in front of her. Fortunately it was the street in front of her house and there were no other cars, just stationary objects like mailboxes and lamp poles. She’s fine; she and her folks will be reassessing her schedule of school and work at “On the Border.”

Davey finally sold his Dinky Toys. They have been boxed and carried around for about 65 years. Sort of like money in the bank. He sold them to a fellow in the UK for $750 and bought himself a new iMac with a HUGE screen.

I have a “trigger finger,” or actually a “trigger” thumb that is very sore. Left thumb, thank heavens, and it locks and snaps and wakes me up. Can’t hook my bra or even pull up my pants sometimes! No small thing, I tell ya! Had an appointment two days ago, after waiting six weeks, and the doc cancelled because he had emergency surgery. The office wanted to book me in a month, but I just can’t wait, so am seeing a non-surgeon orthopod guy who can probably fix me just fine. I’m thinking I just need a cortisone shot and someone who can do it really well.

We have applied to the English Springer Spaniel Rescue Assn. to adopt a rescued Springer. There are quite a few in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, so hopefully we can get a nice dog in the near future. Judging by the application, I’d better pass my fingerprint test!

The City of Mansfield turned on the sprinklers to water the street medians yesterday. Signs of Spring are everywhere. Every time we tell someone how much we love the weather they tell horror stories about summer. I don’t care if we have to stay indoors for July and August, winter, spring and fall are just fantastic! (I’ll keep you posted as we head into the 3-month tornado season right around the corner!)

Love,
Sam and Dave