Gifford, Illinois

Gifford, IL Training- I traveled to Gifford, IL to train teachers on Imagine It! Reading on July 7, 2009. There were ten teachers and two consultants so we split the teachers into into two groups: K-2 and 3-6. I worked with the K-2 group.

Gifford Grade School is an elementary school located in Gifford, Illinois, approximately 7 miles east of Rantoul. It serves children from Kindergarten through eighth grade. They have approximately 206 students. The school mascot is the Eagle, and their colors are purple and gold.

A picture of me and Barb, a pier diem consultant with SRA, after we trained teachers in Gifford.

True Cooler- Gifford had a milk cooler in the cafeteria. This is the second True school sighting I have seen this summer!

Stuckey's- On my way home from Gifford, along highway 70 in Altamont, Illinois, I passed by a Stuckey's. This is the same Stuckey's my mom would stop at on her way home from college. My mom went to Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL. My mom told me that she would fuel up her car and buy a famous Stuckey Pecan Log Roll for her mother, my Grandma Beatty. Now, everytime I pass by a Stuckey's on my travels, I stop and buy a famous Stuckey's Pecan Roll Log for my mom.

Stuckey's Pecan Log Roll is a heavenly inspired creation of Mrs. Ethel Stuckey. Based on a secret mix of powdered sugar, white molasses, and roasted nuts, that mouth-watering miracle of fluffy white sweetness covered in its own deep coating of crushed select pecans became the soul and spirit of the store and the number one reason for families to stop. Soon after the founding, however, Stuckey's became more than a pecan log roller. Stuckey's began as a roadside pecan stand outside of Eastman, Georgia in the early 1930's. From the late 30's to the early 70's, the teal blue roof was as famous then as the golden arches are today. Sadly, in the late 70's, the empire began to dwindle when Stuckey's was purchased by a large corporation and became trapped in a time warp. Of the 350-plus locations operating in their heyday, the number dropped to fewer than 75.
Now, with a Stuckey back at the helm and over 200 franchised locations on the interstate highways spanning 19 states from Pennsylvania to Florida in the east and to Arizona in the west, Stuckey's is going to be bigger.

On my way home from Gifford, IL, I passed by Jaime's house. I called her and she met me at Bully's Smokehouse in Edwardsville for dinner. Looking back at recent posts I see that I eat a lot of BBQ! Jaime and I enjoyed pulled pork, delicious sides, and yummy homemade BBQ sauce. The best part was spending time with a close friend. We were having such a wonderful conversation, we closed the restaurant and had to move our conversation outdoors! It was a beautiful evening and we enjoyed discussing our future hopes and dreams on a bench outside the restaurant. Jaime is a vibrant person and she always has something positive to say! I pray that her dreams come true.