That’s not a holiday color you say? Well I say it is.
Enough arguing. Let the words roll!
I haven’t been to Centerview before so I look forward to meeting parents, teachers, and kids there at Crest Ridge School and spending an evening talking about reading and writing. I’ll drive back that night so it will be a good day. I’ll be quite safe because Sandy is going with me.
The arrangements for my visit came through a grant and include an all day visit at the school next year plus a family night and day visit in another community during the 2019-2020 school year.
My sister Jule worked for a printer at the time so she pulled Mom’s poems together and presented everyone in the family with a booklet of poems by L. Neva Harrison. Mom carried her copy in her walker to show friends at Montclair, where she was living then. These two poems are about me. Jule hadn’t come on the scene yet.
MAGIC
Dirty fingerprints
On the icebox door,
Muddy little footprints
Across the kitchen floor,
Sticky drops of jelly,
Scattered cookie crumbs,
Clues to refreshments
Taken on the run,
He may be fighting dragons,
Rounding up a spy,
He may be mighty Superman
Flying through the sky,
Could be he’s a cowboy
Handy with a gun
Keeping cattle rustlers
Always on the run,
Might be he’s outwitting
Giants that he meets,
Maybe he’s a wizard
Performing magic feats,
No time to wash his hands,
No time to wipe his feet,
No time to get a plate,
Only time to eat,
Today’s the same as yesterday
And the day before,
Fingerprints on the icebox,
Footprints on the floor.
(c) 2005 by L. Neva Harrison, all rights reserved
CONTENTMENT
Straw hat,
Cane pole,
Can of bait,
Fishing hole.
Sunny day,
Lazy stream,
Place to rest,
Dream to dream.
Light heart,
Whistle of joy,
Perfect day,
Happy boy.
(c) 2005 by L. Neva Harrison, all rights reserved
Take a bow, Mom. And thanks!
Thanks, Sarah!
CASA trains volunteers to follow the cases of children who have been abused and neglected and reports what they find to the court when a child’s case comes up for review. The organization works closely with the system to make sure that all facts possible are brought out in time for the child to receive the most appropriate placement — either back to his/her home or into foster care.
I had the pleasure of serving on the area CASA board of directors from 1999-2005 when Rhoda Clark was executive director. In 2001 I suggested to the board that instead of purchasing Christmas cards each year from a third party we could and should create our own line. With the board’s permission I took the lead to make it happen. For the first few years I made most of the contacts with area schools to ask for student artwork and after the board and staff selected the winners I wrote the brief sentiments to go with each design.
Seeing the great article by Linda Leicht in the paper brought back exciting memories of when and how those CASA cards got their start. To quote from Linda’s article, “At a cost of $750 per child served for a year, that money helps to serve 20 of the more than 900 children in foster care in Greene County.”
I draw deep satisfaction that the project continues to help fund the annual costs of helping children around here who need help the most. If you might be interested in ordering CASA cards to send this year, here’s how to order: online: http://casaswmo.org/. By phone: Julie Good at 417-864-6202, ext. 102.
