Dear Readers.

Today I’m at the kitchen table looking at the morning glories on my back fence here in Cramer Hill.  I’m feeling the contentment of a teacher who has been retired for three years.  Retirement is G-O-O-D.

Nothing much beats a cream donut, a jelly donut and a cup of coffee on a Labor Day Saturday morning when YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GOING BACK TO SCHOOL ON TUESDAY.  You might have to consider your damage to your calorie count, but not much else.

Yesterday I decided to ignore all non-life-threatening chores and to wander around Ollie’s Discount in Cherry Hill.  I didn’t have to buy anything for the classroom…no more poring though pencils, fun erasers, cute notebooks, crayons or glue sticks, no more paging through little books to give as prizes, no more choosing the best stickers and no more piling the cart with boxes of tissue and cleaning wipes.

Although in the throes of retirement joy in the middle of the store, a bit of wistfulness crept in.  I smacked that wistfulness away.  However, I allowed myself think of those first days back to school.  They were filled with anticipation and optimism for the new year, but always tempered with dread that I’d have to go to another school or even another classroom.  English as a Second Language teachers moved around as needs changed.

Retail therapy to the rescue!  I thoroughly retail therapied myself by buying books for my granddaughter…and myself.  Then, I spied a huge Thomas the Train puzzle for my granddaughter. What a big floor puzzle and what a discount, too! Win-win.

I popped into my daughter’s house to give the gifts.  My granddaughter’s sleepy face, just up from a nap, livened when she saw the puzzle box.

“Thomas!” she screamed.

We put the puzzle today, my daughter, my granddaughter and me. All forty pieces!  No, I lie.  Only thirty-nine.  The center piece was missing.  Oh well.   I wasn’t being observed on the activity and I hadn’t had to write plans for it.  I wouldn’t get a low mark for not having put the puzzle together first to make sure all the pieces were there!  We had a good time, Piece #40 missing or not.

Back to my morning coffee.  I have eaten the donuts.  I asked my husband to bring me one, but he brought me two.  Who am I to turn down two?  Would you want me to hurt his feelings?

I’m going to take my coffee to the window, look at my morning glories and contemplate retirement.

Love to all my readers,

Marguerite (Wunsch) Ferra, Cramer Hill resident

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