WITNESS TO A 21ST CENTURY HISTORICAL EVENT!

While trying to finish up some last minute details as the final month of school opened, Biz received a phone call from Hillary Clinton's advance team wanting to know if President Bill Clinton could make a campaign stop at Plymouth High School. As Biz's principal was in meetings most of that day, he delegated that she should be the event coordinator for the former President's visit. For the next two days, I saw very little of Biz, as she spent hours with Hillary's advance team, members of the Secret Service, and our community's emergency services personnel to plan this event.

Last Saturday, after waiting for nearly three hours, more than a thousand people turned out to hear what President Clinton had to say. I, of course, wanted to be a witness to this one-time only event, as I'm sure President Clinton and I would never again cross paths.

I stood at the far edge of the crowd, thinking I was at the spot where President Clinton would exit once he left the stage after shaking many hands. Instead, President Clinton walked all the way over to where I stood, and shook my hand first! I was so caught off guard, I was speechless. I recovered quickly, and encouraged the former President to shake the hands of a couple of my students standing nearby, which he gladly did. He then proceeded to move along the wall of people that you see in the picture, shaking hands and greeting well-wishers.

All of my fellow colleagues at the school have been jabbing me of late, kidding that I, as a Republican, was the first listener and potential voter to shake the visiting former President's hand.

The rest is, as they say, history. Hillary went on to win Indiana in Tuesday's primary, but lost to Obama in North Carolina. I don't care; I got to shake a former President's hand, even if I never voted for the guy.

A PRESIDENTIAL VISIT

Never before had a presidential primary election season heated up communities in Indiana as this season has. Last Saturday, former President Bill Clinton made one of his 15 stops on a 3-day swing through Northern Indiana at Plymouth High School.

After a modest introduction, President Clinton proceeded to speak on the merits of Mrs. Clinton's bid to become President. Nearly a thousand people, both Republican and Democrat, turned out to hear what he had to say. From the perspective of a former journalist-turned-teacher, it was a wonderful social studies event just to be a witness of history in the making.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING

Many of Biz's students at Plymouth High School turned out for former President Bill Clinton's visit while campaigning in Indiana for his wife, Senator Hillary Clinton.

OUR NEW FAMILY ADDITION

After Becca returned from Arizona and Grandma and Grandpa arrived at the lake, we got a call from our Amish Pomeranian dog breeder. Two of his female Poms had puppies three weeks apart. Each had two, one had two boys and one had a boy and a girl. He called us to come look at this wonderful little creature.

She's four weeks old as of last week, and we will get to bring her home about the first of June. We timed it so we could spend the summer training her - that is, with the help of Grandma and Abe (Mom and Dad's Datsch-Pom mix). Charles still has some fixing to do with the back yard to ensure that she will not get out this fall.

After two years of letting Abe out the back door, Grandma has finally requested that Grandpa and Charles build a doggie door at the lake house, especially if this cutie comes to visit this summer.

We'll keep you posted.

EASTER AT THE LAKE

After Aunt Leslie's visit in February, we hunkered down and waited for Spring. Before Spring could arrive, however, Easter weekend ushered in a chilly Spring Break for us. We spent the weekend at Bass Lake, and got ready for the Easter Bunny, which meant coloring Easter eggs.

As you can see, Becca has become quite adept at using a fine-haired paintbrush. Anything she can do when it comes to painting, she enjoys.

As the weekend came to a close, however, Charles said bye-bye to Becca and Bizzy, who both flew to Las Vegas on Easter Sunday, Bizzy to drive back with Grandpa, while Becca remained in Bullhead City, Arizona. Bizzy stayed for a couple of days, but then drove back to Indiana with Dad, who wanted to bring his tools and the pickup truck to use this summer.

Becca, on the other hand, stayed with Grandma and Aunt Leslie, and remained in Arizona for four weeks. Charles and Biz spent the first week after Dad flew back to Las Vegas, wondering what to do and how to talk to each other without a little one around. It was quite unsettling at first, but everyone survived and Becca is back with us.

I'm sorry it has taken so long to get a post on the blog. Becca's absence, at first, gave me quite the writer's block. More to come . . .