Once upon a time!

Once upon a time there was a 53 year old librarian minding her own business in the school library just cataloging books – titles, such as, Illegal Immigration, Barcelona, Daddy Yankee, Extreme Weather, Philosophy, Dealing with PMS, and more.

As the librarian was deep in thought cataloging, a student strolls in and plops down in a chair. He tells the librarian that the counselor sent him to the library to sit and wait for her to come and get him.

So, he sits… then he leaves to chat with a girl…then he comes back and sits…then he leaves to use the restroom…then comes back and sits…then his phone rings - he answers it, tells his cousin he will call him back and he continues to sit some more.

Finally, the librarian asks him if he is sure someone was really planning to get him. He says, “I hope so Miss. I really need to talk to someone. I just found out my girlfriend has been cheating on me, my mother doesn’t have a job, I don’t have a job. You see, I was just working seasonal work over Christmas, my mother can’t pay the bills, and my brother is having a really bad time in prison.” The librarian hopes a counselor shows up soon.

No such luck.

The librarian starts talking to this 18 year old hispanic male. She asks him how old his brother is and why he is in prison. He says, “Miss, he is 27. He is in prison for being an accomplice to murder. You see, he was with one of his friends driving around SE Houston. They were wasted, and some guy cut them off. They followed the guy. His friend pulls out a gun and she shot the guy dead. It was uh, like a drive by shooting. But Miss, my brother didn’t do nothing, but he got 20 years, and he is having a hard time in prison. That is why I need to talk to the counselor.”

So, as the librarian pondered what to do, she remembered what her Bible study had been saying – “Watch to see where God is working and join Him.” Hmm, this seemed like an opportunity to join God. “But how, she wondered.” But, all of a sudden all that came out of her mouth was “Have you ever heard of Rudyard Kipling?” “Sure,” he replied. “Hmm, uh, uh, well, have you ever heard of the poem, “If”? He replied by shaking his head negatively.

“God – are you kidding me, are You using Rudyard Kipling to speak to this kid through me?” she gasped in thought. “Okay, Lord, use whatever you want to…I will go along.” So, she went straight to the Internet, Googled “If” by Rudyard Kipling, and on the first hit she found the poem “If.” She printed it off, and gave it to the student to read. He smirked, and told the librarian that he was a pretty good reader. He read it carefully. Then, he asked her for a piece of paper and pen. He wanted to copy the poem freehand so he could send the poem to his brother. The librarian offered to print out another one for the student, but he told her that in prison people aren’t allowed to receive copied papers. The librarian quickly figured out that prisoners can’t get mail on printed paper because the ink is sometimes used to sneak drugs to prisoners.

So as the librarian acted like she was going back to her cataloging work, the student sat at the old brown library table and copied the entire “If” poem on the yellow tablet the she gave him. She wondered how God would have used her that day if her father hadn’t ever shared that poem with her a long time ago.

The counselor never came to talk to the student. The bell rang and the student got up from his chair and strolled reflectively through the security gate to go to his next class.

As the arm of the gate turned, he cocked his head back to see the librarian. As, his lips curled upward, he nodded and said “Miss, I will come back and talk to you again sometime! Okay?”

What I did today - boring!

Hi Guys,

I really don't have much to say, so this might be a boring blog. All that happened today is...
1. I got up at 5:30 a.m. after only sleeping about 2 hours. I just couldn't sleep.
2. I got to work at 6:55 a.m. - I worked on the 12th Grade Senior English assignment most of the day. I made a hyperlinked sheet with links for them to use when they use the computers to access good sites.
3. I drove home for lunch. Dad was home sick today. He keeps getting high fevers - then it breaks - then it goes up again. He hasn't felt good for 3 days. He isn't going to work tomorrow either.
4. But, while at home for lunch, I was able to hire a "gutter guy." He is going to come to the house tomorrow and fix the falling down gutters and replace the nails they are held up with with something else. He will also clean the gutters for a low price of $220.00. So, going home was beneficial.
5. I went back to work - went to a meeting so teachers could figure out what "incentives" we could give kids who won't do any work in class. Duh, just fail them, but apparently that isn't a viable option - even if the kid sleeps all through class. I don't know what the educational system is turning into.
6. I came home - napped.
7. I made a dinner of pork chops, mixed vegetables, and sweet potato. (Jimmy ate at Ashley's house.)
8. Watched O'Reilly and Fox News until now while Dad is wrapped up in a blanket streched out on the Lazy Boy.
9. Thought about Roger Clemens all day. I am wondering why his interviews are from his house in Katy when last time I heard, he lived in Memorial. Did he get a divorce and a new house or what? Do you think he is lying? Reply on that one!
10. Now, I am going to sign off - sorry so boring today.

Mom/Patti

How we spend New Year's Eve!

Happy New Year's to Everyone!

New Year's Eve was spent doing the following....

1. Dinner at Grandmother and Grandfather's house eating fish, cheese cauliflower, a potato dish, salad, rolls, and chocolate pie! Attendees for dinner were: G&G, Mary, Norma, Dodie, Patti, John, Ashley, and Jimmy.
2. Then, we settled down and watched the movie The Devil wears Prada.
3. Then, we all watched the video from Grandfather's 80th Birthday Party!
4. Then, we watched the New Year roll in with Champagne and toasts - we toasted to health, babies, and Dodie!
5. Dad and I came home and stayed up until 2:00 a.m. Dad watching T.V. while I continued my project of saving our 2007 electronic pics to CD's. (That took me most of the day.)
6. Also, during the day yesterday, I put together two frames to put out as a Christmas decoration for next year. They are the pictures shown in this blog! Jimmy is upset that I am using my elf picture and not his.


By the way, speaking of Jimmy...he read my last blog and was shocked to hear I was born in New York City. He thought I had been lying to him all his life. He thought I was born in Albany - where did that come from? Johnny and Jen, did you ever think I was born in Albany? Where did he get that from? I set him straight. I asked him why if G&G lived in NYC when I was born they would go to Albany to have me!!! He said, he thought maybe they were traveling and I just popped out in Albany. You gotta love it.

Anyway, have a Happy New Year.

If you have any prayer requests, let me know. I have made my new 2008 Prayer Book, so I am ready to start filling it up. It is a blue 3 ring notebook this year subdivided with these dividers (in case you want to make one yourself.)

Prayer Requests 2008
Prayer
Personal Bible Study
T.V. Sermons - Book Study Information
Dear God Letters
Jennifer and Coby
Johnny and Danielle
Jimmy
Emails and Misc.
Interesting or Touching Articles

Love all,

Mom/Patti