PattySue's Effect

On Monday we had the privilege of reading PattySue Finds a Home to several groups of preschool children at Discovery Place. It was a delightful morning, made even better by a letter received today from Dene Nelson, the director of Discovery. In it she told me that one of the students was so excited about the story, he went home and adamantly insisted that his mom take him to the Humane Society to get a dog.

Kudos to his mother that she didn't brush him off. And now their family owns a brand new rat terrier puppy that is a cute as can be . . . and as lucky as can be.

Nothing is better than seeing the effect our book can have on the rescue dog programs.

Hurrah for Discovery Place and PattySue.

Well, That Was Easy!

I was all prepared this morning for the dentist to work on my crown. I had talked myself into novocaine (I hate that stuff and will get small cavities filled without it . . . that's how much I hate it). I just knew he was going to have to take a mold, I would have a temporary crown for a few weeks, he was going to have to grind and grind . . . yuk. But I was ready.

Instead, they looked at the crown, cleaned it out a bit, cleaned a little around my tooth, put on the adhesive, and stuck it back on. Wow. That was a breeze.

It was a great way to start the day.

There are Crowns and there are Crowns

I think every little girl at some time or other dreams of wearing a crown, either in tiara form or real queenly form. And then as she grows up, she realizes her chances are not too great that she will ever wear a real one . . . unless it is on her tooth.

Which explains why I am thinking about crowns today. While at lunch with Pam, Lynn, Pam and Lindsay, I felt something weird in my mouth. My crown had fallen off one of my back teeth. Boo Hiss!

Luckily, I didn't swallow the crown, I didn't choke on it, I didn't bite it, nor did I drop it. Also, enough adhesive stayed on my tooth that it isn't very sensitive. So I put the crown safely in my pocket, called the dentist, and tomorrow, if I am lucky, it will be glued right back where it belongs.

Unfortunately, that is the only kind of crown that I will ever have. It's sad, but in many ways, that kind of crown is far more useful than a pretty one covered with jewels. I guess it just fits my pragmatic style.

Did You Know This About Panther Basketball?

For the second time in school history, the Independent School Panthers are vying for a spot in the State Basketball Tournament. In honor of their accomplishment, I thought I would mention a few things that some probably did not know about the basketball program at TIS:

• The first team in 1994 was composed of eighth- and ninth-graders, some of whom had never played basketball before;
• In 1997-98 the School was able to field a varsity and junior varsity team;
• The 1998 game in the 1A semi-final regionals in Dexter, KS, was a triple-overtime loss to Flint Hills that landed both teams in the Kansas State High School Basketball record book for setting at least two state records, which as of 2010, still stood;
• Until this year, the only time the school made it to the regional championships was in 2003/04, when Danny Hawkins was the coach and the boys lost by one basket . . . crushing. The girls also made it to the championship, but they, too, lost the game;
• One year when we did not have a pep band, a rock band, Slinger, composed of Mike Wood, Andrew McCracken, and Lee Thompson played during the games.

I hope this year's team can be the first to make it to the State tournament. It would be an awesome time for The Independent School!

To learn more about The Independent School and its history, including the growth of basketball and other sports, my book A School Like No Other can be ordered at www.kknpub.com.

Dear Kenneth and Diana:

Love,

Mom and Dad

Sugar-less

Well, a week ago I swore off sugar. I love sugar, unfortunately, but it doesn't love me. While many people can eat a cookie, if I eat one, I eat the whole package. If I never start, things are fine, but the minute I start eating sweets, it seems I have no "won't power."

So last week I decided to give up sugar for Lent. That meant no sugar on my oatmeal (yech), no chai tea lattes (oh, no!), none of Susan's banana bread (so sad), no bread and jelly . . . nothing.

Amazingly, it hasn't been too bad. I have begun starting out my mornings with an Egg Mcmuffin. The protein seems to take care of any cravings I might have, and by snacking on grapes, blueberries, bananas, and strawberries, I am taking in healthier sugars.

Unfortunately, the weight loss I thought I would see hasn't appeared yet. I am still waiting, and despite walking four miles a day, nothing has happened. But I am going to keep at it . . . and I am hoping after Easter, I will have not only lost a few pounds, I won't go back to my sugar-craving self!

Weaving Threads of Connection

One never knows how connected to others one might be. And so a story:

The Kansas Author Dinner was Thursday night. Sponsored by Kappa Kappa Gamma, three authors speak to a group of over 100 people about their books, writing, or other pertinent subjects. This year our delightful authors included Tom Averill, Dian Regan, and Clare Vanderpool.

I couldn't wait to meet Tom for many reasons, but especially because he and his wife, Jeffrey, own a cabin on Grass Mountain . . . which isn't far from our cabin. So we already had a lot to talk about.

Not long after arriving, people began to introduce themselves to Tom . . . a former schoolmate, a former associate. In the meantime, Jeffrey saw the twin brother of her children's pediatrician . . . and someone she had dated while in college. Turns out, Jeffrey was a Kappa for a time at KU. Then she introduced me to a woman I had met at KSU and who knew a number of friends of mine. It seemed as if that night, no matter where I turned, a new connection was being made.

Perhaps it is a function of age, but it seemed as if more people from our early years were woven back into our lives; and we began new ones.

Don and I can't wait to begin weaving the new connection we have made with the Averills. It will be fun and exciting!