When it rains, it pores . . . . cinnamon rolls, 13 of 'em.

Kenda Kellogg Russell has a great big label on her front.  Most people don't see it, but I do. Every time I "pore over" something, I think of Kenda.    

The image:  Kenda sitting in my honors English class a few years back.  On this day, I've probably given a hand-out of some sort.  Kenda looks it over.

Her hand goes up.

I call on her. 

She respectfully---as Kenda is accustomed to doing---brings attention to the "poor" or "pour" (since I have CRS, I can't remember which version) on the paper.

"Shouldn't that be spelled 'pore'?" she asks.

"No," I say with complete certainty.  Then, I get to thinking and I open a dictionary. 

Kenda is correct.  I've got egg on my face in front of my students, figuratively, of course.  Cuz one thing I never did do while teaching is to bring eggs to school.  Creme pies in the gym were bad enough.

Anyway, a lesson learned by the teacher from the student.  A lesson never forgotten, just like the one Marsi Shobe taught me in the night class when I had "cemetery" misspelled on the "300 Most Misspelled" list. 

Of course, I could have faked it and told Marsi I put it there just to see if anyone noticed, but integrity usually ruled in my classes.  So, I admitted my error, and since that embarrassing evening,  I've cringed every time I've seen "cemetary," especially when it's on a sign on the fence surrounding a bunch of graves.

Definitely a grave mistake, if you ask me.

Anyway, since it's been raining and pouring, and since I'm going to see Kenda, who now has students of her own at the soon-to-be (that would be tomorrow) 100-year-old Kootenai School, I have thought of "poring over" the errors of my past.

Of course, I'll bring that error of mine up to Kenda's students today and tell them that they have a smart teacher, one who's even smarter than some of her past teachers.

In an earlier paragraph,  I used the word "respect" in reference to Kenda.  I can't think of a day when I didn't respect her.  Why?  She's extends sincere respect wherever she goes.

Her mother and her grandmother of the Careywood Judy family (and probably her two aunts Tammy and Eddie Sue) taught her that.  The kids at Kootenai are fortunate to have such a teacher.

Today Kenda is taking her class on a field trip to the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge near Bonners Ferry.  About six weeks ago she asked me if I'd participate in the day's activities by talking about writing stories.  I said I would, barring no unforseen events getting in the way.

Did I mention that I suffer from CRS these days?  I can't remember if I did or not.  

Anyway, somewhere along the way, I suffered a CRS attack but didn't know it until an email appeared in my Hotmail box yesterday.  It was from Kenda, telling me that "tomorrow's" field trip is on----rain or shine.  She wondered if I was still coming.

"Tomorrow????" I shrieked out loud to my computer screen.  Then, I realized---even though you'd never think it from the weather---that June, indeed, has come.

Tomorrow is now today, and thankfully I haven't suffered from any CRS overnight, so I'll be headed to the Bird Refuge soon to talk about writing stories dealing with personal experiences.

And, I'm gonna read from my published stories---a lot about food and how I ate a lot of it back in my youth.  This will be good because some of them will still be eating their lunch.

I'll tell them about Eleanor Delamarter's homemade bread and how I thought her daughter Laura wasted too much of her tunafish and homemade-bread sandwiches every day at lunch.  

So, I ate the rest of them---every day.

And, I'll tell them about the fresh, still warm,  orange cinnamon rolls Eleanor served for refreshments one day at the 4-H meeting.  While the other members each politely took one roll, I politely took 13.  

Eleanor had more in the kitchen,  but she wisely did not bring that tray to the living room.  After all, she had a family who liked her rolls too.  Pore soles could have starved had she not saved them from the glutton sitting in the living room.

Well, anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing Kenda, her class, the Bird Refuge and the sun today.  And, I'm hoping Kenda will make sure the students eat their lunches before I start talking cuz Eleanor will tell you that I can be dangerous when there's food in front of me.  

Correction:  I have now completed my assignment at the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge and learned, while there, that Kenda teaches at the Charter School, no longer at Kootenai. 

I was also shocked to learn that the group was not just one little sixth grade class; instead, it was more like 50 along with several parents (some former students)  and teachers.  It went very well, in spite of that little surprise.  The students and adults were wonderful.  What a beautiful setting in which to teach!