Happy Friday, RISERS! I hope this week has been good to you. It’s hard to believe this is the last Friday in September 2022. October brings more seasonal excitement as people either finally put out their fall decorations or go straight to the Halloween decorations. Pumpkin spice lattes and candles are officially a thing, and it is getting to be sweater weather. Have a great weekend, and GO VOLS!
Quote of the week: “It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” –Babe Ruth
Movie of the week: This week’s movie is a family favorite: The Sandlot. It is a movie about a boy named Scott Smalls, who moves into a new town during the summer. He sees the neighborhood boys playing a game of baseball and has no clue how it works. But when he meets Benny, the kid who invites him to play, he stumbles into the best adventure of his life. Funnily enough, this movie has a shout-out to a Halloween movie, The Wolfman, when Benny is running from Hercules. Oh, and there’s a dream cameo by none other than Babe Ruth. I will not spoil the movie for you; it’s great. It does have a little cussing, but it’s true-to-life for middle school kids.
Joke of the week: Where do they keep the largest diamond in New York City? Yankee Stadium
Nugget of Wisdom for the week: Last night I had the opportunity to attend the Knoxville Optimist Club’s annual meeting, over which my husband presides. This begins his second year as president. He is the one who picked the above quote from Babe Ruth.
The Optimist Club has many tenets that, if we dwelt on them daily, would make us all better. I’ll share with you a few of the important ones: Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind…to make all your friends feel that there is something in them…to give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others…and to be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
The world is negative by nature. Let’s interject a bit of optimism, “wear a cheerful countenance at all times, and give every living creature you meet a smile.”
Have a great weekend. Remember, you are most awesome, and YOU ROCK!
Marion Rhines is a foster-turned-adoptive parent. She lives in Knoxville, Tenn., with her husband and five children. She has written and published two children’s books as well as two foster-care-themed novels. She has a Facebook blog, Tips from the FLIP Side, and enjoys working with children of all ages.