Dear Grown-Up Dragons —

I usually use this forum to respond to questions submitted by parents but ever since the CrowdStrike crash I’ve had terrible issues with my email.  I really need to get the IT guy to look into it!  If I’m being honest, I wasn’t really checking my inbox all that regularly considering how busy I was all summer.  This summer was one for the books for Bernie and Terry and I!  We spent most of our time in Paris trying to meet Ilona Maher and Simone Biles at the Olympics.  Is anyone else as obsessed with badminton as we are?!  Man do those birdies FLY!  And I don’t know why everyone was up in arms over Raygun’s breaking – I thought she was pretty fly, plus that name’s got a great ring to it.  BY the way, I’ve known Flava Flav was the bee’s knees for quite some time – welcome to the party people!  We did get away for a bit to see a few more Eras Tour concerts!  We saw a show in Madrid, Wembley Stadium and on the hill outside of the show in Munich.  We also made a few other stops to see a stage of the Tour de France and spent a few days on the Grecian coast.  Anyway, I hope you guys had as much fun this past summer as I did!

Per the usual, I went off on a tangent and got off topic.🤦🏻‍♀️ For any new folks out there, I should probably introduce myself (for my OG fans, keep scrolling for a sec).  Hi, I am Maggie!  My official title is Saint Margaret, Queen of Scotland but all my friends just call me Maggie.  I am the school mascot and keeper of all the SMOS secrets.  I should also mention that you probably won’t actually see me around the building (but I’m always watching, kind of like Santa) because I am merely the spirit of St. Margaret.  I don’t have an official title, but if I did have one; it would be Maggie, School Mascot and Spiller of the Tea.  If you’ve got a question, I’m your girl.  If you need the deets on an upcoming event, I’m your girl.  If your kid comes home telling something crazy and you’d like some clarification, I’m your girl!  If you need a date for the Family Dance, I’m definitely your girl!!  For just about anything, I guess… I’m your girl! 

For instance, I’ve got tea right now.  I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but the parish is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year; only 854 years until they catch up to me!  As part of the celebration they will be producing a new Parish Directory which means GLAMOUR SHOTS!!!  Well not exactly, think more Olan Mills a la 1992 (with a touch of JC Penney), and less Chesterfield Mall Glamour Shots (though if you want to bring fans for that special wind-blown look, knock yourself out!).  If you love a greige solid background and cold metal swivel stool, boy have a I got just the thing for you!  This Fall there will be opportunities to get your photos taken by the best photographers West of the Mississippi… probably.  On September 10th-12th and Sept 18th-19th, you’ll be able to get your picture taken wearing either your Sunday best or your Sunday worst – it’s you’re call.  Bring your family, your pet iguana, and your favorite banana costume or a 3 piece suit and a top hat… either way you won’t be denied.  If you’re a registered parish family, your photo will be published in the SMOS parish directory. If you’re not a registered parishioner, you’ll still get a free 8X10 as the perfect souvenir from the greatest photoshoot you’ve ever been a part of.  We hope you’ll be there in whatever fashion you decide to don.  I’ll be there, but I won’t be getting my photo taken, I’m not as photogenic as I used to be – it’s hard to top THIS. Talk about GLAMOUR SHOTS!! Once you start being portrayed in this Picasso-esque manner, it’s pretty much all downhill from there (I blame the lighting!).

So, welcome to all of my newest readers (you’ll be my biggest fan in no time) and welcome back to my Day Ones.  I missed you all this summer and am happy to be back.  If you enjoyed this delightful column (and even if you didn’t), I’ll be back soon to spill more tea on SMOS “Must Know” topics in the new Dear Maggie column coming to a Thursday newsletter near you.

— Maggie