Mrs. Moore's Musings

One week ago, I was arriving home from my grandmother's funeral.  I was tired and a little bit sad.  I understood that my grandma was in a better place and I was grateful that she did not suffer. I cherished the time I got to spend with my family (particularly my son who will be graduating from high school and moving out soon), but I recognized the reality that with her passing, a large part of my childhood was going as well.  I would probably not return to the place where she lived and where I had made many memories.  I attempted to recover from the stressful week throughout the weekend.  Finally, on Sunday I decided to go to my classroom to find out what had happened while I had been out for three days (an eternity in sub-time).  As I walked down the hallway, I was eager to be back in a place that means a lot to me, and I was excited about the coming week.  When I got to my door, there was a single sheet of red construction paper on the door that sai...

To be honest 2014 has begun with challenges.  Some times, when I think about the last two weeks, I simply shake my head and wonder when someone will turn off the surprises.  On top of everything that has been going on with my dad, this Monday night, as I was getting ready to go into dinner with my husband, my mom called me.  It was great that she called me, but I had honestly just gotten off the phone with her about ten minutes ago and really considered not answering the phone. Curiosity got the best of me so I answered, even though I hesitated because I was parked next to my husband and I was getting ready to go eat some cheese dip (I love cheese dip).  She said she had bad news, and then said, "Your grandma died."  I sat there for what felt like forever.  And I remember saying, "Mom, your mom?"  and then a tear rolled down my cheek.  I could not find words to comfort my mom, whose husband has been in the hospital, fighting for his life for the p...

Another snow day--ANOTHER SNOW DAY!  It is not supposed to snow any more, but it has been snowing at my house since 7:30 this morning, and it is still coming down.  I can't wait to get out of this house and go see my dad. For those of you don't know, it is one of my greatest privileges to teach 11th Grade English and AP Language and Composition at Har-Ber High School in Springdale, Arkansas.  Har-Ber High School is truly an amazing place and I must have some sort of deal with the people who create schedules, because every year I get the most amazing students.  It is true.  I keep in touch with many of my former students.  I truly cannot even believe the overwhelming sense of gratitude I feel when I walk in my classroom each day (I am in beloved room C-203, the very same room I in which I completed my teaching internship).  As an APLAC teacher and learner, I am always trying to come up with ways to make my students appreciate writing.  I mean, it...

Mom and I's ICU Selfie So...my dad is sick.  I mean really, really, CANCER SUCKS sick.  The kind of sick where you want to scream and cry and wonder how could someone endure the pain and suffering he is enduring.  Where you want to make everything better, but you can't, and its awful.  I know, because, despite what you may think, I have felt all of these things.  I have driven home from the hospital, crying because I was embarrassed to cry anymore there.  I have cried and griped and been mean and snappy--not proud of it, but it is true.  Last night was HORRIBLE.  The ICU (see, I am not kidding around here) has a policy that no family can be back in the unit from 6:30-8:00, and at 6:30 my dad was in bad shape.  As I put my arm around my mom and we walked down the hall to the family, we were both sort of shell shocked.  When we got to the lobby, my poor mom had HAD ENOUGH.  She cried, and she yelled, and we just stood there. I...

  My students who won my"Breakfast of Champions" competition                     As a high school student, I never played sports.  My mom loved sports, and my grandpa, who I loved dearly and who passed away MUCH, MUCH too young, was an amazing baseball coach, but as for me, my lack of coordination and self-confidence ended any aspirations either of them may have had for my sports career.   I avoided anything that might have put my coordination dysfunction on display for all those to see.  However, there is one thing that stayed with me from my peewee softball days.  One distinct memory I have of my grandpa is seeing him at the ballpark or football field or basketball court. He would be in a constant state of motion, pacing, cussing, gnashing, urging with his whole being—willing his team to accomplish their very best.  My grandpa LOVED to compete.  And let me tell you, that trait must be gene...

This are my boxing friends, Lee-Ellen Kees, Genoa Price, Carrie Combs, myself and Kalvin (I'm the one in the Geek sweater, Kalvin is the boy) Taken before he leaves on his quest to conquer the world I am a high school English teacher.  I love telling people this because I usually get the same reaction.  A look of combined pity and curiosity followed by the words, "Oh, I could never do that."  Let me clear this up for everyone: BEING A HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER IS THE MOST AMAZING AWESOME JOB ON THE PLANET.  I love almost every single thing about it.  Okay, I'm not so awesome at the paperwork, and I am far from very good at politics, but I have never done anything that comes close to feeling of seeing a student, who you love, do something incredible.  I guess it's kind of like motherhood--you can't really remember the pain of childbirth because the rewards are just that breathtaking--that's what teaching is like every day.  In my five years of ...

I am excited to write a post about my classroom and my amazing students, and it's coming, I SWEAR!  I was starting to draft it today while sitting with my sister and my dad at chemotherapy (3 out of 6--half way--even I can do that math) and my husband walked in.  He walked in because he wanted to be there.  He had a bottle in his hand of mouthwash for oncology patients that he had seen while walking around a pharmacy waiting for his flu shot that he had picked up for my dad because my dad was on his mind.  I got up and gave him my chair, proceeded to sit in his lap, and we sat there with my dad for the last hour or so of his treatment. He just wanted to be there.  I didn't ask him to be there, I didn't even say, "Hey, it would be nice if you would come sit with me and my dad."  NOPE--nada--nothing.  He just came.   Because he is always here for me.  He can't see the clutter in the house or the mud he tracks in when he comes in from doing wh...