May 13, 2005

  • I have been gone so long that people are starting to contact me to ask if I am ok. Aren't Xangans great? Anyway, I decided that I had better try to write a blog.

    I am now working four jobs, which does not leave me time for much of anything. It means that I do not blog, both because of lack of time and because when there is nothing to write about except my sad lot in life, I don't blog because I don't think that is very interesting. I have also been dragging myself around sick for a month. Since I don't get any paid time off from any of my jobs, I cannot stay home. That probably meant that I was sick longer than I should have been. I am feeling better now, though.

    That's about enough "poor me" talk. There are some bright spots. This is a busy time of year for our family. First, there was Easter. That's not really the start of all the activity, but I have some nice pics, so what the heck - I threw them in! Here are Madison and Ryan coloring Easter Eggs.

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    And here's Jake the Giant Toddler with his basket. Did you know there was candy in those things?

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    We had a candy hunt to fill the baskets and Jake did not quite get that. As fast as everyone else was finding candy, he was re-hiding it, so the candy hunt went on for a long time!

    The real start of the family events is Dan's birthday on April 24. I do not have pictures of that. Then came Grandparents' Day at Madison's school. I did not go because I was sick (I can miss the fun stuff when I am sick. I just can't miss work!), but Dan went and took this nice picture of Madison.

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    Next came Madison's birthday. This year, she and four of her friends went to a huge play facility on the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Reservation. It's really a fabulous place for kids and quite inexpensive. I think the intent is to give people a place to drop off kids when they come to gamble. They have a tight security system. The play area is locked. They issue arm bands with bar codes on them and scan everyone, adults and kids, in. Then when you leave, they scan you out. They won't unlock the door for you until you have been scanned and adults and children from a group are all scanned together, so they know who is there, who has left, and whether or not they left with the proper people. It's quite the place! Dan and I, Andy, Jess and Jake, and Betsy and Matt all went with the girls. Adults can go in without charge, so it is easy to bring in several adults to watch the kids play. This picture was taken right before we left. One of the girls does not look very happy about leaving, does she? That's Madison in the middle in the turquoise and white.

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    Last weekend we celebrated Mother's Day and later this month we have Andy's birthday, then Betsy's. A word to the wise - don't have all your birthdays in one month! That's not uncommon in families, though. Did you know that?

    Well, that brings you up to date on me. I will try to keep up better now. I will be around to visit as fast as I can. Happy Spring!

March 12, 2005

  • Serenity

    What is serenity?
    How does it come?
    Is it a dream?
    How does it feel?

    I see it in the eyes
    Of those I really love.
    I hear it in the call
    Of a friendly voice.

    I feel it in the fur
    Of my sweetly purring cat.
    Or in the quiet shelter
    Of my peaceful home.

    It comes to me in music
    Or in pages from a book
    But if I want to find it
    Where am I to look?

    The answer to that question
    Is a very simple thing
    I have to look inside myself
    For that is where it starts.

    In the midst of chaos
    I'll find it growing there
    A strong and glowing ember
    Right inside my heart!

    No matter how far I search
    No matter what I try
    The only place it will ever be
    Is right inside of me!

March 4, 2005

  • This is a day for a miscellaneous rambling.  I have not blogged in awhile.  Life just hasn't let me.  I have been horribly busy, mostly with work, and the weekends have been filled also.  It's been a good time, but it has left me without time for some of the things I enjoy.  Life is like that, I guess.


    Monday afternoon, Dan and I went to a peaceful protest rally at the Minnesota State Capitol.  We were there to protest the budget cuts for education.  One of the speakers was a Lutheran minister.  That kind of surprised me, since many of the parochial schools in Minnesota are Lutheran schools.  I admired him for being there to stand up for public education.  Minnesota has had one of the premier school systems in the nation, but it is declining because there is no money.  Classes are larger than they should be and there is no money for books and supplies.  All of that is in the name of saving tax dollars.  I wonder why nobody thinks of the undereducated population we are creating.  They will be a drain on the taxpayers for years.  I hope we were heard.


    I am subbing today.  I have sophomores and seniors in social studies classes.  The seniors are discussing what T-shirt messages reveal about our culture.  It is interesting, but many of the students are not really participating in the discussion.  They are well behaved, though.


    Dan is busy painting all of our ceilings.  He started with just one, but one clean white ceiling makes all the others look bad, so it has become a major project.  Next comes the living room if I can ever pick a paint color.  It has been awhile since we did any painting, so it will be a pretty noticeable change.  This summer, I want to take the wallpaper off the walls in both of our upstairs bathrooms and our stairwell.  I think I will paint those rooms.  By fall, our house will look quite different.


    The final payment on our Hawaii trip is due in a few days.  I am still scrambling for money.  I will have to take some out of our retirement savings.  The pay cuts we both took last fall have made budgeting a little more challenging.  We are going to make the trip, though.  We are traveling with friends and don't want to let them down, plus we need the getaway.  I will figure out how to make up the money.


    We also had a new kitchen floor put in.  We have needed that for quite awhile.  I haven't figured out how to pay for that, either.  Life is full of challenges.


    I have been committed.  Actually, I think maybe I need to be committed.  Committed is a term for the new structure of Peter Noone's fan club.  I am one of two committed reps for Minnesota.  Our job is to try to make the fan experience more enjoyable.  I wonder what I am getting into!!!


    I have been trying to make Xanga visits today and am getting a message that some of the sites I am trying to visit contain spyware and the system here at school will not let me access them.  I guess I will have to wait until I get home to visit those sites.


    That's my ramble for today.  Have a great weekend!

February 7, 2005

  • Since last Wednesday, I have been subbing in special ed.  My students are elementary students.  The ones I have been working with have either autism or cerebral palsy and are non-verbal.  There is another teacher in the room who works with verbal students.  I have developed considerable admiration for the teacher I am replacing, because I have felt woefully inadequate at times as I try to communicate with children who only grunt.  I would give a lot to know what those grunts mean.  It must be every bit as frustrating for them as it is for me, maybe moreso.

    On the whole, it has gone very well.  These children do not tolerate changes in their routines very well, and, of course, having a different teacher is a pretty major change.  They have been very cooperative with me and have sat there patiently when I have no doubt been doing the wrong thing.  Nobody has had a melt down, for which I am very thankful.

    While I have been here, I have given some thought to a couple of things.  One is that the lives of these children are much improved by the opportunity to go to school and interact with a variety of different people.  Although they do not make dramatic progress, they do make progress, and it's doubtful that they would do that if they were not here.  Although they will never be independent, their lives are certainly much richer for this experience.  Most of them will stay in the public school until they are 21 years old.  Their days will be spent much more productively here than they would be anywhere else.

    One of the biggest issues related to special ed is cost.  For 15 students, this program has 2 licensed teachers and 11 paraprofessionals.  All those people are absolutely necessary because most of these students require 1 to 1 attention at all times.  That costs a lot of  money.  The program is federally mandated, but although the government requires it, it does not fund it.  Regardless of the number of students and the needs of those students, the funding to the school district is no more per student than it is for students who can sit unassisted in a classroom with 29 other students and one teacher.  I am not saying that I do not think this program is important or that I do not think it should be here, because I definitely do feel that it is necessary for these students.  I just think the government should provide money to support it.  It's hardly fair to expect a school district to provide this level of service for the same amount of money that is given to the school for a student who needs no special services.  No wonder our schools are in trouble!

    It's been an interesting few days here.  I really enjoy special ed when I sub, but I do not think I could ever do it full time.  I do not have that level of patience.  Tomorrow, I return to my college students and the world of Anatomy and Physiology and Medical Terminology.  Variety is good!

January 31, 2005

  • Lately, I have been thinking about what it means to support someone. That topic has been on my mind because I have been watching a rather heated discussion about it. It seems that some people confuse support with agreement. Those people indicate that they believe that if you do not "approve" of something, you are not showing support.

    I see it all quite differently. I think that when you really offer someone your support, the message you send to them says, "I respect you and I have confidence in your ability to choose for yourself, even when the majority does not agree with your choice." I don't think support means blindly labeling everything a person does as right, either morally or under the law. (And, by the way, there is a very significant difference between morally right and legally right.) I don't think support involves labeling at all. I don't think we have the right to label others. We have a legal system to take care of infractions with the law and God can handle the rest. That means that those of us who are not legal eagles and not God do not have to worry about approving or disapproving of the actions of our friends. (I do believe that parents play a different role with their children. Determining right and wrong is part of that role. That's a different blog.)

    I think real support involves listening and trying to understand why someone is thinking and feeling the way he or she does. It means saying, "I am there for you." It means empowering them to think for themselves. It means being there even when, or maybe especially when, you do not agree with them. It means recognizing the basic goodness of the person, not claiming to see a perfection that is not there. Perfection does not exist in human beings or in their creations. To say that a person is only worthy if they are perfect is to say that you do not want that person to be human. Dehumanization is not support, and turning away from someone because you have judged that person imperfect is not morality. In the same way, claiming that a person is incapable of mistakes is not a compliment. Support means saying, "I like the person that you are. You do not have to be something you are not in order to receive my respect and support."

January 15, 2005

  • Mushy Peas

    Have the mushy peas, he said,
    They go so well
    With the crispy fish,
    And the lovely chips!

    Just a drop or two, he said,
    Of vinegar there
    Is the perfect touch
    For a snack or a meal.

    Wrap it in paper, he said,
    And take it along.
    It tastes like home,
    And brings memories sweet!

January 7, 2005

  • The Wisdom of Ages

    When I was young
    My elders said
    "I've learned by living,
    Listen to me."

    I nodded and smiled,
    But in my head
    A little voice said,
    "Yeah, right, what do you know?"

    Back then, I thought,
    "I know it all,
    I'm smart, you see,
    You can't tell me!"

    Then I was older, out of school,
    And I kept waiting for that magic rule
    Measuring me grown up and wise
    And ready to give my own advice.

    Now here I am, The "Older Generation"
    Waiting in vain for inspiration
    Wondering why, after all these years,
    I'm still not wise, I still have fears.

    Now I wonder, indeed, I ponder,
    If those wise folks of long ago
    Really felt wise and all grown up
    Or were only putting on a gigantic show!

January 2, 2005

  • Icy New Year!!!

    We did something unusual for us for New Year's Eve. We traveled. Usually, we have a party and stay home, mostly to avoid the rush to see who can accumulate the most DUI's that always seems to take place on the last evening of the year. Instead, we decided to drive about 250 miles to Des Moines to attend a concert/dance. We planned it all very carefully, leaving early in the day to be in Des Moines around noon (or Noone, as some say). We found our hotel, checked in and congratulated ourselves on our safe arrival for what was sure to be a fun-filled evening followed by an uneventful trip home on New Year's Day.

    We settled into our room and kicked back until about 3:30. Then we set out to find the ballroom where the evening's entertainment was to take place. We hung out there until about 6:30, then had to make a mad dash back to the hotel to change and get back for the show.

    Ballroom shows are lots of fun. Not only do you get to hear great music, but you can enjoy it by dancing along or at least watching others do that. This show had an interesting musical mix. First, there was an old fashioned big band playing the hits of Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, and other greats of the swing era. They were followed by a rock band called the 8 Tracks who played, well, music you might have heard on 8 tracks. There was an Elvis impersonator who definitely represented the grossly overweight Elvis and did it without the need of padding. He did one song and spent his time milling around in the crowd showing off his pretty white jumpsuit and cape. Although they were not part of the planned entertainment, there was a couple completely outfitted in pink who contibuted to the interest of the evening. I had never seen a man in a pink suit, shirt and tie before, let alone one accompanied by a woman all in pink! They certainly turned heads when they danced!

    At 11:00, the long awaited headliners, Herman's Hermits, came on. They gave a terrific show. Young and old alike were out there dancing and singing along. At midnight, Peter stopped his show, counted down to the end of the year, balloons dropped, and he and the band sang a couple of verses of Auld Lang Syne before resuming their regular play list. After that, there were autographs followed by good-bye hugs and kisses. The perfect end to a perfect evening to be followed the next morning by an uneventful drive home, right?

    WRONG!!!!!!! We awoke on New Year's morning and looked out at what appeared to be a wet parking lot at the hotel. Rain, we thought. Then Dan took a closer look, and said, "That's not water on the ground, that's ice!" I had completed packing and we were just going to get a bite to eat before we headed out, but we decided that we had better check the weather report. There was ice throughout northern Iowa and heavier ice in southern Minnesota. It didn't look like we were going anywhere! We called the desk and made sure we could keep our room for an extra night, then headed down to eat. After that, we planned to check out the mall and possibly attend a movie. We walked through the door, Dan took one step onto the glare ice, his feet went up and down he went flat on his back! That ended all thoughts of going anywhere, at least right then, so we went back to our room and turned on the TV. I am not a football fan and football is about all that is on TV on New Year's Day, so I finished the book I was reading.

    Later. we were able to reach our car by crossing the ice in a skating movement without picking up our feet. We got in and turned the defrosters up full blast to de-ice the windows because we were afraid to try to stand on the ice to scrape them. We managed to get to the mall, ate at the food court, and shopped for more books. Then we retuned to our room, grateful to have a place to wait until the ice was cleared.

    This morning, we were able to drive home. There were still a lot of cars going off the road, apparently because they let their wheels wander over onto the shoulder, and we could see where even more vehicles had been removed, but we did not have trouble driving. Our cats were glad to see us. They had no food left and no water, and they let me know they were not happy about it as soon as I walked through the door!

    Was it worth it? Oh, yes!! We had a great time!

    Happy 2005!!!!

December 18, 2004

  • We always have a New Year's Eve party. This year, we are not going to be home on New Year's Eve, but we did not see that as a reason not to have the party, so we had it last night.

    Our parties are pretty tame. Everyone starts out drinking wine or beer, but after the first or second drink, everyone switches to coke. We sit around eating and talking and there's always a lot of laughing. We also play games. Last night we played Catch Phrase. As we were getting ready to play, we started to discuss the party games that were popular in the 60's. You know the ones I am talking about; those intellectually stimulating games that involved activities like passing a lifesaver from person to person on toothpicks held in the players' mouths or passing an orange held under the chin from person to person. The object of either game was to cause the players to do strange contortions to hold onto the object they were trying to pass. They were definitely not for those who were easily embarrassed!

    The discussion brought to mind another party game that I played 20 years ago on a cruise ship. It was a rather interesting version of musical chairs called musical men. The basic premise of the two games is the same. The players walk around a set of "objects" as music plays. There is one less of the "objects" than there are of the players. When the music stops, the players must take possession of one of the "objects." The unlucky player who does not get one is eliminated, one "object" is removed, and play continues until only 2 players and one "object" are left. In the case of musical men, all of the players are women and all of the "objects" are men. When the music stops, the goal is to grab more of one of the men than any other woman does.

    That's me in the white jumpsuit in the center there, grabbing that man in the light blue shirt. I had never seen that man before and thankfully have not seen him since. My husband is fond of telling people that towards the end of the game, the men looked "absolutely terrified" because the women really were diving at them rather viciously. I can't remember if I won or not, but I know I came darned close.

    Nobody at the party last night wanted to play musical men. I can't understand why. It's really a pretty good game!

November 18, 2004

  • My husband is sick today. He asked me to call in for him. Guess what happens when someone who is a sub calls in for her husband who is a teacher? That's right - I am subbing for my husband. He has a student teacher, which means that I am getting paid to pay bills, balance my checkbook, and make Xanga visits while the student teacher teaches. Later on, I will do prep for the classes I am teaching at the Minnesota School of Business.

    I was looking forward to a day at home today because we have been gone on weekends lately, and, with my work schedule, I am pretty far behind with a lot of things I really should do. This is nice, though, because I can take care of the financial junk, and then I really have nothing else to do but play. Sometimes life is good!

    We had a nice time at our party last Saturday. We had a potluck dinner - soup and salad courses were Mexican (prepared by authentic Mexican cooks), main course was French, and dessert was good old American cake. I made the French dish. The salad had some kind of green sauce, which made it very hot. I did not realize that salad could be hot. There was also ranch dressing to cool it a little, plus the lettuce and tomatoes helped with that. The whole thing was served over very thin pieces of beef steak. It was quite tasty. The soup was beans and ham shanks, very spicy and very good. After dinner, we played games and I let the kids use our computers. It was a great evening!

    This week has been long so far. I attended a professional workshop on Monday and Tuesday. It was very good, but it is hard to sit for nine hours when you are not used to it. It is also hard to listen for that long. I think that is true for anyone, but I think it is especially true if you are accustomed to being the presenter yourself. It's good to have those experiences. It helps you develop understanding of your students.

    Yesterday, I taught my college classes. I gave the students their midterm grades and I survived the day, so I guess they were not unhappy with them. I ran into the campus administrator in the administrative offices, and he said that my evaluations were very good. I will be getting a copy, but they are not ready yet. The students evaluated me right after taking the midterm exam, which was the first big test I have given them, so it was nice to know that they were still in a kindly frame of mind!

    After classes yesterday, I spent about an hour and a half shopping for a birthday gift for our daughter-in-law and beginning my Christmas shopping, then I headed from the Twin Cities to St. Peter to attend a meeting for the ABE classes I teach on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. I really enjoy my boss and the other ABE teachers, so it is a pleasure to get together with them. However, I had another meeting after that one, this time in the town where I live, so it was a long day. Most of my days have been long lately.

    When I finish here today, I will run home and check to see how Dan is doing, then I will go teach my GED class. The students I have right now are great. They work hard and I know they will be successful. I am always so proud when one of them receives his/her GED. When you have had the opportunity of an education, it is difficult to understand the plight of those who have not until you have a chance to sit down, work with them, and see what they have to go through to achieve what you take for granted.

    Tomorrow, I am hoping for that day at home. I need to do laundry and I have some mending that needs doing. Dan seems to think he should be able to wear the pants that are sitting in the mending pile. I personally liked the system I had when the kids were growing up - put clothes that need repair in the mending pile until the kid outgrows them, then give them away. It's a good system! Unfortunately, Dan does not outgrow his clothes!

    I had better get busy on my prep. I want to get a head start on next week's classes because it is going to be another busy, away from home weekend!