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 The VA Parking Lot
Written by my sister, Michele Ramsey
Some fought a hard “war over there” on land, in air and sea.
Some slogged through bug-filled jungles that would daunt a nurse like me.
Some came home safe, some came home lame, and some simply did not.
So why aren’t there any “beemers” in the VA parking lot?
Continue reading The VA Parking Lot
Written by Taryn Newville – Toddler Room Teacher.
 There’s a reason I do what I do…..I love Toddlers! They are so bright and inquisitive. They never cease to amaze me. And you know, they never stop being special to me. Even when they are in High School and refuse to acknowledge that I knew them when they were in diapers. I love to see their little brothers and sisters and I look forward to the time each new addition comes to my room. Heck, I stop through the Infant room regularly and talk to the babies so I’m not such an unfamiliar face.
Continue reading From the Heart of a Teacher
 IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER – by Erma Bombeck
I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for the day.
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
Continue reading Cherish Today-It Is Our Gift
 A friend of mine opened his wife’s underwear drawer and picked up a silk paper wrapped package: ‘This, – he said – isn’t any ordinary package.’
He unwrapped the box and stared at both the silk paper and the box.
‘She got this the first time we went to New York , 8 or 9 years ago. She has never put it on , she was saving it for a special occasion.
Well, I guess this is it.
He got near the bed and placed the gift box next to the other clothing he was taking to the funeral home. His wife had just died.
He turned to me and said:
‘Never save something for a special occasion.
Everyday in your life is a special occasion’.
Continue reading TODAY is our gift!
 To all my dear ones,
It has been a difficult few days – have you noticed – and the end is not yet in sight. But I felt to write to you all and let you know how much I love you. There are forces at work to try and drive us irreparably apart, and I want to encourage you to hang on to each other. No matter which side of this issue we support, ultimately the important thing is to support, encourage and strengthen these amazing relationships we have.
Continue reading If We Don’t Hang Together, We Will Surely Hang Separately!
 It is Christmas Eve morning and I was struck by the urge to build a fire in the fireplace. And so here I sit, cup of chai tea beside me, surrounded by the glow of the lights on the mantle and on the tree and warmed by a crackling fire. Playing softly in the background are the strains of the amazing music of the season. And though the house is quiet, I am not alone.
Continue reading The Glory of Christmas
 I was watching the Muppet Christmas Carol this evening. I know, I know – but I have to tell you – the older I get, the more this Dickens classic touches my heart. Even when the Muppets tell it! To watch Scrooge come to terms with the impact of his own hard heart and hear the cry of that changed heart when he pleads, “Please dear spirit, tell me these things can be changed!”
To watch him learn the joy of giving, the legitimate purpose of money and discover where treasure is truly found.
To see Scrooge transformed until “it was always said he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. And may that be said of us all!” As Tiny Tim said, “God bless us every one!”
Merry Christmas my dear families! I cannot tell you how much each of you means in my life. God bless you with His finest gifts as we celebrate the birth of His Son!
Love, Tanya
Have you ever wondered whether God cares about you as an individual? About the things you do and those you love? About even the little things and tiniest details of your life? If you have ever wondered, let me tell you a story of just one time, one tiny incident, one little detail.
This evening, my daughter just happened to be teaching her final Friday evening Zumba class at the day care-beginning next week, classes will be on Monday. I almost didn’t go to class because I was kind of tired. Class began just a bit late. When we were about to finish up, Jenny went to the door of the room to change the music and heard water running. She looked out of the room and discovered the bubbler gushing water. It had only been two or three minutes since we last used the bubbler, but the floor was flooded and water was rapidly running to every corner.
Because Jenny just happened to be teaching her final class this Friday, we heard the water running. Because I just happened to go to class, someone was there who knew how to shut the water off. Because class started a bit late, we were still there.
If we hadn’t been there, the water could have run for hours, flooding the entire center, doing unbelievable damage, closing the center for God Himself only knows how long, affecting all our families and our staff!
Because God cares, we have a clean floor, a bubbler that is shut off and being repaired, and a center that will be open Monday morning! Just in case you were wondering!
Love, Tanya
The older I get the more I have discovered how little I actually control. In fact, the only thing I can have complete decisive control over is………my own attitude!
Isn’t life interesting. You plan, save, buy insurance, look to the future with optimism, feeling fairly confident that you have prepared for every eventuality – and then life happens! Stuff that you never expected, didn’t know existed and had no idea could actually impact your little corner of the world decides to make an appearance. And now, what do we do?
One of our dads lost his job at the beginning of the summer and he had a very interesting perspective. He told us that they saved an amazing amount of money this summer because he didn’t have to spend much of anything on gas, meals and other superflous expense that comes with being employed. He is an avid gardener and has enjoyed expanding their vegetable gardens this summer, supplying the family with fresh veggies. He even lost 20 pounds because he was eating in instead of out. Now, while being unemployed was not a permanent solution for their family, his attitude was optimistic and positive! What a perspective!
It reminds me of this little story. There was once a small child riding in an elevator, standing beside her daddy. As the  elevator went up story by story, more and more people got on. Pretty soon the elevator was very full. The air became stuffy and the little child could not see anything worth seeing. She was crowded and had no place to move. Maybe the elevator was stuck, because she could no longer see the numbers above the elevator door! She wasn’t even sure where her daddy was. In fear she called out and held up her little hands. Her father heard her voice, looked down and saw the distress on her face. He gently reached down, picked her up and held her in his arms. Suddenly, there in her father’s arms, she saw over the top of the heads of people in the crowded, stuffy elevator, discovered the door was still opening and closing and knew it would soon be their turn to exit. Perspective makes all the difference!
 There is a little saying, “It takes a community to raise a child”, but I am here to tell you what it really takes to raise a child is Parents! The community is a poor substitute for Parents! The community is here to support, encourage and provide resources. But the best thing we can do for children is help parents be loving, strong, confident and secure as they parent!
So here’s to parents! No-one knows your child better than you! Don’t let “generally accepted practice” convince you that your child is better off at day care or school. That these experiences are in your child’s best interest! It is up to you, the parent, to decide what is best for your child!
We “the community” are here to provide parents with options for their children. We, “the community” provide an assortment of TOOLS for parents to help their children become whatever they would like to become. Parents are here to help their child BECOME!
So, again I say, here’s to Parents-to all those who parent. Be interested, involved, supportive, guiding, instilling your thoughts and hopes and dreams in your children. As Grandpa Meyers used to say, “Children are messages we send to generations who will never know us.” Aspire to send messages of strength, confidence, compassion, self-assurance and love!
Love, Tanya
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