Back
in the Saddle Again
It's
hard to believe that summer is over. It never ceases
to amaze me how fast the summer flies by. One day
it's Memorial Day and I look forward to June, July and
August, but then before I know it Labor Day appears on
my calendar. Of course it's not all bad, because
that means the start of Ohio State football! Before
long, the leaves will turn orange and crimson red (that
would be "scarlet" in Ohio) and drop from the
limbs they've called home since last spring. Can
winter be just around the corner?
My
summer was even shorter this year, because I lost August. How
does anyone lose a month? After returning home
from the Region 1 conference in New York City, I got
an attack of appendicitis followed by emergency surgery
and a month at home sitting around doing nothing to recover. I
lost August. It's not like I was isolated from
the rest of the world while I was recuperating. I
had access to a phone (which rang off the hook while
I was in the hospital) and e-mail. Do you remember
the days before cell phones and e-mail? Once upon
a time, we were dependent on a land-line and snail mail. I
don't know about you, but now we've become extremely
dependent on e-mail and I for one feel completely disconnected
if I can't access it. Once I was home I had contact
with the outside world again and could monitor what was
going on at work and in NALS. It's one thing to
be home when you can get something accomplished, but
it's a different story when all you can do is sit and
sit and sit. If all I could do was sit around,
at least I had contact with the outside world!
The
calendar has been turned to September and I'm back in
the saddle again. After a short hiatus this summer, our
members are gearing up for a fantabulous fall of education
and networking opportunities at our monthly chapter CLE
programs, state board meetings and of course, the NALS
55th Annual Conference in Reno. Are you planning
on going to Reno? Be sure you get a chance to visit
the Lake Tahoe area and some of the historic towns that
reflect the Old West, like Carson City and Virginia City. If
you can't make time to tour, you'll still get to experience
the Wild, Wild West at the Friday night welcome party. Be
sure to bring your cowboy boots and western gear, and
get those feet moving, because we'll have music and line
dancing (we'll teach you a few dance steps to get you
started).
NALS
members give something back to the community in which
our annual conference is held each year. As we
travel to Reno this fall, we'll help the Food Bank of
Northern Nevada. "Back-pack Kids" provides
easy-to-fix weekend meals to needy children in the Children
in Transition program in the Reno/Sparks area. These
kids are fed during the school week, but what happens
to them on weekends? This program makes sure that
the kids get food items to take home in their "back-pack" so
they won't go hungry over the weekend.
Some
suggestions for healthy, “kid-friendly” food
you can donate for the kids include: peanut butter,
jelly, canned soups, fruit juice, tuna in pouches, small
jello and puddings, small fruit cups, cereal, small heat-and-serve
items (mac & cheese, beans and franks), small packs
of cookies/crackers. You can also donate personal-care
items: toothpaste, bars of soap, shampoo, HandiWipes.
If
you wish to ship your contributions to help out the kids,
please be sure they arrive at the NALS Resource Center
by October 11, 2006, and NALS will make sure your contributions
are taken to Reno for delivery to the FBNN. If
you would prefer to send a check to help out the kids,
please make it payable to "Food Bank of Northern
Nevada" and send to the NALS Resource Center by
October 11 as well. We'll also be accepting your
food and cash donations in Reno. THANK YOU from
the kids you will be helping!
