Photo Hunter - Beautiful

"Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder," Margaret Wolfe Hungerford (née Hamilton), who wrote many books, often under the pseudonym of 'The Duchess', is most often attributed to having first written this quote. As I share with you my photo of 'beauty' I am compelled to also share with you the story of one of the most remarkable young men I have ever known.

Beautiful Dan

...we met when he was six. He crawled into my lap and played with my red fingernails. He is now 22, over six feet tall, still sits in my lap and yes, he still loves my red fingernails. Dan has a rare seizure disorder that has robbed his brain of growth and development. What it hasn't robbed him of is his joy of life.

I was his assistant when he started school. Yet it was he who taught me. He taught me patience and kindness. He taught me acceptance and tolerance. He taught me to appreciate the baby steps. He taught me love in I way I had never known.

Perhaps the most beautiful thing about this young man is his ability to bring people together. Knowing Dan creates a domino effect that touches the lives of many. Life long friendships have been formed, marriage vows exchanged, and a baby born because of Dan.

His face isn't flawless. His smile isn't perfect. But his heart and soul are flawless. As it is with many who are like Dan, if you look beyond the physical flaws, you will be blinded by the beauty from within. Dan taught me that too!

Sky Watch Friday

Yes, another muti-blog meme...can you stand it? This one should be very cool as its theme is the sky. I love to look above me and dream about all the possibilities that are ahead. So check out my picture then link to the above and go see some other amazing shots of the sky and dream your own dreams!

This photo was taken on top of Haleakala National Park, Maui as the sun was breaching the horizon. As you can see we were above the clouds. Haleakala is a dormant volcano. We rode bicycles down the face of the volcano that morning...never had to pedal once!

Change Isn't Bad - It's Just Different

As I read Epi's words today, "...but when you find that a bit of your soul dies every day that you call into dispatch to let them know you're there.... It's probably time to go," I shuddered with a familiar feeling. I remember how that felt.

I remember working in a place where the the adminstration sucked the passion out of your soul. Where no matter how much you loved the job, the co-workers, the people you served, it just was not enough to keep your heart and soul nourished.

I knew when I hated the administration more than I loved the students, it was time to leave. I knew when I was sick to my stomach with the thought of entering the building everyday, it was time to leave. I knew when I couldn't advocate for my students because I couldn't bear to talk to him, it was time to leave.

It was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. This is the girl who has lived in the same house since she was five...I don't like change. I loved my co-workers. I felt like I was abandoning my students. I had worked in this building for nine years, it was home. But one man was robbing me of my passion. And without my passion I was completely ineffective.

I applied for a similar position in another building in the same district. I was hired. I said my goodbyes to those who mattered. Most understood why I was leaving and wished they had the same opportunity. I wanted to throw up!

I was frightened...oh man was I frightened. I hate change! But it was the best decision I have ever made. I would scrub toilets for my new principal. I don't think there is a thing she could ask me to do that I wouldn't. Do you know why? Two things happened when I was in the building last week.

1. When she saw me for the first time after the summer break, she grabbed me and wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tightly and said, 'You look great!" She meant both hug and the compliment.

2. The same day, as she was sitting in her office working at her table, she called me in and looked at me and said, "I am so glad you are here. I don't know what I would have done without your help today. You saved my life and have allowed me to spend the weekend with my family. Thank you."

In the four years I worked for the 'Jackass' (my pet name for my previous administrator) he never complimented anything I did, let alone tell me he was glad I worked for him. I don't think he said those things to anyone, as he is a true narcissist.

My passion for my job and my students has returned with a vengence. I no longer want to throw-up just thinking about going to work. My heart swells as I walk into the building in the morning. This staff is family. They take care of each other...they really do care about each other and that comes from the top!

Epi, I wish you well in your endeavor to find a job where your passion can flourish. Where those who employ you will recognize your gifts and embrace them. I hope you will be as lucky as I have been and be able to put behind you the adminstators that suck you dry and find the one who will nourish your heart and soul. Keep us posted.

Every Family Has One

USG

When I was born, my mother's father was already approaching his 80's. Grandpa was born in 1886 and lived a very, um...interesting life. I was 18 when he died at the age of nearly 95. He had outlived all his friends, four of five children, and eight of nine wives...yes, I said eight of nine! My granny, my mother's mother, was the only one left when he died and she had divorced him some 30 years earlier!

Grandpa was born in Kentucky and was given the name Jonathon at birth. I think Jonathon is a very respectable name don't you? Well apparently Grandpa didn't like being called Jon and at the age of 18 changed his first name legally to...Ulysses Simpson Grant. From that day forward he was know as either Sally to his friends (how that is an improvement over Jon is beyond me) or USG to his business associates.

As I alluded above...Grandpa liked woman or at the very least, being married. He was indeed legally married nine times. My Granny came in the line-up seventh I think. He fathered two children with her: a son and my mother. Somewhere else there were three more daughters. I knew one: my Aunt Iggy (Virginia).

Of course, you can't have nine marriages without having a scandal. It was rumored that Grandpa committed bigamy. Details are sketchy but it goes something like this: He was married and keeping house here in the Midwest when he decided to take an extended trip west (alone). While traveling he took a fancy to another woman, set up housekeeping and married her. Fortunately, for him she died and he traveled back here and picked right back up with wife #1 like nothing happened.

While his personal life was fraught with drama he was a very talented man. He was a wonderful photographer but not much of a business man. He made and lost millions several times over. Grandpa's specialty was portrait photography. He worked with Kodak in the early development of color film. He is the founder of the Professional Photographers of Ohio. To this day there is an award given in his name to a photographer at the annual convention.

His last commissioned work was the official portrait of Ohio Governor John Brown who served for only 11 days. It still hangs somewhere in the Ohio Statehouse. I did not know about this photo until I came across a old newspaper clipping while going through a box of grandpa's old photos. In fact, there is so much I don't know about this man. And now there is no one to ask.

I regret this. I regret letting this man slip through my life. Imagine what he might have told me. Consider the era in which he lived. The 1800's through the 1980's. He saw man invent the automobile, planes fly, men not just land on the moon, but walk on it. And what about the technology that impacted his trade? What did he see there? It must have blown his mind.

I cherish what I have of him...boxes of his old photos and slides. Beautiful images of my mother and grandmother he took. It is amazing to see the resemblance of my youngest to my grandmother...eerie at times. He dabbled in hand colorization...the photos are magnificent.

At times I feel saddened when I look at the photo of the dashing man I never really knew...but then I look into the images he left behind, I imagine him behind the lens, I imagine what he saw and I feel like I am looking through his eyes...the eyes of a photographer. It is a gift, that eye, and there is no doubt he had it.

I can only hope a little of that was passed down to me. My grandfather...I aspire to make him proud.

Ruby Tuesday!

Beautiful Butterflies and blooms

Wardrobe Malfunction

I am half watching the DNC and am terribly distracted. Would someone please tell Michelle Obama her bra strap is showing. It is hard to take her seriously with her undergarments visible.

Creative Photography #11 - Lava

I have found another photography blog and am trying my hand at it. Check out Creative Photography. Here is my photo:

This was taken over the big island of Hawaii from a helicopter. The steam you see, is due to lava flowing into the ocean. It was an amazing, as well as, a humbling site. The hardened lava covered the ground for as far as the eye could see. Its destruction was encompassing.

Manic Monday - Club

Today's Manic Monday word is 'club'. There are all kinds of clubs...but this is my favorite:

It is so versatile. Did you know you could use club soda to make your pancakes and waffles fluffier? Just add it instead of the liquid called for in the recipe. Or how about this...use flat club soda to water your plants. The minerals in it are good for them.

Club soda is also good for cleaning bird poop and other things off your car windshield. And speaking of cleaning...how about getting those stains out of your clothes? Did you know it works on urine too? What about green hair? I talking about the green hair we blonde's get from too much chlorine in the summer...yep, it strips it right out!

I'll bet you didn't know that club soda could help you plan that romantic evening with that special someone! You've been to the store to pick up those oysters (just in case) and you need a little help shucking them? CLUB SODA! Soak them awhile and VIOLA...they open a little easier.

Me...I prefer my club soda with a few other ingredients:

Mix equal parts of all and serve...refreshing on a hot summer day!

Wrinkled- Photo Hunter

Extremes -Fire and Ice

Work is Where the Heart is?

Where my heart is

The seventh graders look small to me...but they do every year. They are nervous and hide behind parents, preferring to let them do all the talking. We explain the schedule to them and I know they hear nothing. They are overwhelmed. They look around, eyes as big as dinner plates. The building seems so big!

My eighth graders...their smiling faces greet me in front of the table where I stand. I hear calls from down the hallway, "Mrs. ........ is that you?" They run, yes some of them run, to wrap their arms around me. Others are a little more hesitant, instead waiting for me to make the first move. There is equal adoration and it is genuine. We are glad to see each other.

The eighth grade boys are taller and their voices are deeper. The girls have lost their 'baby fat' and are quickly turning into young women. How is it they change so drastically over just a short time? There are no nerves here. This is old hat to them...they are home. No longer 'sevies', they own the place now.

How is it I was so full of trepidation? This is where I belong...this is what feeds my soul. I just needed a few hugs from some smelly eighth grade boys remind me! I too am home.

Granny Got Her Gun

I want to be just like her when I grow up! While I bet she was afraid, she acted fearlessly and may have put a stop to what appears to be a rash a burglary's in her neighborhood. You go girl! Read all about this brave 85 year old woman here.

Ending or Beginning?

This morning was like so many others. Somewhere deep in my sleep filled mind, I register the sound of clicking clacking toenails on the floor. I find myself drifting close to consciousness as I know it will only be seconds before I feel the familiar pounce of an eight pound Yorkie upon me. The dogs are up, they too are early risers.

Today I am in no mood to begin the day with the sunrise. So unlike me. I am the one who rises with the sun. I revel in watching the day begin anew...the sun ascending from the horizon painting the sky with a palette of orange, pink and gold. This morning the colorful hues of the sky hold no magic for me. When my charges have finished their morning routine, I cast mine aside and seek the comfort of my bed.

What is wrong with me, I wonder, as I drift back into a fitful slumber. I force myself out of the nest that is my bed some two hours later. I chastise myself for I am no more rested than I was before...I have only managed to lose two hours of the last day I have on my beautiful lake. And then it hits me...the last day on the lake.

I am to leave tonight to return to the real world. I am entering back into the microcosm of reading, writing and arithmetic tomorrow. I will be leaving my lake and all that it brings me. The peace, the quiet, the serenity. No wonder I wanted to bury my head under the pillows.

There is something about water that soothes my soul. Living on this lake this summer has been joyful. I have seen mother nature at her best and been awestruck by her beauty. I have loved, laughed and played with family and friends. I have treasured quiet times with the man I love (though we have not had nearly enough). I have to remind myself of how fortunate I have been.

While the summer is over...the memories are forever. Many are recorded in images that flash across this very computer and others that hang on the wall. And though we won't be here everyday, we will return on the weekends to see what changes the lake has to offer...for that is one thing that is constant about this lake, it always changes. I guess it isn't unlike life, for it too always changes doesn't it?

Overboard?

Maybe...but I am having so much fun! I found yet another multi-blog meme. This one is photo related and called Ruby Tuesday. I can't resist it. First because who can resist red and second, rubies are my birthstone. And if I am really going to reach, Ruby Tuesday's has the best crab cakes ever!

So for those three reasons, I am going to join in with some other wonderful photographers and add my own splash of red on Tuesday. Are you ready?

This was taken over the over the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean as we were heading out to the island of Molokini to snorkel. I was staring out toward the horizon contemplating the beauty and trying not to vomit!

Manic Monday is multi-blogger meme that uses words to tap into that creative side of bloggers. Every Friday a new word with multiple definitions is posted at It's A Blog Eat Blog World

Do whatever you want with the word using one of the definitions, post it on Monday and then link to the site. Look at what others are doing and they will come and see how creative you have been too. Here is my first attempt: This weeks word is 'wax'.

Bear with me as I wax poetic...

Night after night I watch the waxing moon break the horizon. The soft yellow glow bounces off the water. But it is that extraordinary night I wait for. The night the beautiful lunar body rises above the trees and casts its fiery reflection upon the lake. The night it is no longer waxing, but at its pinnacle of fullness...the night that happens once a month and then is gone as quickly as it came. A night that means nothing unless it is shared with someone special.

Colorful Indeed!

I couldn't resist adding another...I was looking through old vacation photos and I found this. It was taken in Las Vegas at the M&M store. That's right...those are all different colored M&M's...wouldn't you just love to swim in them!

It's Full Moon Time

According to the Farmer's Almanac (and who doesn't believe everything it says) full moons were given their names by the Native Americans.

The August full moon is called the Sturgeon Moon. It was named such because the large fish is easily caught this time of year.

It is also called the Red Moon because of the red color it appears to have as it rises through the evening haze.

So as you gaze upon it, whether you are fishing for sturgeon or looking through the haze that is life....just remember to enjoy!

Was it a Birthing or a Whelping - You Decide

and some people too

Do you know why you've never witnessed it before Director Darwish? BECAUSE IT IS NOT SUPPOSE TO HAPPEN! Women are not supposed to have litters...dogs are, cats are, rabbits are...NOT PEOPLE!'

And without the help of drugs, you wouldn't have witnessed it. I didn't know that fertility drugs were now being used for gender selection. Aren't fertility drugs supposed to be when INFERTILITY is a problem?

And to the family of these children: what if these babies had all been female? I'll bet the abortion alternative would have been a fine option. Your religious convictions would have been a second thought. Just pray for forgiveness and everything is okay...right?

And God's will...let's talk about God's will. Do you think for one second God thought it was a good idea for you to take drugs to increase the odds that you would have a litter of babies, putting each one of those children at risk of death due to premature birth? Furthermore, what do you think God thinks about your plan to use fertility drugs to increase the odds of having a son...don't you think he frowns upon your distaste of girls?

So now you have the son you wanted, four of them in fact, and a half a dozen daughters too. Dad's a farmer. I wonder how equipped you are to support 10 children on a farming income in Egypt? Oh that's right...you don't have to worry about milk and diapers for TWO years...the government is supplying them.

How lucky you are...I couldn't afford to buy milk for my babies so I did the old fashioned thing and supplied my own. And disposable diapers? Are you kidding me? Ever heard of cloth diapers and plastic pants?

I resent stories like this. I don't begrudge women who need help conceiving through the use of fertility drugs. Medical science has made possible what at one time was impossible. I celebrate that.

What I don't celebrate are the premature infants that often live months in incubators, hooked to numerous lines and leads, subjected to painful procedure after procedure, day after day, month after month, often to lead lives with permanent disabilities. I also don't celebrate those families that birth their litters and then collect all the free goodies and handouts because suddenly they are famous because they had all these babies at once. If you're gonna birth them...support them on your own! I did!

Am I being too judgemental? I have been accused of such. I was lucky, I didn't have problems with fertility. I gave birth to three healthy children and I did so one at a time. We supported our children by ourselves through some pretty lean times. We asked no one for help and we weren't offered any either. We did what we had to do. That is what we all should do!

PS...sorry, I had a bad day!

Photo Hunt - Colorful

Click to enlarge

USS Arizona

Almost 65 years after the Japanese wreaked their destruction on the base at Pearl Harbor, oil from the USS Arizona still rises to the surface. The colorful iridescent film is a reminder for those of us who visit this hallowed ground, to give reverence to the nearly 1,200 men who make this water their final resting place.

If you look at the right of the photo, you can see part of the ship.

Honey-write the check

I'm gonna go broke and Twitter it's all your fault.

For those of you who don't know Twitter she is highly entertaining and sponsors a weekly Haiku contest. I have entered a time or two (haven't won...not that I'm bitter). She rewards the winner with a donation to an organization called Any Soldier Inc. I checked it out today and OMG!

There are so many great organizations that contribute to the men and women who are fighting to keep this great country GREAT. But what struck me about this particular one is the fact you get to chose a specific soldier and provide what THEY want...not what the higher ups in the 'non-profit' have decided they need.

As I was perusing the site I was awestruck by something...there was not one soldier who requested an item or items for him/herself. All requests were for the entire platoon...they share everything....what a concept.

I am pleading with everyone who reads this to consider sending one package a month to one soldier. Instead of that dinner out, spend the money on a few things and pack them in a box. If we start to pass this through our blog world, think about how many soldiers we could impact.

It's for our soldiers, it's for our country, but ultimately it's for US!

Extra Sensory Blogging

As I read her words it is as if I have written them myself. As if the hand that has typed them is mine. As if the heart they flow from is beating in my chest. I wipe the tears from my face and shake my head to clear the confusion.

As I fed my addiction this morning I was rocked to my very core. It happens to me sometimes... more than I like. "Who are these people?" I have asked myself on more than one occasion. How is it they know how I feel? How are they writing my thoughts, just as I would write them, if only I had the courage to do so? It takes courage to bare one's soul for the world to read. After all, it is out there forever.

I am grateful to all of you whom I read. For when I am unable to bare my soul: when I don't have the courage to do it myself, there is always one of you who does it for me. Thanks.

On the Road Again

I awoke this morning to a chill in the air. I found my arms wrapping themselves around my body to not just provide warmth, but to ward off the chill that came from deep within me. A chill that comes from knowing what lies ahead. And this year I think I am dreading it.

For every year, it is mornings like this, cool dry fall-like mornings, that begin to remind me of how little time I have to prepare myself for the onslaught of the impressionable young minds, bodies and souls I will once again be steward of. Two short weeks and it begins.

I don't know if I am ready this year. I don't know if my heart is restored enough. You see every year there are those students who take a piece of my heart with them. Last year there were more than usual. So many needy kids. Only one of me.

I have worried about one in particular this summer. I spent hours with this kid, not only teaching, but supporting him through one crisis after another. Trying to motivate him in spite of all the hell he was living. It was difficult at its best and shear hell at its worst.

His father recently made the news. I know the boy is devastated. I tried to find this young man at his mother's. It appears she has been evicted once again...if an apt. full of belongings on the curb is a clue. I don't know where he is. My only hope is he will come back to see me.

His story is not unique. It happens all too often in my building and I work in a pretty upper middle class district. As much as people would like to think, education is no longer about reading, writing and arithmetic. It is about supporting these kids where they are so they can learn. And on any given day, who knows where that might be.

I need the summer to heal from the pain these kids live. I need to heal so my heart can be whole to piece out to more needy students. Because as an educator, I can tell you I live their pain with them. If I did not have this break, I would never have the chance to become whole again. There would be nothing left to give.

And while last year was tough, I will be there for this year's crew. I never want to be that educator who cares more about the content than cares about the kid. I always want them to know they come first. I always want them to know there is a piece of my heart for them. I always want to be the one in her car, they chase down the street screaming, " We love you Mrs. .............................."

PhotoHunt - Dark

I found a cool new blogsite...check out my sidebar. Tnchick created PhotoHunt. A new theme every week.

This week's theme is 'Dark'. I like to think outside the box and don't think this photo needs an explanation.

I took this in D.C. on a trip with 40 some eighth graders. That in itself could have been considered DARK!

The Little Red Boat that Could

"Hey baby, you want me to open her up?" he says, his eyes all glazed over with pride.

"I guess but do you think she can take it?"

"What do you mean? She's purring like a kitten."

I think I hurt his feelings. For finally, after many disappointments, his little red boat is in the water and RUNNING ( it has been in the water several times...the running part has been a problem). So he opens her up and man do we fly.

"Honey...why is the front end up so high?"

"It's cause we're going so fast...it will level out."

"Honey..why is the engine almost under the water?"

"Holy shit! Where is all that water coming from?"

"Honey...where are the life jackets?"

You know...if the plug falls out of the boat, the back end fills up with water quick!

A Pauschism...

"Never lose that childlike wonder."

Those words echo in my mind as I am looking through the old vacation pictures.

The wonder of tide pools

At it again...

I told you I was addicted. I have a wide variety of interests and I ended up in some funny places tonight. Look what else I found http://docsontheweb.blogspot.com/ I was laughing out loud as I was reading some of the stories. I too, am compelled to support their cause. You might want to consider doing the same. Enjoy!

I admit it....

I am a blog hopper. I think it is an addiction. I will click on one of my favorites to read the day's new exciting post...then I click on one of their listed favorites. And oh my, something very interesting will pop up! When I am done with that, I point and click again. Who knew there were so many interesting people out there!

But I have found I have a problem with all this blog hopping...I often forget to mark my favorites as I go and then I can't find them again. I have been searching for a particular blog for about a week now. I had no idea how I got to her, but I knew I wanted to find her again. Today I did! It was purely accidental...she left a comment on one of my favs.

So welcome Epi to my list of "Blogs you should read". I am glad I found you again.

Public Service with a BANG!

My mother-in-law is a survivor of six years. I worked with a woman who at 50 had a bilateral mastectomy. How many of us can tell a story of someone we know who has been stricken with this disease? It is becoming more and more common everyday. So go to this site and shell out five dollars and who knows, you may end up with a really cool rifle. But at the very least you will have contributed to a worthy cause.

Secrets....

Over the years I have received some good advice from my attorney friends. One of those tidbits involves secrets. "If two people know, it is not a secret unless the second individual is dead." But I am not talking about THOSE kinds of secrets.

We have all been to that picnic where the casserole is stupendous and we exclaim, "Oh, can I have that recipe." 'I'm sorry," we are told, "it is a family secret." A family secret? And then dear old Aunt Millie dies and takes that stupendous casserole recipe with her and no one else will ever taste it again. Maybe St. Peter will like it as much as the rest of us did.

Or Uncle Pete and his special way to tie off his fishing line. I guess it works really well and he is the envy of all who see him do it. But will he show anyone how to do it...nooooooo. Well guess what? Uncle Pete is in the ICU with a bum ticker. Guess he will be taking his special fish tying technique with him to the pearly gates. Hope there's a lake there for him to fish in, cause the rest of us are shit out of luck.

So my point folks is this...you never know when you might step out in front of that bus and end up with tire tracks across your back. So if you know something special and/or other folks envy your skill or talent, don't be so selfish...SHARE IT!

My Baby

I am sitting at the lake enjoying the peace after a day of company. The husband has gone back to the city to prepare for the week's work. I am lucky and yes I consider myself lucky, to have my summers off, so I often stay behind for some quiet time at the lake.

My solitude is interrupted by the vibration of the cell phone...it is the youngest daughter. She has gone to the state fair and is texting me, a phone call takes too much effort I guess. Her message, "the fair is more fun with you!" I text her back and believe me, it is much more effort for me than a phone call: "everything is more fun with me." And she responds with, "yea yea." I can see her eyes rolling and I laugh. She can always make me laugh.

As I have watched this one grow into an adult, I have been unsure of who she is. She is very guarded with her feelings, preferring to retreat inward...to learn to take care of herself. As a young child she spent hours playing alone...content to be by herself, comfortable in her own skin even at a very young age. I didn't understand at the time, she was preparing herself for the unconventional paths she would soon walk down.

This daughter of mine is on a mission to discover her passion. Her latest attempt involves becoming a paramedic/firefighter. My Lou...five foot tall and 100 pounds after a double cheeseburger meal and a large fry. I can tell you that no where in the casting of any mold did I include axes, hoses, ladders and fire trucks for her. But she is determined and when she becomes determined there is no stopping her. She recently passed her EMT Basic exam ...she is on her way (I am PROUD).

She has an ardent desire to take care of people. I have seen that in her ever since she could carry a baby doll. The tender way she ministered to the needs of these imitation infants...rocking, feeding and nurturing them as if they were flesh and blood.

She has since traded in the polymer babies of her youth and finds herself part of the village, caring for children while their parents seek to make a living. For ten hours a day, this daughter of mine, loves and cares for these infants as if they were her own. And often, better than the parents they came from.

Recently, a text appeared..."Mom, I'm emailing you a picture of one of my babies." My thoughts run from, "Not another picture of someone's baby I have to oh and ah over" to "I'm busy." But I humor her and wait for the mail to arrive...there are oh's and ah's. And then tears.

For the picture I am pondering is one of a beautiful tow-haired infant with an indescribable black eye. The pictures of the burns on her torso would not transmit. My daughter is beside herself. The story of the injuries is flimsy at best, the daycare administration is unconcerned. The potential injustice will not be addressed.

The story is long and involved....I will cut to the chase. Foolish were those involved who did not take this seriously. The little girl who so diligently made sure her baby dolls had nothing but the best, was not going to allow this to be swept under the carpet. She took a stand...a stand that cost her personally. She doesn't regret it for one minute

Children...they are the precious resources of our world. Tragically there is no criteria, no license or test required for giving birth or becoming the life-long caretaker of a child. And though I am not a fan, Hillary was right about one thing, it does take a village. For when the parents fail their own, it is up to us, the members of the village to protect our precious resources.

I am proud to shout from floor to rafters, this is MY daughter and she is a member of your village.

Sculptures

Children...they are the precious resources of our world. Tragically there is no criteria, no license or test required for giving birth or becoming the life-long caretaker of a child. And a though I am not a fan, Hillary was right about one thing, it does take a village. For when the parents fail their own, it is up to us, the members of the village to protect our precious resources.

The moment we are with child we begin to fantasize...."will she look like me", "will he have my brains", "his father's height", "good god I hope he doesn't get his grandpa's nose", "I just know she will be the next Mother Teresa." Most parents create these idealized plaster molds for their children to fit into from the moment the stick turns pink. Therein lies the problem.

Rarely do our children fit into the molds we create for them. They come into the world kicking and screaming, already to the beat of their own drummer. Maybe we got a boy when we wanted a girl, or he did get grandpa's godawful nose. Or worse yet there is something catastrophically wrong and we are ill prepared to deal with it.

The majority of parents adjust, abandon the much coveted mold, love and support their prodigy, yet give them the freedom they need to painstakingly create their own molds. The children become their own little people, eat their boogers, play in the dirt, wreak havoc and then become contributing members of the village.

I created and then shattered three separate molds. Oh did I have plans for my children and the audacity of all of them...they had their own! Not one of my kids became the person I wanted them to become. Not one of them had the consideration to squeeze themselves into the matrix I had assembled for them and come out on the other side as the perfect specimen I pictured. Not one!

No, the inconsiderate little so and so's...they did their own sculpturing and oh my...what they have created is by far better than anything I could have come up with. Stay tuned.....

It's Back...

It seems that Sitemeter has worked out its own problems. As Mr. Greer so eloquently said, "Market forces." I have reinstalled it. We shall see...........................

Get the Word Out

Update @11:00...Here is a link to what seems to me a very brave fix it. I think I will just do away with sitemeter. http://primordialslack.blogspot.com/2008/08/i-feex-i-feex.html

Update @10:35...The other thing I forgot to tell you. If you are running Explorer you obviously can't get into your account to make the changes you need to make...duh! You have a couple of options:

1. As the comment suggests get out of Explorer and download Firefox

2. Or do as I did and give someone with Firefox your password (hopefully you trust this individual) and have them delete sitemeter from your page.

3. Or do the same as above with someone who as already made the changes on Explorer as I have.

Again GET THE WORD OUT!


Folks...it seems we have run into technical difficulties. If you are using sitemeter and running Explorer you are having problems getting into your blog. But you know that don't you. Your friends are having trouble too.

To solve your problem simply remove sitemeter from your blog. The problem will be corrected immediately. This is not a problem for those who are using Firefox. Go figure.

Pass the word along. Email everyone you know who blogs and is using sitemeter. Get the word out! We don't want anyone to miss out on the important things we have to say!

But They're So Soft...............

I love to go to the fair to see all the animals...the four legged ones. One of my favorite barns to go into is the swine barn. I love the pigs...the four legged variety. I always look forward to seeing "Hogzilla" the 1/2 ton hog.

Meet this years "Hogzilla" He weighs 1180 lbs. Now that's BIG!

I love to scratch pigs behind the ears. It is the softest place on a pig and they love it! They will grunt softly giving you their approval.

My husband has a different opinion. He thinks this is the softest place on a pig...says they feel just like velvet. Sounds like a bad pick-up line to me!