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| BETTER BEGINNINGS PENNY PATTER |
September 10, 2004
| I am so relieved. For the second time in my
life, I have pneumonia. I have taken my antibiotics and I am mending.
Sometime in the future I won’t feel so tired and/or exhausted. What a relief! When you wake up too tired to get out of the bed, that’s tired! When you drive somewhere, park the car, then sit and rest for a few minutes to in the future I won’t feel so tired and/or exhausted. gather the strength to walk to the door, that’s exhaustion. As I have traveled along the road of "maturity", I have noticed that one’s energy diminishes incrementally. I have also |
become acquainted with the various ailments that one’s body uses to signal wear and tear. Like my old car, I have even had a few parts replaced. So, as my window of energy diminished bit by bit, day by day, I thought it was normal aging. But hallelujah! I have pneumonia! I will get better. There is a chance that in about a year’s time I will actually want to jump out of the bed. Maybe not. Although I got my pneumonia shot, it turns out it covers only six strains. Leave it to me. I found a "pneu" one. Still, I am very grateful for all the medical advances since the last time I was afflicted. |
| was many years ago. I was in the fourth grade. I was in bed for almost three months. The doctor came to the house. There were no antibiotics. There weren’t even any one-a-day vitamins. My Dad heard from someone that V-8 had lots of vitamins and it would be good for me. He bought a whole case and I had some everyday. As you surmise, I did get well. When I went back to school, I was a little bit ahead of my classmates lesson-wise. The Aunt who lived in our big old farmhouse was a retired teacher. She went to my school and brought home the work. When I started to recuperate, she tutored me every day. My | aunt stopped teaching when she married my uncle. In those days, the 1940s, teachers were required to be single. When I went to work in the schools, in the 60’s, we could be married, divorced even; but we were not allowed to wear pants (slacks). That rule still prevailed when I came to Better Beginnings. Listen, I said, we have to bend over a lot and good preschool teachers sit on the rug with the children. If anything is indecent, I opined, it is requiring us to wear dresses. Soon thereafter, the edict was lifted. You could say we’ve come a long way, maybe. |
| We are touched by the community response to our appeal for book bags and school materials for "our kids". We feel honored that community members have confidence in us to use donations as intended. One has only to walk into the door at Better Beginnings to see such gifts working hard. Nowadays the United Way allows designations so that a donor can check off where or how they want their donations used. Sometimes it takes longer for designations to get to us because of all the paper work that ensues, but it does get to us. We especially thank you for all you have done to assure that "our kids" have what they need to enter "big school" with confidence up and hopes high. I especially enjoy being able to tell the children how much they are loved and how many people there are who want them to have every chance to develop their potential. As we await the arrival of our "new" Kindergarteners from | their first day at the "big school", I feel that waiting with us in spirit is everyone who contributed to this beautiful day. To all those previously mentioned, add Wendy and Will McDade and Telecom Pioneers who donated ten backpacks as a part of the Edupack project. Volunteer Frankie Howard, and his Mother Freida Howard (of Howard Lane Baskets) for a very generous contribution of gift cards. Also, "Mr. Jonathan" Craig and Reg. Bishop of Trinity Church, for another carton of antique dolls; Ondina & Wilfred Jeffers for their regular monthly contribution for "our kids", Lt. James Brady as well as Karen McGuinness for many items that make a difference is our children’s lives; and to Vladimir St. Phard of CBSI Benefit Planning for his gift cards for our teachers. To all of you, thank you for your kindness and your confidence. |
| What if, when we pay our various taxes to our several governments, we could "check off" or designate how we want our money to be used! I bet not too many would check "bribes", or "payoffs. I would settle for a more transparent method of accounting for our tax dollars, so that we could readily "see" | how our money is being used. Aristotle might well have checked off "education of youth." After all, he did say, "All who have meditated on the art of governing mankind have been convinced that the fate of empires depends on the education of youth." |
| A Monmouth County SCAT bus driver informed me one of his services is to take elders back and forth to medical visits. I sign up by calling the County Office on Aging. For my fellow elders, I believe you will | find this in your County too. Thank you, too, to our friend, Sylvia Weiss, for suggesting that I herewith share this information.: |
| Also, from Sylvia Weiss who suggests using the large brown paper bags to line drawers. They can be folded or cut to shape. She reminds us that (in the "good" old days) brown bags were used for many hand made | toys, like masks and play hats. Penny Pincher loves ideas that are both frugal and reduce the landfill. Thank you Sylvia. I bet you have lots of ideas: please keep them coming..: |
| Save the date for Hightstown Borough's community fair, "Let’s Make Music Together" on October 9 from 10 a.m. to | 4 p.m. with a rain date, Sunday October 10... |
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Bettie Witherspoon is a former executive director of Better Beginnings, which has provided affordable child care to the East Windsor/Hightstown area since 1967. |
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