Blasphemous!

 

by Pa Rock

Proud Grandpa

When I visited in the home of the Kansas Macy's last week I found the whole place to be abuzz in preparations for the upcoming school spelling bee.  Granddaughter Olive, who had done well in last year's competition, was bound and determined to come out on top this year.   Much of the time that I was there involved listening to her respond to her parents challenging her with words from her school's official spelling list.  Some of them were tough, so tough that I had trouble even pronouncing them!

Olive comes from good spelling stock.  Her daddy, who is now a professional writer, was once - and undoubtedly still is - a champion speller.  (Although I do remember one unfortunate time when he was in about first grade and was involved in a spelling contest in the school gym.  The word was "to," or "too," or "two," I honestly don't remember which, but Tim was up first and spelled the wrong one.  The next speller chose one of the two remaining variations and was also wrong, so lucky number three got it right by the process of elimination - proving, I guess, that sometimes it is wise to go last!)

And Boone, Olive's oldest cousin, was a spelling machine.  I think that Boone won the grade level spelling bee at his elementary school every year from kindergarten through eighth grade!

So if there is such a thing as a spelling gene, Olive undoubtedly has a great one!

Tim took a long lunch break this past Friday to watch Olive compete in her elementary school's spelling bee.  She was going up against many students to be the school champion for grades four through six.  (Olive is in the fifth grade.)  Tim called me later from the car as he was driving back to work with the news that Olive had won!   He said that her winning word was "blasphemous" and that the whole place broke into applause when she just calmly "rattled it off."  The day was made even more special by her best friend coming in second - and they hugged at the completion of the event.

Wow!  Another champ!  Congratulations, Olive!  The whole family will be rooting for you when you participate in the county bee next February!

We are proud of you!