Language

Since I was a wee bairn, I have been fascinated by language. I was one of those nerdy kids who actually enjoyed learning about grammar. I became an unashamed grammar cop, a skill I learned from my mother who learned it from her father. Now, my dear daughters are both grammar cops--fourth generation ones at that. I love the subtle nuances of interesting words and the poetic phrases that tickle the ear. I also am a collector of words and nothing is quite like finding a new one to love.

I fell in love with language early in life. My first grade teacher pulled a small group of us together to teach us Spanish. I can still picture the books we used, and I can still speak every word my teacher taught us. (Juan, soy Juan. Maria, soy Maria.) My memory of this is so vivid I can even remember a little yellow dress I was wearing when we once had our lesson. I have long regretted not learning Latin as it is the basis for so many languages. The Spanish I took in high school did not stick with me as well as I would have liked but whenever I hear someone speaking Spanish I can understand a little of what is being said. When I began to travel to Europe, I quickly learned that it is far easier to read a language than to speak it. In most countries I can understand enough on signs to find wine, food, bathrooms, and mass transportation. I had one hilarious experience in Italy because my traveling companion and I could not speak Italian, but I'll save that story for another time. After I returned from Italy the last time, I decided once and for all to learn to speak Italian because it is so mellifluous. I bought tapes, but the instructor on the tapes went so fast, I quickly gave up.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, last Saturday at my first water aerobics class I met Camilla (Cameela is how she pronounces it), not be confused with the British rottweiler of the same name. For many, many years Camilla taught foreign languages in private schools. Today I asked her a few basic questions about Italian and she was happy to help me. First, I wanted to know, how does one correctly pronounce bruschetta? I was happy to learn that I have been pronouncing it right all along--"brusketta". I then asked about a local restaurant that most people pronounce at A ta vo' la stressing the third syllable. I have always said A ta' vola, which, I am pleased to report is correct. Camilla explained some basic things about Italian which made sense to me. As an example, when I asked about Il Divo she was happy to help me figure out a bit about plurals. My specific question was this: "Is Il Divo the masculine form of la diva?" She said that it is, so I next asked if Il Divo is singular or plural. (I had assumed that it would be singular.) She said that it is indeed singular, but that in the case of the quartet it refers to one group rather than one man. Our conversation drifted to the bad English grammar one hears routinely--"I'm doing good" or "the food is healthy". There is a fundamental lack of understanding in this country about the differences between adjectives and adverbs. While one might argue that language evolves, I would have to point out that it also can devolve. Call me a curmudgeon! I would consider it an honor. After all, curmudgeon is a lovely word.

Tomorrow Camilla and I are meeting for lunch. I look forward to the furthering of a budding friendship. She is so knowledgeable about so many things and is one of the loveliest people I have met in a long time. Camilla is interesting, something too many people are not.

A Grand Day Out

Today Terry and I left the Green City to travel to Greensboro to attend the North Carolina Council for Social Studies Conference where we are presenting about mixed-text Reader's Theater. I love Greensboro so I was glad to be back in a city where there is real "slow" food available in restaurants. We stopped for lunch at the Green Valley Grill--http://www.greenvalleygrill.com/--where we dined on an exquisite lunch. We split an appetizer of pork kebabs with Moroccan citrus marinade and also a white bean salad with citrus vinaigrette dressing. Both were divine. Our next stop was Elm Street (downtown) the site of the Greensboro sit-ins at the old Woolworth's store. For several blocks in this revitalized downtown area are interesting shops and galleries. We went to a few of our favorite places and then stopped by to make dinner reservations at 223 Elm. Our last stop was Simple Kneads, a lovely little bakery located on a narrow alley. I bought a loaf of Jewish rye bread and a multigrain loaf which I will freeze and take to Mother and Dad's when I go to Tennessee over spring break. We then made it over to the Koury Center, checked in, and immediately went to the Health Club where we walked on the treadmill. Next, we checked out where we will be presenting so that we'd be familiar with the space. We returned to our room and relaxed for a while and caught up on email. About 6:00 we readied ourselves to go for a leisurely repast of exquisite food and live jazz music. I've eaten at 223 Elm twice before and have always been well satisfied. The ambiance of the old building is divine. Not only is the food outstanding, the presentation of the food is worthy of a feature in any high brow gourmet magazine. A nice quiet meal with good wine, good music and a dear friend is about as good as life gets. One little touch that makes 223 Elm special is that a calligrapher creates a name plate for the reserved table. I am back in Room 471 in my pjs and nice and sleepy for bed. Good food and wine will do that to you.

Scary Moment

This morning while I was getting ready for work, I took two large Glucosamine Chondroitin pills just as I do every other day. This time one pill got stuck in my throat blocking my intake of air. Of course I freaked! Then I became very calm realizing that I'd better dislodge it before I passed out. So, how does one perform the Heimlich maneuver on oneself? I body slammed my gut against the sink cabinet as hard as I could. On the second try the pill flew out across the room and hit the wall with a loud ping--just like in the movies. Did I breathe a big sigh of relief? You bet I did. I guess the moral of the story is to plan how YOU will perform the Heimlich maneuver on yourself if the need ever arises. In thinking about it later, I realized that the height of the person would make a big difference. For tall people, maybe the back of a kitchen chair would work. Food for thought, eh?

Progress

Another day, another 600 calories burned in my water aerobics class.

600 Calories

I arrived at my ECU office at 7:00 this morning and did last minute preparations for my eight o'clock class. When class ended, I worked in my office until 11:00. Then, I left for my Fit Linxx appointment. A kind young man spent an hour and a half with me setting up my weight training program and entering all of the data into the computer. I was so impressed to learn that my ViQuest membership number is a figure as important as my weight. When I go into the weight and exercise machine room, I punch my number into one of the computer stations. Up comes my record of exactly what I have done, and how many reps I did on each machine, etc. Because we were just setting everything up today--how much weight to use at each station, etc.--there was nothing much in my log. However, tonight when I went to my water aerobics class, I went to one of the computer stations to enter my data after the class was over. That's when I discovered that I had burned 550 calories in my aquatic exercise class and another fifty when I swam a few laps. Another interesting feature of the ViQuest program is that the more I exercise, the more ViQuest "dollars" I earn. You can spend the dollars on massages, personal trainers, or exercise clothes/equipment, healthful food, etc. This incentive program will help me stay with it as I LOVE full body massages. So, I'm burning calories, baby. Too bad all this enjoyable exercise isn't helping with my writer's block. Oh well. One can't have everything.

600 Calories

I arrived at my ECU office at 7:00 this morning and did last minute preparations for my eight o'clock class. When class ended, I worked in my office until 11:00. Then, I left for my Fit Linxx appointment. A kind young man spent an hour and a half with me setting up my weight training program and entering all of the data into the computer. I was so impressed to learn that my ViQuest membership number is a figure as important as my weight. When I go into the weight and exercise machine room, I punch my number into one of the computer stations. Up comes my record of exactly what I have done, and how many reps I did on each machine, etc. Because we were just setting everything up today--how much weight to use at each station, etc.--there was nothing much in my log. However, tonight when I went to my water aerobics class, I went to one of the computer stations to enter my data after the class was over. That's when I discovered that I had burned 550 calories in my aquatic exercise class and another fifty when I swam a few laps. Another interesting feature of the ViQuest program is that the more I exercise, the more ViQuest "dollars" I earn. You can spend the dollars on massages, personal trainers, or exercise clothes/equipment, healthful food, etc. This incentive program will help me stay with it as I LOVE full body massages. So, I'm burning calories, baby. Too bad all this enjoyable exercise isn't helping with my writer's block. Oh well. One can't have everything.

Goodbye, Rita. May you rest in peace.

Rita Mather, Paul's mother, died last night. In October she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The level of medical care she received IN HER HOME nurses and doctors made home visits) was outstanding and FREE. About ten days ago Rita was admitted to the hospital. The family had thought she would continue to live once chemotherapy began,  but her cancer had progressed to stage four. They were shocked to learn that she had only a few more weeks to live. I was talking to Paul via Skype last night when he got the call that his mum had passed away. The entire family had been with her most of the day and they had thought the end would come while they
were there. A couple of hours after they all returned home the call came.

In thinking about Rita, I have some warm memories. When I visited with her and Harry (Paul's father) Rita brought out lots of old photographs. She showed me pictures of her children when they were "bairns" and then older children and finally teenagers. She told me about each one and shared interesting tidbits about when they were children. Rita showed me her wedding photos and told me all about when she and Harry got married. As she flipped through the album, Rita came to a photo of a wedding she and Harry had attended several years ago. "Look at me. I was so fat!" Rita exclaimed,and then she laughed and laughed. I will never forget her laugh. Rita was a dear soul and it is comforting to know that she is suffering no more.

ViQuest Update

At long last the paperwork has all been approved by my doctor and I am able to use the Viquest Center. This morning I went to my first water aerobics class. I loved every minute of it. On my way in, I wasn't sure where to go and I couldn't find a staff member to ask. I saw a woman walking purposefully toward the locker room, so I asked her if she was on her way to the water aerobics class. She was and she showed me the ropes. We introduced ourselves and my new acquaintance is Camilla. She saw my UF sweatshirt and asked if I were from Florida. When I said that I did, she said, "My husband and I still have our place out on St. Pete Beach." I told her I was from Gulfport and she said her daughter had attended Stetson Law School located a few blocks from my childhood home. By the end of our conversation we could not believe the number of odd things we have in common. The more we chatted the eerier it became. I almost fell over when she told me she grew up in Stresa, Italy. Anyone who has visited the travel page on my website knows that Stresa is my favorite place in the entire world partly because it is breathtakingly beautiful. So, we got into the pool and continued to talk. Then we exercised hard for an hour. It was divine. For the first time in ages, the knot in my shoulder is gone. After the class ended, I spent ten minutes in the spa pool with water so hot it was Heaven. I go again Monday-Thursday 5:30-6:30. Maybe I'll try the steam bath or sauna on one of those visits.

Too Much Sadness

I just finished talking via Skype to my friend who lives in England. His mother is in the very end stages of pancreatic cancer. After we "hung up", I checked my email only to find a missive from a former student who is about my age. She is concerned about her mother who is not well and sits in her chair all day only getting up to use the bathroom. I next read a letter from my father--I used to get letters from both of my parents every single week--and he reports that my mother sits in her chair and sleeps most of the day. She, too, only gets up to use the bathroom. Life has its sad times, but this is too much sadness all at once.

Already Blogger is Driving me Crazy

I have been exceptionally busy, night and day, for over a week. Monday night I spent 45 minutes creating a lengthy post only to have Blogger go "POOF" with the many paragraphs I wrote. One time I tried writing in Word and then cutting and pasting it into Blogger, but Blogger is too finicky and doesn't like that. ARGH! Let's hope I get this one up before Blogger eats all of my words.


Today's Favorite Quote

I believe this quote is apropos in these troubled times in which we live: "During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." George Orwell.

Friendship

Over my long life I have known and treasured many friends. Today I was thinking about how one defines a friend. One concrete example will suffice: My dear friend, Terry, surprised me with a special Valentine treat. She baked me a loaf of her special bread, the one that is encrusted with various types of seeds. It is the perfect companion to a good bowl of hearty soup. Along with the bread was a pound of Plugra butter. Only a dear friend would pay attention to a minor detail like the kind of butter one likes. I found Plugra years ago in the company of my dear Blacksburg friends. We had been going to my all-time favorite restaurant in the entire world--Alexander's in Roanoke--regularly for a year or so. One night I said to the waiter (the same one who waited on us for years, a kindly man who still waits tables at Alexander's), "This is the best butter I've ever had in the United States. I haven't had butter this good since the last time I was in Europe." He smiled and said, "This *is* European butter." Of course I had to know where the restaurant acquired it. "The butter is called Plugra and you can it at the health food store near the Grandin Theater. You can't miss it; it's in an old Kroger building." The next time we made the trek to Roanoke, we all bought Plugra butter. I must admit I hoarded it a bit because I wanted my pound of butter to last. I mostly saved it for slathering on good bread and toast. When I moved to Greenville, I lamented the fact that I couldn't find Plugra in any of the grocery stores. Dear Terry asked me what makes Plugra so special. I described it to her with lots of gestures and "mmmmmmmmmmmmm" noises. On my next birthday, Terry really spoiled me. She gave me gift after gift. Of course each one was perfect. Then she pulled an insulated bag from her purse and said, "This is your last gift." Puzzled, I opened it and there it was...a pound of Plugra butter! "Where in the world did you find it?" I queried. "Did you drive all the way to Raleigh?" Terry responded, "No, you nut. I asked the local Lowe's Foods to get it for me." Lucky for me, Lowe's still carries it. Now, that's a true friend.

Campaigning for President

I'm already sick of the presidential campaign and the circus hasn't really started. It reminds me of stores putting out Christmas items before Halloween. Some things are better if you have to wait for them.

Thank God for PBS

Today I arrived home after an extremely long day. I left the house at 6:30 a.m. to go to drive to a neighboring school division where a colleague and I are heading up the rewriting of the Local Plan for Gifted Education. This is a monumental task particularly where we are the proverbial messengers to be shot as we explain new state requirements. Ah, well, I have a tough hide. Actually, the work is going well, but it is brain draining. My colleague and I left at 3:00 just in time to race back to the university where we were scheduled to meet with the architect who is designing the new building that will house the College of Education and the College of Business. My grandmother always told me to ask because while I might get a "No" in response, I might, at times, get a "Yes" at times. I dream big and so if my opinion is asked I'm ready to give it. Here is what I proposed. [Note: This is in conjunction with my two colleagues who are part of the ECU Gifted Education Team.]

Goal: To become the National Southeast Regional Center for Gifted Education

The East Carolina Gifted Education Program is growing at an exceptionally fast pace. At present there are 90 teachers and graduate students on a waiting list to take the four-course gifted sequence. We anticipate this growth to continue and to increase dramatically over the next five years.

Specific Building Needs:

1. 10 Classrooms with flexible dividers so that they can become five double-sized classrooms; each of the ten rooms needs videoconferencing capability.

Rationale:

-Gifted middle and high school students will be attending programs on campus throughout the academic year.

-Summer AIG Camp serves gifted fourth and fifth graders. Program expansion will result in our serving approximately 100 gifted students in grades 4-5 and later 60+ in grades 6-12.

-Annual gifted conference will need a minimum of ten breakout session rooms.

-Face-to-face graduate classes held during the Summer AIG Camp, which is a graduate student practicum requirement.

2. Bathrooms located near the ten classrooms to meet the needs of the public school students who participate in our programs.

3. Graduate student workroom large enough for six graduate student workstations, storage, and equipment such as photocopiers.

4. Auditorium that seats up to 150 persons.

5. Large workroom for professors with ample storage for AIG program materials and equipment.

6. 6 offices for ECU professors to use during the AIG Camp and during the academic year when hosting middle and high school gifted students. Visiting professors and other professionals in the field also will use these offices.

7. Computer lab and secure storage for technology. AIG students, K-12 and ECU AIG Program faculty will use this lab.

8. Kitchen with cabinets and large amount of counter space, ice machine, and sink.

9. Exterior tables and benches for outside lab work, K-12 gifted students.

10. Designated parking for high school students and parents.

11. Easy access for drop-off and pick-up of children that is large enough for school buses.

12. Secure library.

Okay. I was ready to meet with the architect knowing that he would probably faint or laugh out loud at our requests. My colleague and I arrived with a few minutes to spare and we met in the appointed room a bit early. No architect was there which was puzzling because there were to be back-to-back 30-minute meetings between 3:00 and 5:00. We raced around trying to find out if the room had been rescheduled, but never did find out. Finally, in frustration, we left. ARGH!

I arrived home about 5:40 with a lengthy to-do list (what's new, eh?), poured myself a class of herbal iced tea and sat down in front of my computer. I decided to have a little background noise, so I flipped on CNN and turned the volume down low. As I did this I glanced at the screen and it said, "Anna Nicole Smith 1967-2007". Puzzled, I turned up the sound and learned that Anna Nicole had died today. What happened next highlights what I believe is probably the biggest problem the USA faces today. Every single news channel had gone into "all-Anna-Nicole-all-the-time" mode. As a celebrity, Anna Nicole's death probably did need to be reported, and any death is sad. Think of the 650,00 Iraquis we have helped kill. However, there are far bigger issues facing the USA today--war in Iraq, children in poverty, affordable health care/health insurance, just to name a few. Here is what puzzles me: Why are Americans more interested in the death of a celebrity than they are in issues that are of much greater importance to their lives and well being? When 6:00 arrived, I was convinced that the channels would immediately switch to national and international news. Not a chance!! It remained Anna Nicole, Anna Nicole, Anna Nicole. I did what I usually do at 6:00 and switched over to the Lehrer report on PBS. It is now 6:29 and NOT ONE WORD has been mentioned about Anna Nicole Smith. What would we do without PBS? It is the most in-depth and reliable news source that we have. Fair and balanced--unlike Fox that claims to be--PBS consistently looks at all sides of an issue and provides more than a quick sound bite about important topics.

I am glad that my taxes pay for PBS. 'Nuff said.

Body, Don't Fail Me Now!

Aging Gracefully?

Those who know me have heard me "complain" about God's ultimate practical joke--just about the time you gain some sense and a modicum of wisdom, your body falls apart. 'Tis sad but true. I am 58 years old, and I am loving every minutes of it. Well, most every minute anyway. The first time I climbed a set of stairs and began to hear my knees click, it was jarring. In fact, I was stunned! What new trick is this, I wondered. Then a year or so later the pain set it. All of my joints rebelled at most anything I did. So I began to take Glucosamine Condroitan. After about six weeks, the pain lessened but it is still there, my daily reminder that while my brain still functions like a 25 year old, my body does not. This is just one small example of how my own body, the one I have loved for so many years, has become a traitor. Every day it seems to be something else. The image that comes to mind is a bright marquee filled with hundreds of individual light bulbs. Each night as I pass the marquee, I notice that a few more bulbs have burned out but it isn't always the same bulbs. Here I am in the prime of my life and my body acts like a car that is ready to be sent to the junkyard. I guess this 1948 model needs a little maintenance. So, once again I am making the commitment to do something about it. My role models are those vibrant 100 year old women on the television commercials--the ones you see strolling about with great posture and vitality, strong of both mind and spirit. That's who *I* want to be when I grow up to be 100. So, here's my plan...

VIQUEST!! I will join Viquest and begin simply with a water aerobics class. Take a virtual tour of the Viquest facilities: http://www.uhseast.com/viquest_body.cfm?id=842&oTopID=343.] They offer assistance in just about any area you need; there are dieticians, rehabilitation services, personal trainers, nurses, doctors, etc. I believe Viquest is an offshoot of the East Carolina University Medical School.

When I moved to Greenville in 2004, I hired a personal trainer. It was a disaster. This young guy worked me so hard that I'd throw up and get migraines. When I suggested he go easier on me he responded that I wasn't trying hard enough. He then went on on to say that he had an 80 year old woman client who could work rings around me. That was certainly encouraging. One day, when I left the gym and threw up, I also threw in the towel. Since then, I have made sporadic attempts to become fitter. I guess it won't do me much good if my brain lasts to 100 but my body does not.

Water aerobics, here I come!

It Makes Me Crazy

This just in from the Guardian

Bush slashes aid to poor to boost Iraq war chest

· Bill for Iraq conflict will soon overtake Vietnam
· $78,000,000,000 squeeze on medical care for elderly and poor

Ewen MacAskill in Washington
Tuesday February 6, 2007

President George Bush is proposing to slash medical care for the poor and elderly to meet the soaring cost of the Iraq war.

Mr. Bush's $2.9 trillion (£1.5 trillion) budget, sent to Congress yesterday, includes $100 billion extra for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars for this year, on top of $70bn already allocated by Congress and $141.7 billion next year. He is planning an 11.3% increase for the Pentagon. Spending on the Iraq war is destined to top the total cost of the 13-year war in Vietnam.

The huge rise in military spending is paid for by a squeeze on domestic programs, including $66bn in cuts over five years to Medicare, the health care scheme for the elderly, and $12 billion from the Medicaid health care scheme for the poor.

Mr. Bush said: "Today we submit a budget to the United States Congress that shows we can balance the budget in five years without raising taxes ... Our priority is to protect the American people. And our priority is to make sure our troops have what it takes to do their jobs."

Although Democrats control Congress and have promised careful scrutiny of the budget over the next few months, Mr. Bush has left in them in a bind, unwilling to withhold funds for US troops on the front line. Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker, said the days when Mr. Bush could expect a blank check for the wars were over but she also insisted the Democrats would not deny troops the money they needed. Democrats could block Mr. Bush's proposed cuts to 141 domestic programs.

John Spratt, the Democratic chairman of the House budget committee, said: "I doubt that Democrats will support this budget and, frankly, I will be surprised if Republicans rally around it either."

Kent Conrad, the Democratic chairman of the Senate budget committee, said: "The president's budget is filled with debt and deception, disconnected from reality, and continues to move America in the wrong direction. This administration has the worst fiscal record in history and this budget does nothing to change that."

The Vietnam war cost about $614 billion at today's prices. According to the Congressional Research Service, the Iraq war has so far cost $500bn. About 90% of the spending on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars goes to Iraq. In addition to the spending on Iraq and Afghanistan this year and next, Mr. Bush is seeking $50 billion for 2009.

Mr. Bush said the fact there was no projected figure for 2010 did not mean he expected US troops to be out of Iraq by then. He said he did not want to set a timetable "because we don't want to send mixed signals to an enemy or to a struggling democracy or to our troops".

Included in the budget is $5.6 billion for the extra 21,500 US troops that Mr. Bush ordered to Iraq last month. Some Democrats have threatened to withhold this part of the budget but more than half of the troops are in place with the others on the way. A plan to build the Joint Strike Aircraft has been withheld. Its absence, at the request of the Pentagon, could have a knock-on effect for jobs in the UK.

In the run-up to the invasion in 2003, the Pentagon's projected estimate of the total cost of the war was $50 billion. A White House economic adviser, Lawrence Lindsey, was fired by President Bush when he suggested that the total cost would be $200 billion.

The New York Times noted that the cost of the war would have paid for universal health care in the US, nursery education for all three and four-year-olds in the country, immunization for children round the world against a host of diseases, and still leave about half of the money left over.

The Pentagon has long complained that it is overstretched. Mr. Bush wants to raise its budget from $600.3bn to $624.6bn for 2008 - about 20% of the total budget.

I am Going to SCREAM!

Just when I hit the "Publish" button PBS's Lehrer Report began a segment about the president wanting to cut spending for health care AND increase spending on the war in Iraq. Will America take this sitting down? I am livid. In fact, I am so mad I can't type.

Nada Mucho

Sisters, sisters; there were never such devoted sisters...

Today is sister Robin's birthday. Though more than half a century has passed since her appearance on Earth, I vividly remember the event. Grammy Tobin was staying with us while Mom was in Mound Park Hospital. Always cheerful, sister R has made all of our lives better just by being who she is. Happy birthday, sister!

Sister Susan loves football, particularly if the Vols are playing. Once when she came to visit me, we went to a sports bar so that she could watch the Tennessee game. She is the most loyal fan I know. Nobody had better say anything negative about her Vols. So, when I awoke this morning and learned that the Colts had won the Superbowl AND that Payton Manning (former Vol) had been named the MVP, I thought of Sister Sue and how happy she must be.

Melissa the Jinx

I am not much of a football fan, but I am loyal to my beloved Gators, the VT Hokies, and the Tampa Bay Bucs. Probably because I jinx any team whose game I watch or listen to, I avoid most games. I have become so superstitious that it is a bit laughable. But, ask my sons-in-law and they will tell you I am forbidden to check scores, turn on the radio or the television if any of their teams are playing. This all began years ago but became serious one night in Champs sports bar in Blacksburg...the Hurricanes had come to Blacksburg to play VT. If my memory serves me well, Tech was favored. Jess, Bob, and I settled in with some of Mike's killer bruschetta and other treats. Horror of horrors Miami scored on the kickoff. They scored again very quickly. Bob looked at me and I knew it would be best if I left. As I made my way down the old wooden staircase to the street below, I heard Skipper, the VT cannon go off. Tech had scored! By the time I got home Tech had scored again. When I got home, I tried to ignore the cannon lest I ruined Tech's chances for the big win that resulted. Skipper has resounded every time Tech has scored since Homer H. Hickam built the cannon in the early 1960s. I guess if you live in Blacksburg, are not a jinx, and can't go to the game, you can tell how well Tech is doing just by listening for Skipper. You can hear Skipper from most any place in town.

Full Bore Panic Mode

These days there is always too much to do and too little time. So you are wondering, why am I maintaining a blog. There is no reason. Who knows what motivates me? I've yet to figure it out.

One of the courses that I love to teach has a required 15-hour practicum where my students team teach a social studies unit they have created. Setting this up is never easy, but this semester and last it has been beyond difficult. The school is a great place and the principal is supportive. BUT!! She does not get me the information I need so that my students can write their units. Each team of students needs to know the grade level, the teacher's name and the topic they are to teach. I'm about to implode because we were to begin unit writing in January. Now it is February and time is zipping by. CALGON! TAKE ME AWAY!!

My Nostalgic Wish

Well, we don't vote for a new president for 23 months, but the candidates are lining up quicker than a bunch of tin soldiers. Here's my secret wish...When I was a child I loved to watch the conventions. It sent a thrill up my spine to hear the chair of a state delegation say, "Mister Chairman, the great State of Florida casts all of its votes for..." The roll call was so exciting because no one knew FOR SURE who the candidate would be. Of course there were cigar filled rooms with all kinds of deals going on that the television audience never got to see. Wouldn't it be grand to once again watch a convention and not know ahead of time who the candidate will be? No wonder no one much watches them any more.

Sunday

You Reap What You Sow or You Don't Plant Turnip Seeds and Harvest Carrots

The first thing I heard when I switched on the news early this morning was that the Mideastern countries now despise George W. Bush more than they do the leader of Israel. While, this does not surprise me but it makes me sad. No, it isn't because I like or respect GWB, but because this man continues to put our country in danger. (Worse, he'll pass off the mess to the next president.) I have two daughters and three granddaughters and I want them to live long productive lives. Last year when Rachael and her family moved away from Newport News--a likely target--I was relieved. Now, Jess, Ella, and Bob are moving from NOVA to Kansas City. Of course, I'm sad that they'll be so far away, but I am relieved, that they too will be safer as Washington is probably a greater target than the military installations in the Newport News area. Outside of the Cuban Missile Crisis--I was 14 and lived in St. Petersburg Florida--I have never feared so much for the country that I love. Even Viet Nam pales in comparison. However, we should have learned from that mistake. Is America asleep at the wheel? The baby boomers are a huge group. Have they forgotten Viet Nam (Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids have you killed today?)? Why have we killed more than 650,000 Iraquis who never have done anything to us? This number, of course, include babies and grandmothers. Why haven't we attacked Saudi Arabia, the homeland of most of the 911 hijackers? Why have we wasted more than half a trillion dollars killing innocent people when schools in this country are crumbling? [If you spend one dollar a second it takes about 11 and a half days to spend a million dollars. To spend a billion dollars at one dollar a second you need 31.4 years. To spend one trillion dollars at a dollar a second, it takes more than 31,000 years. America's innumeracy makes us complacent about large numbers.]

To all the neocon "Christians", I offer this song written and recorded by Bob Dylan, c. 1964:

With God on Our Side

Oh my name it is nothin'
My age it means less
The country I come from
Is called the Midwest
I's taught and brought up there
The laws to abide
And that land that I live in
Has God on its side.

Oh the history books tell it
They tell it so well
The cavalries charged
The Indians fell
The cavalries charged
The Indians died
Oh the country was young
With God on its side.

Oh the Spanish-American
War had its day
And the Civil War too
Was soon laid away
And the names of the heroes
I's made to memorize
With guns in their hands
And God on their side.

Oh the First World War, boys
It closed out its fate
The reason for fighting
I never got straight
But I learned to accept it
Accept it with pride
For you don't count the dead
When God's on your side.

When the Second World War
Came to an end
We forgave the Germans
And then we were friends
Though they murdered six million
In the ovens they fried
The Germans now too
Have God on their side.

I've learned to hate Russians
All through my whole life
If another war starts
It's them we must fight
To hate them and fear them
To run and to hide
And accept it all bravely
With God on my side.

But now we got weapons
Of chemical dust
If fire them we're forced to
Then fire them we must
One push of the button
And a shot the world wide
And you never ask questions
When God's on your side.

In a many dark hour
I've been thinkin' about this
That Jesus Christ
Was betrayed by a kiss
But I can't think for you
You'll have to decide
Whether Judas Iscariot
Had God on his side.

So now as I'm leavin'
I'm weary as Hell
The confusion I'm feelin'
Ain't no tongue can tell
The words fill my head
And fall to the floor
If God's on our side
He'll stop the next war.

How I'll Spend Saturday

Today's To-Do List

1. Grade graduate class assignments.
2. Conduct literature review and create outline for journal article. If time, begin drafting the article.
3. Read and respond to my intern’s reflections and lesson plans.
4. Write a letter to Mother and Dad.
5. Pay bills.
6. File the pile.
7. Finalize lesson plan for Monday’s class.
8. Prepare Mary Kay orders for mailing.

Friday Musings

Blacksburg, Virginia

For 32 years I lived in the mountains of Virginia in a wee slice of heaven called Blacksburg. My heart is still there though I currently reside in the humid flatlands of Eastern North Carolina, the “Inner Banks” as it were, where termites and roaches abound. After much deliberation I decided to keep my mountain abode so that I can return there after my second retirement. At present the house is unattended so I decided that I should consider it my mountain hideaway and go there as often as possible for a little R & R and to see to its needs.

Eastern North Carolina

The only weekend in February that I could make the trek to them thar hills was this one. I set out this morning and was about 25 miles outside of “The Green City” when I had to turn back. Route 264 to Raleigh was a mess. After I passed eight accidents, I decided not to chance it. This was a tough decision because when my daughters were little, we lived way out in the boonies on an unpaved road. No amount of snow or bad weather could keep us from getting to town if the need arose. There wasn’t even a skiff of snow on Rt. 264 and I believe I could have made it. What I didn’t believe was that a North Carolina driver who has no experience driving in bad weather would not run into me. What mystified me was how the other drivers could whiz past me going 80 mph after passing all those wrecks! When a huge flatbed truck loaded with steel beams came barreling past me, I was terrified that the truck would fishtail and knock me off the road. I arrived home safely and contacted everyone in Blacksburg that I had a date to see. Then, I decided to assuage my disappointment with a little treat. What could be better on a cold nasty day than a fire in the fireplace? I set up shop in my living room and turned on the gas logs. This is not a good substitute for a wood fire, but it is better than nothing. Turning on the gas logs is such a luxury that I rarely do it. However, I decided that the money I would save on gasoline could be spent on natural gas. I lit a few candles and watched “The African Queen” for about the hundredth time. All is well.

Wit and Wisdom

I lead a book discussion group and this month’s selection is Having our Say: The Delany’s Sisters first Hundred Years, a book I read when it first came out. The book chronicles the lives of Bessie and Sadie Delany who each lived to be over 100 (Sadie died at 109). Born in Raleigh in the 1890s, these women with indomitable spirits lived through the horrors of the Jim Crow Era. Highly educated, Bessie and Sadie moved north where one had a dental practice and the other taught school. Neither married—“Honey, we never married. We never had husbands to worry us to death!" This, according to Bessie, accounts for her long life. I find that I am enjoying the book as much as I did when I first read it many years ago.

Dental Woes


What continues to mystify me is that there are more Nobel Prize winning scientists in the USA than in any other country. We are smart people. So why can’t we figure out how to provide affordable health care? We are the only industrialized country with this problem. Thank God I can afford to pay $200 for one small dental filling. Pity the millions of Americans who cannot.When I am in public elementary schools, which is often, I ache when I see children baring black stumps where pearly whites should be. It is a crime that one of the wealthiest countries in the world fails to do right by its youngest citizens. Shame on us!