In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “A Mystery Wrapped in an Enigma.” Tell us something most people probably don’t know about you.
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We all know that old saying “Jack of all trades, Master of none.” Well I’ve been one of those Jackettes. I’ve been fortunate enough in my life to be able to take jobs I LIKED over the years rather than just having to work to make money (not that the money didn’t help, it did, but if you like your job that’s worth more than money!). I was good at the things I chose to do, but there was ONE job I was NOT trained for and actually quite excelled at — apparently.
Some of you probably already know that I taught kindergarten for several years at two private Christian schools. I LOVED it, and I knew I could have made a great career out of it. I didn’t have a degree, no formal educational training (which isn’t required by the state here to teach kindergarten in a private school), just went into the classroom knowing how I taught my own kids and that’s what I did (with the help of a great curriculum).
The surprise for me came in 1992 when I was nominated for Ogden City School District’s Teacher of the Year award. I was not only floored, but SO out of my league! I walked into that banquet with 100+ teachers and educators and stuck out like a sore thumb. Here were all these wonderfully professional looking men and women, and I looked for all the world like a country bumpkin! Basically I hid! His lordship and I sat at the table clear in the back out of sight.
There was no way I was going to win that award and I knew it, not only because I lacked the needed credentials, but I had only been teaching for two years. Still, it was such an honor to be nominated with so many amazing teachers that I was in awe. When they called my name to come up and get my certificate of recognition, I wobbled all the way to the podium on my stupid high heels, grabbed the sucker, and HL and I hi-tailed it out of there before someone got wise and took it away from me! 😀
It was a lovely evening that I’ll never forget. And it made me realize you never know what you can do in life until you get brave enough to try new things. (Too bad I haven’t always lived up to that philosophy… 😦 )
Impromptu Promptlings 
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Calen, just simply a wonderful piece. Humility is endearing. I’ve been teaching for years, nobody (except students who want A’s) tell me I’m one of the best 100. And just so you know (and don’t tell Fim), I got kicked out of kindergarten, for pulling Peggy G’s pigtails.
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😀 You know, I would have expected nothing less from you, BF! LOL YOU’RE a bit of an enigma, too! At least to me. What did you teach? (How’ve you been, btw, haven’t heard a peep out of you in a while…) {{{BF}}}
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Enigma, eh…yeah that’s my middle name. It used to be Was Gonna. I was offline for a couple weeks. Busy.
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I went and looked. It kicked me off your site again! That’s why I haven’t been getting anything from you. This is the third time I’ve tried to follow you. I have that problem with Donna’s site and a couple other people, too. I left a message on the support boards and no one has ever answered it. Suggestions?
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Whenever I have asked a question to those folks, someone always got back to me fairly promptly…with good answers usually. I get your messages, so you are still “following.”
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I’m still not getting anything of yours. And my question is still on the board unanswered. I wonder if Clare at Blogging 101 can help. I’ll have to drop her a note.
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Where did you post your question? I went to the WP site and asked the happiness guys. When I asked on the forums, everyone had the same question, and no one got an answer. So…?
Or maybe this is the cosmos telling us something?
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Support Forums>How-To and Trouble Shooting… But when we talked the other day I just refollowed you again. That’s the third time. Also have had trouble with Homemade Naturally, Julz Crafts, and Randomness. Randomness got screwed up, I think when she changed her blog name. I keep refollowing Homemade Naturally. There was one other, but I finally let it go.
Am I asking in the wrong place?
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If you’re asking in the forums, you’re just talking to other bloggers. I don’t know how I got there, but somehow, I got to the WP page…maybe go to their home page. You can ask them a question, then someone from WP gets back to you. I’ll try to see if I can find my way back (I didn’t take notes).
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I had another question on reordering pages and one on why my link button wasn’t working and a couple others. Timethief had always answered those right away.
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The last question I posted to the forums was on April 13th. I titled it “Site not oking new invited users who have accepted the invitation.” I still haven’t gotten a response to that one either. It’s marked Topic Closed and at the side still says unresolved. Maybe sometimes some of them just slip through the crack?
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Yep, was just the forums. Didn’t know there was any other place. Thanks for your help. I appreciate it. I’m not terribly computer literate! (rolls eyes)
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If you go to WP home page, you’ll see Support. Press that. Then press “Contact”. Or click this: https://en.support.wordpress.com/contact/
you can ask a question…somebody who knows an answer will answer…good luck
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Found another one I’d lost: Lifelessons by Judy-Dykstra Brown. I’m sure glad you stopped by that day. Makes me wonder how many others I’ve lost. Going to have to go through my blogroll and check.
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this is why I resisted technology and cyber-stuff for so long…give me paper and a pen please
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Hey dude! Thanks for the link. I will keep it on my passwords list. I think I have things straightened out for now. Clare at Blogging 101 was able to talk me through how to export/import my whole list of blogs in one fell swoop to my Blogroll page. So now I know what I have I can check them more closely. But if it happens ONE MORE TIME I’m contacting them! {{{BF}}}
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What’s a blogroll page?
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I just created a separate page to list all my blogs I’m following on. Then I don’t have to go into my reader if I don’t want to. There is a widget you can do the same thing with in your side bar, but there’s a limit Clare said on how many you can follow on it. I think I’m WAY over the limit. 😀 (blush) I hear Last Tango in Halifax is gearing up for the new season. I will watch it just for you! ❤
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Is that easy to do…list them on a page. How do you get them there…copy/paste a url? Then you just click them and they open…or what?
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and what is Last Tango in Halifax?
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Oh Lord! I’m a wee bit weary tonight. The LTIH was supposed to be on another poster’s comment. Must be bed time. Sorry, dude. No. It wasn’t too hard to do. If I can do it anyone can! I’m totally computer illiterate. I saved the instructions. If you’d like I can email them to you. My blogroll page is listed at the top of my blog up there. There’s a contact form, too. If you’l like me to send them to you, email on that form and I’ll copy and paste them into an email for you. How’s that? {{{BF}}}
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cool. thanks, will do…
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Yet another reason for me to tip my hat to you. The skills and patience to teach early childhood is something to be praised. Something I know after 9 years in the classroom and 10 as a mother i don’t have. So consider this hat tipped and tipped again. Congrats your students are blessed having had you to mold their foundation.
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Gee thanks, Michelle. I got a graduation invitation from one of the kids from my first year when she got her Masters Degree in Political something or other. Been so long ago now I can’t remember. Tickled me though. I taught a politician to read! 😀
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I can only imagine the glee. It’s great to see them excel in life. Its one of the ups of teaching. That and vacations lol.
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Yeah, there was that. I quit because they wanted to go to full-day kindergarten and I couldn’t do it. I needed to be there for my own kids in the after for basketball games and choir and band. I don’t think I could still do it. It’s a trial when we have the grandsons here. Course we don’t see them but a couple times a year as they live back in Maryland near D.C. So when we get them all at once it wears us out. H*ll, just trying to Skype with the three of them wears us out! LOL They’re 5, 3, and 18 months, and we have a little granddaughter on the way. Yay!!!
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Well done you! I didn’t know you were a kindergarten teacher, but it doesn’t surprise me. You ooze kindnss and empathy, and you have a curiosity for what makes people tick. I think your pupils were very lucky to have you.
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The feeling was very mutual. I learned a lot more from THEM, I think, than they did from me. It helped that seeing pictures is STILL the best way for me to learn! LOL I’m very visual. 😀
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There is a lot to be learned from children ,if you’re open to it – although really I suppose it’s sometimes about re-learning, being reminded of the things we once knew, but forgot as we grew up.
I would love to still be able to look at the world through the fresh eyes of a child. Everything was so new, beautifu,l and exciting!
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“I would love to still be able to look at the world through the fresh eyes of a child. Everything was so new, beautifu,l and exciting!” Exactly! Which is why Christmas isn’t so much fun anymore… We need our grandsons in our life… 😦 Turns out they’re not moving back here this year after all.
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That’s a reall shame. I am so lucky to have all of my 5 grandsons within 10 minutes walk of me.
I absolutely love being a grandparent.
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Off to fix dinner. See ya later tater…
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Byeeeeeee x
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I’ll bet you were an extraordinary teacher. Your love of children, in itself, and having raised two beautiful kids of your own, would be, IMO, credential enough. A piece of paper from a university does not a teacher make.
It’s odd, probably because it was so long ago, but I have no memory of kindergarten; only that I couldn’t wait until I could go. I wouldn’t, of course, have known anyway, that there was an actual curriculum. And I don’t even remember who the teacher was. My first grade teacher, I do remember.
I think I might have turned out better than I have, if you’d (or someone like you) had been that guiding light for me.
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You know, girlfriend, I don’t think kindergarten was required (though it was available) when we were that age. Even here it isn’t required. I never went to kindergarten either. And look how wonderful WE turned out!!! 😀
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