During the months I came slowly back to life again following the crushing blow of losing my teaching job, I began going with my husband each morning to do chores (I took early retirement when my special reading program was discontinued; I wasn't fired or anything but I suffered anyhow. I so loved teaching kids to read).
I have always loved nature and living on a farm, and so I found peace and healing in the beauty of Kansas mornings. The camaraderie with my husband along with exercise and learning some new skills brought renewed hope. As I awakened to the blessings God had provided, I began to write once more. My morning jaunts with John along with the photos I posted on this blog served as inspiration for the descriptive passages in my novel as I wrote of a young teacher who loves her students. Before I knew it I'd crafted a novel that is a fictionalized memoir of my first year of teaching. It is called The Children Are Tender.
I'm melding my "Back on the Farm" blog entries with those at my new blog, At Home in Karola, Kansas. I hope you will follow me there and tell your friends about this book; because I am convinced God has a plan for families, for schools, and for teachers that will bring new hope to our nation's educational system.
God bless each person who has read and enjoyed these entries here at Back on the Farm. You were a part of my healing process and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
