Years 35 to 37: Elementary Learning Specialist for Central Valley Schools: Retirement Celebration Fun!

And so I am coming to the end of my forty year journey. This week I celebrated with a wonderful retirement party hosted by my good friends Marci Haynes and Linda Murray. Despite threatening rain and some thunder and lightening, over 50 people attended from Cheney, Spokane and Central Valley School districts! We had a great time with good friends, wonderful food, a beautiful garden location, and lots of walks down memory lane.

Marci and Kim Nurvic had the idea that everyone should bring a scrapbook page to make a scrapbook. This was a great idea and the pages make me smile. I will show some next week. I think more pages are coming. It was interesting to see co-workers from three districts come together. Some people knew each other either by stories I've told about them, or through professional work. Spokane really is small enough that people do know each other from district to district! And it was so fun to reconnect with colleagues I haven't seen for many years!

My friends were very generous in remembering and congratulating me on my retirement. I received many wonderful gifts including a whopper gift card to the Buggy Barn from my CV sped friends, a personalized Thirty-One bag from my "Adams family", and beans from Kay! There's a funny story to that gift from our years together at Reid!

I also tried to give some gifts. Starting in February, I decided that I wanted to make something I could give to some of the many people I've worked with over the years. I started crocheting little hearts. I thought I would make about thirty of these, but as it turned out, I made forty-five. I also designed a card with a quote and a picture of me and my grandson walking. The quote says, "Learning is not a race for information; It's a walk of discovery." I added, "Thank you for being a part of my 40 year 'walk'." On the back of each card was a personal message. I wanted to give something back to all of the wonderful people that have added to my educational experiences over the years. I have been truly blessed by knowing them all!