Isn't that a nice, little relaxing nursery song? If only the beginning of school was really like that.

It's been my experience, through life and my work at the newspaper, that school actually takes off like a rocket ship.

3, 2, 1, Liftoff! And we're off, hurtling through the first semester, bouncing from academics to Beta, FFA, Peer Helpers, Frontline, Science club, Horticulture club, DECA, HOSA, and on and on until I feel like someone has formed the Club club.

Homework, chapter tests, projects, reading fairs, science fairs, glue and construction paper, colored pencils and markers, graphs and charts and more and more and more.

Then we throw in sports. Football Fridays, softball and cross-country can fill a calendar quickly.

It's never ending, but it sure can be a lot of fun.

This year, I've got my eye on a couple of new helpers. I've been watching a couple of students in Houlka and Okolona and I think they'll fit right in to help keep us all informed about what is going on in their respective schools. Nephew Max should be on board to assist with Houston football and Hannah Walters wants to try her hand at covering some softball.

Fresh eyes with fresh perspectives are just what we need around here. The older and slower I get, the more I appreciate the strength and stamina of youth.

So if you notice a few bylines and photo credits with different names on them this year, it's the new kids on the block joining the party.

Thank goodness.

How I spent my summer

Does anyone still write themes about what they did over the summer months? This would be a good year for Cody to write one. He's been one busy little boy.

Rarely did I hear, amp"I'm bored,amp" from him this summer. He didn't slow down long enough to whine or complain about having nothing to do. From the day school let out, he was on the go with church trips, Boy Scouts, vacation, Fire Camp, VBS and more.

What I did hear was, amp"This summer is going way too fast.amp"

He's right. It just seemed to fly by. But there's nothing to be done about it now. We'll just have to buckle down for the school year and count the days until that final bell rings again.

Surely it won't kill either of us.

Thanks to our VFD's

Fire Academy for Kids was held last week and the word I heard was that everyone had a great time. The kids were all raving about the amp"cool stuffamp" they did and they didn't even mind doing their homework. I was instructed about everything they learned and I feel very smart now.

My thanks goes out to the volunteers that made the camp possible for the second year. These good folks work regular jobs, then come out to teach and assist with the camp four nights of the week from 6-9 p.m. Now, that's dedication. I'm sure I speak for all the parents of participants when I say we thank you very much for your time and efforts. Riding herd on 30 youngsters can be a formidable task and we appreciate everything you did to make this week possible.

Pat yourselves on the back. You deserve it.

Congrats to City on job well done

The City of Houston has turned a plain, old dirt trail into a beautiful walking path and thanks are in order to our city leaders for their work in making it happen.

The dirt trail was used quite a bit, weather permitting, but the traffic on the paved surface boggles the mind. I wish there was a way to record how many people use the track each day. I think the numbers would be astonishing.

Now, with lighting added, walkers, joggers and others use the trail all through the evening hours. The trail has proved to be a real benefit to the people of the town and area. Sometimes it's hard to see the end result of small steps, but this one is visible to all.

Kudos to the City of Houston. Job well done.

Lisa Voles can be reached at 456-3771 or via email at editor@chickasawjournal.com