Another day in Madison County

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

GLUCKSTADT, Miss. (Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2010) -- The children are long asleep and I'm back in my office in our house updating our family blog for the first time in a long, long time.

My family and I have been on a whirlwind these past few months, wrapping up life in our rental home in Pearl River, La.; packing up our house in June for the move back to Gluckstadt; actually moving in July and then settling in.

We've been back here in our house since early July -- and it's still kind of difficult to believe it. In one sense, it's like we never left; in another, I still feel sad that things didn't work out in Southeast Louisiana.



But things happen for a reason. And I believe this move is one of those things.

Pam is teaching special education in Canton public schools, Camryn is in kindergarten at Mannsdale Elementary School and Matthew is in day care at Cobblestone Church of God.

Meanwhile, I continue to develop my consulting business, Cassreino Consulting LLC; my chief client is the fledgling Better Mississippi Group LLC. I maintain our Web site, the Better Mississippi Report, and help Better Mississippi Group clients spread their message statewide.

And I guess lucky because my schedule has allowed me to experience something I've considered for a long time: teaching. I always have had a desire to help and work with children, so this fall I've been subbing at St. Joseph Catholic School in Madison.

I recently spent more than a week working with 8th grade literature and English Honors students. I especially enjoyed working with the English students, giving them a crash course in journalism and helping them prepare to write a story for the St. Joseph student newspaper.

As I write this entry, I'm strongly considering taking the Praxis and Praxis II exams this fall and enter an alternate route teacher certification program -- possibly preparing myself for a teaching gig next fall. I'm thisclose to taking the plunge.

Meanwhle, it's back to St. Joseph on Wednesday for another day subbing.