The Further Adventures of ...Lilibeth

I'm sure you're all wondering how the benevolent despot idea panned out...sorry to have kept you in such suspense. The truth of the matter is that I changed my mind at the last minute and decided to be a gypsy. After searching through about a dozen boxes in the attic to find the costume boxes, and after giving up on finding that perfect gypsy hat that I know lies in one of them, I decided, rather hurriedly with my car-poolers only minutes away, to wear my son's Brazilian Jijitsu outfit--white pants and jacket--along with a T-shirt that says "secret government ninja" across the front. I also fixed a little necklace wallet that proclaimed me a member of the secret service. Grabbing a pair of wrap around sun glasses from the garage I ran out the door, four minutes late. Wouldn't you know it! I forgot the nun-chucks and the shiny spiky weapon thing that I don't know the name of but that would have certainly impressed my students and made them just a little more wary of giving me a hard time in class. Oh well. Hi-Yah!

Today was retro day--60's to 80's. I just put on a skirt, embroidered blouse, and red bonnet and said I was from the 80's--(1880's.) Tonight I had to drive to another town to attend a rules meeting for academic team coaches. Well. Of course I changed first. What do you think I am? A geek?

Anyway, here's a video of the eighth grade class all decked out, and one of my junior high girls' class-minus one who was absent. Aren't they adorable?

Temporary Cure for Chronic Old-Fashionivity

It's homecoming week at school--football homecoming no less, so all the students are bouncing off the lockers. There are streamers and hundreds of white Christmas lights dripping from the ceiling in the hall, so with the regular lights off, it's festive and mysterious at the same time. The theme verse is John 14:6--Jesus answered "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." From that, the theme for homecoming took a couple of giant steps, without so much as a "Mother, may I," to cowboys and bikers riding into the sunset. All the class posters have the verse and a sunset. Most of them also have bikers and cowboys and football goal posts. Mine has a cross floating in space--planets all around, Saturn resplendent in gold and copper fabric paint. That's what you get when you keep bouncing ideas around and throwing little fences in the way. Any way, we should get something for creativity, at least.

Normally, I'm the most fuddy-duddy of the teachers. Everything I wear is a throw-back to the last decade...or a hand-me-down from someone who was once in style and probably still is, now that they've got rid of their old stuff. That's fine with me; I've always felt style was over rated.

However, it feels good, at least once a year, to be dressed just right. On Monday we were supposed to be bikers or cowboys. I wore a red bandana, dark shades, and a cowboy shirt--giving a nod to both genres. Today was backwards day. I curled my page boy hairstyle up--into a flip--wore my blouse and sweater backwards, and even wore a beret--backwards of course. The hardest part was wearing my shoes on the wrong feet, but it wasn't even that bad with crocs. I didn't try putting my pants on backwards--kind of afraid the zipper wouldn't stay up, and there is a limit to my dignity.

Tomorrow is career day. I think I'll be a benevolent despot. I have a golden scepter and a turban...just need a robe...hmmm. I'll let you know how it went. Do you think they will obey my every word? Stop! Desist bouncing off the lockers and batting the streamers as if you were a bunch of kittens... or I'll export thee to Siberia!