A Fun Saturday!

The weather was beautiful in Omaha on Saturday! As most wonderful days, this one seemed to revolve around food!
Rod and I started off the day by going out to breakfast at Village Inn.
I finished breakfast in time to meet my sister Kathleen At Cherio's in Ashland, NE which is only about a 20-25 minute drive for both me from Omaha and Kathleen from Lincoln. While at lunch, a couple came into the restaurant who looked very familiar to me. I couldn't figure out who they were and they looked at me a couple of times with that same, "Do I know you?" look. When I returned from the restroom, they had figured it out. I was their son's first grade teacher! Their son is now 14 years old!! It was so nice catching up! They even called him on their cell phone so I could talk to him! It was such a treat! I told Kathleen after we left that I "really needed that!" I've been draggy and a bit down about having to have surgery on Wednesday and talking with a fabulous former student and his great parents was "just what the doctor ordered!"
After doing a little "retail therapy" in Ashland, I headed home and took a nice, long nap. Then I had to get cleaned up for a fundraiser dinner that we had been invited to attend.
The fundraiser was for a very great cause! The Stephen's Center is an organization that helps homeless individuals and families and also those with addictions. While checking out the numerous silent auction items, I had a young woman come up to me and say, "Excuse me. Are you Mrs. Markin? Did you used to teach at Black Elk?" Yup! You guessed it! I had taught her daughter in first grade and she was in the same class as the young man whose parents I saw in Ashland! This mom then grabbed some other women and pretty soon there were 4 mothers (and some fathers) of former first graders all standing around and visiting telling me all about how "my little first graders" were doing! Most of them were now in high school!
I can't even begin to explain how much it meant to be able to connect with all of these families on Saturday. Teaching was my life for 27 years. I've been diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension for 4 1/2 years. It recharged my batteries to be reminded that I have not always been "sick." It was nice to remember when I was more than a woman with tubing coming out of my nose and out of my chest.

Thanks for reading.
Annette

p.s. I must publicly apologize to Haver. It would appear that I wrongly accused him of pooping in the basement. When we got home from the fundraiser on Saturday night, I went downstairs to visit with Shirley, our house guest. Asa came downstairs with me. He was all cuddly, putting up his paws to "shake hands," jumping up on her bed looking cute....
Then....
he jumped off the bed, walked out to the scene of the "poop crime" and peed like a racehorse...
Sorry Haver. He got an extra treat last night (I know, he already weighs about 140 pounds!)since he was wrongly accused of "making a statement" the night before.