The Sixth Tepe Author Information

My name is Angela and I am the 6^th out of twelve Tepe siblings. There are seven girls and five boys in my family, doubling the number of children my parents envisioned as they embarked on their life journey of marriage and parenting. I have many memories of growing up as a middle child in a noisy, busy, but loving home.

I have been married to my husband, Dennis, for 35 years. He is one of the most patient men on earth. I tend to be a little high strung and demanding, but also hard working, and he keeps me grounded. We have five children, two daughters and three sons, ranging in ages 23 to 32. Our daughters are both married to wonderful men, and they have blessed us with four grandchildren. They each have a son and a daughter. They are all amazing! Being a grandparent is fantastic!

As far as career goes, I have my Master’s degree in Elementary Education with a certificate to teach grades 1 – 8. I taught third grade for two years before I had children, and was fortunate to be able to be a stay at home mom for 19 years. When my youngest son was in third grade, I went back to work part -time as a co-teacher in a third grade classroom. After two years, our Reading Specialist was retiring, and I was offered the position. I received further training in reading, particularly the Orton-Gillingham technique. After a few years as the Reading Specialist, my school became a Professional Learning Community and initiated a school-wide Intervention Block to enhance learning for all students, not just those who are struggling; I have just finished my fifth year as part of the Intervention team. The program and results have been amazing!

Ten years ago, or so, when I discovered Internet blogs, social media, etc., I decided I wanted to share my life experiences, if only to humor myself. A couple of my sisters had the same idea too, but, alas, life interferes, procrastination dominates, and nothing is accomplished. Good ideas are buried at the end of one’s life. My father used to preach, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” So with his voice echoing in my head, I am finally acting on my intentions.

I am hoping to have my sisters and children write articles also. The broad range of talents, and life experiences we have been through make us a helpful sounding board for advice, and I pray, wisdom. We sisters are conservative Catholics, so everything we write stems from our deep love of God and the Catholic Church.

We are teachers, a nurse, a pharmacy tech, a pharmacist, and a dietician. As far as talents beyond the obvious career knowledge- several of the sisters are amazing seamstresses, cooks and bakers – even making wonderful wedding cakes.  One sister should be a professional interior designer. She has a unique talent for color schemes, furniture placement, and decorating. Two of the sisters are rather mechanical, with great woodworking skills. I, alas, while a mediocre cook and a poor decorator, can envision and design landscapes and gardens; and I have also always enjoyed being an amateur architect.

So, here goes the blog. I hope you enjoy reading it.