Teresa Scott Retires (from the Dispatch)

by JANET FULLEN

"I'm going to miss the people terribly," said Teresa Scott, pondering retirement at the end of the year after 39 years with the Douglas Water Department.

When she began working on Aug. 1, 1944, the water department was located where the Little Gallery (which has since been torn down--this is not in the article) now on 11th Street and Pan American Avenue.  There were two office workers then and everything was done by hand, even the billing.

The city had abut 2,800 customers back then, compared to the 4,500 they now serve.  The 300 customers in Pirtleville were not mailed bills, she recalls  They just came the 21st of each month and paid their bills.

She has seen the department grow to four office workers and progress from hand billing, to a billing machine, to dual printer, to a mini computer, and now to a computer.

Scott as served as office manager for the past 18 years, working under four superintendents. 

Saying that it has been a "real pleasure" working there and that she has enjoyed the challenges, she is looking forward to the change.

She doesn't intend to spend her retirement years idly, as she has bought a computer and is planning to do things such as billing and payrolls for clients.

There are also plans in her future for some traveling and visiting relatives, particularly her daughter Judy, who lives in Chandler.

Scott is active in Preceptor Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi and the Think Douglas Association.  She is also active in St. Luke's Church, having served on the parish council and as past president of the Women's Club.

And we now how this story ended with the many years the had her business, T. E. Scott Computer.

I remember when I was a kid, we would go to the old water department.  It was such a great old building.  The bathroom had the old-fashioned toilet where the water tank was above the toilet and you pulled the chain.

I also remember one of my jobs was to go pay bills.  I would go in after school and Teresa had all of the bills ready and I would walk all around downtown paying various bills.  One of my favorite parts was getting to stop at the Arizona Drug Store and get a soda.  They had a beautiful marble counter/bar and the drinks were in paper cups with the holders on it.  I always knew that was such an important job to be entrusted to do.

Such great memories of a wonderful childhood!!!

Hurtful Tactics

"Never waste your words on those people in your life who only deserve your silence. Because sometimes, the greatest show of strength is to say nothing at all!"

I found this quote today because of a situation that recently happened.  It is something I have always tried to live by.  Throughout my life, there have been people I haven't liked or who have done something to me that I perceived as a wrong.  I have always tried to "turn the other cheek" so to speak.  Not that I haven't complained to friends...I have and still do!

It never ceases to amaze me that people can be so cruel.  I understand a person not liking another person or having a "grudge" against someone.  However, doing something to hurt that other person is generally something that shows a weakness in character, in my opinion.  

Our current national political climate and our president daily demonstrates a lack of character in the way he treats others and the way he makes fun of people.  It is what is being modeled at the national level. I can only hope that many people see this ugliness for just what it is.....

I have dealt with a few instances of ugliness from people who I know don't like me or who at some time in my career I had to do something that was the right thing to do, but it obviously was hurtful to another human.  I made a vow to myself many years ago that if it ever got easy to made some of these very difficult decisions, that I would need to find a new job.  I can honestly say that it never was easy, but I could live with the difficult decision because it was in the best interest of children and the organization.

I think what people who are petty don't realize is that when they do something that is very petty, it causes people to rally around the person that they are trying to harm and that is exactly what the petty person doesn't want to happen!!!

As my incredible cousin, Cecilia, says, "what goes around, comes around."  I absolutely believe this!!!

 

Miner Webster--800 Victories as High School Basketball Coach

Monday night I was able to attend the Highland High School girls' basketball game.   Highland's girls' basketball is one of the top rated programs in the state of Arizona.   This night would be (and was) Coach Miner Webster's 800th win as a girls' basketball coach in Arizona which made him the winningest (is that a word?) girls' coach and second winningest of both boys' and girls' programs.

 

Miner's son, Aaron, was one of my wonderful kiddos at Gilbert El.  When he was in second grade, Highland was in the state championship in about 1994.  I went to the game with Connie Honaker, (founding principal of Highland High) that Saturday night at the Sun's arena (can't remember what it was called at that time).  I just remember walking in and Aaron was so excited to see me there.  I loved him and still love that we have kept in touch.  I got a big hug from him tonight.  He just had his third child, a little girl.  

 

Miner is a class act.  I also was able to go to one of his state championships when Alyssa Heeman (another Gilbert El kiddo and Louise's daughter) played when she was at Highland.  I believe he won at least one or two state championships when he coached at Gilbert High.  

 

It was a great evening and it makes all of the hard work that I have done for the past several months worthwhile.  I love GPS and I continue to be so proud to still be a part of this wonderful district and community!

Winding up the Weekend

Since I have retired "almost completely," every day is a holiday (sort of).  I don't have to be anywhere unless I chose to be. It has been nice to not have a regular schedule. I really thought I would have a problem with this after 44 plus years of working and prior to that, being a student.  

Since July, 2015, I still had so many responsibilities.  With Teresa being either at Judy's, at the group home or here at my house, I always had something.  After her passing in July, things didn't settle down for me until after 858 was cleaned out.  That basically was mid October. 

For the past six weeks, I have been living alone. I can say that I am really enjoying it.  We will see how long it lasts. I can do what I want, when I want, etc.  I am not responsible for any other person (other than the pugs and they follow me everywhere I go).

I am fortunate to have a wonderful circle of friends so I usually have something to do or somewhere to be.  That changes on a holiday weekend as everyone is involved with family "things."  

Thursday and Friday, I fixed dinner and had company.  Saturday and Sunday were relaxing and I didn't have anything to do or to do anything.  

I am glad the "regular" week is starting tomorrow (and I know I am one of the few who is looking forward to Monday).   I need to be busy and I have a few things going this week.  I look forward to that.

It is still so hard to wrap my brain around this.  For the past 67 years, all of my holidays have been around my immediate and extended family. Things have changed and it is a good change.  I just need to get used to it!!

So tomorrow I hope to go to a basketball game at Highland High.  I will post more about that later. We have a Board Meeting Tuesday night.  I need to start scheduling times to get to schools and meet with  principals.  I know that for me, the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas break, were the most difficult of the year for a variety of reasons.

I am so happy to be able to write again. My writing isn't that great with what I am doing. I really am going to look into taking a class on writing as I enjoy it so much.  It is "therapy" for me.

I hope that someday in the distant future, my kids and other family members will look back on this blog and find family stories and information that will help them remember the wonderful family that we come from.  That is why I have done so much.  

I still have some boxes to go through.  I do a little bit every day trying to keep us with all of it.  I am getting close to going through everything and hope to file it in boxes for posterity or send it some of my cousins.  It has been quite a journey!!!

Dirty Daisy Mini Reunion

On Friday, I went over to Kay Benjamin's house to visit with her and another old friend of the Gilbert Junior days, Dawn Hughes.  We were the original Dirty Daisies  and such good friends. 

Although we haven't seen each other in a very long time, it just seemed like yesterday when we got together.  Kay's daughter, Amy, gave us the nicest compliment.  She said that when she was growing up, she loved our passion for teaching and our students and our ability to have a lot of fun, too.

Now that Kay is back in Gilbert and really close by, I hope we can get together more often.  I value these two ladies a lot and their friendship means much!

We laughed about our Dirty Daisy days.  Dawn said when I posted the picture of all of us on her Facebook page, she showed it to her husband and tried to explain it to him.

Today, Kerri found this in a box downstairs when she was cleaning her room.  It is the "Fight Song of the Dirty Daisy Society."

FIGHT SONG

OF THE

DIRTY DAISY SOCIETY

Daring Daisies, white. yellow and black

We're prideful women, always fighting back!

Cultivating and Sowing Strength --

We'll always go to any length--

Our society is tried and true--

Marching faithfully through the do-do!

CHORUS:  See our petals open

See our pistols fall

Rising to occasions

Keeping on the ball!!

Forever sowing gorgeous seeds

To fulfill our glorious needs.

Weeding out corruptive deeds. 

To keep our gardens clean and pure

With nectar sweet--we keep our lure;

And FDS to keep us sure!!

Chorus

Never thought I would get to a point in my life that I reminisce about the "good old days." I have always had fun in any endeavor and try to find the humor in situations.   But those were the "best of times!"   

I am thankful for my wonderful career and the many friends I have garnered on the way! 

I believe that my motto for the rest of my life is "NO REGRETS!"

Go Devils!!

When I started to write about Teresa and the 94 days of things to remember, I made a list of things to write about never thinking that I would make 94 days easily.  But I did and have had many more.

When Notre Dame and West Virginia played in the Fiesta Bowl in 1988, my mom as able to get us great tickets for the game and entrance to a very important party because she was on the City Council in Douglas.   We had three tickets so it was Cecilia, Yaya and me.   We got to go into a tent that you had to have  food and drinks.  Kerri, Patrick, Jay and Tony were waiting for us as she was able to get us all tickets.  But not to the "exclusive" tent.  

I remember that they had a lot of food and a fountain that had margaritas. So we met there and we had a few of the drinks, but what I remember the most was Cecilia putting food in her jacket to take to Tony, Jay, Kerri and Patrick.   It was hilarious.  I think we only had two tickets and had to pay an additional $20 for Yaya to come with us.  

It was a great game and my kids always remind me that I "fell down" going up the steps in the stadium which was not an unusual thing for me!!

Notre Dame won and I remember going to find a pay phone to call my mom and let her know.

After that, Teresa wanted our family to get together so she  bought eight season tickets for the ASU games through her business.  So we spent many Saturday nights in the fall attending ASU games with Cecilia, Jay, their kids and mine, tailgating and having a wonderful time.  

Teresa was not a football fan but she was a family fan and that was what was most important to her.

Our kids grew up attending ASU game and tailgating.  It went from the Fiesta Bowl in 1987 until I went to Douglas in 2010.  I think she wanted to continue but me being gone and kids being grown made it expensive.  

I remember when ASU beat Nebraska and we went to find a phone to call my mom.  She was so excited and I was so excited to tell her.  It was an amazing evening.

Later today is the ASU/Uof A game in Tempe.  My mom WOULD NOT ALLOW me to go to Arizona and was such an ASU fan.  

I hate to watch that game because it is so hard to watch.   I am just hoping the Devils can prevail!!

A little history to this rivalry...... My entire childhood, my mom was such a die hard ASU fan.  I knew right from the beginning that when I went to college, U of A was NOT an option.  I could go to ASU or NAU.  NAU was still Arizona State Teacher's College until the year I graduated from high school (I think).  I knew that I didn't want to go where it was cold so ASU was the only choice. And I was fine with that!

The reason my mom disliked Arizona so much had to do with ASU wanting to become a university, which I think was about 1954.   The Board of Regents, which was predominately U of A graduates, blocked it.  As a result, it had to go to a vote of all of the people in Arizona to make Arizona State Teacher's College--Tempe to ASU.   My mom always said that was so ridiculous that anyone would block progress like that.  So I was not "allowed" to go to the U of A!!

Another wonderful memory!! 

Just a footnote--ASU beat the University of Arizona!!!

Thanksgiving, 2017

This was the first Thanksgiving without Teresa.  We decided to do a small "celebration" with just Judy, Kerri, Chris and I.  Ken is flying so he won't be home.  

On Wednesday, Judy let me know that she got the final papers for selling 858.  She will go today and have them notarized and sent back and that will be it.  A new family will be moving into the house.    She feels it will be hard and I am glad I don't have to sign them.  She sent me the papers to look over for the closing.   Everything that has happened has made it real, but this truly is final. 

I made the dressing on Wednesday.  We are having turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, squash, salad and beer breed.  I always made my mom's recipe for candied sweet potatoes to take to the feast with the family.  I don't like it and no one else does, so I won't be making it.

When I went to Sam's on Wednesday, I went by the very large table of pumpkin pies.  In the past, I always bought two them because Cameron loves them.  I didn't this year.  It will be the first Thanksgiving without him, too.  He and Patrick are going to one of Patrick's friends for dinner.  I am really glad that they are together and that Patrick has Cameron there for this holiday.

Wednesday night I decided to set the table.  I found a pretty tablecloth from Douglas and decided to put in on the table and get it set.  I got tickled when I put it on as their are "cigarette" burns on it from my mom.  I felt it was fitting.

I didn't get the good china out, but did get my nice "Irish" dishes and wine glasses from Germany that match the dinnerware.  

We had a very nice dinner and after called Patrick and Cameron.   Did a toast to Teresa.  Last year we had dinner here at my house as it was the day after Thanksgiving that we took her to live in the group home.   So last year's Thanksgiving and this have been bitter sweet.

I was hoping to sit outside with a fire, but it was still rather warm.  I put the turkey "carcass" in the big pot and will cook it over night for the annual turkey noodle soup that we will have tomorrow night.  It will cook overnight and make the house smell so good!!

I am thankful for many thing in my life.   I am so thankful for the my mom, Teresa, Johnny, Judy, Kerri, Patrick and Cameron and our extended family. And I always thought I was so fortunate to have my mom until I was 53 years old.  My Phoenix Scott family and Sacramento Park family lost their moms when many of them were very young.  And to think that I had my "other" mother, Teresa,  for 68+ years is absolutely a blessing and another reason for me to be thankful!!

I am also thankful for my many wonderful friends and the incredible career that I had as  a public school educator.  I am grateful that I am still able to serve the wonderful children, families, administrators, teachers and staff of GPS.   I am blessed!!