From My Heart

Kindness

2012-01-15T08:05:00.000-06:00

So the lesson I'm going to teach today has to do with kindness. When I first looked at it, I thought it would be a "slam-dunk", you know, one of those things you can run through sorta with a "duh" attitude. Kindness - yes, everyone should be kind, everyone should practice this trait, give some examples, bam, you're done. Nope, I don't think so.

Here's what I learned in my study: Being kind is sometimes difficult. It is a choice. A kindness is truly a kindness when it is received by someone who: (a) may not "deserve" it, (b) does not expect it, (c) requires a sacrifice on your part, (d) is done without thought of what you will receive in return. Being kind involves not only taking action to meet a need, but also can be facilitated by the words you speak to others.

Do you know anyone who is truly kind? I've been the recipient of many acts of kindness over the years but I think one that stands out is an act so "small' and simple that the person, who I don't even know their name, was unaware the impact they had. It was a busy weekday evening, about 5:30, many years ago. I was standing in line at the small grocery store near my home, however, the store was packed, as it often was, with people similar to me-working moms stopping in to get something to fix for dinner that evening. I was tired and weary from a job which absolutely drained me. My three children at home were around 12, 14, and 16 and it seemed we were having one crisis after another in my family.  As I waited in line, I grew more and more impatient, and upset about the fact that there seemed to be never enough checkers in the store. Finally, my turn came and after pulling my cart up in the lane, the cashier unloaded my groceries to begin to scan them. I stood at the check-writing shelf and got my checkbook out, wondering if I had enough money to pay for food this week. After greeting me, the cashier looked at my face and said something like this: "You look really tired. You must have had a long, hard, day, now you have to go home and fix dinner! I'm so sorry you had to wait in line." Drip, drip, drip. These words fell onto a parched and weary soul, and I looked back at her. For the first time I saw dark circles around HER eyes and a weariness about her, but then, she smiled at me and there we were, two weary women understanding each other all because she cared enough to express kindness to me when I appeared out of sorts to her.

I've never forgotten it.  I don't even know her name, but I've never forgotten that feeling as I left that store and went home to my kids. Kind words matter! They buoy and lift the spirit like no other - especially when said to those who least deserve them, expect them, or who cannot give you anything in return.

Kindness.  I encourage you to practice it this week, and start with those who are nearest to you. Here's a reminder: "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32)

January 3

2012-01-03T22:02:00.000-06:00

Thankfulness first: I went to an inservice today - I could complain about this but you know, looking for things to be grateful for helps me to view things with a little different perspective. I got a parking ticket because I forgot to feed the meter - but - I have a car that works fine, AND, I have 15.00 to send to the city coffers. Temperature in the room at the ISC was just fine - not too hot, not too cold. The topic of the inservice was "somewhat" interesting so I wasn't completely bored ALL the time. How's that?

Iowa caucus is tonight. I am interested to see what the results are - however, I did read the paper an Iowa university professor wrote who was questioning why we have allowed Iowa such a position in the spotlight as they do not "represent America" accurately. Here's the link if you are interested:

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/12/observations-from-20-years-of-iowa-life/249401

That's it for today!

January 1

2012-01-01T22:16:00.000-06:00

I just got done reading about a man who a couple of years ago, sent 365 thank you notes to people in a year - like snail mail handwritten thank you notes, and how that changed his life. Every day - not only being thankful, but being thankful to another human being for something - I can well imagine that this would give a new perspective about things, and very quickly. He has written a book about his experience which has just recently been published ("365 Thank Yous - The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life" by John Krauk).

Thinking about this - I wondered if I actually could write 365 notes to 365 different people - do I even know that many people - and not only that, do I have a spirit of gratitude about my life's circumstances which would allow me to do that? Off the top of my head, here are 10 people I could thank today this very minute in no particular order - so if you read this and your name is at the bottom of the list, don't freak out! I have not included family because - well, I hope you all know how much I love and appreciate you every day!

Dr. Bakken - a professor at WSU who told me early on in my "going back to school" career that she had great confidence in my ability to stay in school and complete the school psychologist program successfully when I was doubting if I could.

Noma Curtis - former music director at Parkview Church - thank you for mentoring me, being my friend, and for helping me to grow as a musician.

Jill Rust - speech therapist (retired) who worked at the very first school I was assigned to (albeit briefly), and who, on a day I was about to throw it all in gave me a little train engine with the encouraging words - Yes you can! You can do it!

Lynn Wells - thanks for being one of the best supervisors I've ever worked for. Enjoy your retirement!

Lisa - you cut and color my hair every couple of months and what a pleasant experience it always is for me to come in and have you work your magic!

Debi Patry -- your bright smile at Braums as I'm shopping is always a day brightener for me.

Loy Burnett - For the last 30 years, I have so much appreciated your willingness to keep our old cars running, and to always treat us fairly when we have to bring one of them in. Thank you for all you do for us.

I don't know your name - but you work at the Donut Whole and you made me the most delicious sugar free peppermint mocha the other day! Thank you for your cheerful attitude and willingness to go the second mile.

Karen Wallace - I will never ever forget what you did for me (you know what), my first year working in USD 259. I remain very grateful to this very day - 6 years later.

Dianna - Thank you for opening your home on Tuesday nights for an eclectic group of women to gather and to discuss biblical topics. I am grateful for your service.

Trains

2011-11-20T23:58:00.000-06:00

Sitting in the chair, she drew the sweater around her and shivered. It was late January by the calendar, and as she looked out of the window near her chair, the yard light cast a glow on new fallen snow. Glancing at the clock she sighed as the time crept by ever so slowly. It was one of those nights.  She had let the tears spill down and now, she waited for the blessed relief of sleep. The only sound was the ticking of the clock on the wall, but every once in awhile a gust of wind swept around the corner and whistled as it danced along the old shingle siding.

Nights like this stretched so intermittably long. Her thoughts drifted, as they did so often, to what her life was like before, and now. Now, Papa was gone. An old man full of years, yes, and those years were spent in her care.  Papa was her responsibility - one that she cherished and took upon herself without hardly a second thought. She had opportunity to marry any of a number of promising young men when she was in her 20's and 30's and some not so young who sought her out as she grew older. But, no, that kind of life - the one her sisters and friends found so effortlessly, was not to be her choice.  She knew early on her life was with Papa, and in providing for him - and provide she did. But now, well, Papa took a final breath, and went home last month, leaving her in an empty house with memories, and pictures, and the cadence of the trains as they rumbled over the tracks and clattered into the night.

She still listened for his footsteps on the floorboards and the creak of his mattress as he turned in bed. Those sounds were not to be - but several hundred yards away - the trains came and went, all hours, all through the night. They ran on a schedule, whistling long and loud as they passed the crossing near her old home. Like beacons in the night - the westbound locomotives headed toward the California coast and the eastbound freighters chugged toward Kansas City and Chicago - each one manned by an engineer, whose job was to blow the whistle as the train went through the crossing.

40 or 50 trains a day clipping by become an accompaniment to the gardening, the chicken house cleaning, the yard work, or the visiting on the porch. But often, Papa stopped his work to watch the trains roar by, 70, 80, 90 miles an hour as they pulled car after car loaded with wheat, oil, new automobiles, or coal. At night the sweet music of the fast clickity clack along the corridor was a reminder that business and life, proceed as usual through the midnight of sleep.

12:22am. The discordant wail of a three note blast broke the silence. He's a little late this evening, she thought. The notes hung in the air.  The hand on the noisy whistle had rules to follow regarding when to begin to blow, how long to hold it open, and how many times to press the button as the train sped through the north end of the sleeping town.  The engineer peered out the window of the locomotive and spotted a faint yellowish glow coming from the west window of the little brown house.  Someone's up late, he thought.

She sat in the glow of the lamp, listening to the noise from the wheels and the whistle fade away, oddly comforted, somehow feeling as if an old friend had stopped by to visit and then left in a noisy hurry to get to another destination. Getting up from her chair, she turned out the lamp and wearily climbed into the wrought iron framed bed.  Pulling the heavy quilt up to her chin, she listened for the trains' songs. As the melodies echoed through the night, they wrapped her in peace, and she slept, dreaming of a life past.

I'm a basket case

2011-11-19T00:31:00.000-06:00

I'm so sad that I have this blog, and that I cannot seem to think about writing in it. I enjoy writing, I like trying to express my thoughts with words, yet, the discipline of doing this eludes me. I do not understand why I have such difficulty with this, yet, it is something I cannot give up on. There's so much about my life that I'd like to be different - yes, I may have a calm exterior, but inwardly, I am so in a turmoil about things.

It's my birthday today. Actually, I see that it's 12:27 am November 19th, so it was my birthday yesterday. I had a GREAT DAY. I had lunch with my kids, Reb and I got our hair done, I took a nap, I took the afternoon off work, and we had dinner at Spears with my extended family. I love love love family time together.

I need to head to bed as tomorrow Jay and I are visiting Jane and taking Rebekah with us. In the evening the spouse and I are headed to the symphony concert, as we got some free tickets. I am so blessed- and so confused!

Comments a la carte

2011-09-05T22:36:00.000-05:00

Beautiful weather! We enjoyed a hot dog roast, croquet, and visiting over at my brother's this evening. I saw, for the first time in many years, a shooting star. It was quick and over almost before it begun - if I would have blinked, I would have missed it.

Today I ripped out all the garden plants that were struggling along. I gave up - BUT, I'm thinking about planting a fall garden. I've got bean and beet seeds - could it be that I could actually grow something now that the weather has moderated? Hope springs eternal... We're working on putting in two more boxes along the back fence. I really like this "box garden bed" concept. We have to clear out years of honeysuckle vine first, so it'll be awhile.

I'm reading "The Help". I can't put it down! Well I can, but it's difficult. What a great book - I can't wait to see the movie.

After a rousing chorus of the neighbor's three dogs barking for almost an hour today I'm this much closer to checking on getting a privacy fence put up. Yes, they'll still bark at me, but I won't SEE them. I think that'll help. Please, God, make it stop.

Problems at church. Problems at work. Problems with family. Problems all around. What's the old adage - do what you can about the things you CAN control, everything else, let it go. I need to be reminded of that every once in awhile.

I can usually work the sudoku puzzle all the way up to Thursday, most of the time I can get Friday's, and rarely, I can get Saturdays. I usually try to work the Cryptoquip and the Jumble too. Sometimes I wonder if that's the only reason I subscribe to the daily paper. That and the comics. Love Pickles, Zits, Sherman's Lagoon, and Non Sequitur.

Speaking of Non Sequitur, did you know that it's Latin for "it does not follow"? In formal logic, it is an argument which its conclusion does not follow its premises. For example: in advertising - a commercial might state if you do not buy this brand of dog food, you do not love your dog. Wiki goes on to give several other examples of different non sequiturs.

It's late. Time to get to bed, in order to, get up early, in order to, go to work tomorrow, in order to, come home, in order to, go to bed, in order to, get up early, in order to... well, you get my drift. Have a good week.

A long two weeks

2011-09-03T15:06:00.001-05:00

It has been a difficult, long, last two weeks. Briefly, there was a crisis which touched one of the schools I serve. It was an incident of domestic violence where one of our first graders was shot to death, her 4th grade sister critically wounded, and her mother and grandmother wounded as well. The little girl's funeral was yesterday, and although I did not go, it certainly was uppermost in my thoughts as I worked at school.
Events like this always cause me to reassess my worldview regarding good and evil, of what happens when you are in the wrong place at the wrong time, and who really is in control of what in this universe. I am finding that really, when I'm called on to serve in a crisis, I can do that running purely on what I know my job is and what I have to do. It's usually days later before I really begin to mull things over and process the horrific nature of what happened, and then begin to put it in proper persepctive in my mental filing cabinet. PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) occurs when that system breaks down. Sometimes people have to deal with trauma, tragedy, and things too indescribable to talk about - and I wonder if those who truly suffer from this disorder ever can regain a sense of normalacy about life.

Rest in peace, Reimy. I pray Dayonara recovers, and certainly for her mother and grandmother as well - the healing required to deal with this tragedy will be much more than just physical.

Buddy

2011-08-12T22:02:00.000-05:00

Buddy was a member of my friend Julie's family. This is one of the last pictures taken of him, which she posted on facebook. She titled it: "You walked through my heart and right into heaven...I love you my Buddy! PS: I bet you're already catching birds and bunnies:) " Julie and her family made the very difficult decision to ask a vet to come to their house and administer a shot to this beautiful dog. He was old for a lab, and had some serious, chronic, health problems which were growing worse by the day. He was a trained therapy dog, and Julie brought him to Kensler the first two years I worked there, however, the third year, he retired as he was just not feeling well enough to stay all day and do his job. But he LOVED working, and when she walked in with him in the mornings, he bounded through the halls, ready to be of assistance to children who needed some unconditional love that day. When his collar and harness were on, he was one of the most obedient dogs I've ever known. He was well trained, and oftentimes, a look or a snap of Julie's fingers would bring him into willing compliance.

I gained information about therapy dogs - how they are trained to leave food they find on the floor and in fact, do not sniff toward plates or tables, how they are tolerant of hugs and kisses and "mauling" by kids, and of how they with one word stop, heel, stay, sit, lie down, or walk. But really, the one thing about Buddy - he was trained to not show pain. So although he lived with chronic pain issues, he did not complain or whine. Julie said that therapy dogs especially those who are labs, will wear their bodies out, but their hearts keep beating, they keep hanging on, they never give up. So many times, they need some assistance to take that final journey.

I looked at the other two pictures of Buddy Julie took today and posted, one of which is below. His face is so full of expression, but there is a tiredness in his eyes. I cried as I thought about what Julie and her kids are going through - losing a beloved pet is so heart wrenching you sometimes wonder if it is worth the risk. I thought of that very thing before adopting Lydia. There's no right answer the same for everybody, but I have to say, I'm so glad I knew Buddy. I'm glad I was privileged to work with him and to see him work. He will be greatly missed!

Blah and More

2011-08-11T00:03:00.001-05:00

I've been feeling a little, well, I don't know the proper term, but perhaps "blah" describes it. I sat down here late tonight to try to write about what's going on, but words fail me. So when words fail, what's the next best thing? I don't know for sure - after all, this is a BLOG, and blogs imply written material will be available for your perusal.

Went back to work this week. I usually don't mind that too much - I like the structure and routine of a work day. Started on some increased meds for the diabetes and I'm having a few side effects - but nothing terribly major, just inconvenient. My kids are going through various and sundry difficult times, but so are a lot of people. Nothing unique there - just sort of heartbreaking but I'm not the first mom to experience that. I think of those families who lost loved ones this last week in the war - oh my - the devastation that moms and dads, husbands and wives, children, brothers and sisters go through when a loved one gives his or her life military service - I can't imagine. A few days ago, 30 American soldiers died when their helicopter was fired upon by insurgents.

So I can count my blessings and come out "in the black" - I always do no matter what has happened. A certain weariness comes over me though. Don't know what it is or how to deal with it. Don't know that it's even that important that I do. It's really not about me and I was reminded of that in a big way these last few days. Every once in awhile, we need something to happen to us to help us re-focus on priorities - and we should be grateful when that comes about, painful though it may be.

Have a good week.

Reunion Observations

2011-08-06T17:38:00.000-05:00

We just got back from a few days in Kentucky, where we shared a resort with other family members we don't get to see very often. The weather was hot, the accomodations were so-so, but the time together was memorable.

Because the weather was hot, we weren't able to gather outside in groups to chat, so other than the hello hug and goodbye hug, I wasn't able to really visit with some the way I would have liked, and I missed that. For example, my oldest brother lives in Michigan and the next oldest lives in Texas, so I may see them twice a year, but generally speaking, it's once a year or less. At this reunion however, I would imagine I didn't chat with either one more than 15 minutes. Other relatives attending probably got less than that. I feel badly but am not sure what could have been done differently.

Our extended family has always been cohesive, strong, and supportive but this reunion was a little bumpier than some. Some misunderstandings were apparent, some things were said, other things were NOT said, and overall, I walked away with an unsettled feeling. I don't like conflict, but I can tell you that I learned a lot. You know, we get comfortable viewing life through our perspective and in doing so, this comfort may trick us into the trap of thinking that others see things the same way we do. The truth of the matter is, we are a widely diverse group who comes together once a year simply because we are connected to the Plank family in some way. We are 6 siblings who share a biological and historical tie, and we bring with us our spouses, our children and their spouses and children, who, someday, will be gathering for their OWN reunions with their own children and grandchildren. These are family ties which go back to my parents - John and Estella Plank - and soon, there will be more people in my extended family who never knew my parents than people who did know them.

So, what this old dog learned from meeting with my extended family for these three somewhat troublesome days is this: Don't ever take other people's perspectives for granted. Don't ever assume that you know how someone else feels about something. Learn what's important and what isn't and let go what isn't. Learn to appreciate the diversity we have.

Facebook

2011-07-21T11:47:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting to write a post about Facebook for several weeks now, and finally have decided, I just need to do it. I am a relatively new facebooker, having been doing it now for only 2 or 3 years, as opposed to my kids, who have been facebooking almost all their adult lives.

My husband had a Facebook less than a month before he in frustration, deleted it forever. He said he could not deal with first of all, people wanting to be his FB friend, when in real life, they hadn't spoken to him in years, and if for some reason, they would have spoken to him, it would be a short conversation and once you catch up, that's it. Secondly, he had no defense against the "minutia" of information people posted, and found it hard to understand why they thought he would be interested in knowing that they took their dog to the vet, went to the store, trimmed their toenails, or killed a spider in their house. He was assaulted with posts from games people were playing and although he blocked them, found it was an ongoing battle he just didn't want to fight. Thirdly, he rarely statused because, well, he's just sort of a private person. He doesn't feel the need to tell people he found a good deal on toilet paper or had a flat tire, or threw up his lunch, or whatever.

In so many ways, Facebook has had a gigantic impact on our personal lives, and in our culture. We post our political and religious opinions, we share articles and videos we find interesting, we comment on others' posts, and we basically, open our lives to those we choose to be friends with, whether they are truly "friends" or not. My social world has expanded - I am familiar with friends other people are friends with just because of the comments they make on mutual friends' walls. From today's posts, I know that: Robert likes "Facing the Giants" movie, that Charles has friended two people I don't know, that my son Dan wants tacos for lunch, that my niece is seeing a 1:00 show, that a school friend is garage saling today and another friend is scrapbooking. That's just from this morning and I only have a moderate amount of friends. Our family uses Facebook to send messages and invitations, and, we have a reunion facebook page set up where information is posted that is beneficial to all who are coming. Overall, I don't object to that, and in fact, I have invited those statuses to be a part of my life because I have ageed to have a Facebook account.

What's not to like? Well, here's something that knocks me for a loop from time to time: A status or opinion which is posted, and which quickly turns into a spirited discussion, which quickly turns into people misunderstanding what someone has posted, which quickly turns into people arguing with each other, and from there, we have people verbally assaulting one another. I've participated in many civil discussions on facebook, and some not so civil. Participants are much more likely to respond quickly by typing and in doing so, will write things they might not normally say face to face. I think people are much more careful about what they say and how they say it when they are actually looking at another human being in the room, however, this is changing rapidly. People are now living Facebook real lives, and I'll explain more in the next post.

In the meantime, I solict your opinons - how do you feel Facebook has benefited our lives in a postive way, and how has it negatively impacted you, or society as a whole?

Friends

2011-07-16T09:14:00.000-05:00

Today I went out to get the birdfeeders and fill the birdbath. As I reached to put the one back that hangs in a tree, a little sparrow fluttered within a couple of feet of my arm, as if to say, come on! We've been starving for days now! Although this "hobby" can be expensive, I have a budget - otherwise, I'd fill them every couple of days and my WalMart bill would be much larger. I enjoy doing this - I like seeing the different kinds of birds that come. Mostly they are common ordinary sparrows and finches, but every once in awhile, I'll see a bluejay, mourning doves, or an orangeish sort of bird I can't identify.

My lovely daughter in law has this bird feeding thing down to a science. She made her own squirrel-proof pole, set it in her yard, and from it, hangs several feeders, all of which frustrate the squirrels that live there. She saw a problem, she came up with a solution, and she implemented it - Why do I think this is a trait sorely missed in our politicians today.... But alas, I digress.

My bird friends like me because I feed them - and they hang around for that reason. Real friends - now that takes effort to accomplish. I had lunch with a friend yesterday, and after a mixup about waiting for each other (we were both seated in the same restaurant waiting for each other and never saw one another until I texted her and said, "Where U at?"), we had a nice lunch and took up 2 hours sitting there there chatting. I treasure these friendships, both of the bird and people variety.

How can I write about friends and not include the one who follows me around all day, even if I'm in the house and walking from room to room, who costs me vet trips and allergy shots, and, who provides companionship, who is a walking partner when it's not hot, and makes me laugh - oh yeah, that's Lydia, my friend of canine persuasion.

I'm also blessed to call my adult kids and their spouses "friends" in some sense, and my siblings - well I know that if I ever needed anything, these friends would instantly help.

I'm happy to tell you though, that my spouse is really my best friend. From feathered, to furry to human - I am blessed.

Summer of 1980 Remembrances

2011-07-11T22:20:00.000-05:00

So, how's it going? I hope the few of you who read this blog are doing ok, even in the extreme heat we are "enjoying" here in S Central Kansas. Some are comparing this summer to that of 1980 - here's some info about it:
Sweltering heat took a long, unwelcome vacation in Kansas during the summer of 1980. The blistering heat arrived with a vengeance on June 24th when the mercury soared to 103 degrees. Afternoon high temperatures broke the 100-degree barrier each day for the rest of the month, culminating in a monthly high of 110 degrees on the 30th. The nighttime provided very little in the way of relief as lows in the mid to upper 70s were prevalent during that one-week span. Little did anyone realize that the atmosphere was just getting "warmed up". During July, the heat wave hit full throttle when high temperatures cleared the 100-degree hurdle a staggering 24 out of 31 days, including an eighteen day stretch from the 3rd to the 20th. The 4th was, quite literally, hotter than a firecracker, when another 110-degree reading was achieved. The record heat reached a pinnacle on the 12th, when Wichitans baked in 112-degree temperatures. It appeared that the heat wave was losing its grip, when a cold front crossing the region on July 21st caused temperatures to "nosedive" back into the mid 90s with overnight lows dropping to near 60 degrees. Not so, as temperatures shot right back up into the 105-110 degree range from the 28th to the 21st. The heat wave that wouldn't die was entering its third month. The record heat didn't break stride as August took the baton and raced to a high of 110 degrees on the 1st. In fact, 11 of the first 13 days of August would see triple-digit highs. It was on the 14th that "the sizzling Summer of 1980" began to east its grip on Kansas, as temperatures settled back into more seasonal levels. However, it was too late, as 20 record high temperatures were set between June 24th and August 13th, all of which stand to this day. During the months of June and July, Wichita's Mid-Continent Airport only received 1.81 inches of rainfall, 0.47 inches of that was in July.

We had moved here from Ft Worth on July 1, with our firstborn baby daughter, who was born in April of that year. We had a nice apartment with some AC, but it was upstairs and it wasn't able to stay cool. The word "misery" comes to mind as I remember that summer. We had help to unpack our truck and haul all of our stuff up a flight of stairs and into our new home - but I recall lots of sweat and effort from those older people in our congregation who came to help us out. Oh, it was something else!

Judgment in Word and Picture

2011-06-13T10:26:00.000-05:00

I'm the first to admit that I'm a person who finds humor in people watching.  I think people are generally funny and I enjoy observing others in humorous situations.  Ask my youngest son - as he grew up, we shared a lot of "Look at that guy!" moments. One memorable "look at that guy" moment occurred as I was driving past the Broadway and Pawnee WalMart one day with him in the car and we saw a man walking north on Broadway clad in nothing but a pair of "tighty whiteys".   "LOOK at that guy!!" we both screeched as we went past him.

I'm also somewhat of a wordsmith, and, I've been told by some that I have a "dry" sense of humor - I actually looked that up on the "internets" because I wasn't sure what it meant. I love the humor in the writings of Dave Barry, Garrison Keillor, and others.  I poke fun of people, and I expect it back - with 4 brothers, a sister, 3 kids, and numerous nieces and nephews, all who have advanced funny bones of their own, I can't help but be the end of someone's witty observations. So I'm ok with that sort of thing. However, a couple of things occurred recently which help bring me back to the reality that there is a line that should not be crossed. In our extended family, we sort of know what that line is - we can zing someone but do it respectfully - and, speaking for myself, I may have gotten out of hand a time or two or three - and I do regret when that happens.

You may be aware that there is a website up and running called "People of Riverfest" - similar to the "People of WalMart" website. Someone walked around with a camera and took pictures of people at the River Festival which just concluded here in Wichita.  In some pictures the people looked like they were aware they were getting their pictures taken, and were posing, and other pictures were taken more stealthily, with people not aware their images were being captured. I have been looking at this website the past several days, amazed and aghast at what people wear in public (or don't wear, as the case may be), and have found humor in "Look at that guy!" shots of people who you really wonder if they knew they looked like that before they left the house. The captions accompanying the photos are sarcastic judgments about the person featured, and yes, I think some people dress like that for attention and to get noticed, ha ha. However, I was brought up short by a photo - it's of a woman I know. She is pictured with a caption which implies that she's not too bright in the way she talks. I found myself oddly offended by this - that someone took it upon themselves to take her picture, then judge her based on what she looked like.  The difference is - I know her. I've known her for years. She's a nice person. She is "needy" but she would not harm anyone, and she just lives life on her terms. For that, she gets her picture on the internet with a sleazy caption and people commenting about her. I don't know how I feel about that. I think there's a hairline difference between posting pictures of and noting people who obviously want attention with how they are dressed (i.e., the two guys wearing nothing but Speedos, or, the woman wearing what looks like a shower curtain, or the drag queens), and posting pictures of people who are "different" but not attention seeking. I dunno.

And, in the other situation I found myself in, a person of the younger generation used this phrase "that's so gay" to comment on my son's facebook status this last week. This person meant, as young people these days mean when they use this term, that my son was nerdy or stupid, or whatever, not necessarily "gay" because of his personal like for a certain kind of music. You may be aware that that phrase "that's so gay" is commonly used today by mostly kids, teens and twenties, to describe something or somebody in derisive terms, much the same way we used to call people "squares".  I took exception to this person saying that, not because I was offended that she said he was gay, but I was offended that she applied that term to him in a derisive way - she meant that his choice of music was stupid.  A long facebook discussion ensued, with other people jumping in on the topic. When all was said and done, I hope a couple of kids were enlightened by the offensiveness of this comment. If I hear a kid say this at school, I call them on it.

So once again, I am reminded to watch what I say, and temper that sarcastic humor just a bit. Those people that are being made fun of on websites such as peopleofriverfest.com are somebody's mother, daughter, son, or father. They are real people, with real feelings - and yes, some crave the attention and like the publicity - others don't deserve the judgment that comes when people make fun of the way they look, dress, or speak.

Is it getting old in here?

2011-06-03T07:24:00.000-05:00

For those of you who follow my brother's blog, we smiled at his adventure at WalMart not too many days ago, as he dealt with his "stolen" pickup. Here is a link to that blog entry in case you're interested.

http://hubblefan.blogspot.com/

There's no doubt we're getting older. I now have a WalMart story of my own. It's not as spectacular as his, but it addresses the same problem - what happens when older people like myself, do things out of the ordinary routine? Trouble! That's what happens!

So, my car was past an oil change. I zipped into the West Kellogg WalMart to see if they could change it for me. It'll be an hour and a half, the man said. I agreed, as I had no pressing engagements, and needed to do some shopping anyway. I got a cart and off I went. About 45 minutes later, I was done except for some frozen groceries, so I headed over to the Subway, parked my cart, and got out a book I was buying to read (it's called "The Christian Atheist" in case you're interested). Soon I was engrossed, but kept an eye on the shopping cart to make sure no one decided it was abandoned and rolled it to customer service. Time passed quickly. With about 10 minutes to go before the car was ready, I got my cart, went to frozen foods, got my veggies, then got in line to pay. I had about half of my groceries on the conveyor belt when I looked at the child's seat I usually put my purse on, and.... no purse. I'm telling you, there is nothing like the sinking feeling you get when your purse is gone. It is pure panic. Immediately I began looking, searching (visually) other shoppers standing in line. I screeched at the cashier, "My purse is GONE!" She notifed the CSM. I had my cell in my pocket so I called my husband, and asked him to come as I had no way to pay for this 100.00 in groceries, bawling on the phone. The CSM arrived, and with her, 2 people from Loss Prevention, (by the way, they look like ordinary shoppers, dressed in t shirts and shorts). I described it, and they started looking. The CSM told me to call 911 immediately so that if my card was used in the store, the bank could confirm it wasn't me. I picked up my cell again, and had no bars, so I walked over toward the Subway to call. Just as I dialed 911, my eyes drifted to the Subway, and..... spotted my purse in the exact same spot I was sitting at 20 minutes ago reading my book.

Screeching, I made a beeline for it, hanging up on 911 (who immediately called me back and asked if I needed help). It was zipped shut and in perfect condition. I showed it to the cashier, and by that time, the LP people had already isolated the video tape of me checking out. She said, we see the purse in your shopping cart, but the next frame shows it's not. I told her that I thought I'd left it in the Subway when I was there earlier, and she wasn't so sure, as she says it is visible on the tape.

At any rate, all is right with the world. My purse was unattended in that Subway for 20 minutes or more, and I never even missed it as I finished my shopping.

Here's the best part: After the whole thing was over, and I was feeling very relieved, I realized I needed to use the restroom, so I parked the cart and went into the nearest restroom (with my purse on my shoulder). As I sat in the stall, I wondered why there were only two stalls - "I thought the women's room had at least 6", I said to myself. I finished up, then as I turned to what I thought were sinks when I hurriedly came in, I realized they were indeed, yes, they were urinals. For about 3 seconds I was aghast at what I had done, then calmly walked out, not caring - hey - I had my purse! Things were great!

Catching Up

2011-05-31T11:40:00.000-05:00

Finally, the wind which has battered and beaten everything in its path the last two days has died down and today, May 31, 2011, has dawned sunny with just a little breeze. My little digital camera I purchased at WalMart a couple of years ago was a victim of my carelessness and yesterday's wind. I left it in the swing at my brother's house and the wind blew so hard it blew the cushion it was on up from the swing seat, which threw my camera onto the ground. There's a couple of cracks in it, and although we tried to get it to come on, it is done for. I LOVED that camera, and I will need to replace it with one like it if I can find one.

Another Memorial Day has come and gone. Although I was raised to be more of a pacifist, I am so grateful for those who have given their lives for this nation and my home - so that I have the right to hold and speak whatever viewpoints I choose. I love hearing the stories of veterans, particularly, those of WWII. I posted on facebook this video of a 93 year old man Larry Hatteberg interviewed for "Hatteberg's People". If you haven't watched this, I would encourage you to do so.

http://www.kake.com/hattebergpeople/headlines/Hattebergs_People_-_Pastor_H_O_Lindeblad_122809924.html

Notice what this man learned to do at age 91.

Back to Memorial Day, my young niece and nephew enjoyed wading in the Little Ark river, and, very much enjoyed playing in the mud pit their Uncle Kevin fixed for them. After baths, they were almost as good as new. If I can get the pictures off of my memory card from my broken camera, I will try to post some on here and on facebook. We went to the cemetery the day before, but it was so very windy and hot that it was not conducive for visiting. We ran into a relative I hadn't seen in awhile, and I was sorry we weren't able to stay longer.

I also wanted to mention that my daughter-in-law's parents were here over the weekend. Her mother is an landscaper extraordinaire, and they brought all kinds of plans and plants for my son and DIL's home. She is what I would consider an "adventurous" landscaper. She plants things that look really neat, but it takes a brave person to do that and not worry about killing everything. I'm not a landscaper, and just mow my yard, but, I have experienced good success with my raised garden beds. I have 2 larger ones, then a smaller one for tomatoes and peppers. I LOVE it. I have harvested lettuce, which is done now, and so far, one "vidalia" onion which was planted from an onion set I planted last spring. As I explained on facebook, it's not a true Vidalia onion, as they only grow in Vidalia County Georgia - and, the one I used in a salad yesterday was kinda spicy! My potatoes are huge, and peas are blooming. Beets are up, radishes are up, and green beans are doing well. If you are thinking about a raised bed, get some good dirt! I have a recommendation I can give you.

Today I'm having lunch with Rebekah and getting my hair cut etc. I love not working at school for awhile, but it seems my days fill up with other stuff pretty quickly. I have a lot I need to accomplish in the next two months. I'll keep ya posted.

Words of hope

2011-05-01T11:54:00.000-05:00

This is a chilly, overcast, drizzly, windy Sunday morning. I am sitting here at the computer, and from my vantage point, I can look out the front window and see a red-headed finch picking up sunflower seeds from my hanging feeder. He is a spot of sunshine in an otherwise gloomy day. I am listening to John Michael Talbot's "Pathways of the Shepherd", and this instrumental music brings me peace.

I take comfort in the fact that my Heavenly Father sees me, as surely as He sees the finch outside. His presence is here - and it is a reassuring comforting Presence. Although circumstances in several areas of my life are far from peaceable and pleasant, I rest. Tears of relief come.

Truly, the Lord is my Shepherd, and I shall not want. The words of this familiar Psalm echo in my mind, and center themselves in my heart, in my very being. I rest in the knowledge that I am never far from His thoughts, I am never away from His Spirit. I am not ever abandoned or forsaken. I am weary, but not discouraged. I am saddened, but not in despair. I am sheltered and loved.

I hope whatever you are going through that you find hope in the Shepherd's Presence. May you feel His comforting embrace as His arms encircle you. May He bring you healing from the hurts and wounds of life. Allow Him to annoint you with oil, and fill you to overflowing. God bless you in your journey to wholeness. It's worth it.

Carry On

2011-04-25T22:27:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling a little sad this evening. It seems that there's a lot going on in my life, and most of it is because I never thought I'd be in some of the situations I'm in, dealing with some of issues that have presented themselves to me. I feel like withdrawing and just wrapping myself in a covering of some sort so that I am immune or impervious to slings, arrows, and thrown stones. Wouldn't THAT be a great idea? If we could walk around like turtles with shells -we wouldn't get ourselves into messes, (unless we ended up on our backs with our legs flailing around in the air), and, we wouldn't be hurt by what life sometimes brings. Conversely, we wouldn't hurt others with our actions or words if we could just stay in our shells and complete life's minimal requirements, such as bill paying and working for a living.

I sometimes just get weary trying to stay afloat and on course, trying not to crash into hidden rocks. I realize part of this feeling has to do with the fact that there's only a few weeks of school left, and this is my absolute busiest time of the year. But, I also am struggling with more personal things particularly in relationships. When friendships change, when things you thought were sure aren't, when others misunderstand intentions, and when you can't describe or explain how you feel - then a restless, something's off-kilter, something's amiss feeling comes to take up residence. How does one cope?

Music Speaks

2011-04-20T20:46:00.000-05:00

So, I've been learning a new piece on the piano. It's called "Solace" or "Solace Rag" by Scott Joplin. It's not really a rag like you might think, it's slower, deliberate, and full of expression when played properly. I heard this piece played in Century II Concert Hall by a pianist who was featured with the symphony that evening. After a stellar performance of playing technically challenging pieces, for his encore, he sat at the piano, alone, and simply played "Solace". I, along with the rest of the audience, was mesmerized by the beauty of this composition and said to myself that evening, "You will learn to play that!"

Forward several weeks. My son purchased "Solace" online and as I sat at HIS piano one day and plunked it out I discovered that although it may not be extremely difficult to master the technical aspects, what will be difficult will be playing it with feeling and passion in order to evoke an emotional response in myself, and in my audience, should I play it for anyone else.

Daniel gave me the music, so while I practice these notes, I imagine the composer - Scott Joplin - and what might have inspired him to write this simple but beautiful music, which inspires wistfulness, solitude, and a melancholy feeling of yesterdays. This music, as well as Chopin Preludes and Bach Inventions, and even more modern compositions bring me to a state of lowered blood pressure and a different perspective - it uses a different area of the brain than I've used all day, and it is heaven on earth for a little bit. I hope you too can find that place where you can obtain peace of mind and a healing of your spirit. The work day batters and tears, but a place of rest restores. God will meet you there, and He promises to renew your strength for yet another day.

Wishes

2011-04-09T17:26:00.005-05:00

My wish list, which includes world peace and a chicken in every pot, has been growing recently. Five new additions include the following:
1. A shoe store which carries ONLY wide and double wide shoes. In lots of different styles and colors. And shoes that are cute - not old lady shoes.
2. I need a purse I don't hate. I don't exactly hate my purse, but I'm not fond of it either. It's sorta like an ugly beater car you drive because you have to have transportation.
3. I ardently wish our school district did not have to cut another 15 million out of the budget for next year. The cuts in "phase two" will impact classrooms, support services, and programs. "Phase three" cuts will be even more devastating.
4. Senator Oletha Faust-Goudeau can speed all she wants to. She doesn't have the right to get by with it because she's a senator, because she has a "challenge coin" from Norman Williams, or because she thinks she's being racially profiled. She needs to suck it up and pay her tickets and quit trying to make excuses for her behavior. My wish for her is that she would conduct her personal life more responsibly and with integrity. She also has problems with code violations in housing she owns, but hey, she's a senator! She's busy!
5. I wish young boys and men, from say age 13 to age 40, would pull their pants up. I am in no mood ever to see any sort of underwear on a person, and don't they realize that if they didn't sag, they could actually take normal steps? It's so STUPID! Pull your pants UP! As I said to one gangbanger, "Pull your pants up. Does your mother know you sag like that???" He looked at me as if i were speaking a foreign language. Along with that, I wish larger women would wear bras and moderately longer shorts. I'm tired of seeing tattooes, flab, sag, and fat on people who shouldn't wear tanktops and short shorts. Blech.

Laura Story - Blessings

2011-03-31T21:19:00.000-05:00

Changes

2011-03-30T22:02:00.004-05:00

I've been thinking the last several weeks about making changes to my blog. Tonight I kinda looked around at the templates and colors and just decided to go with something different. I have been frustrated the past year or so with this blogging situation, simply because I feel constrained by the title "Cool School Psychologist". I'm so much more than my job and there are a lot of things I would RATHER comment about, think about, and write about. Don't misunderstand, I love what I do, it's just not the sum total of my life. If I wrote about my job, or discussed more formal academic topics, then I wondered if it was boring to the folks who know me just as me. If I wrote more personally, and discussed my faith, my feelings, my love for my family, or even talked about where I live, I worried about those of you who subscribe to this blog purely for the professional ideas you might glean. A lot of my subscribers are those who are also in my job field - and I have no problem with that, but I'm MORE than my job. I thought when I was finishing up school that I would enjoy going to conferences, and one of these days, I'm going to make the national conference for school psychologists, but I gotta tell you, I am less enthusiastic about that now. I think it's because I have come the realization that like so many people in the work force, I am powerless, more or less, to change the way the district expects me to practice. I just do what they tell me to. I keep plugging along year after year - go to this meeting, attend this training, acquire this new binder with information it it - and that's ok, but I really have no way to try innovative things in my practice. I keep getting catalogs in the mail, but why? I don't order testing supplies and now with no budget funds, I especially don't expect any new test materials. I'm basically a person who is trained in this specific area, and I have developed expertise in this area, and I like almost everything about my job, but I don't create or define policy, I don't drive RTI implementation at any school I'm at (the psychologists reading this know what I'm talking about), and I just basically put my head down and plow through the work - somehow, the elephant they served me in the fall and told me to eat all of by May, gets eaten bite by bite. The rule is, you can only eat 1/4 of the elephant by Christmas, and from January to May, you eat 3/4. Lastly, I've felt uncomfortable in the last year blogging about specific situations at school. My job is absolutely fascinating, frustrating, and amazing, and I wish I could tell you about things I've seen, heard, and know. I wish I could be open and share, but this is a public blog on a public forum. I have too much respect for my job, my students, and my supervisors to really say what I feel like saying. When I've written about students on here, I've always disguised their identities - however - there is always a slight risk of discovery. My intentions have always been to promote the field of school psychology, and to lend a perspective to my readers that they may not always see - but, doing that not only with integrity but discreetly remains a challenge. So, I feel better now that I've changed things. Those of you who are looking for purely a professional discussion, and you want to quit following, hey, that's fine. I'm not looking to try to please everybody. I just want to share from my heart to yours.

Announcement

2011-02-05T16:49:00.001-06:00

This blog is closed until further notice. Thank you.

No school AGAIN

2011-01-12T10:18:00.002-06:00

Second day of no school. I'm always a little flustered by this, but believe me, I'm not complaining. It's just that meetings have to be rescheduled and now I'm going to feel even more behind. Next week we're out on Monday for MLK day, and Tuesday we have inservice. Those two days out I sorta planned for, but now - well, we'll have to see. Plus, in May, we get to go for an extra two days, so, bleh.

As usual, things remain challenging. I'm going to begin work with a child who has "silent seizures". I've not ever done that, so some research will be necessary. According to the child's relative, the physician has said that in this case, these seizures are very frequent and it is his belief that they have caused some cognitive damage. I feel for her and for the relative. I have another case of pretty severe autism which has been undiagnosed up to this time, and a couple of kids who just have several symptoms of several disorders. It's sometimes hard to figure out environmental factors in these cases.

I have several cases also at the private school in our area - they are coming up with more and more kids who need special ed assessment. Thankfully I have a good relationship with the administration over there and we can talk about some of these cases and try to figure things out. I just got done with the nicest kid over there - he's new to the school this year and was so delightful for me to get to know. "Larry" was the tall silent type until we talked about Arkansas Razorback football and hunting. That kid could write a manual about hunting duck or deer - it was really great to visit with a student who had a passion for something besides video games. Although I'm not a hunter and couldn't shoot any living thing, I loved how his eyes lit up when talking about shooting his first buck.

Well, it's off to spend time with my niece's kids today to give her a break. I can think about work stuff later!

Catching Up

2010-12-28T22:06:00.003-06:00

I've not posted in a long time, and I've got a brother nagging me...so, here ya go. Just sort of an update on what's been going on.

I am enjoying a few days off for the "winter recess". Actually I started it 3 days earlier than my colleagues because I fractured a rib on Friday evening, Dec 17. Long story, but it began with a fall in a parking lot the Saturday before, and ended a week later with my dog playfully headbutting me on the floor and me experiencing great pain and agony on my right side, so bad I cried most of Saturday morning while waiting for someone to come and rescue me and take me to the MEC. You would think with the number of people in my family who carry their own personal communication devices known as "cell phones" with them, that I would have been able to find somebody in 2 hours to answer their phone. But that's a whole other post to write when I'm feeling curmudgeonly. My husband finally happened to come home for his lunch hour to find me and bundled me off to the doctor's office.

SO, I'm now almost 2 weeks recouperated, and every day gets a little better, but having constant pain in my side is my new "normal", so that's an adjustment. I'm off the highpowered drugs except at night, so yesterday, I resumed driving which was also good for me. I enjoyed shopping and lunch with my daughter today, and did quite a few errands, so I'm ready for some narcotic relief.

I'm kinda glad Christmas is over. I was disappointed in not being able to attend family and church functions that I wanted to - however, we had a grand time Christmas Day at Kevin's. I'm a person that kind of thrives on routine and when it's interrupted a LOT, I get out of my element. Does that sound like an old person or what! But the routine of work and daily activities really helps keep me sane I think. I love my summers off but I have to DO something in order to not just while away the hours in mindless pursuits for 60 days straight.

Even while I'm on this break I've thought of the things that await me. I check my work email every couple of days or so and consider what I'm going to do the first week of January. I wonder how my kids are - the ones that I go to bed thinking of. My prayer is that they are safe, warm, fed, and nurtured, somehow, someway. I know they can't wait for school to start again - you talk about safety in routine. For many of them, school is their safe place, their nurturing place, the place where they are fed and warmed.

School budget cuts loom in the future - Wichita has to cut 20 million dollars for next year, which was the last figure I heard. I'd like it to not be all about the money, but it is. If I were a senior living on a fixed income, I'd probably complain about my taxes too.

Not too long ago, Igave a tour of one of my schools to a cranky old man who wondered where all his tax dollars were going. I was heartened to see him step inside a public school and see what all we do - he now has a better idea of what's going on. I would encourage anyone who hasn't set foot in a public elementary school in a long time to do so. You will be amazed, and glad you did. Don't judge public education by what you see in the media. Go by and see for yourself.

November 30

2010-11-30T20:55:00.003-06:00

It's almost the midpoint in the school year and so far, things have been busy and challenging. I am serving two public elementary schools, and a Catholic school that's near one of the schools I'm assigned to. Did you know that students who attend private schools are entitled to special education services if they are found eligible? They receive those services in a public school, so every day there's a bus that comes over and brings the parochial students. It's a challenge to work out schedules at times - when parents make the decision to send their children to private schools, it's usually for religious reasons - and so we work very hard to make sure they are able to get that religious instruction.

I'm seeing some students for counseling, and am working on a behavior plan for a student who has great emotional needs - she/he is living in a home environment that's detrimental to the student growing and maturing academically and emotionally - however, it's been determined that the situation is not severe enough to warrant involvment by our esteemed child protective services. You'll be seeing this kid's name in the paper in about 10 years.

It was cold and windy out yesterday and today. I did manage to take the dog for a walk when I got home but she was ready to come in after about 25 minutes and so was I. In the evenings I'm keeping busy reading and, I've recently re-taught myself to crochet - and, Rebekah, I AM getting your last tea towel done! Maybe by Christmas!

Christmas music is playing everywhere, and I've finally bought some new lights to go around the top of the house under the gutter. I need to get my son to help me put up the clips so we can string them up. I did look at LED lights - my - they are terribly expensive. I realize all the advantages but good grief - I can't spend 200.00 on Christmas lights. My youngest son and daughter in law have already got theirs up and are enjoying them. I could never get him to help me with lights when he lived at home, but see - this is what happens when you fall in love...

I recently celebrated a birthday - and I'm on the downhill slide to 60. I don't FEEL my age - I'm not quite ready for an assisted living center, but I'm telling you, when I think about retiring in 10 years, I can't believe life has gone by this fast. I'm so hoping I am in good health and can enjoy my work - and, most importantly, can continue to do my job well as I, um, "age". (Like cheese and fine wine? I'm not sure about that!)

Ren the Cat

2010-10-18T22:45:00.002-05:00

A remarkable thing happened this week - and yes, I realize this is off-topic, but hey. It's my blog. I can post whatever I want to!

A friend of mine has a 20 year old, deaf, "Morris" cat named Ren. Ren went missing a week ago Saturday. She looked throughout the neighborhood for Ren, but in vain, and posted this sad news on her facebook page. A prayer was said that Ren might be united with his owner. Sunday went by. No Ren. Monday morning came - she told me that she still hadn't seen him, and feared the worst.

Monday evening I attended a Bible study in another friend's home. I mentioned after we were through with the lesson that my friend was missing Ren, and the other ladies promised to pray that he would be reunited with his family. One woman attending asked me where my friend lived, and I told her - and she realized that she lived not in the same neighborhood, but in the same general area and that she would look for him. Another woman said she lived a few blocks away from the first woman, and that she would also keep an eye out for Ren.

Tuesday. I emailed my friend and asked if she had a photo of Ren she could send me, and she did. I forwarded the photo to my two friends from Bible study so that they would know what he looked like. I forwarded that email about 4:30 on Tuesday afternoon.

If you've made it this far, the best is yet to come. Here's the interesting part: About 9:50 that evening, my friend checked her school email (something she does not do very often from home) and found the photo I had sent her. Ten minutes later, at about 10:00, her children arrived home, and stated that, yes, you guessed it, there was a CAT on the front porch. She looked out her glass door, and indeed, an orange tabby cat was just sitting there on her porch staring back at her. She immediately recognized him from the picture that she had just seen - yes, it was Ren. She called my friend and quickly, Ren was reunited with his loving owners. He was about 1.3 miles from home, and in order to get to my friend's front porch, had to cross a busy thoroughfare. Not only that, but there are literally dozens of houses in my friend's neighborhood. Dozens. There are houses across the street, next to her, on every lot, on every block. Dozens of homes with front porches.

Somehow, someway, Ren the cat ended up on THAT porch. Of THAT house. At THAT time of the evening. Right AFTER she got the email from me with his picture. AFTER I had mentioned it at Bible study. AFTER we had prayed that Ren would be found.

I tell this story and I am humbled and amazed by this obvious answer to prayer. Both Ren's "mom" and "dad" graciously thanked me for what I did to get Ren back home, but it wasn't me. It was nothing less than God, hearing our prayers, and gently picking up a 20 year old deaf cat, and placing him right on my friend's porch, where her children would see him as they came in the door late that night. It was God not only caring for this cat, but loving us through this act of His supernatural working.

I am a Christian, but I gotta say that in my experience, these situations do not happen very often. When they do, I am filled with gratitude and amazement. We serve a God who holds the universe together, and who listens to His children as they ask Him for what they need.

I am also the first to admit that I don't know how this works. I don't understand why some prayers are answered and some are not. I don't know why people suffer, I don't know why God doesn't heal those who ask Him, I don't know why He works in some situations and appears to ignore others, I have no answers. I don't know why bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people. I have no speculation - I just flat don't understand it. But my faith is not diminished by these seemingly incongruent responses from God - instead, I marvel all the more at His perfect plans for His children. It isn't mine to understand - that's not my responsibility. If I could understand it, I'd be able to figure God out - and who can do that? Certainly not me and certainly not anyone that I know.

So Ren is safe, and God is honored in this situation. It was a blessing for me to see this unfold right before my very eyes and I pray that my spiritual eyes might glimpse a vision of how the Maker of the universe cares for His own. And for kitties. Dear readers, I hope you will find encouragement and that your faith will be strengthened by reading this story. Blessings to each of you this week.

October busyness

2010-10-17T17:58:00.004-05:00

I told somebody the other day that this is the busiest October I think I've ever had. There's lots to do ALREADY and it just keeps coming. I went to an expulsion hearing last week which was quite interesting - I wish I could share details, but, alas, not a good idea. I will say that the student appeared to be pretty casual about the whole thing - I'm not sure she/he grasped the significance of what was happening, or if they did, they didn't care.

Behavior problems continue to be at the top of the page of things I deal with every day. Students these days really do not know how to be kind, courteous, and civil to one another and so, apparently, we have to teach them, but this is sometimes a losing battle. I had a young man in my office last week who had no problem telling me that I wasn't his boss and he didn't have to do what I told him to. He explained to me that I could just call security because he wasn't scared of anybody. He continually tried to engage me in conversation and was more than willing to let me know just what he was going to do or not do - and not only that, but he was telling ME what I could do. I did not reply to him, which frustrated him - and I wondered if he was going to pick up a chair and throw it at me. Did I mention that he's 7?

I've been working with another young student who lives with a single parent who is employed in a job you wouldn't want to tell your grandmother about. This young person has a vocabulary that would make a sailor blush, but is so needy for attention and for positive affirmation that she/he will do about anything for a look or a touch from an adult. And along the way, we've got to teach her/him to read. Did you realize that all students, yes, 100% of our students, have to meet state assessment standards by 2014? The bar is raised every year for reading, math, science and writing, until, by 2014, it will be at 100%. Let's see - 2014 - this kid will be in 5th grade. I wonder what he's gonna be like. Probably NOT passing state assessments, I would guess.

So anyhow, this next week is conferences which means late nights on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. After conferences we always get parent requests for evaluations - I truly have job security I think.

It's been beautiful weather and I've enjoyed every minute of this October. I went to the symphony concert this afternoon - that Gustav Mahler - I enjoyed hearing his Symphony #2 in C Minor - "Resurrection". Century II's rennovation is wonderful - the seats are actually comfortable with a nice amount of space between the rows. (I can say that because I'm not over 6 foot tall, trying to fold my frame like a grasshopper...)

Have a good week, all.

Who will win?

2010-09-26T07:57:00.002-05:00

It's cool, cloudy, and finally, a nip of fall is in the air. I'm glad to see it - although I love warm weather, I'm not sure I could live in summer all the time as some parts of the world do. One of the things I've always loved about Kansas is that we have 4 distinct seasons here.

It was a difficult week, as I put my 55 year old brain power to work trying to work on a functional behavior assessment for a student who already, at the tender age of 10, doesn't seem to care about the choices she/he makes. This student has a lot of people who care (mainly at school), but I think environmental influences at home are going to get her/him. I spoke with a relative last week who does understand that the situation is gravely serious, but, who also tends to make excuses-and frankly, I might do some of that too if someone were speaking to me about my kid, but there's a host of help around if only this family would avail themselves of it. We'll see what happens this next week. Compared to what this kid finds exciting and an adventure, I'm sure 4th grade math and reading are not in the running for what captures her/his attention.

Family Relationships

2010-09-18T12:12:00.003-05:00

Warning: personal reflections to follow, not necessarily job related. I know some people read this blog for school psychologist perspectives, and that's fine, but as with all of you, I'm more than my job. And that "more" sometimes presses for expression.

I'm thinking about things right now which have to do with relationships - both familial and friendship. I was having breakfast today with my daughter and her husband and my oldest son, and the topic turned to the value of relationships with siblings, parents, and with extended family - aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. I don't think my son in law would mind me sharing this (if he does, it's too late...), but one of the things my daughter told him before they were married was that if he did not establish positive, warm, relationships with her family, all of her family, she would not continue in a relationship with him. She considered that to be a dealbreaker. I was surprised that she placed that sort of value on this group of 35 or 40 people we call family, but I was pleased that she valued that in her life and saw it as essential.

My husband has often spoken about the relationship he has with his brother, or perhaps doesn't have with his brother, and how he wishes it could be different. He views it as a situation that is not likely to change, both of them going to their graves with regrets. When my oldest son heard these comments, his comment was, "I do not want to live like that. I'm not doing that." He said it with such a look of determination and passion that we listening were silenced. Perhaps that's why he spends time cultivating a relationship with his sister and her husband and his "adopted" brother, Bob. He sees that, values it, respects it, and it has a place in his life.

When children grow up, roles and relationships change. It's sometimes difficult to find your way around when navigating relationships with adult offspring, and I'm still learning how to do that. But I'm glad that my kids have the model before them of family - of flawed people loving each other in spite of idiosyncrasies and diverse viewpoints of life. It's up them whether or not they will take that baton and run with it - and some seem to have already done that. I can only hope, for the sake of their generation and those that follow, that they will do so joyfully and with purpose. In 40 years or sooner, who knows, I won't be here. I won't leave a lot of material possessions and money to any of my kids. What I do leave them, however, is a heritage of faithfulness to the God who created them, and a love indescribable for family - for people that God picked to surround you with at birth. My children will not be able to take advantage of this heritage until they take a hold of it and begin to make it a part of their lives and it's a priority for them. As life goes forward, every Friday night that we eat together, every time Rebekah and Jason come over to play dominoes or cards, every time the cousins get together at Scott's house for games and fun, every time I drive to Hesston to visit Mervin and Wayne and Clara, every occasion we worship together, every time I drive out to Kevin's or Jay's or they stop in at my house, and also, I'm including those weekly or more often chats with my sister - all of those are building blocks, strongly and sturdily standing on the foundation of forever relationships - it's an amazing and humbling experience. Those brothers I don't see often because they live away - I know one phone call and they are here. There's nothing more valuable to me than that.

May my children and grandchildren yet to be born share in that same rich blessing of extended family. I want to be able to look down from heaven someday (if we can do that from there) and see a whole roomful of Planks, Basses, Simmonses and Elwells - spending time with one another, loving one another, and continuing to build on that foundation already laid for them. Trust me, all you family who read this, you won't regret it. I don't know of anyone who on their deathbed said, "You know, I wish I wouldn't have spent so much time with my sister. I wish I wouldn't have cultivated a relationship with my brother." Right? Amen!

What's wrong, what's right

2010-09-14T21:29:00.003-05:00

It's been an interesting week. Already. I've done a little gang education with two 4th graders who were using gang signs during a math class - yes, that's right, 4th graders. I'm in the middle of evaluating a child, who, it has been discovered, English is her/his 3rd language. I would tell you the first two, but that's too much identifying information. Nevertheless, evaluating the academic progress and ability of a child who has not sufficient aquisition of English is certainly challenging. I met with a parent regarding her concerns for her child, recently diagnosed with Autism. And, I listened to a staff member who came in my office in tears about a difficult situation, again, with a parent. Did I mention I've been doing a functional behavior assessment with a student who has severe ADHD, however, is unmedicated and in my opnion, unparented? This child is alone after school, and spends time riding her/his bike in the neighborhood, and hangs around a friend who also is unparented, and together, they go to a nearby park to occupy their time as well as other places, unsupervised. Doesn't seem to bother either of them - and as long as they are home by 8, it's "no problem!" Did I mention it's dark at 8? Did I mention that they are 9 and 10?

That's one reason I like this job so much. Every day is different. Every day is a challenge. Every day is an opportunity to sharpen skills and try to make a difference in the life of somebody. Every day brings heartache, but also at times, joy. To balance all of the above, while I was driving to work this morning, I stopped behind a school bus and waited for kids to load up. I watched a dad waiting with his son at the bus stop. Dad hugged his boy, waited while he boarded the big bus, and, as the bus pulled away, waved to his son, who was waving at the bus window. Both had big smiles. The connection between father and son was evident. I know that kid had a good day - but, if for some reason he didn't, I know dad is there for him - and you can't buy that with all the money in the world. I love to see examples of good parenting. It uplifts me and helps me know that not all is wrong in the world, when often, that's all I do see during the day.

It's only been 2 months

2010-09-12T07:40:00.004-05:00

I have needed to blog for the last several weeks, but every time I sit here, I cannot seem to get my thoughts together. Many times I feel that no one really cares what I think, or observe, or comment about. Other times I don't have words to describe what I'm feeling or what's important to me.

I know people check this blog frequently for postings and I appreciate that some of you hang in there with me with nothing appears for weeks and weeks. I know this is good therapy for me, and a good way to practice self-discipline - but if I were REALLY disciplined I'd be writing a journal on a Big Chief tablet with a fat pencil. (Remember those?) You could never tell this by looking at me or my house, but I'm somewhat of a perfectionist. You don't know how many times I don't write because I think it won't be good enough - and that's sort of the way I live my life. If I can't be "good", I don't want to attempt it at all. In the same way, my blogs never ever meet my standard of what's good enough. But, like any other vice, this twisted thinking can be mediated - however, the only mediation is actually performing the task.

There's a lot going on with my life that's right, and some that's not. I gain comfort from simple pleasures - and, like most of you, I struggle. Recently I've walked through the arboretum in Hesston and took some pictures. I'm not a good photographer by any means, but what a jewel of a place - and what a privilege to experience what feeds the soul.

Feeding the soul - taking care of the spirit - centering yourself - being quiet - listening for God's direction - being thankful - exercising the mind and body - writing in a blog - - why is this so hard, but yet so necessary?

My daughter and I went shoe shopping yesterday - and we laughed until our sides hurt. The poor man at the shoe store surely thought he had gone nuts but it seemed that we were able to turn a chore of drudgery into an opportunity to enjoy life, to make fun of ourselves, and to bring bemused forgiving smiles to other shoppers. I won't soon forget that experience - and of how God brings those wonderful moments to us - how they feed the soul, lift the spirit, and help you know what's important in life.

I love you all-

The cost of family relationships

2010-07-06T08:37:00.002-05:00

Last night I was with a small group of friends who were discussing their families. I was saddened to hear of one woman who has two sisters who have not spoken to her in several months, and of another woman whose mother/stepfather - father/stepmother relationship is complicated and divisive, and of someone else who has a brother living in California where for years, there has been no contact.

Recently I heard from a relative who was writing to me about another relative - a niece of my dad's - my first cousin. I haven't seen or visited with this woman in a long time - she is in ill health and lives in a town about 70 miles from here, however, I learned in this email that her son also has not been to visit her (she resides in a nursing home) or to check on her well-being in quite some time. It was commented that he visited her when she was receiving social security because he needed money, but now that she is in a nursing home, she doesn't have access to those funds so he doesn't visit.

I cannot conceive of the idea of having a sister I don't speak to, or a brother who I can't be in the same room with, or a child who only needs me for money. The concept of inviting family over but making sure that Aunt Gertrude and Uncle Milton are not invited on the same day eludes me. And worst of all, to have a child who seeks my companionship only when it benefits them is just beyond me - yet - it happens frequently. I find that often, the people who are splintered out and cut off from fractured families are actually warm, intelligent, friendly, and loving - but for some reason, they have been cut out.

And wills - oh my, what a divisive thing a will can be! In my small circle, there are three situations going on where people have been eliminated from a will by a dying relative and even after things have gone to court and been settled, there is no end to the bitterness and heartbreak and grudges that come - over money, land, property, china, things things things things - these are just THINGS people! THINGS! Things that are temporary and that you can't take it with you - things that will eventually be destroyed anyway - but relationships - what price can you put on a relationship? How much does a hug from a brother or sister cost? Apparently, for some people, it costs a parcel of land, an heirloom china cabinet, or cash in the bank. How sad.

Musings

2010-07-01T10:30:00.004-05:00

My niece got married last Saturday, so before and after the wedding, there were many folks here from various places to reconnect and to celebrate this occasion. My sister and her kids came a few days early, so we got to spend some time with her. I really enjoyed seeing her, and seeing her new "self" - she's been successful in her efforts in losing weight and looked great!

Everybody's gone back home and I'm back to trying to get some sort of routine going. I've still got all the chores waiting for me that I decided to work on this summer, so, today's July 1 and it's time to get started. I think one of the problems is that they seem so gargantuan that I don't know where to begin, but just take a baby step, for cryin' out loud, she says to herself - that's better than doing NOTHING.

It's so pleasant and cool today that I have the windows open and the AC off - I would imagine that soon, I'll be turning it on though. Lydia survived "dog camp" while I was busy with wedding and family reunion duties and now is sacked out on the floor. I upped her allergy meds and they make her sleepy, unfortunately, but at least she's not scratching and biting herself.

Well - I'm off to get some chores done. More later....

June Days

2010-06-07T22:54:00.002-05:00

It's been warm, humid, and well, June weather. Lots of rain. Lots of heat. The wheat is ripening well and cutting should begin in a couple of weeks. I've had a good time helping a brother celebrate a 50th birthday milestone and today, I enjoyed being with Rebekah as we waited on the one-hour optical place to finish her glasses. Tonight I spent time with some women in a Bible study group, and had dinner with a friend at IHOP - I had a pretty good spinach-veggie omelet.

Tomorrow I'm heading back to Curves for the first time since "the fall" on Thursday, May 26. I hope I can begin to feel better soon - maybe moderate exercise will help with that. I know Lyd misses our walks - Josh hasn't had time to take her either. Maybe I'll get brave and do that also this week. She'll be grateful. I'll be careful. Maybe it will all work out.

A few thoughts from Dave Barry:

Have you noticed that whatever sport you are trying to learn, some earnest person is always there telling you to keep your knees bent?

Guys are simple - women are not simple and they always assume that men must be just as complicated as they are, only way more mysterious. The whole point is, guys are not thinking much. They are just what they appear to be. Tragically.

If you had to identify in one word , the reason why the human race has not achieved, and will never achieve its full potential, that word would be "meetings".

My problem with chess was that all my pieces wanted to end the game as soon as possible.

Never under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

The problem with winter sports is that - follow me closely here - they generally take place in winter.

Although golf was originally restricted to wealthy, overweight Protestants, today it's open to anybody who owns hideous clothing.

Simple Pleasures

2010-06-04T16:33:00.002-05:00

Warm sand between bare toes
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A smiling dog
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The first green shoot in a garden
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Good iced tea
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A toasted marshmallow
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A tug on a fishing line
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Shooting stars
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Hearing someone else's belly laugh
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Sleeping, peaceful babies
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A quiet church sanctuary
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Breeze through my front porch screens
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Cold watermelon
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An unexpected encounter with a friend
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Towels flapping on a clothesline
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A bill paid in full
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A game of Mexican Dominoes
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Simple things of life

2010-06-03T07:20:00.002-05:00

To look for the simple things in life that help you pause to give thanks - what an awesome thing that can be! For example, Rebekah and I took Rachel and Gabe to the park yesterday - not just any park, but one built especially for toddlers and kids with special needs. These two saw the water and sand play area and that was all they did except Rachel did swing some. We helped them take their shoes and socks off and for the next hour, they played right there. Before we left, they got their clothes changed so that mom wouldn't have a heart attack. They had just a little sand in their hair - and probably more than that tracked into their van, but oh well...it's only sand. It's only dirt. It'll wash off. We stopped at Sonic and got them PURPLE slushes and then took two urchins home to momma. (!)

Back

2010-06-02T08:00:00.003-05:00

School is out and I now have time to ruminate about things - maybe that's good, or maybe that's not so good - oh well, I shouldn't spend time ruminating about how I ruminate about things. Yeah. Whatever she said.

Lots has happened since I wrote last. I've had an adult child move in with us - not a bad experience, just "different". Same adult child had his vehicle stolen last Sunday while it was parked at church, so now he is making plans daily for his transportation to and from work. When he works days we figured out he can take the bus - an hour to and from, but better than walking. When we works nights, he has to make other arrangements.

The other significant thing is that I fell last Thursday, almost a week ago, when walking Lydia. I injured my right knee and left hand (what I used to catch myself), but also somehow bruised my ribs, shoulder, and back on the right side as well. Since Thursday, I have lived with this chronic pain and I'm not sure I'm made of the kind of stuff that can tolerate this without complaining. I know there are people who live day in and day out with chronic unrelenting pain in their physical bodies and still manage to live life abundantly - and I don't know how they do it. I'm living in the fog of pain relievers during the day and stronger medicine at night to help me sleep as no position - sitting, standing, laying, or reclining - can be accomplished without hurting. It does no good to talk about it, complain about it, or whine about it. It is what it is. There's no treatment to expediate healing. It just is until it is healed.

Many folks suffer daily with much more than what I carry and it reminds me to be grateful for the blessing of a body that will eventually heal. My heart is stirred by those who are not so blessed but yet continue on with life in spite of how they feel - I'm humbled by your example.

Please don't forget

2010-04-20T20:57:00.002-05:00

Karsyn Young and Vincent Hill. Do those names ring a bell with you? Karsyn and Vincent are two children in the Wichita area who died at the hands of their caretakers this year, 2010. Karsyn was 10 months old and was beaten to death by his mother's boyfriend. Vincent was 19 months old and died after both his mother and his father not only beat him to death, but apparently, abused him severely for several months prior to his fatal injuries.

I noticed a makeshift memorial in front of Vincent's home after his death and his parents were arrested. It said, "Vincent we love you." Really? Do we? A neighbor had phoned SRS to report possible child abuse after hearing Vincent scream loudly and long one day - and SRS did not investigate because there was no probable cause that abuse was occurring. Did we love Vincent? As a community, did we care about him and about Karsyn? I think the neighbor did the right thing by reporting, however, I hope we have learned a lesson. If you suspect a child is being hurt, please don't call SRS first. Call 911 first or go to your local police station and fill out a report. THEN call SRS. Get involved. It's hard, I know. I've had occasion to report child abuse as part of my job. It's uncomfortable, it's sad, it's scary, and it's heartbreaking. But all the Karsyns and Vincents of your neighborhood are counting on you.

The other thing I hate is that I have no way to obtain information after I call SRS. If I call back and want to know the disposition of the report - if someone went to the home, if someone talked to parents, if someone came to the school - they say they cannot tell me this information. Why is that? And why do some things have to be reported many times before home visits are made?

I would like SRS to be fully accountable to somebody in this state for every report they receive - whether they followed up on it and why or why not. I'd like somebody to oversee the whole organization of Kansas Child Protective Services. I'd like to pay social workers more than you can make at McDonalds so that highly qualified people are chosen and trained to do this thankless nightmarish job. I'd like to hear stories of children who are successfully reintegrated back in the home and of parents who are parenting better. I'd like to hear success stories of children who have been adopted into loving homes after no more than 12 months in foster care. I think we owe nothing less to the children in this community who belong to all of us.

Things your child's teacher would tell you if they could.

2010-03-30T21:01:00.003-05:00

From Reader's Digest:

1. We are not the enemy. Parents and teachers are really on the same side.

2. The truth is simple: Your kid will probably lie to get out of trouble.

3. We can tell the difference between a parent helping their kid with homework, and a parent who actually does it for him (especially when the kid is clueless the next day in class).

4. Teaching is a calling. There's not a teacher alive who would say they went into this profession for the money.

5. Just because your child says he did his homework doesn't mean it's true. You must check. Every night.

6. Parents give their kids pricey gadgets when actually, what kids crave is for you to talk to them. They want to know you are interested in their lives.

7. We spend money out of our own pockets to buy things our students need.

8. We wish parents would make kids own up to their own actions instead of pressure us to bend the rules.

9. Please stop doing everything for your child and making excuses for them. Allow them to make mistakes. How else will they learn?

10. We don't arrive at school 10 minutes before your child does. And we don't leave the minute they get on the bus. Many of us put in extra hours before and after school.

Two columns

2010-03-16T14:18:00.003-05:00

Last posted on February 13th, huh. Well. It's been more than a month. Several times I've sat here and tried to put into words what I want to say, but they just don't come. It's so hard sometimes to describe how things affect you, or what you need, or what you have observed, or what has been learned.

I've saved a couple of newspaper columns to comment on, and I've had some changes in my work situation. Life happens, and then you go on, and sometimes your observations remain unsaid and unnoticed. That's ok. I'm not the epitome of self-expression, and people certainly don't need my contribution to this blog in order to go on with their lives.

The two columns I was going to comment on were published weeks ago - one on February 1 and one on February 13. Both different topics, both by columnists I don't agree with all the time, but I remain a loyal reader to both Leonard Pitts, columnist from the Miami Herald, and Clarence Page, a columnist who writes for Tribune Media Services. Both of these columns just made my soul weary.

In the first, Leonard Pitts is commenting about the insane comments of the Lt Gov. of the great state of South Carolina, Andre Bauer. (You may recall that the governor, Mark Sanford, was involved in some sort of nasty business with a woman from South America, lying to the voters who elected him and the world regarding his disappearance for more than 4 days. Turns out he was with her, half a world away. His wife has since been granted a divorce.)

Anyway, Mr. Pitts took the honorable Lt. Gov. Bauer to task when he compared poor people to stray animals. He (Bauer) stated: "My grandmother was not a highly educated woman, but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why? Becaause they breed. You're facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that don't think too much further than that. And so what you've got to do is you've got to curtail that type of behavior. They don't know any better."

Blink. Blink. It STILL takes me aback after more than a month.

Mr. Pitts asks, "Who speaks for the poor? Who raises a voice when they are scapegoated and marginalized?" Good questions. But what I'm noticing is, there was a little media flap, but not much. There was a little on the news, but not much. The comment came and went. Had he said it about any other group of people, he would have been on his knees apologizing. He would have said many mea culpas. He would have possibly been asked to resign. But the poor? There's no power in poverty. And he knew it. I agree with Mr. Pitts. Bauer needs to know - sometimes, stray animals bite.

The other columnist wrote an article about Sarah Palin's horror at the use of the slur, and it IS a slur, "retard", which was used by Obama's Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel - he called some liberal democrats this word for threatening to attack the more conservative party members over health care reform. He states, "Who can argue with Palin's call for "decency", particularly since it comes from her, a mother of a child with developmental disabilities..." All true. Palin's son Trig has Down Syndrome. The Chief of Staff apologized privately for using this word.

I was gratified to see Palin's response to this. Finally! I thought. Someone who is defending the defenseless. Someone who knows, who has walked in those shoes. Hurray for her. But my cheers were short-lived, when conservative talk-show mogul Rush Limbaugh used this exact term to describe liberal Democrats and she DEFENDED his use of the word. She stated, "Rush Limbaugh was using satire. I didn't hear him calling a group of people whom he did not agree with 'effing retards'." Really. Then she must have not heard his response to the backlash: "Our politically correct society is acting like some giant insult has taken place by calling abunch of people who are retards retards."

I'm weary. Is there anyone connected with the political process who remains true to their convictions and beliefs? Anyone? Anyone who stands on truth? Anyone who doesn't change colors with the wind? Anyone who finds the use of the word "retard" inappropriate no matter who says it? Anyone who serves the American people selflessly, and with integrity and honor? Anyone who tells the truth? All the time? Anyone who doesn't look to re-election as the goal of life? Anyone who doesn't distort facts or statistics? Anyone who truly and with their whole heart, honors and serves God with a heart like Jesus? Or is that asking too much?

Considering 'Curing' Down Syndrome with Caution | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

2010-02-13T10:57:00.000-06:00

Considering 'Curing' Down Syndrome with Caution Christianity Today A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

This is a long article, but one I found fascinating especially in my line of work. What do you think?

I'm a dinosaur

2010-02-13T10:31:00.004-06:00

Well, here's the news for the week: I learned to text on my cell phone. I know you guys are all just aghast that I never knew how to do it until now, but it's true. I made it all the way to February of 2010 without learning.

I'm very clumsy. It takes me forever. I had a few glitches in it and I hear from my kid that if I'm going to text, I need an upgraded phone. My daughter has a phone with a tiny keyboard with teeny tiny little keys. I practiced on hers and my big old fingers were really clumsy but the keyboard "felt" right for me. I may have to invest in one of those kind of phones, plus she has a bigger screen on hers than mine is. And, with my newfound skills, we may have to upgrade our phone plan to include free texting, as it's 10cents a text now. We'll see how much I use it. I plan to "practice" every day so I won't forget how! Jay, I'm getting ready to send you one.

It was nice to see the sun some days this week. The snow is almost all melted. I've thought about my brother and sister-in-law in the Dallas area and all the snow they've had - good grief, what a fun winter for them! I see out my front window that the pile of snow in the school parking lot across the street is still visible above the 6 foot wooden fence, so we have melting to go yet.

What can I say about the job - we had inservice Friday and Monday we have President's Day. I know I should be "happy" about these days out, but every day that kids aren't there is another day that I can't get my work done. Next week I have so much stuff on my list to accomplish that I will hardly have time to breathe. Currently at one school, I have about 8 evaluations in the process, and at the other I have 6. They are all in different stages of being completed, but I hope by Friday, I'll be much further along. After spring break, the train starts rolling backwards down the hill, so I have a lot to look forward to!

We were going to take a trip over spring break, but with other financial stressors going on, are not able to do that. We're looking at taking a day trip or two around here. It's just leaving things for awhile, even if only a few hours, that helps your persepctive some.

My puppy is limping! I don't know what's wrong with her leg, last night after coming in from outside she couldn't put any weight on it and actually hopped around here on 3 legs. She also wouldn't let me take a good look at it. This morning she's bearing a little weight, but not much. If she's still having problems I'll have to take her to the vet on Monday. I guess dogs can sprain their ankles or knees, can't they? I was going to take her for a walk today as the weather is a bit warmer and it looks like the sun is coming out, but maybe not.

Have a great weekend, all.

Ethics

2010-02-06T09:15:00.003-06:00

Every once in awhile in this job, a dilemma presents itself. A sticky problem arises. An ethical issue comes up. And, it's always a bit stressful to walk through. In that process, options are considered, but first, it's always incumbent to figure out two things: What are my responsibilities, and, what can I control? Often, the answers to those two questions will guide the rest of the thinking process, and, a process it is. At times like this, I'm always amazed at the amount of mental energy which can be expended - and you know, that is almost as draining as expending physical energy.

It's also very helpful to speak with colleagues, as they usually see possibilities and options that you didn't think of because your perspective was a bit clouded. The other thing which almost always is true is that there's usually no clean resolution. No clear cut path, no sudden bright light, and usually, no TA DA! Do THIS! Many times it's messy no matter what decision you make, and it's a matter of choosing the least "mess" to deal with in the aftermath, and trust me, there's always aftermath.

The responsibility to do the right thing is awesome. The way to go about it can be unclear. The fallout can be messy. Ethical values are easy to uphold in conversation, in training, in seminars, and in college classrooms, but sometimes, they are hard to put into practice. That's the nature of really trying to do the right thing.

Speaking of ethical values, a well known buisnessman is on trial for securities fraud here in Sedgwick County. It's been fascinating for me to follow the trial and read the interactive courtroom blog. I'm not saying he's guilty or not guilty. But I've learned some lessons watching his rise and fall. The man apparently did not learn from previous legal problems caused by him crossing the line with investors in other business ventures, and although he said he converted to Christianity, his ego swelled as he took pride in his accomplishments. In a recent business adventure, he began to cut corners in small unethical ways. He bragged about things that were almost true, but not quite. And because people want to believe that people change, and they want to believe the best about those who are charismatic, and appear business saavy and knowledgeable, he obtained a loyal following of people only to happy to give him money for his latest business venture. It was a disaster, and the house of cards fell. He truly built his life on sinking sand.

My dilemmas don't involve money, they involve other things less tangible, but still as important if not more so. The lesson for me - don't become so egotistical that you think you're above following ethical practices. They are there to keep your values from shifting and to help you know there's something bigger than you that you need to be accountable to.

Haitian Orphan Rescue

2010-02-02T19:43:00.004-06:00

Maybe you read recently or heard about the group of Baptists from the US who went to Haiti in an effort to rescue orphans by taking them to the Dominican Republic to an "orphanage" (a building which had been a hotel) and then possibly trying to bring them back here for adoption. Ten American Southern Baptists were arrested at the border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, having in their possession 33 children from 2 months to 12 years old. These folks knew that they did not have the proper paperwork or permission from the Haitian government for such a mission, however, one of the members of the group defended their actions by saying, "...we were just trying to do the right thing." According to the Associated Press, no charges have been filed yet as the Haitian government is still questioning the detainees. Also, there are reports that many of these children were not orphans at all and still had families willing to continue to provide care for them.

"We were just trying to do the right thing." Really. I don't think so. You know, I'm a Southern Baptist. And from time to time, I get in conversations with people who think that somehow, I'm part of the Baptist clan in Topeka who preach a gospel of hate (the Fred Phelpites at Westboro Baptist, and no, I'm nowhere near them in theology or anything else) - and so I am glad I can disown them as they aren't even on my planet in terms of religious beliefs. But these folks - these Baptists who went to Haiti are a part of my "family" so to speak. And I am appalled. And aghast. And saddened. And upset. And speechless. And aghast. (I already said that, I know).

Well intentioned, perhaps. Well meaning, maybe. But as Wade Burleson, pastor and faithful blogger says, "Unfortunately, our Southern Baptist friends were...very unwise, yes, even stupid." (http://kerussocharis.blogspot.com/). I am amazed that normally intelligent Christian people would somehow think that it was ok to do this, and that somehow, God would bless them, give them "traveling mercies", and help them find success in this mission. Why, oh why and how oh how do people ever think that God would sanction such an endeavor? And how on earth did they ever conceive that working outside the law would be endorsed by Baptists back here at home? How misguided they were! This casts a unfortunate shadow on the good work that Southern Baptists ARE doing in Haiti - we are providing disaster relief, medical help, and other aid as we always do worldwide when disaster strikes, and we do it through proper channels and with swift and timely execution. Check out the International Mission Board's website for further information about that if you're interested (http://www.imb.org/).

I don't know what should happen to these people, but my heart is broken for how this act of stupidity might impact what Southern Baptists and other relief organizations are doing, those who continue to work there with blood, sweat and tears and who are accomplishing their labors within the law, above board, and with respect for the people of Haiti. I am truly, deeply, saddened.

Sunday evening

2010-01-31T21:40:00.003-06:00

9:40 on a Sunday night. I haven't posted in awhile, so thought I might sit down here and try to get something together. I spent a little time this afternoon working with my digital camera - and I gotta tell you, I'm just not meant to do technology. I finally figured out how to get pictures off my camera, but forgot that my daughter set up a "My Pictures" folder right on the desktop so I wouldn't have to look for them in Timbuktu. Once I remembered that, I found them. I think. I love my camera, and it does a lot but I dunno, it's like my brain freezes up. I finally figured out how to change the picture on my profile on facebook, and I don't even like what I changed it to, but I just wanted to see if I could do it. Maybe I'll put Lyd's picture on there. She's cuter than me.

We had a nice time at church this evening making music. Thanks to everyone who who participated. Thanks to PL for helping me play. And for the fellowship afterward.

A glimpse of the past

2010-01-25T09:51:00.002-06:00

I've been going through some of my "treasures", and this last weekend, spent some time looking at old books. I have several textbooks that my dad used when he was in high school, and even a couple that his dad had, and one from his mother. Keep in mind that my dad was born in 1912, and his dad was born in 1870, so these books are pretty old. The ones his mother and dad used when they were students are copyrighted in 1880 and 1883. I have one that's called "New Fourth Grade Reader" that has my grandfather's initials on the back cover, but some pages are missing, so I don't know for sure how old it is, I would venture to say it also was printed in 1880 as well (he would have been 10 years old then). Here's a poem from this reader:

The Sky-Lark

The sky-lark, when the dews of morn
Hang tremulous on flower and thorn,
And violets round his nest exhale
Their fragrance on the early gale,
To the first sunbeam spreads his wings,
Bouyant with joy, and soars, and sing.

He rests not on the leafy spray,
To warble his exulting lay,
But, high above the morning cloud
Mounts in triumphant freedom proud;
And swells, when nearest to the sky,
His sweetest notes of ectasy.

Thus, my Creator! thus the more
My spirit's wing to Thee can soar
The more she triumphs to behold
Thy love in all thy works unfold:
And bids her hymns of rapture be
Most glad when rising most to Thee.

The "exercise" which follows this poem is this: "What should the happiness and the merry singing of the birds teach us?"

Did I mention this came from a 4th grade reader? As someone who works with elementary students, I thought this most interesting. There are many references in this book to God, and even a reading lesson from the Sermon on the Mount.

I have a book my dad used in high school, it's "Elementary Latin". The copyright was 1920. From the scribblings and doodlings in the book, I can see that dad was perhaps not entirely focused on his Latin lessons. He wrote his name on several pages, and it looks like he's traced circles in pencil maybe from a compass. There are 3 assignments on paper folded in the book that look like they were never completed and handed in. On the first page of the book, the introduction, is written in pencil, Bueno Dias, Senorita...so apparently, his mind was not on Latin that day.

But really, the most overwhelming evidence of dad's wandering thoughts is from the inside front cover. In pen, he had written this little verse: "The taller the tree, The thicker the bark, The closer you sit, The bigger the spark." Underneath that are three or four rows of cursive letter "E"s. Hmmm. What or who do you suppose he was thinking of?

If you're gonna lie, just admit it.

2010-01-12T07:20:00.004-06:00

The Bible reading for today was the story of how Jacob and his doting mother Rebekah, deceived Jacob's father Issac into giving him the blessing that was usually reserved for the firstborn son, which in this case, would be Jacob's brother Esau. I just noticed today that when Jacob first objects to his mother's plan, he says this: "But my brother Esau is a hairy man and I'm a man with smooth skin. What if my father touches me? I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse on myself rather than a blessing."

Did you catch that? Jacob doesn't say, I can't participate in this plan because I would be tricking my father. He says, "I would appear to be tricking him..." This one word changes the whole meaning, doesn't it! Jacob is not willing to man up and admit this is deceptive, he says it appears to be deceptive. He is already making excuses and playing with words, justifying to himself and his scheming mother this lie. I think Jacob would have made a great politician today, but even back then, he was promoted to a position of great responsibility and governing. Did his deceitful habits follow him? Maybe. Does it seem in general, as people ascend the ladder of their political and public careers, that they learn early on what to say, what not to say, and how to say it? As we do too. We do it privately, we do it publicly. We choose our words carefully when justifying our behavior to ourselves and to our families. Hmmm. There's a lesson to be learned here.

Monday Posting

2010-01-11T21:42:00.002-06:00

Thankfully, the weather has moderated some and it's almost balmy out, compared to what it was last week. I'm no longer feeling quite so chilled. I mean, even in my house, which is old and drafty and just...I dunno, COLD, I was having a hard time staying comfortable in wind chills and temps so low. But tonight, it's 20, and I'm happy to see that. We had a frozen pipe, actually 2, last week - one thawed out pretty quickly with a blow dryer, the other one took involving a helpful brother with a radiant heater, and a spouse crawling under the house in a tight crawl space to position the heater and get the pipe warmed. Also thankfully, the pipe didn't split or crack so we got to keep our hard earned money instead of giving it to a plumber.

I'm busy at both schools, and, I have taken on an extra project of supervising a counseling practicum student for the spring semester. It won't require a lot of extra time because I know this person well and she will be responsible and do things the way they should be done, plus it might be something to add on a resume should I ever decide to seek other employment. I am also teaching a class at church, and just keeping pretty busy with ordinary mundane things.

The clock in the kitchen just sounded 10:00. My "adopted son" Michael gave it to me - it has birds pictured on it, and on the hour, a different bird sound eminates from this clock. It took me a couple of days to get used to hearing this, and you should have seen Lydia looking at it quizzically the first day or two I had it. It was pretty comical.

Well, I guess that's about it from my boring life. I will end this with some assorted observations, take them or leave them as you like:

**Congrats to my husband, one of the most rabid Dallas Cowboy fans ever. The Cowboys made mush of the Eagles last weekend and are headed to the playoffs for the first time in several years. The Chiefs remain an embarrassment to us all.

**The state budget crisis is affecting our schools in 259 in a big way. I ran into a teacher Saturday I used to work with at another school, and she told me she has 30 kids in her first grade classroom. They are beginning work on a new wing to the school, but her concern, and rightfully so, is that the district won't be able to hire teachers to staff this new addition.

**Brett Harris - where are you? I miss you on B98. You made me crazy with your ADHD-like radio patter sometimes, but for the most part, I enjoyed your "perkiness". Sign your contact with Clear Channel and get back to work.

**l love the CDs my son gave me for Christmas especially Beethoven's Symphony #9. Thanks, Dan.

**I had a conversation with someone, (let's call them "Lee"), who, let's see, how to say this without revealing too much - Lee had a family member who was in a very serious accident 3 years ago and that person sustained a tremendous traumatic head injury - they were in a coma 30 days and nearly died. However, Lee had the blessing of great insurance coverage from an employer, and their loved one got outstanding medical care, not only at the hospital but also at a follow-up rehab facility after discharge from the hospital. Coincidentally, another family about the same time had a loved one in an accident also with a serious head injury - the patients were in the same area in the hospital and family members became friends as they interacted in the waiting room. However, the person from the other family did not have any insurance coverage. Lee said the person with no insurance was discharged sooner from the hospital, and did not receive the level of followup care at a local rehab facility that their family member received - both were admitted to the very same facility within days of each other. Lee said that person did not have nearly as good as outcome as her/his family member did - and Lee believes it was due to the insurance situation. Just something to think about...

Have a good week, all.

Italian motorcycle police

2010-01-04T18:55:00.001-06:00

Italian motorcycle police

I thought this was very cool. Enjoy a minute of mindless entertainment!

Heroes of the Faith

2009-12-26T17:22:00.005-06:00

While I'm thinking about folks I appreciate, I'd like to add these pictures I took of my uncles, Mervin Troyer and Wayne King. I visited both of these gentlemen this last week at the retirement community they live in and enjoyed it immensely. Mervin is holding a "corn dropper" implement that his father made (I believe he said it was his father) many years ago. He explained how it worked, and it was interesting for me to hear about that and ponder just how how innovative people were back then. It would have taken a long time for people to plant even an acre of corn, but this tool would have helped with that chore. It hangs in Mervin's room, a reminder of an era long ago. I think Mervin can best be described as a person of a profound, but simple faith in the God he serves. He has a humble, servant attitude and a work ethic that puts me to shame-he is always busy as much as as he can physically be - at almost 91 years old.

And Wayne is my mother's youngest brother. After a lifetime of ministry as pastor of several Mennonite churches, he and his lovely wife have recently moved to a community not too far from here. It has been wonderful for me and my siblings to re-establish contact with them and visit occasionally. I appreciate the life of faith Wayne and Clara live each day, and of their willingness to share that with us, his sister's family. He is a craftsman-he makes pens and pencils out of wood as well as other things which grace his and Clara's comfortable home.

Thank you to both of you for your attitudes of thanksgiving and for your continuing faith-walk in circumstances of physical frailty. You are much appreciated!

An Example of True Love

2009-12-26T17:12:00.003-06:00

I know most of you reading this blog have read the story of Loren and Florence Gerber, however, I could not let this day pass by without mentioning it in this blog. I am attaching a link to that story about them as printed in the Wichita Eagle on Christmas Day. Loren was a first cousin to my dad, and thus, a first cousin once removed to me. His daughter Marilyn and I grew up together at the Pleasant Valley Church in Harper, however, I have not seen her in many, many years. If you have not read this story, please do so.

http://www.kansas.com/news/story/1112336.html

New Word

2009-12-17T07:36:00.002-06:00

I learned a new word yesterday. It's "sprezzatura". Have you heard of this word? It's Italian in origin, and it is defined as, "A certain nonchalance, so as to conceal all art and make whatever one does appear to be without effort and almost without any thought about it." Other nuances of this word are, that it is the ability to "display an easy facility in accomplishing difficult actions which hides the conscious effort that went into them", and it also has been described as, "a form of defensive irony, the ability to disguise what one really desires, feels, thinks, means, or intends behind a mask of apparent reticence or nonchalance."

Some examples of this are: college students who obtain perfect grades and seemingly never study, politicians who have rehearsed every "ad lib" comment they make before debates, but yet the comments roll right off their tongues looking completely on the spur of the moment, and the butler who serves his master, keeping confidences but also his opinions about the goings on in the household to himself.

My friend who introduced me to this word says that it's a goal in his life-to not only do his job with grace and make it appear effortless, but also to look unruffled and unfazed in front of coworkers and administration.

I've never thought about this quality before, much less whether or not I'd like to possess it. I have had some say to me in the past, "You seem to play the piano so easily", but this is almost always followed by a remark about the years of practice and effort that it takes. When I watch craftsmen - for example, I recently saw a video about a master knife maker that pours his sweat into handtooling kitchen knives, and all the work that goes into that - yet, when he pounds the layers of steel together and shapes the handles, it almost looks casual. After watching that, I find that I have a new appreciation for those folks who work with their hands and make it look easy.

I have uncles, who following a long line of people in my family, fashion things from wood - and I so much appreciate the craftsmanship that this requires, but one thing I don't see as the grateful recipient is all the projects that didn't turn out well, all the frustration and effort and cutting pieces wrong, and making mistakes, and all that which goes into learning how to be a craftsman. As I think about it, it makes these things even more dear to me - they are the product from someone who seemingly effortlessly made them, but yet, I know the sweat and tears, so to speak, that went into the creating of them. (That reminds me Wayne, I need to come up over Christmas break, which starts next Monday, and get that last set of pens from you. I will email you about that!)

Thank you, craftsmen and craftswomen, for all the practice, effort, mistakes, and learning that went into helping you do your jobs so well! Our world is certainly more beautiful in every way because of that.

Comfort Ye

2009-12-07T21:18:00.002-06:00

Dan, Rebekah and I attended the presentation of Handel's Messiah, at the First United Methodist Church in downtown Wichita Sunday afternoon. I have seen Messiah several times, once driving to Lindsborg to Bethany College, where this oratorio has been performed every year on Easter Sunday since 1882. I love this work and I look forward to hearing it every year that I can go.

After the Overture, the first piece is "Comfort Ye", a a tenor recitation, followed immediately by the tenor continuing with "Every Valley". The chorus then sings "And the Glory of the Lord". Isaiah 40:1-5 is the basis for these first 3 compositions. Verse 1 is especially poignant - "Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for." And in verse 5 - "And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken." I don't read these words without hearing that stirring music along with it.

Doing a good job

2009-12-03T07:22:00.004-06:00

Brrr! The wind's blowing and winter is here. I'm sitting here with my coffee cup, trying to get warm. No snow, just a biting wind that seems to go right through ya. I hear people say, it's because we aren't "used" to cold. That may be true but I think I'd do better with a gradual decline into winter frostiness instead of a dip in the ice water all at once.

This has been one of my busiest weeks ever at school - you would think it was the end of the year. I've put in some late hours at school and working from home the last two weeks. I'm in my 4th year in the district and Tuesday, I got the second what they call "Attaboy" email since I started. A downtown person was in attendance at a recent staffing and sent an email to the principal and another downtown person with a nice compliment in it for me. That sort of thing is just rare at my job, and I would venture to say, that's true in a lot of work people do. There's folks all over the place who are doing their jobs well because they gain personal satisfaction from that, or, they feel they have a moral obligation to do so, and no one recognizes their efforts. It has made me more cognizant of the fact that I COULD recognize that in others if I would just look. The server that refills my coffee cup at the right time, and brings my food hot, the sacker that works to make sure my bread isn't crushed and handles the eggs carefully, the grocery checker who is pleasant and cordial when sliding my items over the scanner (I almost said "rings me up". THAT'S an old expression which dates me), the man who volunteers to vaccuum the sanctuary at our church, the pleasant man at the dry cleaners who made sure he understood what I wanted and appeared to value me as a customer, my co-workers who exhibit a degree of professionalism in teaching that makes me proud to work where I do, the people at my vet office who really seem to care about Lydia and want to serve her needs, the list goes on. There are those that would say, "That's what we pay them to do! We PAY them to provide a service for us." True, but HOW the service is provided is as important and sometimes more so than the service itself.

All of my kids and kid in laws and my spouse work in retail or have in the past. I'm proud of Josh when I hear people from my school tell me as a co-worker did last week: "I figured out which person at Dillons is your son, because when he was helpful, I thought, not only does this kid look like Marianne, but he's nice too, so I looked at his name tag and asked him who he was..."

This time of year is stressful and crazy, and I bet an encouraging word from you would help someone else have a better day. As you go about in the next few days, be aware of those who do a good job and say something to them. It will be an encouragement they won't soon forget.

Offensive clotheslines

2009-11-19T07:19:00.002-06:00

Did you see this in the news, that a woman is in big trouble in her community for hanging her laundry outside to dry? This is happening in Peraksie Pennsylvania. Although there are no town laws preventing her from doing so, a city official called her and asked her to quit, and, she's received notes from neighbors telling her they do not want to see her underwear flapping around on the clothesline. For the record, she doesn't hang her underwear out, she says.

The article says, she is "one of a growing number of Americans demanding the right to dry laundry on clotheslines despite local rules and a culture that frowns on it." Did you know there are 5 states that prohibit it all together? That would be Florida, Utah, Maine, Vermont, and Colorado. Another 5 states are considering legislation to outlaw it. A lawyer representing homeowners associations in Philly says that it is an "aesthetic" issue. He says, "In most communites, people don't want to see everybody else's laundry".

I gotta say that I am both amused and amazed. We live in a society that freely uses sexual images to sell everything from cars to beer to laundry detergent, and where anyone with a few clicks of a mouse button can view any sort of pornographic image they desire, no matter what. For our viewing pleasure on TV, there is conversation, and explicit language, and visual images which a person with any sense of morality would blush at. The innnocent bystander eating a meal or walking down the street is assaulted by private content of cell phone conversations. Kids freely use street language which you thought was only applicable in armed forces boot camps. Ugly billboards dot our landscape, and the carving away of our forests and pollution of our rivers and oceans is ongoing. Smokestacks belching black clouds and odors hang over our cities. Ground water contamination and nuclear waste disposal issues are ever with us.

We have people sleeping under bridges here in Wichita, and I would assume, in Pennsylvania as well.

And there are those who are offended at the sight of a shirt or a pair of jeans, or a towel, or bedsheets hanging on a clothesline in the sun. I'm...wordless.

Aging Gracefully

2009-11-08T21:16:00.003-06:00

It's Sunday night and I'm getting ready for another work week. What has happened to the weekend? I have enough coming up this week to make me want to bury my head in the covers and not get up, but alas, can't do that until I'm retired. And even then-I know some retired people who are as busy as they were when they were working full time. I'm glad when I see that people can do that.

Speaking of retirement etc., there was a lunch today for the "Senior Adults" in our church. And I was invited! I was not able to attend as we already had lunch plans, but I gotta tell you that I do not consider myself a senior citizen - even although the wafts of good things to eat were very tantalizing coming from the Fellowship Hall of our church. I was told that for the purposes of the "senior adult" lunches, if you're over 50 you can come, but I still can't do it. I'll be 55 next week and I still think I'm a kid!

And, I'm still young enough to like humor such as this:

Bumper Stickers View of Life

I feel like I'm diagonally parked in a parallel universe.

You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be misquoted, and then used against you.

Despite the cost of living, it's still popular.

I intend to live forever. So far, so good.

When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

All good things in moderation-including moderation.

Living on Earth is expensive, but it includes a free trip around the sun.

I took an IQ test and the results were negative.

Forget about world peace, envision using your turn signal.

We are born naked, wet, and hungry. Then things get worse.

Always remember you are unique, just like everyone else.

Ever stop to think and then forget to start again?

I doubt, therefore, I might be.

If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?

I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be without sponges?

One Year Later

2009-10-31T23:01:00.003-05:00

One year ago this evening while getting out of the car at my brother's house, I saw a scraggly, smelly, skinny, patchy-haired 4 legged creature with its nose down the grate near the curb I had pulled up to. Getting out of the car, I motioned toward the animal and said, "Who's that?" "Oh," he replied, "it's been hanging around here the last couple of days. I dunno where it came from." I paused to look at the dog and was a little repulsed by the sight. "Man", I thought. "That is one ugly mutt." I turned to walk away, but looked back. The dog had laid down by the grate in the yard and I walked toward it, curious. As I approached, she looked at me with sad dark eyes, the skin hanging loosely from her muzzle and gave a small twitch of her tail. She looked like she had just had pups, however her ribs were showing and obviously she was not in good nutritional health.

"She's awful. Let's put her in your backyard and I'll take her to the Humane Society tomorrow." I put a rope around her neck and tugged, and she followed me hesitantly, a little unsure if she could trust me. While we were waiting for dinner to be ready, I hopped in the car, and my husband looked at me incredulously. I asked him if he wanted to come along to get some dog food and he emphatically said, are you NUTS????

When I got back the dog gulped both cans of food down and drank a bowlful of water, then stood at the back patio door, her scrawny face peering through the glass. We ignored her while we ate, and I promised to return the next morning to take her away.

The next day my daughter and I returned. As we put her in the car we discussed what all could be wrong with her, and how much money it would take to fix her. I didn't even know what vet I could take her to on a Saturday. She offered her vet services, and wouldn't you know it, they were open. Wouldn't you know it, they could see her and evaluate her. We took her in, armed with a generous brother's financial aid and some money of my own.

I decided on the way over there that if she had heartworms, I was going to put her down. If she had mange, I wouldn't treat her. She had neither of those maladies, but a lot of other issues. Skin infection, mites, fleas, crusted over skin sores, seriously underweight, ear infection in both ears, a couple of small skin growths, broken and cracked teeth-the list grew. The vet saw signs of abuse and severe maltreatment.

I brought her home and I named her Lydia. I spent money on her I shouldn't have, but one year later, she is beautiful to me. She's gained 20 pounds. She's ornery. She's smart and she's just what I needed. She's learned to trust me, and does so implicitly. She's a member of my family, and she gets on the couch when I'm not home, but that's okay with me. I know that someday I'll face the heartbreak of laying her to rest-but you just do that when you take the risk to love and care for someone other than yourself.

In a very ordinary way, I rescued someone who needed me. How very much more does God do the same for us! How very much more does He love us, care for us, want us to trust Him implicitly, and yes, He longs for a relationship with us even when we're unlovable, stinky, hairless, and have all kinds of problems requiring all kinds of help. We're in the gutter, trying to survive on our own, and here He comes - He sees you and me as his children, with potential we don't even know we've got. Lessons from Lydia-I learn 'em every day. And I'm grateful for her and for Jay - I'm not sure why he thought I needed her, but as usual, he was right. Thanks brother, for your help a year ago-what did you see in that mangy scraggly animal that you thought I might need? One of these days you'll be learning your own lessons from someone God brings into your life-and I'll have the privilege of watching you do that.

You deserve a donut today

2009-10-26T21:08:00.003-05:00

I was getting gas at the QT the other day when I noticed a sign in the parking lot. The sign featured a glazed donut, with these words: "Life is too short to eat oatmeal." What do you think about that? I, personally, was taken aback and a little, oh, not offended, but who do these people think they are? They are basically saying, you're going to die anyway, and maybe soon, so just enjoy yourself and have a fat and sugar-laden pastry while you're at it. Don't eat wholesome "boring" cooked oats. You deserve more! You deserve to get all the gusto you can get! After all, donuts can bring happiness and pleasure. You're going to work hard today-reward yourself!

Speaking of health issues, here's some things you don't want to hear during surgery:

"Rats! Page 47 of the manual is missing!"

"Don't worry. I think it's sharp enough."

"That's cool! Now can you make his leg twitch?"

"Ya know, there's big money in kidneys and this guy's got two healthy ones..."

"Hand me that...uh...thing-a-ma-jig."

"What's this doing in here?"

"There go the lights again."

And, here's some medical definitions:

Benign: What you be after you be eight.
Artery: The study of paintings.
Bacteria: Back door to cafeteria.
Dilate: To live long.
Labor Pain: Getting hurt at work.
Pelvis: Second cousin to Elvis.
Urine: Opposite of you're out.
Colic: A sheep dog.
Outpatient: A person who has fainted.

Expand your horizons

2009-10-20T07:29:00.002-05:00

Two websites rapidly becoming my favorites and I check them every day:

www.earthshots.org

http://videos.komando.com

Earthshots is a photograph featured every day of places around the earth I'll never get to see-today's is a shot taken in the Swiss Alps. You can view photos of previous months by activating the slideshow feature. Clicking on photo details in the far right corner of the pic will tell you where it was taken, and it's interesting to read the comments about the picture from other photographers. There's something about it that transports me to another place for just a minute.

Videos.komando is a daily video website. I've seen the most interesting things on here-the four fingered pianist from Korea, the ant colony that someone poured cement into and then excavated it to see how large it was (it was gi-normous), on Sunday the 18th, it's featured a couple from west Texas who live literally in the middle of nowhere much like the pioneers did, with no running water, electricity, or phone. Today, this website features 3 videos about 3 different kinds of reptiles. They are all short, less than 3 minutes. The first one is about a Pebble Toad, the second one is about a lizard that walks on water, and the 3rd is about a gecko which is so small it could drown in a drop of rain, but doesn't because...we'll, you'd have to watch it.

Although these websites don't intend to do this in their purpose, for me, they point to a creative master Designer-a purposeful Composer, Author and Sustainer of even the smallest details of the universe-how vast and wonderful and awesome is the earth we've been given to live our lives on and - how much we don't know about what's all around us - it is mind boggling. Think about the Swiss Alps on your way to work or wherever you go-think about the Pebble Toad who survives by rolling into a hard ball and falling down a mountainside away from it's pursuer, think about the 4 fingered pianist who can play the piano in an amazing display of grit, courage, and determination, and wonder at it all.

Sunday Reflections

2009-10-18T07:50:00.002-05:00

Here it is, October 18, 2009. Since my last posting, which was a video and no writing (as someone pointed out to me), I've sat here several times, trying to think of what words to use to communicate to you unfortunate people who check this blog, but I've not had much success. There's a lot going on in my head, but it's not coming out my fingertips onto the keyboard. I'm troubled but I'm not sure what it's about. I'm lonely, but I don't know why. I'm sad at times, but then, on Friday when I saw the sun for the first time in about a week, I cannot tell you how my spirit lifted as I drove to work. It was like a tonic to the soul.

I'm dissatisfied with things and am making changes, but see that I need to make a lot more. The ministry I have at church is puzzling to me, and is lacking in some way, but I don't know what. Due to some extraordinary situations right now, my job is making me weary in body and spirit. I feel sorta like I would like to draw the curtains and stay at home for awhile. It's hard to describe.

So that's that. Not a lot here, I know. But we'll see what happens this week.

Also today, I'm thinking of those in my extended family who are facing serious illness and life changes. God be with you, Pilgrim on the Way, as you step into the unknown. Your faith is extraordinary, your life is an encouragement to me. Blessings to you- from your niece.

Acapella Jazz Choir

2009-10-10T08:10:00.003-05:00

Enjoyed the video below very much and thought you might like it too. It's an acapella jazz choir. A little more than six minutes long, it will give you a mental vacation break.

African thunderstorm

2009-10-10T08:10:00.001-05:00

African thunderstorm

Shared via AddThis

Wednesday Encouragement

2009-10-07T07:45:00.003-05:00

Several days ago, I blogged about anxiety. A friend of mine who faithfully reads my blog sent me an email in response so I asked her if I could post some of what she said and she agreed.

"Trust is a learned thing, and the process of learning involves being willing to just step off a cliff everytime God calls, believe He will NEVER fail you, for He ALWAYS keeps His promises or He would not be God. If He sometimes allows the worst to happen, it is for our learning on some level, as a consequence of sin, as a wake-up call, sometimes to teach us patience, and sometimes for many other reasons that only He knows. He is the greatest parent we could ever have. However, in our arrogance we don't always recognize this.

I think the most difficult thing for all of us to realize is that life truly isn't about us, because we all go about thinking we are really something, but in truth, we are absolutely NOTHING without God. How arrogant we are, for we could not take our next breath were it not for God allowing us to do so. God is the author of this drama called life. He wrote the beginning and He wrote the ending, and the REAL play does not truly begin until our physical death. In the meantime, we are all in this temporary play (school) trying to pass all the tests so we can graduate. I am learning that THE MOST important thing in our life is our relationship with God and we don't even come close to realizing the true awesomeness of this. We tend to treat God far, far, too casually, sort of like Joe Smith down the street.

I have spent 71 years in school and guess what? I am realizing more and more than I am still in kindergarten. ...There is always hope and God is incredibly patient. The truth is...we are all sick and seeking the Physician. We are ill and seeking a cure. The {Orthodox Church}... is the inn and hospital in which every sick and distressed person can be cured, and God knew the depth of my illness and where I needed to be, and I was finally willing to check myself in...The way truly is narrow and difficult and a real struggle sometimes to overcome ourselves, but it is the only way. The choice is in our attitude as we confront whatever God allows to appear in our lives, for the plan is His."

I think her response is worthy of posting. I also want to note here that there is a manifestation of a "clinical" level of anxiety which many folks struggle with on a daily basis, and I am certainly not opposed in any way to the diagnosis and treatment of this disorder-I myself have in the past have taken medication for that purpose. I hope her words, however, are an encouragement to you as we think about God's willingness to reach us in our distress and illnesses, and in His inifinite patience, to bring us abundant life now, and in the future. Blessings to you readers, whatever "befalls" you today.

"Be Thou, my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou, my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee, and Thou with me Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son,
Thou in my dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my Battle-shield, sword for my fight,
Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight.
Thou my soul's shelter, Thou my high tower.
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always;
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of heaven, my victory won!
May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heaven's Son!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O ruler of all."

Be Thou My Vision. Translated from Old Irish to English by Mary Bryne in 1905. Versified by Eleanor Hull in 1912.

Learning from the past

2009-09-26T19:23:00.003-05:00

I've had a really good day-tiring, but really good. I went to Old Cowtown Museum with some of my kids-the weather was perfect, the crowds were not crowds, the saloon hot dog was pretty good, the cow was protective of her baby, the displays were interesting. I like western lore and culture-and, every once in awhile, I need to be reminded that I'm fortunate that I don't have to wash clothes in a creek on a wash board. Those times seemed simpler, but you know, I don't think they were. The steps one had to go through to do laundry, to cook, and even to get water were physically demanding. Medicine was primitive and life was characterized by hard work and more hard work and more hard work. Every day. You didn't pack up and go on vacation. You stayed home and worked. You helped your neighbors when you could. You enjoyed Sundays as there was not as much work to do, but still, it wasn't a total day of rest. Life was hard and you survived by your own working hands and God's benevolence and mercy. It seemed the music of the church centered on trust, obedience, hard times, and the faith it took to pull through. The old hymn, "Does Jesus Care?" written in 1901, plaintively asks what we today sometimes wonder-four verses of four lines each questioning what happens sometimes in life, and one chorus, 4 lines, to assure the singer that yes, He does. Interesting. A simple faith? Maybe. But as we sit in front of our computers, and TVs, and cook in our microwaves, and drive our cars, we can learn something from these stoic pioneers.

Angst

2009-09-22T06:35:00.003-05:00

So I was thinking about anxiety yesterday. I even looked it up on wiki to see a synopsis of this state of mind - like you, I've had my struggles with it. I realized that one way I've coped with anxiety over the years is to snack. To look at me, you'd probably guess that. But it became clearer recently what my trigger points are and I thought I'd share a couple of those with you. One happens Sunday evenings. I'm in the "getting ready to go back to work" mode, and I'm gathering up materials, thinking about my schedule, planning on lunches for the week, looking at my calendar, figuring out what my priorities are, and if I have anything scheduled which is causing me some concern such as a meeting with difficult parents, then the worrying about that begins. Sunday evenings find me restless and going into the kitchen about every 10 minutes as I get ready for a new work week. This has become obvious to me as I've been on a weight watchers plan, and it's gotta stop.

Another source of anxiety is, believe it or not, walking Lydia in our neighborhood. After we first got her, two loose dogs attacked her as we were getting out of the car from a trip to the vet. My daughter remained calm and decisive, I went into panic mode. Normally, I'm not afraid of dogs-I've always been an animal person, but this little event really fostered some fear in my brain. Since then, I've walked her a little in the neighborhood, but mostly at a nearby park, however, when it rains, the park path is muddy and puddled. The thought of getting out her leash and walking her around here scares me, but I hate hate hate being ruled by fear, so what to do...

What to do indeed. For the dog problem, I bought a little canister of pepper spray, took some lessons from "The Dog Whisperer" (a TV show in which the guy 'rehabilitates dogs and trains people'), and worked with Rebekah who did a lot of training with Lyd when I first got her and continued to encourage me. My anxiety made Lydia fearful, so now the goal is to be relaxed-to know what to do if we encounter loose dogs on the walk helps. You would be amazed, or maybe not, about how many irresponsible dog owners we have in this city who just let their pets out the front door unleashed and unrestrained. It is astounding to me. But I digress.

The anxiety that occurs on Sunday nights is getting better. But there are oh so many other little things that I let ball up inside me-concerns about my kids, friends who are going through hard times, problems with an administrator at work, and oh yes, let's not leave out how each and every day I never meet my own expectations. Ever. To know me you might not realize I'm so self-critical, but I battle that demon too.

Is there a cure for anxiety? More later.

Words- the voice of the heart

2009-09-14T19:45:00.002-05:00

The title of this blog is a quote from Confucius, and how true it is. The Bible says something similar - that the things that come out of your mouth, come from your heart (Matthew 15:18). It seems that recently, several people have been in the news because of the words they've spoken - Kanye West grabbing the microphone from Taylor Swift at the Video Music Awards and interrupting her speech, tennis champion Serena Williams screaming and cursing at a judge at the U.S. Open, and of course, South Carolina representative Joe Wilson's outburst during President Obama's speech this last week - shouting "You lie" as the President spoke to Congress. What on earth is going on, I mused, as I pondered the decline of civility and respect - pondered from afar.

Then, it happened to me. A minor happening, yes, but a happening nevertheless.

It happened on Facebook. Someone posted an insensitive, offensive comment on a friend's wall. The comment was published on all of our facebook pages and was in extremely poor taste. What to do, I mused, as I read the comment. Do I say something or do I let it go? The comment wasn't about me, however, it reflected on someone I care about. I decided to comment on the comment, and as I expected, the reply which was posted to my comment was condescending and rude. Even though I expected it, I still gasped as I read it, as it was pointed directly at me.

The person who penned the original comment is a sophomoric, immature, poor excuse for a man. He objectifies women and has no respect for them, let alone for himself or for the God who created him. He speaks from his heart-his comment truly let us all see what he values most. I did not value his reply enough to respond and I will not get into a war of words with someone on a web page I don't even know.

But words-how powerful they are! A reminder of that to me, someone who has plenty of experience saying things I shouldn't have practically from the day I started talking - is certainly timely. And maybe all of us need to be reminded that civility and respect goes a long way in life. Can't we all just get along?

Mr. Smith

2009-09-11T22:54:00.003-05:00

I went to the doctor for what I hope is the final time and got released to go back to work on Monday. He did not want me to work full days, but I promised him I would be careful about overdoing things.

My comments today have to do with HIPAA, which is an acronym for the congressional act passed in 1996 guaranteeing privacy of medical information for individuals. Since I've spent a lot of time in the doctor's office the last 10 days, I've had opportunity to observe waiting rooms and check-in procedures, and I gotta tell you, from my vantage point, there isn't a lot of privacy and protection of medical information at my doctor's office. There are several physicians who practice at this well-known clinic here in Wichita, and I became acutely aware that privacy, at least during check in is practically non-existent.

From the chair in the waiting room, I was able to hear patient's names, insurance information, birthdays, addresses, and employment information. I was able to listen in quite easily concerning not only which doctor people were checking in with, but why. Would I desire to do so, I could write this information on this blog. Had I made notes during my 3 office visits I could tell you who was there for shingles, who needed to make an appointment for a mamogram, who wanted to see a doctor for a stubborn infection, for a rash, for lab work, for chest congestion, and for blood pressure checks. I could tell you who had no insurance, and who was instructed to come back to the desk to pay on their way out. I know who a few of the new patients are visiting that clinic for the first time. I heard a physician counsel an elderly woman regarding whether or not it was ethical for her to slip her husband depression medication in with the pills he takes on a daily basis, explaining that he doesn't know what he takes and it certainly might improve his mood.

The girls, and I use that term purposefully, behind the glass checking in people are young. They do not speak so that hard of hearing people can understand them, so they raise their voices. "Mr. Smith, you have Medicare? And also Blue Cross?" Mr. Smith yells back, "YES. I need to make an appointment for next week." "Why do you need to see the doctor?" queries the what looks like a 16 year old receptionist. "Because I have an INFECTION," shouts Mr. Smith. The girl confirms his address, his date of birth, and his doctor of choice. She makes the appointment, and all the while, people sitting in the waiting room now know all about Mr. Smith. What is wrong with this picture?

When I checked in, I refused to state why I was there, and just said I had an appointment at 10:30. I made all my follow up appointments by phone instead of at the reception desk. When the receptionist raised her voice to confirm my insurance carrier, birthdate and address, I tried to barely nod without speaking.

It bothered me to such an extent that I feel like writing a polite but concerned letter to the clinic. Surely there's another way to handle this-surely there's a way to treat people with dignity and respect at the doctor's office without informing 30 or 40 strangers why you are there. Am I making a mountain out of a molehill? You tell me.

Starting the third week

2009-09-08T15:36:00.002-05:00

I'm sure some of you are wondering what's up with me as I haven't posted recently. It's simple-I'm off work for the 3rd week. I still am not well enough to go back to my job, and I am frustrated and sad. I have to go back for a re-check this Friday so I'm hoping I can go next Monday. And that's all there is to that.

Monday Musings

2009-08-31T19:23:00.003-05:00

Back to work today. I am tired, and it was a long day. I went through a week's worth of email, mail, and other stuff, and attempted to prioritize what needed attention first, but I gotta tell you, it feels pretty good to be back. I hope my energy levels return this week.

I have a supportive spouse who kindly tried to make me feel better when I was down last week - he hardly ever sighed or gave me the "look". So how about a few lighthearted musings on marriage, from the book, "The Best Book of Useless Information Ever":

"I married the first man I ever kissed. When I tell this to my children, they just about throw up." - Barbara Bush

"Ah Mozart! He was happily married-but his wife wasn't." - Victor Borge

"Choose your wife by your ear rather than your eye." - Thomas Fuller

"Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, and half-shut afterwards." - Benjamin Franklin

"I was married by a judge. I should have asked for a jury." - Groucho Marx

"The best way to get husbands to do something is to suggest that perhaps they are too old to do it." - Shirley MacLaine

"Honeymoon: A short period of doting between dating and debting." - Ray Bandy

"I take my wife everywhere I go. She always finds her way back." - Henny Youngman

"Before marriage, a man will lie awake all night thinking about something you said; after marriage, he'll fall asleep before you finish saying it." - Helen Rowland

Things I Learned This Week

2009-08-29T12:21:00.004-05:00

Last Sunday night I became rather ill rather quickly. On Monday, the doctor diagnosed it as "garden variety" influenza. I missed the entire week of work. Today, Saturday, I went outside my front door for the first time in 5 days. I am not contagious, but I'm not completely well, either. I did pick up a few things at the store, and am doing more home chores, but even now, I feel like I could lay down and take a nap. However, just because I was trapped in this house inside four walls for a WEEK doesn't mean I didn't learn anything. I learned stuff! I feel as if I must share this crucial knowledge with the world and although, it doesn't take a genius to figure these things out, it does take experience. There's nothing that will teach you better about life than going through it yourself. Otherwise, it's just words on your computer screen. So for what it's worth, here's what I learned:

1. The worst place to be when you are sick is the doctor's office. Doctor's offices were not built with sick people in mind. You go into a brightly lit waiting room and sit in uncomfortable waiting room chairs. You get called back to the little exam room and again, bright lighting and uncomfortable furnishings are there for you to enjoy. If you want to befuddle the nurse, lay down on the exam table, like I did, and ask for a pillow. I think if they really were wanting to offer services for the sick, they'd have a regular waiting room for people with ingrown toenails, boils, and hair loss, but a second waiting room set up with dim lighting and clean cots, with pillows, sheets and blankets for, here's a novel idea, SICK PEOPLE. You'd camp out there and snooze until the doctor came in to see you. You wouldn't care if he was 45 minutes late then. At least you wouldn't care as much.

2. While you are recouperating at home, there's not much on TV to watch during the day. I have cable so I have a few more options, but the pickin's are slim. Other than "Dog Whisperer" and the westerns on TVLand, there's not a lot left. I could only watch the entire hour of Price is Right one day out of five. I don't know how people stand it.

3. Being sick sucks the energy out of you like a black hole. One day I threw one load of laundry in the washer, put a few dishes in the dishwasher, then napped for 3 hours. And, like a black hole, other things are out of time sync. It takes longer to recouperate than what you think it will. You spread germs faster and further than you think you do. You move slower, you think slower. You are in your own universe of time and space. When darkness falls, you sorta come to and think, "What time is it? 8:00? It's about time for bed..."

4. You cannot hurry up the recouperation process. When you have influenza, all you can do is treat the symptoms, and those not very well. In treating those symptoms, I learned it's better to mix your own drug cocktail than to take a multi-symptom tablet. And, it's nice to already have them on hand so you don't have to try to explain to somebody what you want or need. I know exactly what works for me and what doesn't. I plan to have a supply available as I never want to walk into a Walgreen's and try to decipher the maze of brightly colored drug boxes through a fog of flu brain.

5. All the work that's piled up for me is waiting for my return on Monday and the best part is, the sky didn't fall down over two schools because I wasn't there. Nobody is indispensible. Some people's work is waiting on my work, but it'll just wait. Some meetings were postponned because I wasn't there, and they'll just wait. Some decisions were tabled and they'll be made later. Because my life came to a halt, in some ways, other people's work was affected, but-that's life.

So that's what I learned. Last comments: I am grateful it was just the flu. Many others face far more serious illness than that and with a lot more grace and dignity. I think of a person I know who continues to work in spite of weeks of chemo, weight loss, hair loss, and a general body shut down. We know what's going to happen. She does too. Still, she comes and does her job, and smiles brightly when she says hello. She works in spite of the pain, and I'm looking forward to seeing her Monday morning. I need that cheery hello from her, and a reminder that I have a lot to be thankful for.

Downsizing is not for wimps

2009-08-23T07:58:00.005-05:00

For those of you not local residents, Anita Cochran is almost a household name. She's spent her life in the news biz, most recently as the prime time news anchor for KSN for several years. Several months ago at the pinnacle of her career and making big bucks, she resigned her job. I have found her blog and am following her life with intense interest these days as she and her family adapt to living on one income by downsizing everything in their lives, including their large, well-furnished and expensive home. She is following the Dave Ramsey money envelope system and she is committed to spending only cash for those things which are in their budget. She has put her heart and voice on the line as she blogs her journey, and I have grown to admire her courage in publicly sharing what life is like.

There are those of you who might say, well-she may be downsizing but her husband still works and they still make more money than what many do. This may be true, but it doesn't make her struggle and commitment to live a simpler life less real. There are people who make 500,000 a year who don't know how to manage their money, and there are people that make 12,000 a year that don't know how to manage their money.

I like Anita. She shows boldness in chronicling her successes as well as her failures in trying to get a handle on what's important in life. For her, other things were more of a priority than beaming into 500,000 viewers homes every evening and she had the guts to change her life. You go girl!

Her website, appropriately titled, "Breaking News - I'm Broke!" is:

www.anitacochran.tv/

Be warned, at times she's a little rough around the edges. But I think you may take something away from her willingness to share this most personal adventure with you.

Still learning lessons

2009-08-22T15:06:00.003-05:00

I told my sister, I like Saturdays and I hate Saturdays. I like them when there's not a lot to do except just putz around and do what I want. I hate them when they are crammed every minute with some chore to do and some errand to run. Today has been one of the latter. I went to work out, went to WalMart and grocery shopped, unloaded all the bags, put everything away, and hopped right out on the porch to get some more painting done. The weather today has been fantastic-perfect painting weather. The Man is slowly and methodically repairing and painting the screens, and we are making progress, I guess. I think this is going to be something that takes me another 2-3 weeks to get completely done. In the middle of that today, we had a leaky toilet needing repair. A simple fix (we hope), but time consuming to do it.

We got another roof estimate last night, and are immediately impressed with the company representative. We just LIKED him, and I can't really tell you what about him was so special. There were several things about his bid that we thought would be better than what we've seen so far so we may have found our winner.

So my daughter is having a get together at her house, and I think I'll go over for a little bit. I'm going to make a couple of taco rings to take with me so that's probably why she wants me to come over there. (Just kidding, I think.)

I've finished the second week of school and things are okay. At the new building, it's all about learning a new system, however, it's made easier by the people I've met and have started working with. I am sharing a large office with two other staff members who are there full time and we seem to be compatible in terms of conversation, work ethic, etc. Our desks are facing each other, so that's a little weird, but it'll be ok. One of the things I like about this job is that I get to meet the most interesting people-sometime I'll have to tell you about Lois (not her real name). She's one of my office mates, and she's just intriguing to me. She's single and was raised in the Mennonite faith in a small community north of here. I've already been blessed by her overtures of friendship, to me-a stranger trying to fit in to this new workplace.

See, I was not enthused when I was first shown my workspace, and when I realized there would be two other people in there. The first plan was going to be to house me in a small space in another hallway by myself. But had the principal stuck to that plan, I would have not ever experienced this blessing of this friendship, and of getting to know both of these staff members. I would have certainly felt more isolated and alone. Lesson: Let go and let God do His thing. It might just be something that will be beneficial to you in the long run.

Slippery Slope Theory

2009-08-15T12:22:00.004-05:00

I'm posting again, already today, because of a discussion I had with someone about the previous post. This person (this would be my spouse, in case you are wondering) is in agreement with most of what Factcheck.org is saying about the bill, but is extremely unhappy about what he perceives as the bigger picture. The bigger picture, according to him, is not really the bill's overt language. It's what's written between the lines, it's what the INTENT is, it's what the ramifications of this bill could be, it's give an inch, take a mile, it's beginning the downhill slide, as he sees it, into the world of not only the government dictating health care (i.e., socialized medicine), but it's running private health insurance companies out of business because they won't be able to compete. It's the government telling my health insurance company what changes they can make in my plan, and it's federal sticky fingers overseeing a business that it has no business being a part of. Right NOW, he says, there is no one telling grandma she can't have a hip replacement, however, the term "cost effective" has been thrown around and implications made that grandma might be better off just taking a pain piill instead of getting her hip fixed. There's no euthanasia in the present bill, however, he sees it as a way to open the door to that very practice because it could be cost saving. He would like the government out of his life, out of his health care, out of his home, and out of what kind of car he drives.

There's a lot of things in life we can apply the slippery slope theory to and we need to do that from time to time in order to be watchful and responsible in our actions. I appreciate talking with him about it, because as a dyed-in-the-wool conservative Republican, he has a lot to worry about where this bill is concerned and he articulates his worries well. But, he did admit that there are those that present these issues as "facts", when indeed, they are not facts, they are simply opinions of what may happen in the future should our country head in this direction. This is all I'm asking - if both sides could just state what's opinion, and what's fact then I can think and opine for myself.

Saturday Musings

2009-08-15T07:09:00.003-05:00

Every single person you meet and get to know, even on a casual basis, can teach you something, and I suppose that's why I find people fascinating. I am assigned to two schools, 3 days at one and 2 days at the other. I am working for two very competent, professional, building principals who could not be more different in their management style - they are as opposite as day and night. I'm not saying that one style is preferred over the other, I'm just saying they are different. Consequently, there are different expectations of me, their school psychologist. One school is a new assignment, so I'm on a learning curve when it comes to figuring out what I need to do to fit in with a new team and to do my job so that we work together in achieving what we want. At the other school, I'm beginning my 4th year, and it fits comfortably like an old glove. I don't have to worry so much about those things - I've been there longer than the principal, which in an odd sort of way, makes me feel better!

At the team meeting at the new school this week, I did not say anything, I just watched and listened. And learned.

*****************
On a different subject, how are you feeling about the health care reform bill that's in the news, almost as much as the untimely death of Michael Jackson was? Personally, I'm tired of hearing about extremist opinions on both sides of the debate. According to factcheck.org, there are seven falsehoods prevelent about the current arguments for and against this bill. Here they are:
False: Government will decide what care I get (a.k.a. Grandma won't get a hip replacement).
False: The bill is paid for.
False: Private insurance will be illegal.
False: The House bill requires suicide counseling.
False: Families will save $2,500.
False: Medicare claims will be slashed.
False: Illegal immigrants will be covered.

I would encourage you to check out this website. It has been up and running for years, and is not in the hands of any particular political party. There appears to be good documentation regarding why these claims are false. I don't mind good debate on these issues, but I hate arguing when people on both sides distort facts and present it as truth. If you want to talk about the issues, do it honestly. This is why I hate even talking about this. There are those who, even when presented with the facts will hold on to their opinion as truth. Don't do that.

If

2009-08-08T17:05:00.002-05:00

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet, don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run-
Yours is the earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a man, my son!

by Rudyard Kipling

Saturday

2009-08-08T16:44:00.002-05:00

The last couple of days have been busy ones for me. I had my first colonoscopy (!, sorry to entertain you with such delicate information), and I've been painting, cleaning, etc. The aforementioned medical procedure went well, and results of the polypectomy should be known in a few days. Other results are too uncouth, gauche, and maladroit to be written about here, but if you want to know and cannot stand not knowing, email me and I'll tell you. It's very true what they say. The preparation is much worse than the actual procedure, if you get my drift.

Back to work on Monday. I'm ready to go, I think, although I have certainly enjoyed my time adrift in a sea of summertime activities. Our church has a picnic scheduled for tomorrow evening but I'm not overly anxious to go and sit in the wind and heat. We do have a shelter rented at a local park, and there's fishing there, so I might take my pole. Depends on how hot it is. Most fish won't bite in the heat of the day. What am I gonna do if I catch one anyway?

Not a lot of deep thinking going on here in this blog entry today, but I do have a lot on the brain. It's just not fit for public musing. Yet.

Twilight

2009-08-02T08:04:00.002-05:00

Sunday morning-what a gift these days are. I'm sitting here with coffee, windows open, listening to the birds, and...what's that? Lydia is barking. Oh! I looked out the window and there's a woman practically running by with, count them, 4 large dogs on leashes. Good grief! I don't know how she manages to keep control of all of them.

We finished up the yard sale yesterday and the kids didn't do too badly. I was glad I didn't have to do a lot of the work for it, though. I put a few things out but no one decided they needed my "treasures". I also went to the nursing home yesterday and played the piano for the residents. There weren't a lot of people there, the attendant told me that many of them had gone with their families for the day. But those that were there to listen seemed to enjoy it. A man and his wife came-she is actually the resident there and he stays with her most of the day. He came up to the piano and sang along with me. He also put a piece of music in front of me that he got from the piano bench and asked me to play it, telling me that they used to play this particular piece in his church during communion time. Although I'm not a very good sight-reader, I managed to make it through this composition easily, and it is beautiful. The title is simply "Hymne". I don't remember the composer, but after I played, he was so appreciative.

It's a little thing, really, playing the piano in a nursing home. They like the old hymns, none of this modern stuff for them. They request the same ones each week, and each week, I'm happy to do it. Every time I get ready to leave there's this goodbye "ritual -, I play "God Be With You Til We Meet Again", and then greet each one who has come. "Come back!", they'll say. "Come anytime!" This time, I had lots of questions about where my daughter and son were-they usually come along and help sing and he plays as well. They both had other things they needed to do, but they were greatly missed. Next Saturday I will probably miss as I am having a medical procedure done on Friday, and I just am not sure I will feel up to going, but we'll see how things go. This is the second time in my life that I find myself doing this. Many years ago when my children were little, I went on Sunday afternoon with a couple of people to the Lincoln East Nursing Home. I played, Bill sang, and Sam preached. We had a little church service right there. I told God I would do it for 18 months (the length of time my mother was incapacitated before she died), and ended up going for more than 2 years.

It's doing something outside yourself, and forgetting about your problems and your difficulties. It is understanding that many depend on us, the Church, to provide ministry to them. It is helping those at the twilight of the day gain "strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow", as the hymn states. It is realizing that there are blessings for not only those who are ministered to, but for the "ministers" as well. I'm not talking about a feel good all over transitory emotion-"I've done my good deed for the day" thing. I'm talking about something much deeper. Many of these folks have a faith they are clinging to which I have not yet grasped, but yet, which is so very visible to someone like me who comes in once a week for an hour. It makes me wonder if I'll have what it takes to meet my future-whatever that may be. With my health history, I could very easily end up in a place much like these folks and probably will. Will I pass the test? Will my faith in the God who made me, and who knows my name, be enough to sustain me, no matter what happens? Will I be able to make it visible to those who are around me, even if I can't take care of myself?

I have a friend in her 80's who is currently in treatment for cancer. This is her 3rd or 4th re-occurence, yet, she remains one of the most positive people I know. She told me on the phone the other day that she shares her faith openly with the doctors who treat her, asking them if they pray, if they believe in God, if they know Jesus. If they answer negatively, which some do, she walks through that doorway and tells them what Jesus has done for her. She prays for and with each doctor who treats her, sometimes as he/she is at her bedside. This woman is a true hero of the faith. She has no self-given labels i.e., "Queen of Evangelism", but she has, as so many others, given me an example to follow. My prayer is that I am faithful to the end, whatever and whenever that is for me.

New Walk

2009-07-30T10:37:00.003-05:00

I walked a new route with Lydia today. We parked at the Keeper of the Plains, then started out on the bike path, walked around by the All American Indian Center, continued through Exploration Place, out on 1st street, walked east to near Waco and took the walk behind "Riverwalk Church", then went north on the path by the river all the way back to the Keeper. It was a very pleasant walk, but longer than what I'm used to, and I'm feeling tired now that I'm back home. Lydia is sacked out on the floor beside me, not a wiggle left in her fuzzy body. In actuality, it was only about 35 minutes, but for someone like me, that's a long time! When I walk at Riverside, I go around twice, which takes me about 25 minutes.

I love the wildlife I see on my walks-today a white bird with a long wing span flew within feet of me as it took off from its resting spot in the water. We "terrorized" a flock of geese, who gave warning honks to Lyd and one old gander (you can tell cuz he was wearing suspenders and high-water pants-ha!) fluffed up his feathers to about twice his size, saying, "You wanna piece of me?? You??? Come on over here!" He stood his ground as we walked right on by him. I will miss these mornings as in just another week, I head back to work and will have to do evening walks.

What a beautiful morning it is! I couldn't have custom made it better, weather-wise. It does not feel like July here. I understand that our friends in the northeast are baking under 100+ temps, and I feel for them as most do not have central AC. It's like we switched places with them-we have their cool mornings, rain and moderate days and they have our scorching heat.

I will soon begin the painting project again-with the rain I haven't been able to get as far as I'd hoped. I have two more windows primed and will try to get some paint on them today. So with that in mind, I will take my leave.

Parable Explained

2009-07-28T10:52:00.004-05:00

The feedback I've received from some regarding my parable is that it ends too soon. Only one person was brave enough to actually leave me a comment about it (thank you Uncle!), everybody else either ignored it, didn't "get" it, or said that without an ending, it really wasn't complete. My friend "Piano Linda" and I did discuss it yesterday while we were out doing other things and I appreciate what she had to share.

I'm sorry to leave it so unfinished, but the truth is, the ending is whatever you think. Did the woman go on stage and try to direct the orchestra with her burdensome headpiece on or did she take it off and enjoy the freedom of just being herself, not really caring what others thought about how she looked? My friend thought that she would not have the courage to put her self-imposed burden aside, caring more about what she THOUGHT others would say or think about her. The sad part is, it's all her PERCEPTION of what she thinks others think. For her, this perception was her reality, but the truth is, perhaps people wouldn't have minded her baldness. Perhaps they would have admired her courage in being herself. Maybe they would love and accept her no matter what she looked like if she would have given them a chance to see the real her.

What is the lesson? Parables are supposed to contain a moral teaching, a lesson for us to learn. They are a way of explaining truth by using common life examples, although in this case, it is not common that we would direct a symphony orchestra. It IS common, however, that as we make our way through life, we are sometimes afraid to reveal our true selves even to those we love.

I would venture to say that some of you have given up on me at this point, thinking that this is a bunch of pyscho-babble nonsense. Perhaps, but I don't intend for it to be. Personally, I wanted the woman to experience the freedom to live without that heavy burden on her head. Without her worrying about whether people could see her baldness or not, and without being concerned about what they would think about it should they see it. I think had she been able to leave that tiara and wig behind, she would have found great joy directing that music, and would be on the road to discovering and experiencing all that her Creator intended for her to be.

I encourage you readers to do the same.

One last confession-this was not a parable I happened to think up. In case you haven't guessed by now, this was a very vivid dream that I had the other night. I was the woman with the heavy headpiece on. It doesn't have an ending because I woke up suddenly, startled, as I dreamed I was going on stage. I don't know how it ends, but because it was so vivid, and I remembered every detail so well, I decided to share it with you. I don't normally pay attention to dreams, however, this one was quite different. There ya go. You now know "the rest of the story" (thanks to Paul Harvey).

A parable

2009-07-26T07:30:00.003-05:00

Once upon a time, a woman was called upon to be the guest conductor for one piece of music at a band concert. The evening was progressing well, and it became time for the woman to step out on the stage, take her bow, and lead the musicians. The woman was in her dressing room, surveying her attire, and noticed that her headpiece had slipped a little. She adjusted it, prepared to walk out, and it had slipped again. Determined, the woman clamped it to her head tighter and began to walk down the long hall toward the stage. "You look beautiful!" an onlooker shouted at her.

She had not walked very far down the hall way, when the headpiece (something resembling a crown), loosely fell forward and covered her forehead. Stepping into a restroom along the hallway, the woman looked in the mirror and was horrified to discover that the headpiece had slipped so far that the wig attached to the headpiece was laying to one side, revealing the bald skin on the top of her head.

"I can't let them see that I'm bald!", she panicked. She again attached the headpiece, which had somehow become heavier. She positioned the wig, and when it was tight enough that she didn't think it would slip again, she left the restroom. A woman passing by commented, "What beautiful hair you have!", and smiled at her. Almost to the stage, her adornment again fell, and ducking into yet another restroom, she removed it altogether and shook her head, causing the hair around the fringes of her scalp to fall around her shoulders. "Oh, I feel so much better without this headpiece," she thought. "If I didn't wear it, I could really relax and enjoy conducting this music without worrying about it so much." She paused. "But then, they'll know I'm bald, and I can't let them see me."

What to do? She stood there for a moment, listening to the instruments warm up and tune, then the musicians waited, quietly. There was an expectant feeling in the air as many waited for her to appear. By now, the headpiece and wig were heavy and cumbersome. She placed it upon her head and took two steps toward the door.

A Big Job

2009-07-25T16:33:00.002-05:00

There's a lot about my house I don't like, but there's one thing I do like about it, and that's the wrap around screened in porch we have. I've written before about how our porch is like an additional room-how our kids played out there on rainy days, and how it was used for a "counseling" office when talks needed to be given. There's a lot of good memories connected with our porch, but, now, it's causing us some work. Every few years we have to take down all the screens (there are 20), repair them and scrape, prime, and paint the trim. It is a painstaking process at times. This last week we started on the windows to the south of the house-there are 7. They are all repainted, the screens are all repaired and the frames repainted, and we are waiting for them to dry in order to re-install them.

Today we took off 5 screens across the front facing the east, and are starting to scrape and clean the sills. Not only does the old paint have to be scraped off, but the sills and trim need cleaning before priming, which I do with a brush, a bucket of soap and water, and some elbow grease. It's a lot of work, and did I mention, there are 20 of them to do? Yes, yes, I think I did. I miss the screens. They offered some privacy, and some protection from mosquitos. I think it'll take us another couple of weeks to do all of them, but once it's done I don't have to think about it again for another 4 or 5 years.

I went to the farmer's market today and surrounded by hordes of people because it was "Tomato Day" at the extension building, I managed to buy some tomatoes and peaches. I got some yellow cherry-type tomatoes and some purple-reddish "heirloom" tomatoes that almost look like grapes. They are very sweet and very delicious. I didn't grow any garden this year, but plan to start working on putting in some raised beds in the fall. Have you seen the "topsy-turvy" tomato planter? You hang it up and the tomatoes grow upside down. I'd like to try one of those next spring.

Two weeks to go before school starts. I've received information from both schools about their inservice schedules and where I'm supposed to be. I also have gotten notice of 2 training sessions which are scheduled for school psychologists in August, so it's time to think about getting back to work. I'm grateful for a job, don't misunderstand me. And, I'll be ready to get back. I don't do well with a lot of unstructured time because I'm too much of a procrastinator. There's things on my list yet that I wanted to do this summer that I never got around to.

Speakiung of procrastinating, I'd better get moving. Maybe I'll have time to finish scraping a sill before I have to make dinner.

I'm thinking of you

2009-07-22T08:24:00.003-05:00

It was said yesterday, "So, now that everybody's on Facebook, there's no blogging going on." Well, that could be the case, although, there are things I don't like about FB, and I'm sure that when I go back to work, it may get neglected from time to time. But overall, I have enjoyed it. I repeat my contention that it could be the worst time waster ever invented. Right now I'm embarrassed to confess that I'm participating in "Farmville", where I have a virtual farm I'm plowing, planting, harvesting, milking virtual cows, etc. I notice some of my Farmville "neighbors" play the game with a fervor unequaled to anything I've seen in awhile. It's all about making money, so you can advance in farming operation levels and even in this benign context, competitiveness comes out! I do enjoy visiting others' farms because one can be creative in choosing which crops to plant and in arranging trees, barns, etc. There's no septic system on this farm to muck things up, no hail to destroy your crops, no wolves to get your chickens, no diseases to get your cows, and no fungus which grows on your fruit trees. I would conjecture that those who actually live on farms would not play this game.

I've scraped and primed my porch trim on one side, and will paint today. We are blessed with cool weather for July so there's a lot that can get done outside.

We figured out where the Houdini dog is escaping, and I hope I have at least temporarily fixed that problem. The neighbor told me yesterday that she just freaks out when there is even a slight rumble of thunder in the distance and that's when she tries to get out, although she's done it also on clear days and I've gone to run some errands. If I'm home, she doesn't usually try to escape.

Well, on to painting. As I leave this blog, my thoughts today are with those in my circle of family and friends who are struggling with unemployment or under employment, those who have financial difficulties, those who have broken hearts, those struggling with health concerns, and those who are trying to make sense of situations that are difficult to understand with human perspective. I have nothing magical to say which would relieve you of your burden, but if you happen to read this blog, I hope you know your family loves you and that you are in my prayers.

Mixed Bag

2009-07-20T11:29:00.003-05:00

Good Monday morning! Although I wasn't able to begin my porch trim painting project today, or to mow, (alas, it rained), I LOVE the cooler temperatures. For today's blog entry, how about three comments regarding money? Give me Frustrating Situations for 100, Alex.

I hear that our beloved county commissioners are thinking about closing the Kansas Colisuem pavilions. This after spending 6 MILLION dollars of taxpayer money to upgrade the pavilions collected with an additional sales tax, which also funded the downtown Intrust Arena. Although there are many groups who use the pavilions, they continue to lose a half a million dollars a year. I dunno. I'm tired of people spending my money. Did they know when they voted to spend that 6 million on improvements that the pavilions were losing money like that? Seems like somebody should have known that. Anybody in charge here?

Speaking of money, because some of us have been conservative in our use of city water, and because we've been blessed with good rain and weather has been moderate causing people to irrigate less, revenues are reduced. Is this reduction of the use of natural resources a good thing? No. Our city council is pondering an increase in water use fees to make up these revenues. The average Joe cannot win. You use less utilities, you get to pay more. You use more utilities, you get to pay more. Hello???

And speaking of money one more time, the council is going to vote tomorrow on whether or not to spend 85,000 to approve a contract with a landscaping firm to to DESIGN the landscaping, bike path, and decorative lighting along the east bank of the river. Doing the actual project will cost 2 million. I'm just... does it really cost 85,000 to DESIGN a bike path? Really? It really does?

And finally, just for grins, let's review the most common spelling mistakes on resumes. Here ya go: "Dear Sir or Madmen, I'm attacking my resume for you to review. Following is a grief overview of my skills. I have a keen eye for derail."

I'd like to derail something. Instead, I'll just have lunch. Until later!

What I'm thankful for

2009-07-14T09:04:00.003-05:00

I go back to work in, let's see, exactly 3 weeks and 6 days. I am not bragging, just stating facts. My brain is already turning to my job - I loaded scoring software on the school laptop I have. I am wading through a technical book about evaluating children who are not native English speakers and who are struggling in school. I am thinking about my new assignment, and am hopeful that it will be a good match for me. And, I am grateful in this economy that I have a job, that I for the most part love what I do, that I get paid enough to pay bills, and that I have this break in the summer to de-stress.

My thoughts turn to many who are struggling to find and maintain employment these days. My youngest son has some promising leads and hopefully will be able to find work soon. My daughter in law has been hired at a local grocery store and will start in a few days, and my middle son at least is working part time, however, he has no benefits. My daughter has been able to work at a temporary job this summer which has helped them out, and my son in law remains employed full time, at a job he doesn't particularly like, but a job he is grateful to have. My husband's employment at both of his jobs looks secure, as does mine, but I know that life can "turn on a dime" in a matter of seconds. I really do try to take nothing for granted-each day, each moment is a gift.

Speaking of taking things for granted, how many of you got up this morning and flushed a toilet, ran water in a sink, or did a load of laundry? If you are connected to a city sewer system, you did these things without a thought of where the waste water was going. If you however, are on a septic system, then you unfortunately, may have to think about that from time to time. My brother had a little difficulty with his septic system last weekend and it brought home to me that I take a lot in my life for granted. It never dawned on me to be grateful for a sanitary city sewer system, but I am now. And I'm re-thinking my whole, "I wanna live out in the country some day" idea. Maybe I really LIKE having a dependable sewer system. We'll see.

I'm back

2009-07-13T22:43:00.003-05:00

It's been a long time since I've written, almost a month. I know people check this blog every once in awhile, so I'm going to try posting regularly.

We've just finished with our annual family reunion, and what a great time it was! I'm so grateful that almost everyone in our extended family was able to come and be with us. Our family, the descendents of John and Estella Plank, are many and diverse. We get along well even though we have different viewpoints on many issues. These reunions restore family ties that become faint when we do not interact with some who live far away. They enable me to truly appreciate those things in life which are not material. Our music director has a saying that music is the only thing we get to take to heaven and I tend to disagree-we will also take relationships with us.

Well the old man is home and ready to sit down here to unwind, so until tomorrow, I am-

Just Me

Answers you've been waiting for

2009-06-22T09:05:00.003-05:00

I'm sure you all are waiting intensely to find out the answers to the questions I posted in my last blog, so here they are:

1. The tick is not an insect, it is an arachnid, belonging to the superfamily, Ixodoidea, which, along with other mites, constitute the Acarina. Caterpillars, which is what I thought the answer was, are the larval form of Lepidoptera, which is the insect order belonging to butterflies and moths.

2. False. According to "Everyday English", every sentence must end with either a period or a question mark.

And there you have it! You are more informed than you were before if you got these questions incorrect.

So, I am mowing this morning before it gets to be 90 degrees at noon, although with the humidity, it feels like 90 right now. I mowed for 30 minutes, which was about half the backyard and I am wiped out. I'd like to finish it this morning, so I'll drink my water and go back out in a minute. I really should hire one of my sons to do this (actually, shouldn't they come over here and do it for free?).

In other news I have, either for the better or worse, activated my facebook page which has been inactive for quite a while now, since I first set it up. I think facebook could be the biggest time waster that we have in our society today, but I can see the appeal. I think. Linda and I are playing a Scrabble game lasting over the course of several days, which is a new idea for me-I always thought Scrabble needs to be played to its ultimate conclusion the same afternoon you start it, but what do I know? I told my husband he needs a facebook page, if for no other reason than to play the games on it. He wouldn't be good at "What are you thinking", as he:
*** 1. Is semi anti-social, depending on where he's at
*** 2. Cannot imagine that people would want to know what he really thinks
*** 3. Cannot imagine that he would be that interested in the minutia that other people are thinking

Time to go back out to the heat of the jungle.

Are you smarter than a 5th grader?

2009-06-11T13:30:00.004-05:00

Two recent questions from my calendar, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader:

Which of the following is not an insect?
1. Ant
2. Caterpillar
3. Tick

Every sentence must end with a period. True or false?

What do you think? No extra research allowed on the net. Just your first impressions on both questions, please.

The "F" word for the day

2009-06-10T21:15:00.002-05:00

The word for Wednesday, June 10 is: FLOCCULENT a. Covered with soft woolly tufts. Condition of certain spiders, an alpaca, or a male teenager's face.

Living where?

2009-06-09T22:31:00.002-05:00

Word for the day: EREMOPHILOUS a. Inhabiting a desert. You might use this word to describe any number of wildlife such as snakes, camels, spiders, or coyotes. The author of the book, "The Superior Person's Second Book of Weird & Wondrous Words" states that it also may apply to the classic condition of a person who has just had a new home built, but has to choose between curtains or a lawn.

I was quite busy outside today, and, I might add, I got quite dirty. I potted up all the annuals I purchased which will decorate the tables for my son and daughter-in-law's wedding reception on Saturday, and, while I was dirty, I decided to plant all the other things I'd bought previously, as well as move and replant three bushes. I pulled grass and weeds out of a front flower bed, and gave out about 6:30pm before all the work was done, but tomorrow's another day.

I love wearing my crocs outside to do yardwork, but my feet get extremely grimy in them. Usually I rinse them and my feet off with the hose, but I didn't do that this time. I talked to somebody at church who, get this, liked her crocs, but didn't like the dirty feet she got while wearing them, SO, she installed DUCT TAPE over the holes of her crocs - works like a charm she says.

Time to get to bed. Tomorrow more weeding and yard work awaits me, but I really need to do some things in the house too. The days go by way too fast!

Observations

2009-06-09T08:56:00.002-05:00

I had amensia once --- or twice. I forget.
******
Protons have mass? I didn't even know they were Catholic.
******
I am neither for or against apathy.
******
All I ask is a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
******
What is a "free" gift? Aren't all gifts free?
******
They told me I was gullible and I believed them.
******
Teach a child to be courteous and polite in the home, and when he grows up, he'll never be able to merge his car onto the freeway.
******
One nice thing about egotists-they don't talk about other people.
******
My weight is perfect for my height-which varies.
******
I used to be indecisive. Now, I'm not so sure.
******
How can there be self-help GROUPS?
******
If swimming is so good for your figure, how do you explain whales?
******
Show me a man with his feet firmly planted on the ground, and I'll show you a man who can't get his pants off.
******
Is it just me, or do buffalo wings taste like chicken?

Sparrows and the word for Monday

2009-06-08T17:22:00.005-05:00

What a beautiful cooler day today-skies are a little overcast and it's in the 70's. A great day for yard work-and to have the windows open in the house. I trimmed up the forsythia in the front, and plan to do a few more chores outside before it gets dark.

I set up the bird and squirrel feeders several days ago and there's a lot of activity out there-I think a lot of sparrows, but also I've seen blue jays and I think I saw a finch or two. What is it about sparrows that they are considered sort of a nuisance bird? My dad in his later years made it his personal mission to rid his property of sparrows as much as possible by setting up traps for them. I looked on Wikipedia at several articles on sparrows, and one article says that house sparrows are the most widely distributed wild bird on the planet. It also says that house sparrows are aggressive in forcibly usurping the nesting sites of other birds, and in fact, sometimes even build a new nest right on top of an existing nest with babies in it. Did you know that the house sparrow has the shortest incubation period of all birds-10-12 days- and that a female can lay 25 eggs in one summer? They also don't have a very exciting "call" - the article calls it a "short and incessant chirp". So what we have is a bird which is very prolific, which has an annoying and constant chirp, and sometimes is destructive to other species of birds, taking over nests and housing boxes.

Yet, I think the sparrow is the only bird that I can find that Jesus directly mentions in the New Testament - other than maybe a dove? Perhaps you scholars reading this can help me out there. Nevertheless, Jesus says even though sparrows were sold 2 for a penny or 5 for a penny, depending on which book you reference (Matthew 10:29 and Luke 12:6 NIV), not one of them falls to ground without God knowing about it, or, as Luke says, God forgetting about about them. The point is, if God knows that about such a common bird as a sparrow, what does He know about me? What does He care about me? Jesus goes on to state that we are worth more than many sparrows to God. I don't know about you, but this gives me great comfort.

In honor of my spouse, the word for the day is: DEMOPHOBE n. This is not a fear of Democrats but, it is a morbid dread of crowds and massed humanity, i.e., the 5-10 people that might be waiting in a restaurant lobby, or, the 30 people gathered in a church fellowship hall, or, heaven forbid, the crowd of several thousand at a concert or other community function. The author of book I have referenced previously states rather cleverly that this is one of the more common phobias, and if all the sufferers of this malady were put together in one place, they wouldn't like it one bit.

Word of the day for Sunday

2009-06-07T07:49:00.002-05:00

The word is: CATACHRESIS n. Misapplication of a word. So if you accidently used the word in the previous posting, BICRURAL, to describe, for example, a muskrat, you would be guilty of catachresis. I suppose cathachresis could also be used to describe situations in which people say with great pronouncement: "I could care less!" , or, when Hillary said she landed in Bosnia under sniper fire, or, when your teenage son said he had a "little" accident with the car, when confronted with the fact that the entire side was one big dent.

Friday and, the "B" word for today

2009-06-05T10:13:00.002-05:00

What a beautiful morning! Not too hot yet. I went to the garden store and bought a couple of 6 pack annuals and some other things for the front oval flower bed-I still don't have that place worked up yet. I did transplant some peonies out there last fall and they came up great, but a neighbor kid's ball landed on them and broke most of the stems off. I was sick when I saw them. The 3 little bushes I planted out there are just struggling to survive. I bet the soil isn't very good. I'm thinking I need to move the the peonies yet again to another spot where they will have a chance to survive, and the ornamental bushes as well. I then took Lyd for a walk at Riverside Park today-she's getting better and better about walking with me. It seems she still has to stop every 4 feet to sniff something but even that's improving. After we walked a couple of rounds we stopped under a tree and rested. She drank out of her water bowl and I drank my 20 oz. water bottle. Because I've been working outside, the inside of my house needs my attention badly.

Word for the day: Bicrural. a. Having two legs. "I am sorry to have to say this in front of your new boyfriend, Hortense, but he is BICRURAL, and I cannot be persuaded otherwise."

(From The Superior Person's Second Book of Weird & Wondrous Words, by Peter Bowler. )

Word for the day

2009-06-04T07:11:00.002-05:00

I recently discovered a book I had purchased many years ago: "The Superior Person's Second Book of Weird & Wondrous Words" by Peter Bowler. I am, by no means, an expert on language or grammar, and I am likely to be bested in a game of Scrabble by several people in my extended family who seem to have a real knack for organizing letters to make words I would have never thought of. But this delightful little book has been quite entertaining for me to once again peruse, so much so that I have ordered from Amazon a used boxed set of 3 books of Weird & Wondrous Words.

From this nifty little book, the word for today is: ADUMBRATE v. To foreshadow in general terms; to sketch out what you intend to do, or what you expect to happen, i.e., "Allow me to adumbrate in general terms the consequences of your continung to block my driveway with your car..."

I, myself, adumbrate the completing of many tasks today, all of which are mundane and trivial, but which are, nonetheless, on my "to-do" list. There ya go.

Thoughts regarding recent news

2009-06-01T21:25:00.006-05:00

The recent murder of Dr. George Tiller deserves a blog post-however, finding words to say what I think succinctly and clearly so that there is no misunderstanding by my readers is a challenge. We'll give it a try.

First of all, the act was cowardly and malicious. The perpetrator needs to be prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law. I feel no differently about this murder than I do when I consider the crimes of serial killer Dennis Rader or of the murders of 4 people by the Carr brothers. All victims were innocent, all victims were in no way at fault, all victims are loved and missed by their families. I am horrified by this turn of events. However, I wish to offer the following thoughts for your perusal, and for some, perhaps your disagreement. That's okay-you may disagree and thoughtfully post your comments.

I am a pro-life person. It is my contention and belief that every conception is human life and bears a soul. I am adamantly opposed to abortion. My opinion is that this legislation should be returned to each individual state to decide and that the federal government should step out of it.

Point number one:
I do not think it is fair to hold me responsible for what this extremist did on Sunday morning. It appears that in some newspaper columns, and on some news programs, there are those that are branding this crime as coming from the pro-life camp and nothing could be further from the truth. How dare the insinuation be made that those of us who value and respect life above all else would in some way be associated with this lawbreaker, whose heart was full of hatred and vengeance? Forty nine million abortions have been performed since 1973. Forty-nine million persons will never have an opportunity to live life-would you like me to hold you on the pro-choice side responsible for those whose lives ended so abruptly? Is there blood on your hands? Is there blood on mine?
Point number two:
Although I am sure that Dr. Tiller was probably a kind and compassionate man, I will never lose sight of the fact that he indeed, spent his life "terminating pregnancies". Some are saying he was a hero, some are saying he helped them in very difficult circumstances, some are saying he was a saint here on earth and was carrying out the work his God entrusted him to do. I think we need to be horrified by his murder, but also, be horrified by the fact that legally, he ended life for thousands and thousands and thousands of pre-born children. A caller to a radio show I listened to said that when people think of you after you have left this life, they don't think about what you DID, they think about what kind of person you were, and that what you DO in life does not define you.

I tend to disagree just a little bit. A person's work, and what they were able to accomplish in life DOES in some ways, define them. Are we going to say that about Dennis Rader? What he DID does not define him? I hardly think so. What he did personifies who he is. The way I not only do my job but live my life defines me and shows the world, whether it's admirable or not, what my true character is. It does so for every single person, even Dr. Tiller. We cannot as a city, as a state, and as a nation, conveniently "forget" what happened on a daily basis out at that clinic on East Kellogg, and no doubt, will continue to happen as other doctors step in.

Maybe more later.

Busy first day

2009-06-01T07:27:00.003-05:00

It's the first day of summer vacation, and I have a list of things to do about 4 feet long (not really, but it seems that way). I even had to make a list to make sure I wouldn't forget something. I'm going to the church to work on sorting music, I'm taking my district laptop back to the adminstration offices, I'm picking up drugs at the pharmacy, taking dry cleaning in to get done, and I'm completing several tasks related to the reception we are giving for our youngest son and our daughter-in-law that will be here in town on June 13. I've got a load of laundry started and several more to follow - although I won't be home to do it, so I don't know why I even put it in the washer. 94 degrees here today. Whew!

Unraveling the knots of the past 6 weeks

2009-05-30T09:10:00.003-05:00

So, a fine Saturday morning it is. I'm sitting here with my coffee cup, waiting for Jay to come and pick me up. We're going to take a little excursion for a few hours around south central Kansas today. It's not that I don't have anything to do-my goodness, I've got boxes sitting in here that I dragged home from school and all kinds of stuff piled on my table. My house is sort of a wreck and we're gonna have "company" this evening, so why am I not going to be home today? I dunno.

The last day of school was semi-uneventful. We had a staffing meeting which didn't go well-a parent became defensive and difficult, but dealing with that is all part of the job. Friday was spent cleaning up two offices and completely moving out of one, personal files and all. They're sitting here on the floor waiting for me to do something with them. It sometimes takes a few days to get unwound when you been tightly focused, so I'm waiting for the unraveling to start. Next week there's stuff for me to do-I have plenty on my agenda including, planning a wedding reception here for my son and daughter-in-law. It is scheduled for June 13. Her family will be coming from Wisconsin, so it'll be a nice thing for her to be able to visit with them and show them their apartment and around town. I've agreed to help out with VBS (why oh why?) and I'm continuing to help with women's group this summer at church. I have relinquished leadership responsibilities, however.

I see the brother has arrived so I need to wrap this up. Maybe one thread will untangle today as we're driving. Or not (knot). (ha!)

Wisconsin IS a nice state...

2009-05-26T06:46:00.004-05:00

We're back from Wisconsin and now, it's catch up time. If you read my brother's blog, you'll see that he managed to blog TWICE while we were gone to Wisconsin. I don't know how that man does it, but the word for him today is "overachiever".

We had a lovely, albeit short, trip. In the car 4 out of 5 days, we traveled 3000 miles or more (about 900 one way). The wedding was "non-traditional" in a lot of ways, but very sweet and will be a special memory. In our short time there, we were able to travel up to the northern part of the pennisula for a fish boil and some sightseeing. It is spring there and the lilacs and other flowering bushes and trees are spectacular. I enjoyed seeing my family again, and am so appreciative of their efforts to attend and be a part of this special occasion. I ended up with a lovely daughter in law out of the deal, so all is well.

We got home and unpacked, took the rental car back and retrieved Lydia, who about wiggled out of her skin right there in the waiting room when she saw me. She was glad to come home, but she's been doing a lot of scratching and biting since she's been here-I wonder if she has fleas. Great. I'm going to have to see about getting her some relief this week because it seems pretty severe.

It's off to work this Tuesday morning. 4 more days to go, but busy days they will be. I wonder if we'll have kids who don't return to school this last week. See you later.

It's too early

2009-05-16T05:37:00.002-05:00

It's 5:40am, I've been up since, oh 4:00am this morning. I just took my son to the airport to catch an early flight to Wisconsin. Now I'm kinda wound up, so thought I'd write a little before going back to bed. The husband will be getting up in a few minutes to go to work so we have an early start to this Saturday.

I was going to relate some difficulties from work that I've had this week, but I don't want to go into it. It's sufficient to say that I had to remind myself again that I'm not doing this job to make other people happy. Right now there are some who wouldn't give you a wooden nickel for my expertise, and that's ok with me. I have to answer to somebody bigger than USD 259 and as long as I can do that, then I am well. I just need to remember that as I'm tossing and turning, replaying scenarios and conversations, and conversations I'd LIKE to have, but can't, and all that. You know how it goes.

Maybe more later today.