Monday, June 15, 2009

Life Changes

Over the past year there have been many changes in my life. After teaching at Elizabeth High School in Elizabeth, Colorado for 5 years (2003-2008) a new chapter began.
Laura and I decided to sell the house in Colorado and move to Michigan where several of my children live. Below is some of the correspondence between my children, grand children and me before we moved to Michigan in July 2008.
April 24, 2008
I just returned from Michigan last week where I had a wonderful time with David, James, and Brent. Thursday I spent the evening at Brent and Melissa’s house and played with Asha and Matthew. After they went to bed Melissa, Brent, and I stayed up until 1:00 am talking. The next evening I went to James and Carrie’s house in Kalamazoo. Carrie prepared a nutritious and delicious dinner for everyone.
After Jacob left us to go to his friend Alex’s birthday party, James, Abby, Anna Grace, and Bekka (sp?) went for a walk to the woods near the house. The weather could not have been more perfect, especially when we’re talking about Michigan weather in the middle of April. Abby and Anna Grace found several toads and brought them home. The fate of the toads as of this writing is unknown. I don’t think that Carrie cooked them in a pie, however. Jacob got home late Friday night. He looked exhausted and went to sleep soon after arriving home.
Carrie, James, and I stayed up until around 2:00 am talking about family—maternal and paternal grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and on and on and…you get the picture, I’m sure! Saturday morning everyone got up early to eat breakfast so that we could all go see Abby and Jacob play soccer. The games were fantastic. Of course, the stars of both games had to be Jacob and Abby. Way to go, guys! Grandpa Langley is proud of your accomplishments. Abby congratulations, too, for being honored by your teammates as their captain!
Speaking of accomplishments, Abby created a picture album for me. There must be at least 100 pictures in the album. Unfortunately I only had enough time to take a quick look at the album. I hope you forgive me Abby for not spending more time perusing your creation. I plan to devote quite few moments in the future looking at your handiwork.
Saturday afternoon I went to see David. He seems to be hanging in there. I then went back to Mel and Brent’s house. Toward dusk we all took a walk and ended up at the ice cream store. I had a delicious butterscotch sundae sans whipped cream and nuts.
That’s all for now. Plans are progressing here for the big move to Michigan. We’re getting new wood flooring in the living room and kitchen this coming week. We’re also replacing the doors to the kitchen, bedrooms, closets, and family room. Saturday I will be trying to get some of the outside work done to make the homestead more presentable.
Keep in touch!
Love,
Grandpa Langley

Hi James, Carrie, Jacob, (who will soon be 13!), Abby, Anna Grace, and Bekka,
School’s out! School’s out! Yeah!!
Today was my last day at Elizabeth High School. Tomorrow there will be graduation ceremonies, which I will attend; that will be my last official duty as a teacher at Elizabeth High School.
How soon will school be out for Jacob and Anna? Thanks for sending your agenda. It sounds like a full and busy summer.
Today when I got home from school I had a message from the Sturgis High school principal telling me that he received my application and is interested in interviewing me for a teaching job there for this coming year. Hoorah! However, when I called him back he had already left for the day. I left a message for him to call me. If I don’t hear from him by Tuesday I’ll call him back. The principal’s name is Wayne “Rusty” Stitt. Sturgis is about 20-minutes from Kalamazoo.
James, have you received the CD I sent you? If you haven’t I’ll follow up on ETA of the disk.
Hope you all are doing OK. Keep in touch.
Dad and Grandpa Langley
After moving to Michigan in July I assiduously searched for a job, finally finding one in benton Harbor. However, after teaching there for five months I resigned. The students' idea of their furture and education was diametrically opposed to my idea of how education would helpm them achieve their dreams in the future. Unfortunately I spent 85-minutes every day our of a 90-minute class period trying to maintain some semblance of order. the students' behavior was beyond anything I had ever encountered when I taught in Elizabeth, CO.
For instance, the students would turn off the lights in the room and begin fighting or throwing things at each other. Or they would all begin to rap simultaneously beating out the rhythm on their desks. Toward the end of my job at the charter school the students began throwing things at me. Therefore, I quit rather than be subject to such idiocy.
Then in May 2009 Laura and I decided to move to the ranch in Rocskprings, TX where she grew up. By Texas standards our ranch is small (800-acres) nevertheless the ranch is a working ranch with cattle and a lease to hunters. In the near future we intend to purchase the beginnings of a herd of meat goats for profit. Our intention is to get around twenty kids (young goats) and raise them. We will sell the meat goats to others in the area and eat some of the meat ourselves.
Oh, some new news is in order: We bought a bulldozer. We will use the dozer to improve the land (getting rid of the cedar) so that we can produce more grazing land, thus enabling us to have more cattle on the land and that means more money.
If you're ever down thios way, stop in and see us. You'll be glad you did.

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