Sandra Rose Hughes

Some of you may recall a few months ago when my laptop bit the dust and I had to go on a brief hiatus. Well, the replacement computer which someone gave us...is now no longer working. Very frustrating. Anyway, I do not know when I will update again. Hopefully in a few weeks we will get a new computer. Thanks- Sandy

Is there a limit to the amount of sadness a school can absorb? We had another attempted suicide last night. Thank God she didn't succeed. They found her in time and she is in the hospital right now, recuperating. The first two students succeeded. That makes three attempts in the past 1 1/2 months. It's unreal. Everybody is kind of freaking out, including me. I have always heard that these things come in threes. Dear God, let this be the last.

Yesterday, I had two real-live, non-family people who actually know me face-to-face tell me they have read this blog and like it! That made my day. So, thank you Denise (one of my favorite students ever) and Brandon (local photographer for the Kern Valley Sun! Also, I found $10 and .10 on the ground. That was also very nice. As you know, I have been coping with the death of my grandfather this year. Writing poetry helps immeasurably. This is one of the more uplifting poems I have written about his death. 112. Final Gift. 11/7/10- 7 months after he died. When your body shriveled into grasshopper legs and gaunt face- When your mind wandered to places none of us could follow- You were reduced to the core of what makes up a man. You never complained, even when dying hurt. You did not lash out, you did not whimper. You died the way you had lived- Quietly, with strength, and forbearance. You who had already given me so much love, such a powerful past- You gave me one last blessin...

A few months ago, I told you all the story of Sippy, the tiny black kitten in our SIPS Panels. Sippy was around 3 or 4 weeks old when we found him, and he had been living in our construction materials, where it stays relatively warm. Unfortunately, there is very little to eat over there, and so Sippy was quickly starving to death. He cried piteously until we captured and fed him. We soon discovered that he was very personable and, once we put some weight on him, a cat with a very nice personality. Within a week, we found a forever home for him with a fellow animal lover, Nancy. Well, some of the SIPS panels are still out there, and they are still a deliciously warm haven for cats in the middle of this cold spell. For the past few days, a new mystery cat has appeared in the panels. She (I think) stayed mainly in the panels, frightened of people, but occasionally we caught a little vision or her tail or face. This morning, her hunger and loneliness drove her right to the steps of our tra...

I just had an article published in the Kern Valley Sun. It's not anything particularly exciting, but it is nice to get paid for writing. http://www.kvsun.com/articles/2010/11/23/kv_life/education/doc4cebfd21d744d095524260.txt

At a Thanksgiving Service last night, I thought back on this year, with all its ups and downs and asked myself, “What am I most thankful for?” I surprised myself with my response. 2010 was in many ways a successful year for me and my husband. We put up the walls and roof of our new house this year. We paid off thousands of dollars worth of student loan debt, and put ourselves in position to get all our loans paid off in six months. I directed my first musical with high schoolers and followed the Lord in leading my church on the first mission trip this church family has ever taken. The children’s ministries we’ve been working on for the past five years are finally growing, and I’ve continued to meet and befriend many interesting and even influential people in our community. Grant and Meghan moved up here this year to begin their ministry at Kernville Baptist Church and we’ve greatly enjoyed them. Anthony and I are both well-respected in our careers and it seems like everything we’ve tr...

We wander side by side Trudging through the sand There are no monsters to slay out here. There is no treasure to find. The only food and water we have is what carry on our backs. There was a time before the desert When our quest was exciting and new When we slept under green trees and bright stars When we fought small battles and won. Now it seems as if that time never existed. All there is is sand and sun. Our horses ran away a long time ago. All we do is step, step, and step forward. Every step is a step closer to the end of our desert. Sometimes I forget just what it is we are questing for. My legs ache. My eyes are gritty with sand and tears. I cannot help but think about what home used to be. Sometimes we talk. Mostly, we just trudge. When we leave the desert, There will be more monsters to fight. There will be new aches and pains But nothing will be as difficult as getting through this damn desert.