Rachel's Challenge

My friend, Gail, and I are sponsoring a new club at out school, Friends of Rachel. It is based on Rachel's Challenge which is based on the life of Rachel Scott. It's been an all day affair and tonight I go back for a parent/community meeting. Although I'm tired, it's been rewarding. We had 2 assemblies and not a sound could be heard from the students. Later, we had about 130 students to come to be trained for the club. What a wonderful turn-out! Of those 130, if we have 30 dedicated students, I know we can and will make a difference. My heart was touched by talking to some of the students who want to really get involved. The ones who are not the cheerleaders, the Student Council members, etc... - the ones who are often overlooked and ignored. These are the students we want in our club. I know teens often get a bad rap. I, however, am here to tell you that there are really good teens in the world just waiting to make a difference. Give them a chance!

From Wikipedia, I copied the following:

"Rachel Joy Scott (August 5, 1981 – April 20, 1999) was the first victim of the Columbine High School massacre, which claimed the lives of 12 students and a teacher, along with the two perpetrators, in one of the deadliest school shootings in United States history.
Scott has since been the subject of several books and is the inspiration for Rachel’s Challenge, a nationwide school outreach program for the prevention of teen violence.

Rachel Scott was slain while eating lunch with a friend, Richard Castaldo, on the lawn outside of the school's library. She was killed by multiple gunshot wounds to the head, chest, arm, and leg. Afterwards, her car was turned into an impromptu flower-bedecked memorial in the school's parking lot by grieving students.

Early news reports said that one of the gunmen, after having first shot Rachel in her leg, asked the wounded girl if she still believed in God, and that she had answered "Yes", provoking a second, fatal shot to her head at point-blank range. Some accounts attributed this version of events to Castaldo, though he later denied telling this story. Despite the controversy surrounding this issue, Rachel’s parents contend in their book, Rachel’s Tears: the Spiritual Journey of Columbine Martyr Rachel Scott, that their daughter was targeted by the killers and died as a martyr for her Christian faith, based on videotapes made by the teenage perpetrators in which they are said to mock Rachel for her beliefs."

We had 2 assemblies and not a sound could be heard from the students. Later, we had about 130 students to come to be trained for the club. What a wonderful turn-out! Of those 130, if we have 30 dedicated students, I know we can and will make a difference. My heart was touched by talking to some of the students who want to really get involved. The ones who are not the cheerleaders, the Student Council members, etc... - the ones who are often overlooked and ignored. These are the students we want in our club.

Grass Cutting Woes

Well, it happened. I knew it was going to happen and it did. My grass cutting man quit today. He had had enough! Said he just couldn't cut our grass anymore. Then he gave me some excuses about the boys leaving things out in the yard, running over things, etc.... He's not been happy since the boys starting playing outside. I know he is worried about his lawn mower, but as much as we pay, I think he could get off the mower and move a few things. Anyway, we are searching for a new grass man. I hope we find someone fairly soon. I sure would hate to have the boys out there with scissors cutting the grass......

Soccer Season

The first soccer game was last night. We won 3-1. Deniska made one goal. He was also pulled from the game for "unnecessary toughness" or some such term. He likes to slide to get to the ball. I told him that was baseball and not soccer! Both boys are good at soccer - it's in their blood!

Boys and their cats

They are all just PURR-fect!!!

Snappy, the turtle

Years ago my friend Gail told me a story about their young children and a turtle. Every time a turtle would show up in their yard, they would tell their young boys that it was Snappy and he was there to visit. The turtle would stay a few days and then move on. This went on for many years and Snappy would show up at their grandparents house or in the road or any place. Snappy became a regular pet.

So, when a turtle showed up in my yard, I carried on the tradition of Snappy, the turtle. Deniska was so excited to tell Miss Gail that Snappy had come all the way to our house from her house. Snappy has visited us several times. I think the boys are catching on since Snappy had a different shell. Of course, Deniska did relate that last time they chipped his shell when he fell off Deniska's bicycle! (Oh my!) I finally convinced them that this was indeed the same Snappy!

This Snappy was a feisty little turtle. He would hiss at the boys! He stayed with us for a few days. Sadly, Snappy made a break for it yesterday afternoon. He is headed back to parts unknown and new adventures!