tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63409472009604526942024-03-13T13:42:42.230-04:00Pass the Honeypass the honehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12237802470668827407noreply@blogger.comBlogger129125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340947200960452694.post-46804974743168272702020-09-26T10:33:00.002-04:002020-09-26T10:47:46.333-04:00First Month on the Hot Mess Express<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b>W</b>eek 4 of hybrid school is complete. People ask me, “Is it
getting better?” Without hesitating, I answer, “No.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b>I </b>have little faith that this situation will ever get
better. Just imagine being in two places at once, using technology that is
unfamiliar, questioning your every decision, predicting the outcome for every assignment,
and still trying to bring some joy of learning to 90 teenagers. It is an
impossible situation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYRBXX6vbZh4WxgW7KgGyHsb4B6bzX8TIjBVjf6NWawSQ-fpMDcbGKhQKtAWUh1LctJ_TDp2mCg2AkuLGhwxayEoKyWMAruuZGjf86WiuuHRJX7ZetBICDMAWFhg98pVId3YON9tg9YdU/s1459/IMG_4389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1459" data-original-width="1321" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYRBXX6vbZh4WxgW7KgGyHsb4B6bzX8TIjBVjf6NWawSQ-fpMDcbGKhQKtAWUh1LctJ_TDp2mCg2AkuLGhwxayEoKyWMAruuZGjf86WiuuHRJX7ZetBICDMAWFhg98pVId3YON9tg9YdU/s320/IMG_4389.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b>A</b>t the beginning of each school year, teachers put in many
overtime hours for which we are never compensated. We recognize that and still
do it, but usually by week 4, we can take a deep breath and relax a little. Not
in 2020.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b>T</b>wo weekends ago, I worked 10 hours preparing to be out the
following Friday. I had planned a weekend at the beach with my friends that
would make up for the Alaskan cruise Covid took from us. This weekend, I will
work at least 10 hours grading all the work I had to assign so I could miss one
day. Is that how every weekend will be? Most of my colleagues do the same
thing. We can’t keep up this pace. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b>“J</b>ust don’t assign the work. Then you won’t have to grade
it.” That would be swell, but teaching doesn’t work like that. Parents are quick to judge
and condemn if the rigor of our classes isn’t there. My students can’t afford
to “waste” a day since we are already a week behind our college partner. The
students have to take standardized tests to decide if we are teaching the
standards. We can’t take time off.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b>N</b>ow about parents – I have the best parents ever mainly
because they leave me alone. They must trust me to teach their kids to write. I
don’t know. Maybe it’s my old age and experience, but I’m lucky. Some of my
colleagues aren’t. In some Zoom classes, parents are watching, listening and
recording to find reasons to complain about what/how the teacher is handling
the class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One teacher used a short clip
from a program on NPR to add to her lesson. A parent complained that the
teacher was using the class as her own political platform. So much for adding current
events to a lesson. I value parental input but right now, we don’t need an arm-chair
quarterback or back-seat driver. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b>N</b>ow about the students – They are phenomenal. I can’t
say often enough how great mine are. They are attentive and get their work done,
mostly on time. I know I’m blessed because my students are more mature
(seniors) and smart (dual enrollment). I often remind them that they chose to be
in this class; therefore, I expect a lot from them. My Zoomers are very
understanding of my lack of maneuvering all the screen shares and internet glitches.
After I had a heart-to-heart with my students about my insecurities, I got the
sweetest text from a Zoomer. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMIlYIwumjzfcpSiuQsObnbw8ouPjtrnOkxTTi-q2L9VPom73AXYpP4-TLiXbvX15w8JaGJeQowGb-mgm8cLp3xGCnqRgJDYUXDr3xrwkTZu_AEgV8Sbyw6Q0ZFBG0LRoK6-7LlaDMOu0/s1792/zoom+letter_Moment_Moment.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1792" data-original-width="828" height="547" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMIlYIwumjzfcpSiuQsObnbw8ouPjtrnOkxTTi-q2L9VPom73AXYpP4-TLiXbvX15w8JaGJeQowGb-mgm8cLp3xGCnqRgJDYUXDr3xrwkTZu_AEgV8Sbyw6Q0ZFBG0LRoK6-7LlaDMOu0/w353-h547/zoom+letter_Moment_Moment.jpg" width="353" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b>L</b>ike I said, I’m blessed because most of my students are
just like this person. However, many of my friends have the opposite with their
students. Some students haven’t attended Zoom classes but a couple of times
because of connectivity issues, imagined or real. Teachers have been Zoom
hacked by anonymous people logging in using very inappropriate names which
might be visible to the other students. Some hackers have gotten into classes
and played explicit songs or yelled profanities before being removed from the
group. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b>N</b>ow that we are 4 weeks in, people are getting sick. I have
several students who are quarantined at home because of a positive test or
exposure. Covid is encroaching, and it’s only a matter of time before more
kids/teachers get sick. We all know it’s coming and that’s the dark cloud that
hangs over any pleasure of being in the classroom. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b>T</b>he days are not fun anymore. I like my students, but I don’t
know them. I wouldn’t recognize any of them because I see only their eyes or an
image on a screen. I try to find joy in little things, like the student who wore a marquee mask, but those little things don't lessen the constant worry or the daily tears my colleagues cry at the beginning of each day. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b>I</b>t's not getting any better. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzVDSCc2KRQSjZgfarItywUeFBXKQfJnvG9UqO8ouZamHj5ramMBA2cINP8eOHGwitzNVEu9ojtiIlxIRaQVA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>pass the honehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12237802470668827407noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340947200960452694.post-8044465925923820512020-09-05T11:06:00.001-04:002020-09-05T11:06:45.099-04:00Week One -- DONE!<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face="">W</span></b><span face="">eek one is done! <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face="">M</span></b><span face="">any tears were shed by teachers and students alike.
Even I cried, and I don’t cry often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve
got good medication. I didn’t cry in front of the students, so I guess that’s a
win. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span face=""><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7NnRGEgs8HgYDwvyHpJwcCSbevUv6xtun4tJgBAMtR7eFsjViU_HbqoRMFrkhwShyphenhyphen4otWWMxp4IQsZH1oie8KxW7t3RZIeyK-96_7yWMpQJIjAhBifCMnPv6vVUm1jtsW20HMUMH2Yk/s2048/friday+mask.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7NnRGEgs8HgYDwvyHpJwcCSbevUv6xtun4tJgBAMtR7eFsjViU_HbqoRMFrkhwShyphenhyphen4otWWMxp4IQsZH1oie8KxW7t3RZIeyK-96_7yWMpQJIjAhBifCMnPv6vVUm1jtsW20HMUMH2Yk/w375-h500/friday+mask.jpg" title="Finally Friday! What a week!" width="375" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Finally Friday! What a week!</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face="">I</span></b><span face="" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;"> always say that a teacher has basically three jobs –
plan, teach, grade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have always been
able to do two of the three at once. Rarely do I get all three in sync, but
when it does happen, all is right with the world. Over 39 years, I’ve gotten my
course curriculum planned to perfection. I give my students a syllabus for the
entire semester with due dates, test dates, etc. I am so proud of that
calendar. I have also been in front of a class so long that my delivery of
material is spot-on. I tell the same stories and crack the same jokes. Grading always
slowed the process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never look forward
to spending my weekend grading and commenting on 100 essays on the same topic.
But I do it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face="">T</span></b><span face="">his year, I would love to have the old 3-part job back.
Now instead of three things a teacher has to do, there are at least 4 more. Now
I watch the face-to-face (f2f) kids and interact with them, making sure
they are paying attention to my all-important lesson. At the same time, I watch the Zoomers to make sure they are doing the same thing and not back in
bed asleep while holding their phone. To get to this point with the Zoomers, I’ve
had to connect a laptop to the TV because there’s no microphone on my desktop
computer. I can screen share with Zoomers, but I can’t manipulate the TV screen
(write on the TV) because the software isn’t on the laptop.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face="">Z</span></b><span face="">oomers can unmute if they have a question, but
otherwise they are silent. Admin had an idea to wear earbuds so I can hear the
Zoomers and talk to them all while hearing and talking to the f2f kids. The
earbuds they said to buy didn’t work with the laptop they provided, but
goodness, I already have too many voices in my head. I can’t add more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span face=""><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBbXaO9iQDHM3Mg-d1HDbH83H-jeJyrIlRwpdAwQhTLQJ__QjCLW0nNvF6m0iZSSru_QYqE0WP3-6dq1nequtbj6hpEY8jHmjuZlCdWgXPU9UFomIDbC18Vm9wUSabUagjorUWxpWbfg/s644/IMG_4200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="644" data-original-width="480" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBbXaO9iQDHM3Mg-d1HDbH83H-jeJyrIlRwpdAwQhTLQJ__QjCLW0nNvF6m0iZSSru_QYqE0WP3-6dq1nequtbj6hpEY8jHmjuZlCdWgXPU9UFomIDbC18Vm9wUSabUagjorUWxpWbfg/w374-h500/IMG_4200.JPG" width="374" /></a></span></span></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face=""><br />A</span></b><span face="">fter one week, I saw few successes and oh so many
failures. I try to be the best in front of my students if for no other reason
than for them not to roll their eyes or laugh at me. No</span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;">w I have to worry that they are
recording me and sharing on social media. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face="">M</span></b><span face="" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;">any times this week, I asked myself why I was
doing this again. I can survive without the part-time paycheck. I don’t need
the insurance thanks to my late husband and the VA. I don’t need retirement
benefits because I already have them. So why am I back in the classroom? It
comes down to commitment. I made one to my principal and my coworkers. Now that
I have been with them for a week, I am committed to my students. On day one, I
assured them that even though things were very different, I am committed to
getting them through this year so they get the high school and college credits
they need. I emphasized that we are a team, that they chose to be in this
class; therefore, they have to stay “in it to win it” as good coaches say. We
have to do what is best for our team/class by staying in touch with me and
staying healthy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face="">T</span></b><span face="">his year is going to require so much of teachers. You
have no idea. Actually, I have no idea either. I’m just rolling on, one day at
a time, trying to get a handle on all these many new parts of being a teacher.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span face=""><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNM_FAVgbyGym_c4EF4jSHPJlzfosPPds7pBadD8uGZq-I735wcOqwvWTipIrXYdGjMTji1g38CJc_22mmD2b2PWV9ZskPgIwW8WFexAYeXC-vwIwKBtcHLg3Kpss_ciZwbNsS4l1Xyg/s2048/peach+milkshake.heic" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNM_FAVgbyGym_c4EF4jSHPJlzfosPPds7pBadD8uGZq-I735wcOqwvWTipIrXYdGjMTji1g38CJc_22mmD2b2PWV9ZskPgIwW8WFexAYeXC-vwIwKBtcHLg3Kpss_ciZwbNsS4l1Xyg/s320/peach+milkshake.heic" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5FlSRBZXoXnG-Lk7HpZI7_mgEL1vQxneT8FgKvyRLbdqzbmyISGUxGNObqgaJPc8D8h4BU4BLjxjFO-SfV429Vypzppt4vmNEGyU827QYQnm3NC7pbj3D71WquQosGYr32KJerrDLNA/s2048/charlie.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5FlSRBZXoXnG-Lk7HpZI7_mgEL1vQxneT8FgKvyRLbdqzbmyISGUxGNObqgaJPc8D8h4BU4BLjxjFO-SfV429Vypzppt4vmNEGyU827QYQnm3NC7pbj3D71WquQosGYr32KJerrDLNA/s320/charlie.heic" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two ways to lessen stress -- Chick-fil-a peach milkshake and playing with a puppy!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face=""><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span face=""><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span face=""><br /></span></span></p><br /><p></p>pass the honehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12237802470668827407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340947200960452694.post-65604103293460132472020-08-30T07:38:00.001-04:002020-08-30T09:16:20.024-04:00Back-to-School Scaries Part Two<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>T</b>hree years ago, I wrote a post about going back to school.You can check it out <a href="https://passthehoney.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-back-to-school-scaries.html">here</a> if you want, or I can give you a brief summary here. In it, I tell about the anxiety the beginning of the school year brings to teachers. We play all the scenarios in our heads of what the first day or week will be like. Will I get a bad group of kids? How many mistakes have I made on my syllabus? How will my own children handle school? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>T</b>he BTS Scaries are still here, but they look a little different this year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I</b>n the past, I worried about what I would wear on the first day.I always wanted to look nice, somewhat stylish, and professional. This year, what I'm wearing ranks at the bottom of my worry list. After six months of quarantine, perceptions of teacher "professional attire" have changed. My administration asked that we not wear scrubs on the first day.They don't want the students to see us as medical professionals and become nervous, but after the first day, no one cares what we wear. I won't go as far as to wear scrubs, but I predict many days of jeans and school t-shirts. The constant addition to my wardrobe is a mask. I haven't decided about the face shield. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtlVUGf3t4F3oHMH1rb-yIHPXE4JkRihVOzhE6uD_D6hPTWIVA8B6LN9piCWWBD_zW5B11xFmx0k3ancSgMMph1IAuBaFJ_Ryc19ePlrBuI4WWGZEfT2oWAZ0mpTCTEDwVmQY2G6Uyyw/s1600/IMG_4133.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtlVUGf3t4F3oHMH1rb-yIHPXE4JkRihVOzhE6uD_D6hPTWIVA8B6LN9piCWWBD_zW5B11xFmx0k3ancSgMMph1IAuBaFJ_Ryc19ePlrBuI4WWGZEfT2oWAZ0mpTCTEDwVmQY2G6Uyyw/s400/IMG_4133.HEIC" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I</b> always over plan for the first day of school to make sure I have enough to fill the class period. I want the students to know from the beginning that time isn't wasted in my class. We work from bell to bell. This year, the class periods changed from 50 to 105 minutes. Some would say, "Just do two day's worth of instruction in that one day" but it doesn't work like that with young people. On the first day, I usually hand my students a syllabus detailing what we do in class every day/week for the entire semester. They know when every test will happen and when every essay is due. I was so proud that I could be that organized. This year, there is not a real syllabus. I have a list of the major assignments and the weight each has on the grade, but I have no clue when they will happen. I do have the first week planned. This year, I will be one day ahead of the students. I hate operating like this after 39 years in front of students. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>M</b>y biggest worry (besides Covid) this year is technology. In an effort to get all the classes operating in the same online platform, we now use Canvas to share our lessons, lectures, assignments and tests with the students. Everyone is on the same page. Yeah, right! It will take a year to learn this new way, and I'm hopeful that it will make life easier in the long run. Presently, I spend too much time in front of the computer making modules and then having to remember to publish them so the students have access. On the first day, I'm pretty confident that I have done something wrong and the whole class will be wasted. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>O</b>f course, there are "those teachers" who have gotten all creative with Canvas. They have beautiful home pages with bitmojis and virtual classrooms that look just like their room at school. Not me. My home page has a banner and buttons because my young colleague and her husband made them for me. Thanks, Michelle and Will. My home page will look like this for the rest of my teaching career. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKU1qQEDEOVI1bBPJ17GQBzDzYfVx3yInNLv25LWpKX8WB6B_q9UFBO8SoHtf8-upZ9AJmH74HEk3_8WWcbirV3kTvcf1rAO-qxJ-wq3EL2n8wK3yAOEw4x8YCyGyiVXx1QrLk1sQUZQ0/s1600/IMG-4182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1077" data-original-width="1200" height="572" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKU1qQEDEOVI1bBPJ17GQBzDzYfVx3yInNLv25LWpKX8WB6B_q9UFBO8SoHtf8-upZ9AJmH74HEk3_8WWcbirV3kTvcf1rAO-qxJ-wq3EL2n8wK3yAOEw4x8YCyGyiVXx1QrLk1sQUZQ0/s640/IMG-4182.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>T</b>omorrow will be the beginning of year 40 as a teacher for me. I look forward to building relationships with my students and seeing them become better writers. Going back to school brings challenges because of the change in routine and the fear of the unknown. This year, I'm once again drawing on that AA mantra "one day at a time" but this year, the words have a whole new meaning.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>S</b>tay safe! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<br />pass the honehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12237802470668827407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340947200960452694.post-37845734848017239352020-08-23T07:08:00.001-04:002020-09-09T05:26:18.493-04:00Teaching in a Covid World<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b>I</b>t’s been a minute since I have written a post for <i>Pass the
Honey</i>. Actually, it’s been over two years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I didn’t feel like I had anything worth writing about, or at least I
didn’t feel that my thoughts were worthy of someone’s time. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b>I</b>’m not going to go into all of the events of the last six
months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sure you know all about
Covid-19, the pandemic, hand washing, mask wearing and social distancing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t want to beat that dead horse. What
you may want to read about is the latest controversy coming out of the
pandemic – going back to school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On that, I am an expert.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b>I</b>’ve been a teacher for 40 years and have experienced
so many events on global and local levels with my students – refugees from
Vietnam and Hurricane Katrina, the HIV/AIDS panic, terrorist activities, space
shuttles exploding, civil unrest, etc. We have shared suicides/deaths of
classmates and teachers, break-ups of families, unwanted pregnancies, incarcerations,
etc. In all these tragedies and changes, I felt that I was one person the students looked to for answers or comfort when life went awry. We, as a team, worked
through the problems together while also trying to learn the correct uses of
the comma.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My job was to listen,
reflect, point toward a brighter future and move on with the lesson. This is
when I’d quote Scarlett O’Hara from <i>Gone with the Wind</i> – “Tomorrow is
another day!” <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b>L</b>ife is different now. I don’t know if I can pull off the team
concept of working together with my students to face this latest devil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m overwhelmed with having to learn all new
technology and curriculum for teaching in person and online – synchronous, they
call it. I’ll have my students sitting in front of me wearing masks (I hope),
waiting for me to connect via Zoom to the kids at home. All of them will look
for me to guide them through their senior English class, but we will be cognizant
of maintaining our 6-foot bubble which is impossible in my classroom. Every day,
we will be waiting for the notice to “retreat to home” for remote learning. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b>M</b>y colleagues are facing impossible odds. We cry multiple
times daily. We bitch about having to teach some automated curriculum so we
will all be at the same pace when we “retreat to home.” We now must fill 105
minutes of class time instead of 50 so our pacing is totally off. We have
little faith in our leaders because we don’t know who to trust with our lives.
We feel like sacrificial lambs being led to the slaughter of ourselves, our
students or our family members. We have a doomsday outlook because we know the
technology will fail given that we teach in a school that is over 100 years
old. The Wi-Fi never worked in the past, and it certainly won’t now with every
student sucking up the signal. We anticipate fielding many complaints from
parents because their kid isn’t getting a quality education. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b>E</b>very day, I count my blessings; I have many and I’m
grateful. I follow rules and laws. I do my best to be a good citizen and
person. I also try to find a way to be positive through terrible events. I have
faith that God knows what He is doing, and I hope that we will come out of this
ok. My colleagues and I are going to do our best and hope that parents will
be patient. But honestly, right now I’d love to tell Scarlett O’Hara to shut
the hell up.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OB-vnc7zDhU" width="320" youtube-src-id="OB-vnc7zDhU"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />pass the honehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12237802470668827407noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340947200960452694.post-8618632232514489682018-04-17T11:43:00.002-04:002018-04-19T15:36:36.820-04:00My Transformation<div class="vk_ans" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: roboto, arial, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span data-dobid="hdw" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>trans·for·ma·tion:</b><span style="font-weight: lighter;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-weight: lighter;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance</i></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="vmod" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: roboto, arial, sans-serif;">
<div class="vmod">
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>S</b>everal people have told me over the past few months that they miss reading my posts. Last weekend, a relative actually asked to take a picture with me so she could share with her friends who read Pass the Honey. I was more than surprised; I felt like a celebrity! I also felt a little guilty that I hadn't been delivering the goods to my adoring public. It's just like waiting for the next album by your favorite artist to drop or the next book by your favorite author to hit the bookstore shelves. (Picture my giant ego here. 😁)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwbRN8-pGfURcacBRdkPlVzYxWNZXi4ZDCTONiOQm9rBqrBZwiLwXW4ePjLMYoNL13aiTeUSAHCp_YJpBlVABt8HDx5sYD7xWaSO09klmTCx8F58At-vIzdtXu_si0o3NRABU70jDlx8s/s1600/season+1+kiss+GIF+by+The+White+Princess-source.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwbRN8-pGfURcacBRdkPlVzYxWNZXi4ZDCTONiOQm9rBqrBZwiLwXW4ePjLMYoNL13aiTeUSAHCp_YJpBlVABt8HDx5sYD7xWaSO09klmTCx8F58At-vIzdtXu_si0o3NRABU70jDlx8s/s320/season+1+kiss+GIF+by+The+White+Princess-source.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>T</b>wo years ago, I wrote about my healthy lifestyle commitment with Weight Watchers (</span><a href="http://passthehoney.blogspot.com/2016/05/i-have-no-more-excuses.html" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-size: large;">). At that point, I had lost 21 pounds by following the plan, tracking points and walking every day. In October 2016, I started working out with a trainer once a week to build strength and muscle. Since then, I have continued in the same manner and have lost 62 pounds. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQXvmHYWqrCFYUMxkmvsIO2XpnUfHgqdSUT3R0ku8Hps9jgfbCj5M-IR23rMvkhGrgDl_tGltW38o2YqQPbMGO4hFwvluoZrL607uTKF5ZaQWZ1HdBQXCxdizrM9maI73OiysnvOfklBM/s1600/Collage+2018-04-05+19_24_56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQXvmHYWqrCFYUMxkmvsIO2XpnUfHgqdSUT3R0ku8Hps9jgfbCj5M-IR23rMvkhGrgDl_tGltW38o2YqQPbMGO4hFwvluoZrL607uTKF5ZaQWZ1HdBQXCxdizrM9maI73OiysnvOfklBM/s640/Collage+2018-04-05+19_24_56.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">April 5, 2015 and April 5, 2018</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>I</b>n the fall of 2017, I became complacent. School/work started back, and I was teaching an additional class. I didn't think it would be much different from the previous year, but one more class of college essays takes more than just one extra hour a day. I earned more money, but I'm not sure it was worth the extra time. I stopped walking as much and didn't take the time to prep meals. I was bored with my workout routine and needed to do something different. </span><span style="font-size: large;">I told myself that I was satisfied, not complacent, but I was lying to myself.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">A healthy lifestyle is a mind game, and I didn't want complacency to win. I needed a challenge.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>I</b>n January 2018, I added more training time. I worked out with the trainer twice a week for 30 minutes each. I also attended boot camp </span><span style="font-size: large;">three times a week </span><span style="font-size: large;">for an hour each session. I began tracking things other than food, like flights of stairs climbed and active minutes each day. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>I</b> also started measuring my waist, hips, thighs, calves, and arms on the last Sunday of each month. When I first started my healthy lifestyle journey, I didn't take "before" pictures or measurements. I didn't see the need because I had failed so many times in the past. I didn't want another record of my failure. The present Weight Watchers program is all about non-scale victories -- other ways to record successes. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>S</b>ince January, I have lost a total of 17.5 inches. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">waist: -2</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">hips: -4</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">thighs: -3.5 each so -7 total</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">arms: -1.25 each so -2.5 total</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">calves: -1 each so -2 total</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>I</b> feel wonderful, and it's not just about the weight loss. I love being strong! Last week, I wore a short sleeve shirt to school, and one of my students said my biceps looked <i>swole</i>. That's a compliment, by the way.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJi_xl73oYa0CC7nAVUzg4sCaGMN84H3wlw1qYqq-qe7nvZkal7Pmw_lqf1cL36Qgr3_Rv8kbYpFF_NMULOz4II7Y6K01t_Bz1t4ONL3btq0FaRvz-hvCGCpbmlWSuHzUW2ylyvRhE43Q/s1600/31418.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="1280" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJi_xl73oYa0CC7nAVUzg4sCaGMN84H3wlw1qYqq-qe7nvZkal7Pmw_lqf1cL36Qgr3_Rv8kbYpFF_NMULOz4II7Y6K01t_Bz1t4ONL3btq0FaRvz-hvCGCpbmlWSuHzUW2ylyvRhE43Q/s640/31418.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Family fitness day is boot camp after church.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>B</b>efore my recent lifestyle change, I was always the person taking the pictures instead of being in them and the person sitting in the bleachers instead of playing the game. Now, I don't automatically move to the back row in pictures and am eager to participate in activities I always avoided. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>T</b>here's an AA saying that applies to almost anything in life: "</span><span style="font-size: large;">In order to keep it, you have to give it away." I thought about that saying when I started this post. I'm sharing my healthy lifestyle story with you because I want to keep it -- FOREVER. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>I</b> failed so many times in the past because I wanted to do things my way and I wanted fast results. I had so many excuses as to why I couldn't change -- expensive, no time to spare, cooking for others. Now, I take <b>my</b> time and <b>my</b> money to do what it takes to keep <b>me</b> healthy and I hope, living longer.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-size: small;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>I</b>f I can do it, anyone can do it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNLg1MDSDSnuURZAQ6Qn6-kH7B12GjM41PcwHNRCFSPadV3Fk-6lCsgVSFXY6KKP7b9UIRCqC6c76Bfz7hQSayxiGFVZkWYXU5JR2gW5i9b_fuBDzwEEfn6emF-gaTlJYM0ixx9_yZcw/s1600/0407181756e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNLg1MDSDSnuURZAQ6Qn6-kH7B12GjM41PcwHNRCFSPadV3Fk-6lCsgVSFXY6KKP7b9UIRCqC6c76Bfz7hQSayxiGFVZkWYXU5JR2gW5i9b_fuBDzwEEfn6emF-gaTlJYM0ixx9_yZcw/s640/0407181756e.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>April 7, 2018 with my handsome son, Drew</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
pass the honehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12237802470668827407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340947200960452694.post-16203619599181607122017-08-05T07:33:00.003-04:002017-08-05T07:33:39.952-04:00The Back-to-School Scaries<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpi9epg3ufap_EToUAjrc0omFeIvSAEEWxYT3TVIrOX5BHcBGAeaTnXrHs6seZmZbJpF1PWrMY-CNts_yutQLRSdjf9-w1g8QGffrJMMOlGrmgNotMVn0zEoVc_Gov_eeOHTCImuJvBKk/s1600/21379f3bc884d089f4f8d1f57af22369--funny-teachers-teacher-funnies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="736" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpi9epg3ufap_EToUAjrc0omFeIvSAEEWxYT3TVIrOX5BHcBGAeaTnXrHs6seZmZbJpF1PWrMY-CNts_yutQLRSdjf9-w1g8QGffrJMMOlGrmgNotMVn0zEoVc_Gov_eeOHTCImuJvBKk/s640/21379f3bc884d089f4f8d1f57af22369--funny-teachers-teacher-funnies.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;">
<b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;">I</b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"> dread the beginning of the school year.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>D</b>on’t get me wrong – I love teaching,
for the most part. I love getting a new crop of students every year, getting a
fresh start, getting to try something new and different, getting to attempt
once again to stamp out ignorance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>But </b>I dread the anxiety the beginning
of the school year brings. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSmy9M7SW7lpLH_-FHvM-GOXiKsy-vjg_FEXJqtIEWqMOIPxf7KMGdHuGecXIgZyTG5ivrtrlRmvvZnuR0-XrvLEqGzdsDJP05JbY5_6YZWA9OmSaSg-8ismVYtSgy1ouuTfpgr5ohRaY/s1600/download.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="268" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSmy9M7SW7lpLH_-FHvM-GOXiKsy-vjg_FEXJqtIEWqMOIPxf7KMGdHuGecXIgZyTG5ivrtrlRmvvZnuR0-XrvLEqGzdsDJP05JbY5_6YZWA9OmSaSg-8ismVYtSgy1ouuTfpgr5ohRaY/s400/download.png" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>The</b> anxious feelings start creeping
into my mind when the first back-to-school ads come on TV or the displays go up
in stores. As with most major events/holidays,
these exhibitions happen earlier and earlier. When I notice them, I casually
check the calendar and count the number of weeks left in summer vacation. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">I
tell myself to stop, to live in the moment, but that end-of-relaxation date stays
in the back of my mind.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Another</b> dose of worry happens a few
days before we teachers return for pre-school planning week. The cause is the dreaded
letter from the principal. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-TuBNq553X_GXZm1D5Y-QF9wn1UM5vCwr7whmu_UZim2ZtS4uVAtLHIwDzhtcpzFpwbP4H5aC__9eK69_x1ZrHa9m0kWoFkY8W25_OHkH0t4QiGsR6ANP9FeDapLyDxMl68GcdDW45E/s1600/0803170642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-TuBNq553X_GXZm1D5Y-QF9wn1UM5vCwr7whmu_UZim2ZtS4uVAtLHIwDzhtcpzFpwbP4H5aC__9eK69_x1ZrHa9m0kWoFkY8W25_OHkH0t4QiGsR6ANP9FeDapLyDxMl68GcdDW45E/s640/0803170642.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;">T</b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">he message is always positive and encouraging, and
when I was an </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>ingénue</i></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">, I got caught
up in the excitement. This year will be my 37</span><sup style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"> in the classroom, so
I’m totally able to control my enthusiasm. In addition to the “Welcome Back”
message, the envelope contains the schedule for the week which usually consists
of meeting after meeting after meeting. I have been in so many of these meetings
for so long that I have seen the same this-is-the-thing-that-will-fix-education
presented different ways and called different names at least three times.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Monday</b>, I’ll begin again, which is the
best thing about teaching. Not many professions allow a definite start/end date
when you can try different strategies and materials with a whole new crop of mostly
eager participants. I look at each year as my way to finally get it right, to
have my best year yet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Until</b> Monday and for about two weeks
after that, I’ll wake up at 2:00 a.m. and attempt to solve my imaginary
classroom scenarios. I’ve tried everything to avoid this anxiety – exercise, no
caffeine, peaceful bedtime routine, sleeping pills – but I’ve found nothing to
conquer the Back-to-School Scaries.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjapuIOJLRLVDHO7dqgayWfAyh7Hn_M3g4ENNcGElPbDWoJDOF-AcECjqE1bpxKGbhxxsjWqdl0A4c-uqvRJnczApHd7JKoCpY6F-ontnFUagHN-B7MKpJBvkB7AcZB5Dg-pwERe5kuaao/s1600/d98f096f098acab15b6489cad0838aeb--quotes-for-teachers-funny-teachers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="736" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjapuIOJLRLVDHO7dqgayWfAyh7Hn_M3g4ENNcGElPbDWoJDOF-AcECjqE1bpxKGbhxxsjWqdl0A4c-uqvRJnczApHd7JKoCpY6F-ontnFUagHN-B7MKpJBvkB7AcZB5Dg-pwERe5kuaao/s640/d98f096f098acab15b6489cad0838aeb--quotes-for-teachers-funny-teachers.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>I’ll</b> let you know if those
education experts have finally come up with that magical method that will fix
education. Every year, I hope.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj0SMG52pTgqDdbvMlnTnInalWTPyNeY0Y53z9yfIJjUblz-7UJ85K939e1SyK38KZ_VMqNgoHQVVuzq1CrsBXe005w8vAdcd-g8L5xlFQHY_ziDvktwLFmmHp_sHwxZ65_uItyHhyTco/s1600/bts-thoughts-expensive-new-curriculum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="484" height="636" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj0SMG52pTgqDdbvMlnTnInalWTPyNeY0Y53z9yfIJjUblz-7UJ85K939e1SyK38KZ_VMqNgoHQVVuzq1CrsBXe005w8vAdcd-g8L5xlFQHY_ziDvktwLFmmHp_sHwxZ65_uItyHhyTco/s640/bts-thoughts-expensive-new-curriculum.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
pass the honehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12237802470668827407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340947200960452694.post-72756519894756032762017-04-29T07:38:00.001-04:002017-04-30T04:59:20.186-04:00She's Moving Out -- Again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiG7V4c4hWOIjydRY6P9XoeOKjs0QzaZlNO2W3gkyD9p36e9fYvQSoRePeTq6lPT1Se7nbEht_Ufb4nZoxC-nX_2w6TRUHnuT_bz-J8dMX6MSq07ZHHM7c3YE5A3zFTFbCD5rPSGkUTF0/s1600/96b146393898e0890c2ab29c4cc7508e-d3l9lmm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="620" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiG7V4c4hWOIjydRY6P9XoeOKjs0QzaZlNO2W3gkyD9p36e9fYvQSoRePeTq6lPT1Se7nbEht_Ufb4nZoxC-nX_2w6TRUHnuT_bz-J8dMX6MSq07ZHHM7c3YE5A3zFTFbCD5rPSGkUTF0/s640/96b146393898e0890c2ab29c4cc7508e-d3l9lmm.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>T</b>oday I’m moving my 23-year-old daughter out of
the house – again. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>L</b>ike many young adults today, she moved out for
college and moved back home after graduation. Her goal of graduate school in
speech pathology didn’t go as she planned, so home she came.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>T</b>hat was two years ago. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>G</b>etting used to having her around again was difficult
for us all. My then 10-year-old granddaughter who lives with me had taken over
my daughter’s room which they now had to share. The house became more tense
with a new schedule of comings and goings. My husband used to laugh and say
that when my daughter was in the house, a cloud of tension descended. I had to
worry about planning meals around someone else’s likes and dislikes, to listen
to complaints of the filth left behind by the ones with whom she had to share the
upstairs bathroom and to lose sleep over the every-now-and-then 2:00 a.m.
homecomings. Her not getting into grad school was hard on her confidence and
self-esteem, so I had to be a cheerleader and help her see that life doesn’t
always go as we plan. Most of the time she didn’t want to hear my advice
because this little blip in her agenda was all she focused on. In other words,
she had no plan and felt that at age 21, she was supposed to have it all
together. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /><b>
D</b>uring the next two years, she did a lot of childcare for quick money and also worked
as a floater at a local non-profit for adults with disabilities and mental
health disorders. The term<i> floater</i>
means that she went where she was needed. If a staff member called in sick, she
filled in. She mainly worked in personal care – feeding, changing, etc. those
who couldn’t do it for themselves. At first, she was unsure that she wanted to
be there. After all, she had a college degree from the University of Florida;
she didn’t train to be a personal-care aide or to handle people with behavior
outbursts. She could make a lot more money waiting tables or being a nanny. As she
got to know the clients, though, she got excited about the work and became an advocate for this population.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK4ACrMRxTjwUnMq3n2I0ONmfpoIdjgDUe4qh6zLao0A8TGrp8BXlq5dgFIGlHOFtk00V08V9RnGHdj7qLR3WM9dmxY9id_giI3fsixpMJAmS4GFmpbZdrzE6UB5WKPhz3I5ssBoSYZeQ/s1600/17991311_10158739795880294_7565741193564173985_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="489" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK4ACrMRxTjwUnMq3n2I0ONmfpoIdjgDUe4qh6zLao0A8TGrp8BXlq5dgFIGlHOFtk00V08V9RnGHdj7qLR3WM9dmxY9id_giI3fsixpMJAmS4GFmpbZdrzE6UB5WKPhz3I5ssBoSYZeQ/s640/17991311_10158739795880294_7565741193564173985_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Cards and art the clients and staff gave Kelsey on her last day at the non-profit program.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>She</b> was also at home during the last months of
my husband’s life. She helped with doctor visits and chemo treatments. She even
traveled with him on his last trip to our place in North Carolina. Just the two
of them stayed together for a month in our RV. She got an ear full of his tales
of his past life, of how he felt about certain people who pleased and
disappointed him, and of his limited future. They both had a fascination with brain
chemistry and psychology, and he told stories about his time in Germany when he
oversaw a psychiatric unit of an Army hospital. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>She</b> was also at home when he died and was here
to grieve with the rest of us. She was invaluable to me, helping with transportation
of my son with Down syndrome and listening/advising her niece when I just
couldn’t relate to the 6<sup>th</sup> grade daily drama. More importantly, she transitioned from being my child into being my friend. I’ve
watched her mature and gain so much self-confidence. She has found her voice and
isn’t afraid to use it. She is strong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>These</b> past two years gave her a new goal, too.
She decided that she didn’t want to be a speech pathologist anymore. The
experiences she had as a floater and with helping her stepdad allowed her to see
where she will be most effective and happy – as a nurse, specifically as a psychiatric
nurse. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">She investigated the requirements
to obtain a BSN, took the required classes at the local community college, and
applied to three universities for their accelerated programs which would allow
her to complete the degree in a little over a year. She was accepted at two of
the three. The one she chose had 600 applicants and she was one of the 32
chosen. How’s that for a confidence builder?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>So</b> today, she’s leaving again. She’s only three
hours away, but her life will be moving at warp speed and she won’t be able to come
home much. After she finishes the program, she has a plan for the rest of her life
that she will work toward; however, because of her experiences of the past two
years, I’m confident that she will be able to deal with life if her plans go
awry. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I</b> am one proud mama.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEdffvBNAQsBqFQKESdw1TTiEoE6oAlr9sowu4VoPcu94JU829l5QVS4HXNybJLYBEhyJJ5GakDJseuN6bUkmVwFtFFN7tjCLyBkkqnTkzUU6WEUTXjxM2jPhtpGHL4hdu99r8VNDURpk/s1600/nurseratchedwatching.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEdffvBNAQsBqFQKESdw1TTiEoE6oAlr9sowu4VoPcu94JU829l5QVS4HXNybJLYBEhyJJ5GakDJseuN6bUkmVwFtFFN7tjCLyBkkqnTkzUU6WEUTXjxM2jPhtpGHL4hdu99r8VNDURpk/s640/nurseratchedwatching.gif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>I advised Kelsey to watch One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest so when someone refers to her as Nurse Ratched, she'll understand</i></span>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
pass the honehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12237802470668827407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340947200960452694.post-75239918764202477792017-03-28T20:53:00.001-04:002017-03-29T07:55:50.426-04:00A Random Act of Evil<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>When</b> I was about seven
years old, I watched an old black-and-white movie called <i>The Bad Seed</i>. It is about a pretty little girl, Rhoda, who is a
sociopath. She can be as sweet and smooth as honey but turns into a cold-blooded
killer if she doesn’t get what she wants. She kills a classmate who wins the penmanship
award that Rhoda wants and kills the gardener because he discovers Rhoda’s
secret.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ooy8HTb8izw/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ooy8HTb8izw?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I </b>thought about this
movie for years after seeing it. It’s the first time I remember thinking that
true evil can exist, no matter the age of the person, and it can be anywhere,
even living next door.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Many </b>years have passed
since I watched a scary movie or read a horror novel. I’ve seen and heard of more
than enough real-life acts of violence, and like most people, I wonder why some
people are evil and some aren’t. Can a person be a bad seed? Is it the
nature/nurture thing? How can someone not have a sense of right and wrong or
not feel guilt and remorse?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>A</b> few years ago, I
taught a young man who was on a fast-track to prison. I knew it when he was in
the ninth grade. He wasn’t like the kid who is naughty in school but has some
redeeming qualities. This boy was cruel to classmates, disrespectful to
teachers and cheated on everything. His home life wasn’t great – parents divorced,
overindulgent dad, absent mom, raised by elderly grandparents – but his life
was typical of many others. At age 16, this young man was expelled from school
for drugs. When he was 18, he committed a felony and served five years in
prison. He was out of prison for only a few months when, during a planned
robbery, he brutally murdered two young men and their dog.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>What</b> makes a person
like my former student commit such evil acts? Sometimes villains commit
terrible deeds because of mental illness or acts of passion. Addiction also
causes people to become totally opposite of the person he/she once was. But are
we just giving evil a way out, an excuse that it’s ok for this person to display
violent behavior because he is schizophrenic, on drugs or angry?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Does</b> the evil-doer ever
consider the effect on the victim? I don’t think he thinks about anything
except himself and his wants. After a random act of violence occurs, the lives
of the victims and their families are changed forever. Anger and disbelief take
the place of the feelings of safety and innocence they once had. I’m not sure
if I could ever fully recover from an attack on my family or friends.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>This</b> post really has no
clear point. Lately, I’ve been thinking about how terrible some people are. This week, a
person attacked and killed my friend’s mom during a home invasion. This woman
was an elementary school music teacher who would have soon retired to enjoy her
grandchildren. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I</b> don’t know why some
people carry out evil plots. Maybe it is the way the person is born or maybe
it’s his environment. I heard once that the genes load the gun and the
environment pulls the trigger. My pastor explained that at these times, the
devil takes control. In the age-old fight between evil and good, evil wins
during intentional acts of violence. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I </b>wish I had a way to
rid the world of evil, but I don’t. There are too many bad seeds scattered all
over, and no matter how vigilant we are, evil can find us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pray.</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfffOBhLkmNmiB7FFfOY1fkcLZvmrFtCeSN0krt4jOsIBP7cVjXttd5FRNtnuue9BWSaGwLG0xYouafK3nLAD2qwupBmWTtriJCFZ3-8HasRP4YcX34njOBgGdUWA4I0LMOYDUYIP3nTE/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfffOBhLkmNmiB7FFfOY1fkcLZvmrFtCeSN0krt4jOsIBP7cVjXttd5FRNtnuue9BWSaGwLG0xYouafK3nLAD2qwupBmWTtriJCFZ3-8HasRP4YcX34njOBgGdUWA4I0LMOYDUYIP3nTE/s640/download.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />pass the honehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12237802470668827407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340947200960452694.post-83282302190566418372017-03-17T08:30:00.001-04:002017-03-18T21:11:58.265-04:00I'm All In!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPm4CG1pUE3Qfher-KPB3ol98XbsgYIbIJjQnffA9o4jpppaeUjyP34LN5XCbv4V3z1P2C2CEyCW3JjYamOVUHPhsSlD-UeozsdAgZiWmDYbD19NKaeDV82AGXr3VdG2QnC547FbRcID4/s1600/Mindfulness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPm4CG1pUE3Qfher-KPB3ol98XbsgYIbIJjQnffA9o4jpppaeUjyP34LN5XCbv4V3z1P2C2CEyCW3JjYamOVUHPhsSlD-UeozsdAgZiWmDYbD19NKaeDV82AGXr3VdG2QnC547FbRcID4/s640/Mindfulness.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>The</b> older I get, the more I seem to slow down.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I</b> don’t mean the slowdown that comes with age. I mean the leisureliness
that allows me to evaluate my life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>In</b> my younger years, I rushed through everything, moving
mostly on auto-pilot. While at home, I worried about work and at work, I
worried about home. I was anxious about my kids all the time and about my
ability, or rather inability, to be a decent mother. My children are grown and
happy, my granddaughter is approaching her teens, and I’m not moving at such a
hectic pace. I work part time and have my afternoons free to complete tasks or
to just sit and think about important issues or useless junk.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cgHBwr_GPNo9y5CaIXNzHUxcdYj6wMA7-3ns5n-3CwT59jQRXQAPSG6lkBDTPBhomYQhngzd6eMaVF41s9T02BOkE0lzqzV57kJ59eQZ0Xz7FYeC3sHOuSxkCtiqB6Txy7ulOv_qeEo/s1600/sybil_480_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cgHBwr_GPNo9y5CaIXNzHUxcdYj6wMA7-3ns5n-3CwT59jQRXQAPSG6lkBDTPBhomYQhngzd6eMaVF41s9T02BOkE0lzqzV57kJ59eQZ0Xz7FYeC3sHOuSxkCtiqB6Txy7ulOv_qeEo/s320/sybil_480_poster.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I</b> have many conversations with myself – not the crazy kind
where I verbally ask and answer my own questions (cue Sally Field in <i>Sybil</i>). I have these internal dialogues
going on that I don’t remember having up until about a year ago. I’m a widow
and there’s no one at home to listen to me verbalize thoughts, but I also think
I’m able to focus more because I have decelerated.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>One</b></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> internal conversation that plays is the “what if” one. What if I
don’t lose weight? What if I run out of money? What if my kids don’t succeed? This
little two-word phrase can drive a person nuts! Now when I’m having the “what
ifs,” I intentionally change my thoughts. Instead, I focus on what I’m getting
out of or learning from the experience or the thought. By doing this, I believe
I’m becoming a more positive person. I’m not tiptoeing through the tulips, but
I’m not drowning in worry or negativity either. Maybe I’ve achieved a small
balance in life.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0SuZRGSwR34_8P6FhQR1cvkre4zG63_RB83GDqYqrMU2fxqWEyAQmekM0GCC9UBtVhfJrQmZQjb8bR8qIJJndve5o3XjgzC_Z6DQ2qMZL7O7TMm5omfCTMpKJ8hdAw3xODnlv4wM2L9Y/s1600/0e0aeac1d7bef41a645a4ca7680376da.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0SuZRGSwR34_8P6FhQR1cvkre4zG63_RB83GDqYqrMU2fxqWEyAQmekM0GCC9UBtVhfJrQmZQjb8bR8qIJJndve5o3XjgzC_Z6DQ2qMZL7O7TMm5omfCTMpKJ8hdAw3xODnlv4wM2L9Y/s400/0e0aeac1d7bef41a645a4ca7680376da.jpg" width="265" /></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I</b> tend to be more grateful, too, and I divide this gratitude
into smaller increments. I focus on today and how my life is at this moment.
<i>Mindfulness</i> – being present in the moment – is a big buzz word in psychology now.
I know this as a fact because Pinterest has all kinds of boards on how to do
it. The key to mindfulness is that your thoughts should not dwell on past
mistakes or on worry about the future. All these Pinterest people should
realize that mindfulness isn’t a new thing: the Bible has instructed people to
do this for centuries. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Frequently</b> throughout the day, I stop to consider how the
day is going and how those around me are faring. I say a prayer of gratitude
for my blessings because I truly am thankful for all I have right now. Maybe it’s
because I’ve experienced a lot of bad events that I’m now very grateful for
small, happy moments. If I don’t consciously consider these events, I might
jinx the flow of goodness. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNT17B-eBQCcYJ7MX_OEBMy5ACUi1EVbdXOjdVX2NrlDDTWUJFUtUMNqBCe7PdIbUzUvTQ1RnPl6kIWUSnyWNN8MtMSb3mrfBKLe_P9vEIU6izo6ZF6_TWFf2pfYl_JHa_rEqT5sgSow/s1600/d41e0787f35db3ec05a335cba837304c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNT17B-eBQCcYJ7MX_OEBMy5ACUi1EVbdXOjdVX2NrlDDTWUJFUtUMNqBCe7PdIbUzUvTQ1RnPl6kIWUSnyWNN8MtMSb3mrfBKLe_P9vEIU6izo6ZF6_TWFf2pfYl_JHa_rEqT5sgSow/s320/d41e0787f35db3ec05a335cba837304c.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Even</b> with my trying to live in the moment, I still get impatient. I’ve figured out that the
impatience comes from this little control problem I have. My chosen career is to blame
for a big part of this problem; I must be in control in the classroom or anarchy
happens. Often, I want things to
happen right now, and I want them to happen my way. This is especially true
when I see events happen to my children which make them unhappy or knock them
down a notch in their life’s plan. I used to be a huge enabler and fix problems so that my kids didn’t have to do it. Enabling is one of my biggest
mistakes in parenting because I didn’t let my kids suffer the consequences of their choices. Now instead of rushing in to fix things, I help them
focus on their choices and on what they can learn from the experiences. It’s
hard for me to admit, but they are actually doing ok without my attempts at
control.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>So</b>, cheers to life right now! I can’t change the zillions of
bad decisions in my past, bring back people I’d love to have around me or
direct the course of the future. I can, however, focus on this moment, and I’m
all in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8jubiSKUNnu2PKZMkhIe29TNZckgzGCGQSfnwGcNtEpClr55z7Faw7nc4D9iWWhFqw6WY2kUZAkNUjlmu4bX4vp4fAKI2FhCiTh3ntuE6-PEhrn7N0ZpNtIYncdtKv48M-JsKJtAlhA0/s1600/7eb1beeddd4de358aeb96663c251a0d6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8jubiSKUNnu2PKZMkhIe29TNZckgzGCGQSfnwGcNtEpClr55z7Faw7nc4D9iWWhFqw6WY2kUZAkNUjlmu4bX4vp4fAKI2FhCiTh3ntuE6-PEhrn7N0ZpNtIYncdtKv48M-JsKJtAlhA0/s640/7eb1beeddd4de358aeb96663c251a0d6.jpg" width="450" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
pass the honehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12237802470668827407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340947200960452694.post-28353656477152074172017-03-04T07:12:00.003-05:002017-03-04T10:13:54.644-05:00Mentally Strong in 13 Steps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i style="font-size: xx-large; font-weight: bold;">"Good habits are important, but it's often our bad habits that prevent us from reaching our full potential." -- </i><span style="font-size: large;">Amy Morin, <i>13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do</i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;">
<b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">O</b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">ver the past year, I’ve been working on
making myself a better person.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>My</b> earlier posts tell my journey to
better physical health by following Weight Watchers and exercising. I’m pleased
that I’ve been very successful in that area and at age 59, I’m in the best
health of my life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>My</b> physical health is easy compared to
my mental health. It seems like the more I want to improve my brain, the more
it goes to mush. Supposedly, people my age are destined to have a sloppy brain
at times, but I’m not ready for my mind to become porridge. Going back to work
after a year of retirement forced my brain to get into shape. A teacher must
have a pretty sharp brain to keep up with teenagers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqYGaDrr7W86Ayg_AJHGq7PUUwpq8d5vqd7RYgZ4wSuOXjxjVKjoEqfMJpQz9HqD_kSysM2DZW2LzYHmXclit3t8N7MncQFoKN03mENqDZkPc2w50Rb1m7r9RmNUR5fW66JCQm3r7ebk/s1600/things+mentally+strong+people+dont+do.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqYGaDrr7W86Ayg_AJHGq7PUUwpq8d5vqd7RYgZ4wSuOXjxjVKjoEqfMJpQz9HqD_kSysM2DZW2LzYHmXclit3t8N7MncQFoKN03mENqDZkPc2w50Rb1m7r9RmNUR5fW66JCQm3r7ebk/s400/things+mentally+strong+people+dont+do.jpg" width="400" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I</b> also decided to focus on a positive
attitude. I’ve listened to many podcasts and read several books on this topic.
One book that I liked is <i>13 Things
Mentally Strong People Don’t Do</i> by Amy Morin.</span><br />
<b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></b>
<b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">I</b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> don’t remember how I found out about
this book, whether it was suggested in a magazine or online. However, I’m glad
I did find it. I wouldn’t say that it’s a life-changing book for me because I
knew about these ways to stay focused on happiness and to stay strong minded.
After all, I read Dr. Phil’s books back when he wasn’t so into shocking his
audience for ratings (example: "</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">cash me
outside how bout dah<i>"</i></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">).</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZrtSOTGNqA8/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZrtSOTGNqA8?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>What</b> I like about the book:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>1.</b> It takes a different approach to handling
problems. Instead of telling me what I <i>should</i> do to make life better, it tells
what I <i>shouldn’t</i> do.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh40Ovotqq0VHlD0TGW6GKG7kfIHHTYsMEiO7hZYlvg7Vovd4VZ0dCI6QekGRyowxf7Fr_Vt8j0tm2Bejdaxrbf-TQGw50mXz1NY-DKgktBfewNdOV5YuYQwqUcz-9gGXUG8koIJfux33s/s1600/d8db1e419cfbd66e69d0b732273d5385.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh40Ovotqq0VHlD0TGW6GKG7kfIHHTYsMEiO7hZYlvg7Vovd4VZ0dCI6QekGRyowxf7Fr_Vt8j0tm2Bejdaxrbf-TQGw50mXz1NY-DKgktBfewNdOV5YuYQwqUcz-9gGXUG8koIJfux33s/s640/d8db1e419cfbd66e69d0b732273d5385.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>2.</b> Morin
gives examples of everyday people who have come to her for therapy sessions as
well as stories of well-known people’s struggles. In Chapter 7 “They Don’t Dwell
on the Past,” Morin writes about 55-year-old Gloria whose adult daughter kept
moving back home after short-term, failed relationships. Gloria felt guilty
because she had not provided a stable childhood for her daughter and was
presently allowing her daughter to take advantage of her. Trying to right the
past was keeping Gloria from being a good parent in the present.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpsIuAH9TVT8ldwgU8HIPhs61bhVe64OeDf_MTL5Yfwcj5wKtX-ibhpKxm_B5y6v_bzdK_V8S2hWJva-1_8wVBQId9yU267du7Bt7hzwyfmwrBEyivY8dm3CheTKEdt-cVCsJOQFa_hQk/s1600/download.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpsIuAH9TVT8ldwgU8HIPhs61bhVe64OeDf_MTL5Yfwcj5wKtX-ibhpKxm_B5y6v_bzdK_V8S2hWJva-1_8wVBQId9yU267du7Bt7hzwyfmwrBEyivY8dm3CheTKEdt-cVCsJOQFa_hQk/s400/download.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Morin tells of Milton
Hershey’s struggles with his candy career in the chapter “They Don’t Make the
Same Mistakes Over and Over.” After several failed attempts at establishing a
candy business, Hershey changed strategies but stayed focused on success and
not on his failed attempts. In the end, he owned the world’s biggest chocolate
company.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJC2-ntbiV7_ST5GaSO1jjpKoGz9INi5V42X8v9HIpiOyJLeB53hUbG3BLEdTleDEqVYsJ1yx8wO0Q8t1r69ncJbwfw8KG814FtmLSHuh3SrMEP41rx393LFCcBLrGVGMZPyRMs6W3WM/s1600/CAuyNhSWwAAvRHg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJC2-ntbiV7_ST5GaSO1jjpKoGz9INi5V42X8v9HIpiOyJLeB53hUbG3BLEdTleDEqVYsJ1yx8wO0Q8t1r69ncJbwfw8KG814FtmLSHuh3SrMEP41rx393LFCcBLrGVGMZPyRMs6W3WM/s400/CAuyNhSWwAAvRHg.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>3.</b> Amy
Morin writes of many personal experiences to which I can relate. The introduction describes
several heartbreaks she experienced due to deaths in her family. Tragically, Morin’s
mother and husband died suddenly within three years of each other. She
describes grief as “an emotionally, mentally and physically exhausting process.”
Amen to that! When dealing with the impending death of her father-in-law from
cancer, Morin came up with her list of 13 Things.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>4.</b> The
book doesn’t have to be read in its entirety to get its essence. Each chapter
is helpful in its own way. I have re-read the chapters “They Don’t Give Up
After the First Failure” and “They Don’t Expect Immediate Results” to keep me
focused on my weight-loss journey.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>W</b>hen Amazon came out with Kindle
e-reader, I got one. Some may consider it strange that an English teacher would
rather have a digital book than the real thing; most bibliophiles want the feel
of paper and the smell of a new book. The truth is that I was tired of storing
real books. I had shelves and shelves of books I had read or were planning to
read, and I was tired of dusting them. The Kindle allowed me to give away my books
and get rid of some clutter. I don’t have to dust an e-book. However, some
books I buy in hardback format because I want to loan to them to friends. <i>13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do</i>
is such a book.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu0ufOv26m5PbwOM_VBC2JKbWNpV9s0w29CSeZXhZsxaGsGYO77XZIUF-JyT0dhCu3sjSVa0KTagVllGSx52TrdfuQyMl2WZA2p73lFH4uRVZfBDb0dlEOFsVVLoHjMRNf9mJ8G-gUNQc/s1600/Start-to-acknowledge1-472x394.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu0ufOv26m5PbwOM_VBC2JKbWNpV9s0w29CSeZXhZsxaGsGYO77XZIUF-JyT0dhCu3sjSVa0KTagVllGSx52TrdfuQyMl2WZA2p73lFH4uRVZfBDb0dlEOFsVVLoHjMRNf9mJ8G-gUNQc/s640/Start-to-acknowledge1-472x394.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
pass the honehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12237802470668827407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340947200960452694.post-12187155663865029432017-02-19T08:30:00.001-05:002017-02-20T21:07:41.865-05:00Oh, What a Night to Shine!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1mc9YC2XfrVpgxwW9wUqN-MkZJMi36PtWIt5yovLriYUULkAJekP4dUh1-RmK03zB5m65_sr6oZicjCGMVYxhCRgIsp5e0uVgvH1pFV4OVVRI9j3_1YZRbb4WYEreReH1VU87AYwJms/s1600/16684183_10210679942528273_4429173330669522258_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1mc9YC2XfrVpgxwW9wUqN-MkZJMi36PtWIt5yovLriYUULkAJekP4dUh1-RmK03zB5m65_sr6oZicjCGMVYxhCRgIsp5e0uVgvH1pFV4OVVRI9j3_1YZRbb4WYEreReH1VU87AYwJms/s640/16684183_10210679942528273_4429173330669522258_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Drew and his best friend Michael dance and hang out with friends at Night to Shine Tallahassee.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>M</b>y son Drew has always been up for a good time. He loves to eat,
dance and hang out with his friends – and believe me, he has LOTS of friends.
Recently, he got to dress up and party with many of his friends at the annual <a href="https://www.timtebowfoundation.org/index.php/night-to-shine/" target="_blank">TimTebow Foundation’s Night to Shine</a> prom.<span style="background: white; color: #4f4f4f; line-height: 107%;">
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>N</b>ight to Shine is a prom for people 14 and older with
special needs. Tebow started Night to Shine three years ago, and this year,
75,000 people with disabilities in 375 locations in 50 states and 11 countries
attended. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>L</b>ocal churches hosted and organized the event, and this
year, it took 150,000 volunteers to make the night a success. For months leading
up to the prom, the church committees collected prom attire and accessories
from the community and then hosted a day when prom-goers picked out a dress or
tux. They made sure that security and medical care were on hand the night of the
prom and that each attendee had a buddy to hang out with during the night. The
buddies passed a background check and participated in a training workshop. I
sponsored the high school prom once and it was a piece of cake compared to
everything that these Night to Shine committees did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-EPtghCDGo3mQGrT2ZsDTNzCij9Jj-J7_f-1Mi9OcJFHirN3VPvseps9k6EqlYSZgqwcmoSfN-0071Osxh4mJ__6n3kULW2L33MjhrUA_l0qDfIIxkrC_c2rgQxwP3hobiHKYCAJOXFw/s1600/16708740_10210679940088212_8981431112223981332_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-EPtghCDGo3mQGrT2ZsDTNzCij9Jj-J7_f-1Mi9OcJFHirN3VPvseps9k6EqlYSZgqwcmoSfN-0071Osxh4mJ__6n3kULW2L33MjhrUA_l0qDfIIxkrC_c2rgQxwP3hobiHKYCAJOXFw/s640/16708740_10210679940088212_8981431112223981332_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Genesis Church hosted the Night to Shine prom in Tallahassee.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ooF4EUBcawWyGorB6x1pWpp6cN1vdJ2VQlW1Hi49Zkm6kIaXfOAh-XT4B2jL0bnonHOx5-T1l2I6Cpa_tKbb5gU9OKHjnIHBibtGvj48mI015FXU1GJ5qVrJPNadtMSDnh0MqBwOb6s/s1600/16716006_758244907659153_6559973895299299743_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ooF4EUBcawWyGorB6x1pWpp6cN1vdJ2VQlW1Hi49Zkm6kIaXfOAh-XT4B2jL0bnonHOx5-T1l2I6Cpa_tKbb5gU9OKHjnIHBibtGvj48mI015FXU1GJ5qVrJPNadtMSDnh0MqBwOb6s/s640/16716006_758244907659153_6559973895299299743_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Volunteer buddies wait to cheer prom-goers as they walk the red carpet at Night to Shine Tallahassee.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcCNzAGczLYjYJvm47lmly8svA3PTf9LJM2bpEQuLVoWinUqbW7X4XL_Wu1KxDqP-uOntL16Vgd7z7FpWXxihlUGu5yAp-Ry5miLIyLNUFYs_ZYr4pgbKRNHjjXPw7iqvzImTh5DPiDm8/s1600/16700543_758301480986829_771141599575254653_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcCNzAGczLYjYJvm47lmly8svA3PTf9LJM2bpEQuLVoWinUqbW7X4XL_Wu1KxDqP-uOntL16Vgd7z7FpWXxihlUGu5yAp-Ry5miLIyLNUFYs_ZYr4pgbKRNHjjXPw7iqvzImTh5DPiDm8/s640/16700543_758301480986829_771141599575254653_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Everyone enjoyed the karaoke room!</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">T</b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">im Tebow is quite an interesting young man. His parents
were missionaries in the Philippines where Tebow lived during his childhood. He
played college football at the University of Florida where he led the team to
two national championships. He was awarded the Heisman Trophy, was drafted by
the NFL and played a few years. Currently, he is a college football
analyst for the SEC Network and playing baseball with the New York Mets
organization. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYPSyM3MYbetaZMzJdGbfxZI-nHwzp8KlHh0fI6tB0hyphenhyphenB8tVkPOUXfI43gh9mMnM_ywdUd8pjUhgJ2QVFWKhqD3rBtwery5xvwAArwg_9LEz37_-CPj9EN49M6u1A2Rnv8CnyCJDgGEo/s1600/night-to-shine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYPSyM3MYbetaZMzJdGbfxZI-nHwzp8KlHh0fI6tB0hyphenhyphenB8tVkPOUXfI43gh9mMnM_ywdUd8pjUhgJ2QVFWKhqD3rBtwery5xvwAArwg_9LEz37_-CPj9EN49M6u1A2Rnv8CnyCJDgGEo/s640/night-to-shine.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">T</b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">ebow established his foundation in 2010 with the “mission to
bring Faith, Hope and Love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest
hour of need.” In addition to Night to Shine, the foundation aids in adoption
of special needs children from 3</span><sup style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">rd</sup><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> world countries, provides playrooms
in pediatric hospitals, and operates a pediatric orthopedic hospital in the Philippines.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwp_meEgPmjFfYzLP0DTMPf8GS4zkzdlxlrfZ0OOf6NCRBL8JYbtFTrbgl8brq0XoV5qIYzLKlWxC24Guj-nLpxusPK_PvfJgCGVmYcp9OIYdIFwCuFVxG8Rv4jG2JuS0CDw873urN5qE/s1600/TTF-NTS-2016-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwp_meEgPmjFfYzLP0DTMPf8GS4zkzdlxlrfZ0OOf6NCRBL8JYbtFTrbgl8brq0XoV5qIYzLKlWxC24Guj-nLpxusPK_PvfJgCGVmYcp9OIYdIFwCuFVxG8Rv4jG2JuS0CDw873urN5qE/s640/TTF-NTS-2016-5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Tim Tebow escorts a Night to Shine prom-goer into the event.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">“From a very early age, my parents instilled in me the importance of
God’s word, the salvation we have in His Son Jesus and the responsibility we
have to give back to others. That’s why in 2010, I was so excited to create the
Tim Tebow Foundation with a mission to bring Faith, Hope and Love to those
needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need.” – Tim Tebow</span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>M</b>any professional athletes have foundations for charitable
causes. Being a cynical person, I always considered them just a tax write-off. These people are paid exorbitant salaries,
and they must find a way to keep the IRS from taking most of the money. However,
I was never exposed to one of these foundations directly until Night to Shine. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>T</b>his night was so special to so many people, and their memories of the event
won’t fade quickly. Drew loves looking at
pictures and talking about the great time he had with his friends. My daughter works
at an adult day program for many of those who attended the prom. She said that
the week after the event, many of the attendees wore their crowns each day. One
man couldn’t tell her about the night without crying because he was still so
excited. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0r0uieWc5-vdcuQrzpgV5GAt4ts42E5GBP7qC-EVdkos3o3lgUFIuG6ZiXgdwdEtLT_Z11QH_YJqC6bjKhnIo4ySPAepSOOiC1oe482TY2pOM0NZqYicwQJVBCmyjR-EctmH7-rc11Js/s1600/16711972_10210679941368244_4792465008379386151_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0r0uieWc5-vdcuQrzpgV5GAt4ts42E5GBP7qC-EVdkos3o3lgUFIuG6ZiXgdwdEtLT_Z11QH_YJqC6bjKhnIo4ySPAepSOOiC1oe482TY2pOM0NZqYicwQJVBCmyjR-EctmH7-rc11Js/s640/16711972_10210679941368244_4792465008379386151_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Each prom-goer received a crown or tiara to wear at Night to Shine prom.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I</b> live in the middle of Florida State University fanatics, and it's hard for many of them to find anything positive to say about the University of Florida. However, one of these die-hard Seminoles who volunteered at Night to Shine said, "I'm certainly not a Gator fan, but Tebow's foundation really does a great job!" My daughter, who is a UF alumna, said that it's because Tebow is part of the "Gator Good." Personally, I believe that his goodness has much more to do with his faith than with being a Gator, but then again, I don't like football.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>S</b>o thank you Tim Tebow Foundation and all the host churches and volunteers. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I’d have to say the Night to Shine was a success!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kfSLyfFwDks/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kfSLyfFwDks?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<b></b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><b><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">"I genuinely believe, from the bottom of my
heart, that statistics will never motivate you; a specific story will motivate
you. If one person realizes that God loves them, that’s enough." -
Tim Tebow</span></i></b></b></div>
<b>
</b>pass the honehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12237802470668827407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340947200960452694.post-44204240092460793522017-02-10T05:46:00.000-05:002017-02-12T06:42:37.126-05:00I'm Back ... or at Least I'm Trying<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvWP7ty5h6iZyoDwgcZtrIxudZFJAzVauB9cW_WW1qY2y4T580d8bLm6UEb7mqxQWk8XxHPmu6AsWmcv59GInw5iIOG6_48_AqyRrkuWQAz1m-CF6BCFxYVvjWGDZZEbdphOSrTeNNAho/s1600/Remember-that-not-getting-what-you-want-is-sometimes-a-wonderful-stroke-of-luck.-Picture-quote-by-Dalai-Lama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvWP7ty5h6iZyoDwgcZtrIxudZFJAzVauB9cW_WW1qY2y4T580d8bLm6UEb7mqxQWk8XxHPmu6AsWmcv59GInw5iIOG6_48_AqyRrkuWQAz1m-CF6BCFxYVvjWGDZZEbdphOSrTeNNAho/s640/Remember-that-not-getting-what-you-want-is-sometimes-a-wonderful-stroke-of-luck.-Picture-quote-by-Dalai-Lama.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;">
<b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">I </b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b></b>haven’t been a good blog-keeper for
over a year, having written only five posts since January 2016. My audience tells
me they miss reading my thoughts. That previous sentence makes
it sound like my audience is in the thousands. That’s hardly true, but I so appreciate
anyone who has read in the past.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Why</b> haven’t I been writing? I’ve thought
a lot about how to answer this question because I loved writing and sharing
with you. I couldn’t figure out why I didn’t want to keep up the pace. After a
lot of deep thinking, I came up with a few reasons.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuRO6GGVMAEkQYSWaoyY2wLhgC3U-2lRdz9TsQIx4x6sH1ssIfOJRJsKzL7J0mjtV1INmZK4ubLATGdfi_FzDJhlJS2pwNOWPQJ9HBHOIfHIHIKvVnNukI27VjhVUELSer4zk3tf-oMc/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuRO6GGVMAEkQYSWaoyY2wLhgC3U-2lRdz9TsQIx4x6sH1ssIfOJRJsKzL7J0mjtV1INmZK4ubLATGdfi_FzDJhlJS2pwNOWPQJ9HBHOIfHIHIKvVnNukI27VjhVUELSer4zk3tf-oMc/s320/download.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>The</b> biggest reason is that my whole life
has done, as they say in racing circles, a 180. The course I had planned in
2015 – retire, spend time with my husband, family and friends, write – did not go as I thought. I
did retire, but when Richard died, I didn’t have the desire to write. He was my
muse, my inspiration for this blog and many of the posts. I didn’t have my
editor anymore and didn’t feel confident in my thoughts or writing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Also</b>, I didn’t have anything I wanted to
write about. My world had become so small while caring for Richard, and I didn’t
want to let anyone inside. Writing a post about grieving would be too sad, for me and for you. Often, I considered writing about news events but
why? The election wore me out, and I stopped watching national news. I, like
many people I know, now focus on my small world, accepting that there’s not much I can change
about the big picture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Instead</b> of writing, I became physically active,
mainly to become exhausted so I could sleep at night. I worked in my yard,
pushing my old-school lawnmower, chopping shrubs and vines and even cutting down
trees with an ax. I set a daily goal of reaching at least 10k steps on my Fitbit but
also of having at least I hour of active minutes. I walked 1.5 miles
every morning and again every evening. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Along</b> the way, I rejoined Weight
Watchers which led to healthy eating. Since March 2016, I have lost 58 pounds. I began working with a personal trainer weekly which helps build muscle and protect my old bones. My appearance has changed so much that people I haven’t seen in a while don’t
recognize me. It’s awkward when we meet because we must get the "new" Pam out of
the way. Often, someone will say, “Oh, you’re so skinny” which bothers me.
Before, did they want to say, “Oh, you’re so fat” when they met me? Body image,
especially when you focus on your own body, is difficult.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0oxO17_cJbs79xn7rY0nFJvYdbXk9CEDS6uQgpqaUa2V5aitaPp5kg4pRC7A5Qqw-yml4uAz2EUY2H2xKd8o1F6SuBYI-TlSTGvxqQHH7YyPLTl6qwp_c_zGILxrmmLCUIp9QFlZRDTU/s1600/Collage+2016-12-08+09_54_33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="449" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0oxO17_cJbs79xn7rY0nFJvYdbXk9CEDS6uQgpqaUa2V5aitaPp5kg4pRC7A5Qqw-yml4uAz2EUY2H2xKd8o1F6SuBYI-TlSTGvxqQHH7YyPLTl6qwp_c_zGILxrmmLCUIp9QFlZRDTU/s640/Collage+2016-12-08+09_54_33.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>May 2015 and November 2016</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><b>In</b> August 2016, I returned to the school where I had taught prior to retirement to teach part time. I have the best job in the
world! For three periods each day, I teach super kids who are taking
dual-enrolled English. These kids chose to be in the class and had to jump
through several hoops to be allowed in; therefore, they are committed to the work.
They are receiving high school as well as six hours of college credit which is sometimes
demanding, but I am well pleased with their work ethic.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>I</b> love my part-time gig, especially the
part about being finished at 11:15 every day. Now, I have time to plan
thoroughly and to keep ahead of my grading. I am willing to try new strategies
because I’m not stressed of having to plan and grade for two other classes. If you are one of my former students and you thought I was a pretty good teacher then, you should know that you were
cheated. I’m 100% better now. I wish every teacher could enjoy teaching part
time, but alas, the money isn’t enough. Fortunately, I have my retirement
income as well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB87pLYztnaE6Xo6MKc_TQTzMpItRPQXxbDuo5FwNe1QXg7xMbPrnqgUSHy0ySkBLvCsWqhcyXOvRGkUp12KdXFc2vBXKpuZU9OywJtrT4YiqGaTukEI_n3MEv6m2AZLRRMqfps0snhro/s1600/Mindfulness.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB87pLYztnaE6Xo6MKc_TQTzMpItRPQXxbDuo5FwNe1QXg7xMbPrnqgUSHy0ySkBLvCsWqhcyXOvRGkUp12KdXFc2vBXKpuZU9OywJtrT4YiqGaTukEI_n3MEv6m2AZLRRMqfps0snhro/s320/Mindfulness.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>So</b> much about my life has changed over
the past year. My wise friend Jo often said, “Something good always comes from
change. You just have to wait long enough to see it.” I am grateful every day
for all the blessings I receive – good health, financial independence, great
working environment, family, etc. I still have those negative pictures of worst-case
scenarios that pop up in my head, but I’m working on mindfulness, living in the
moment. I’m getting used to the new me by spending time alone, exercising and
saying yes to most invitations to events.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Sometimes</b> I want to plan the rest of my
life, but if the last year is any indication of how well I plan, it’ll all go "to hell in a handbasket," as my mom always says. I’ll try to write more often
because I hate to see the blog go away forever. Why don’t you send me some
topics you’d like for me to write about? Obviously, I need ideas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWE_e1paURNbT-ayjHdNVMhDAj_6mToRf0NgjXcp7GjML1HoUJ-HK_W2Eluonwj7Uu0LIGggvpn9bV4me2DjWXKFuiKqRml1VHQuYm_D9HUnkLCyZ0zTmwSRz_bApsUBPzALhLPQ-1wb4/s1600/532280048_hell20in20a20handbasket.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWE_e1paURNbT-ayjHdNVMhDAj_6mToRf0NgjXcp7GjML1HoUJ-HK_W2Eluonwj7Uu0LIGggvpn9bV4me2DjWXKFuiKqRml1VHQuYm_D9HUnkLCyZ0zTmwSRz_bApsUBPzALhLPQ-1wb4/s640/532280048_hell20in20a20handbasket.jpeg" width="536" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
pass the honehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12237802470668827407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340947200960452694.post-36095711294160745212016-11-11T13:01:00.000-05:002016-11-11T13:01:06.336-05:00I Switched -- No Party Affiliation!<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;">
<b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">I</b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> have needed my husband
more this past week than probably any time since his death ten months ago. Of
course, I miss him every day and several times have caught myself wanting to
call him to discuss little and big events.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>My</b> need for him
recently is because of the Presidential election. He was the political one in
the family. He always paid attention to world-wide events and watched both CNN
and FOX news so he could form unbiased views. He was a registered voter with no
party affiliation. Last fall, when all this Presidential election hoopla began,
he didn't have a favorite candidate. This was well before the primaries so he had lots of choices --16 Republican
candidates and Bernie was still around to cause a stir in the other group. I
remember my husband saying that if Trump succeeded, it would tear the
Republican party apart and that Hillary had too much baggage to succeed. Time
will tell if his Trump prediction is correct although several times during the
campaign, I thought it would happen. He nailed the Hillary prediction,
though. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I’m</b> a Democrat. I
registered with that party so I could vote in the primaries and have more of a
choice in candidates. I have voted in several presidential elections since turning 18 years old. My first Presidential vote was for Jimmy Carter in 1976.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Since</b> then, I have
voted mainly for Democratic candidates. I align myself with those who want to
help education, the middle class and most importantly and selfishly, help the
disabled since I have a child with a disability. In my experience, one of the
first acts that Republicans take is to cut funds from the disabled and public
education. Oh, they usually put the money back eventually after those who need
it suffer a little while. To me, the Republicans, especially at the state
level, beat up the weak kids first. </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It’s not that the Democrats
are always great with their choices in spending or other issues, but they appear to
care about the underdog more. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>After</b> my son was born with Down syndrome, I joined of a
new-to-me group -- people who advocate for those who can’t for themselves. I
teach in a public high school, and many of the young people I teach also need
advocates since their parents may not be present, physically or mentally. </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In my profession, I’m
exposed to all types of people – black, white, gay, straight, Christian,
atheist, etc. I see good and bad in all. I tell my students, “I love you
all because you are children of the Lord, but there are times when I don’t like
you.” My dislike has nothing to do with their sexual identity (which changes
daily with teenagers), their religion, or their race. It has to do with
behavior and work ethic, but I will go to bat for the worst one of them if I see
that he is being wronged.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Both</b> Democrats and
Republicans used fear in their recent campaigns – “Is this the man you want to
have the nuclear codes?” “Do you want your children hearing this language from
your President?” “She is a criminal and will sell out to the highest
bidder!” I admit that I am fearful for
the people for whom I advocate. I am afraid that the advances this country has
made in acceptance for people with differences from the norm will recede and
that the respect that women majorly deserve will lessen. I’m afraid that the
illegal immigrant who cleans and cares for a close friend will be shipped back
to Mexico and be separated from her American-born children. </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have needed my
husband to talk with me about all of this and maybe to calm my fears.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Yesterday</b>, I changed my
voter information to No Party Affiliation. To me, people assume that if I’m a
Democrat, I’m some crazy, tree-hugging liberal or if I’m a Republican, I’m a racist homophobe.
I'm fine with giving up my choices in a primary election. In this past
election, the two parties made major pushes to sway the independent voters. I
want candidates to <i>want</i> and <i>need</i> my vote, not simply expect it because I'm a member of that party. I'm so dissatisfied with both major parties that I'm happy to distance myself from them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">I</b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> think my husband
would be ok with my decision. I sure would like to talk to him about it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXzPp63CoIUsYs7fGHRLBD9UUzpHcl4LM-sS3I-3ZR1cGO_nMFDaGDtF7gTPZtymiNcZKEk-WYRHXCCwDb7GaeKSMfzyZgnNTiUsUIkFdPClIwZrwzCRdCZ6k3aVu544hmDtnceKoC_1w/s1600/American-Flag-Flying_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXzPp63CoIUsYs7fGHRLBD9UUzpHcl4LM-sS3I-3ZR1cGO_nMFDaGDtF7gTPZtymiNcZKEk-WYRHXCCwDb7GaeKSMfzyZgnNTiUsUIkFdPClIwZrwzCRdCZ6k3aVu544hmDtnceKoC_1w/s640/American-Flag-Flying_0.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
pass the honehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12237802470668827407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340947200960452694.post-77392757717864141632016-05-21T06:15:00.001-04:002018-04-15T06:08:29.177-04:00I Have No More Excuses!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGc_IZYuQYgub2BcjhOxYtZWiNJZ_b2NjKGg8Jh6VA5E2GFF9unXp0zmdcUS8LrgDCs-xNpzcruApw6E4gX7qGKkv3e2Wx5wwV1ANkioj8Xm3IxUL6r8CkpqODO3akg3OLfQ-OOMHPKA8/s1600/art-2-ww-weegschaal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGc_IZYuQYgub2BcjhOxYtZWiNJZ_b2NjKGg8Jh6VA5E2GFF9unXp0zmdcUS8LrgDCs-xNpzcruApw6E4gX7qGKkv3e2Wx5wwV1ANkioj8Xm3IxUL6r8CkpqODO3akg3OLfQ-OOMHPKA8/s400/art-2-ww-weegschaal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>About</b> nine weeks ago, I made
a life-altering decision.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I</b> joined WeightWatchers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Again</b>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpLast">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Actually</b>, this may be the
tenth or twelfth time I’ve joined Weight Watchers. My history with this organization
is like many people who are unsuccessful:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpLast">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpLast">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>1</b>.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">I
stayed for about four weeks. The weight didn’t drop as quickly as I wanted, so
I quit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpLast">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>2</b>.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">I
didn’t have the extra money to pay the monthly fee, so I quit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpLast">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>3</b>.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">I
got too busy at work/home and skipped meetings and then quit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpLast">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>4</b>.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">I
could do this myself; I didn’t need them. All I had to do was write down what I
ate and weigh myself, so I quit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpLast">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Last</b> year, I wrote a <a href="http://passthehoney.blogspot.com/2014/11/weight-loss-epic-failures.html" target="_blank">post</a> about
all of my weight-loss attempts. Some are pretty
outrageous, I admit, so I knew what I didn't want to do. If I lost
weight quickly, I’d gain it back.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Weight Watchers</b> was my choice. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Several</b> recent events led to my
return to Weight Watchers.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In January, my husband passed away after a
year-long battle with lung cancer. During that year, especially the last few
months, I experienced the roughest times I’ve ever known. I was a full-time
caregiver to him while managing to take care of my son who has Down syndrome
and my 11-year-old granddaughter who lives with me. What little time I scratched
out for myself was usually late at night after everyone was in bed. I’d sit in
front of the TV, mindlessly watching while consuming empty calories. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Last</b> fall, my annual blood work showed elevated
levels of everything bad. My doctor said she would redo the labs in three
months. What she meant was, “You’ve got three months to get your crap together
and work on your health.” I knew I had to do something, but I was in a one-day-at-a-time existence, trying to keep everyone’s schedules in sync and putting on
that brave face. There was no time for me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>In</b> March, one of my good friends
died. He was six years younger than I am and had battled weight issues most of
his adult life. He died alone in a hotel room from heart failure. I assume that his yo-yo dieting had a big impact on his heart.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>After</b> these two deaths and my doctor's warning, I didn’t
even have to stand on the scales to know that I had to make a change for the
rest of my life. I was done with thinking I could battle my weight alone and
with quick fixes. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I</b> had no more excuses. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I</b> didn’t
have anyone to take care of really. I still had my family living at home, but
they were at school/work all day. I didn’t have a job that would take up my time. I
justified spending the money on meetings because if I didn’t do something, I would
have to buy all new clothes and clothes get more expensive as they get bigger. I'd also have to start spending money on expensive medications.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirTYg19M_IVrVNuvlKaIi4uthwp-v2y-OHT-AM2Z8h2-Z0cOukYvgGMmNwkc1SmqNVqpBeLA0n0NCIb8yW0YbzeJS0G60YStWSxo551_nWSyb-eOpH9dNGmO_sRlqqxgyh_jotLydZfdk/s1600/download+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirTYg19M_IVrVNuvlKaIi4uthwp-v2y-OHT-AM2Z8h2-Z0cOukYvgGMmNwkc1SmqNVqpBeLA0n0NCIb8yW0YbzeJS0G60YStWSxo551_nWSyb-eOpH9dNGmO_sRlqqxgyh_jotLydZfdk/s400/download+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Besides</b>, I just knew that Oprah
wanted me to do it. </span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>And</b></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> after eight weeks, I have to
say that I’ve been very successful, not just with losing weight, but also with
my general health and mental state. Some of the changes I’ve noticed are</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>1</b>.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">I
keep track of every crumb that I put in my mouth. With my smart phone, I can </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -24px;">easily</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"> input everything and can even scan an item to see how many points it is. Then I decide if I want to spend those points on eating it. Is this item
worth the sacrifice?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>2</b>.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">I
bought a FitBit, which syncs my fitness to the WeightWatchers app on my phone. I don’t have to figure out Fit Points because the app does it for me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvND3m5FgkCPmBw3iK3d5Iw_F3YY76dYz2lVtfrtj2UdSDgHXmlrKJUNzdk0xgLBbIg9A8Aaep1LLVvVTBST88Wc5t-AmNuekUkk-zO3QDtidmGH_bPDKVr1KhmclbVdwuiog8o1TRyGU/s1600/download+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvND3m5FgkCPmBw3iK3d5Iw_F3YY76dYz2lVtfrtj2UdSDgHXmlrKJUNzdk0xgLBbIg9A8Aaep1LLVvVTBST88Wc5t-AmNuekUkk-zO3QDtidmGH_bPDKVr1KhmclbVdwuiog8o1TRyGU/s400/download+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>3</b>.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">I
walk every day. I hit at least 10,000 steps, not all at one time, but I have at
least 45 active moments during the day. That means I’m exerting myself during
those minutes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>4</b>.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">I
broke my sugar addiction. The only sweet items in the house right now are
strawberries and pineapple. If I really crave chocolate, I put 1 tsp. of
chocolate syrup (1 point) on chopped strawberries (0 points). I’m satisfied. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjU68v4KhJYswqtg4m1TWm7CjU0W9bA_ZigU8ocOI1h5IMmSFWNS12YZQDOvd5IP8HGJiSd6wMJokSJgEmIQVrt4pRabqhHB-LO4tiFAYzdUoPoyUKTcLTKtx2sjIwBdWEJFNqopKRpI/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjU68v4KhJYswqtg4m1TWm7CjU0W9bA_ZigU8ocOI1h5IMmSFWNS12YZQDOvd5IP8HGJiSd6wMJokSJgEmIQVrt4pRabqhHB-LO4tiFAYzdUoPoyUKTcLTKtx2sjIwBdWEJFNqopKRpI/s400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>5</b>.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">My
shopping trips to the grocery store have changed. I even enter the store in a
different door. I have always entered my store in the door that leads through
the pharmacy and then followed the path of up-and-down aisles, putting whatever
I thiought I’d like or whatever would please my family in my basket. Now I enter
the door that leads to the produce first. I shop for fresh vegetables and
fruits and then meats. I look down each aisle to see if there’s
something I need, but most often I don’t go down the aisle. I shop in the U
pattern, hitting all the outside aisles and leaving the processed/refined
products sitting on the shelves.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>6</b>.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">Every
Monday morning at 10:00 a.m., I’m at my Weight Watchers meeting. I’ve met many people and we exchange tips and ideas. The leader is caring and really
motivates us by letting us be part of the discussion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>7</b>.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">I
don’t think about food so much. I used to worry about what I was going to eat for lunch before even finishing breakfast. I think I’m now
eating to live instead of living to eat.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>In</b> these past weeks, I’ve lost
21.8 pounds and have dropped 2 sizes in pants. I’ve got more weight to lose,
but I concentrate on 5 pounds at a time instead of the big goal. I’m seeing my
doctor next week, and I’m certain my lab work will show improvement.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I’ve</b> always known what it took to lose weight and get healthy. I just wanted to do it my way – to have my
cake and eat it, too. This time, the timing was right and everything just clicked in my brain.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I</b> guess it’s just
my time. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I</b> have no more excuses. </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpz8p_MAPTIx3wq9mRUP1Jh4-TIehxC0dgECG0yiTilzlGbSyIcwKfKdBJJqid1hQ_vu-8SZMC6buLUCO5PLJEtxMoUOYDT_x8cs9_Jd3CCJDK2FyuT2Dojrs-TrreFKUvNZPyPI3AaYM/s1600/0518161106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpz8p_MAPTIx3wq9mRUP1Jh4-TIehxC0dgECG0yiTilzlGbSyIcwKfKdBJJqid1hQ_vu-8SZMC6buLUCO5PLJEtxMoUOYDT_x8cs9_Jd3CCJDK2FyuT2Dojrs-TrreFKUvNZPyPI3AaYM/s640/0518161106.jpg" width="252" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>May 2016</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiirtC_0_prFbRT1XBKcWCvabK1fyhuQWOJxWEHWuzsxnYuUiv27BMJwubykVlANoinJs6gaquwBYGTeQCCvv0C4f27J0OF8kDUtFTn40rrCvXHZhqmJsYvRtBUkfpxvjpukhlt4sXqQxI/s1600/May+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiirtC_0_prFbRT1XBKcWCvabK1fyhuQWOJxWEHWuzsxnYuUiv27BMJwubykVlANoinJs6gaquwBYGTeQCCvv0C4f27J0OF8kDUtFTn40rrCvXHZhqmJsYvRtBUkfpxvjpukhlt4sXqQxI/s400/May+2015.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>May 2015</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
pass the honehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12237802470668827407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340947200960452694.post-31915919638262202202016-04-16T15:19:00.003-04:002016-04-16T15:19:44.674-04:00My Recent Reads -- The Ruth Galloway Series by Elly Griffiths<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>A</b> few months ago, my friend Janice suggested a book series that she
thought I might enjoy. The author is Elly Griffith, and Janice said that the main character is a forensic archeologist in England named Ruth Galloway who works with the local police
to solve mysteries about discovered bones.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVX8P7fUGF7uhYulb03NzU6b3W0WPCxEV8NB5lwTu871IQvBnjMcOO03vsLl27sZCpwEqP67qcife5VrNhDRyU84JWfKIFmoCNnFt6-9KfCn85A7-AImJOm06GWCKoKVyGCiP1jyIcEtE/s1600/214DRg2wvQL._UX250_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVX8P7fUGF7uhYulb03NzU6b3W0WPCxEV8NB5lwTu871IQvBnjMcOO03vsLl27sZCpwEqP67qcife5VrNhDRyU84JWfKIFmoCNnFt6-9KfCn85A7-AImJOm06GWCKoKVyGCiP1jyIcEtE/s320/214DRg2wvQL._UX250_.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elly Griffiths, author. You can find out more <br />about this author at her website <a href="http://ellygriffiths.co.uk/" target="_blank">HERE</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>I</b> always pay attention when Janice says she likes an author because
Janice is an avid reader, we have a lot of the same likes and she is usually spot-on
in her book choices.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>This</b> time, she was oh, so right.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I</b><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> started the first of seven in the series, </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The Crossing Places</i></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">,</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA714EXGsNt5E0I4cNHMkudNoLQwlXGpNLohjLiffgph9tnLMf_TfPpOmxi0BHLp-l1Khl3jZterMnndRRZSw0lJMgPR4W17SlF3puEQbqS29oN_nl0Uc72AxzCLst-ogJ5K2oljh4DCE/s1600/isbn9781847249586_pb1-193x294.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA714EXGsNt5E0I4cNHMkudNoLQwlXGpNLohjLiffgph9tnLMf_TfPpOmxi0BHLp-l1Khl3jZterMnndRRZSw0lJMgPR4W17SlF3puEQbqS29oN_nl0Uc72AxzCLst-ogJ5K2oljh4DCE/s400/isbn9781847249586_pb1-193x294.png" width="262" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"> and as soon as I finished it, I downloaded the
second and when that was over, I downloaded the third, and you can infer how it
went from there. I read all seven books in a row and have pre-ordered book
eight which is coming out in May 2016. I am addicted enough to pay the $9.99
for a Kindle copy which added up to $70. I usually pay no more than $2.99 for an
e-book, but I just had to keep going with these characters. I wanted to know
what happened to them next.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>As</b> I said, the main character, Ruth Galloway, is a single, overweight, almost-40-year-old
forensic archeologist who teaches at a university in Norfolk, England. She
lives with her two cats in a rather isolated area on a salt marsh on the coast.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>In</b> the first novel, Ruth meets a detective, Harry Nelson, who comes to
her for answers concerning bones discovered at a construction site. As the two
of them work on this case, they recognize and deal with their many differences.
They establish a working relationship that is somewhat tense but each has great
respect for the other’s abilities and knowledge. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Many</b> other equally-captivating characters appear in these novels. First
is Cathbad, the druid priest often dressed in a flowing purple cape, who becomes friend to both Ruth and Nelson.
Cathbad seems to have knowledge of mystical events happening around Ruth and Nelson;
therefore, he keeps them out of danger, most of the time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Other</b> characters in each novel include Phil, Ruth’s unlikable department
chair; Shona, Ruth’s questionable best friend; Judy, a police officer working
to advance her rank; and bumbling detective Clough. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Why</b> do I like these books so much? One reason is Ruth. I found her
extremely likable and vulnerable. She has a PhD in forensic archeology but is
often filled with self doubt. Secondly, I like learning about new information
or about parts of history I didn’t know about before. In these books, I learned
about the Stone and Iron Ages, England during Roman rule and druids.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>If</b> you need something to read, Janice and I encourage you to try the
Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths. Please let me know what you think about
them.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-t5FRW_aVUgkp1FrGmwWcCo548R-2tpIHssnkjoX6_fjxhRJU4sRJu9dgBpeLofdZxBjuUVG-fZKrsLhlkOwrIvsLLAb4djE3CPEHoAyLZ5QN_GcDLP-nOexDKeMTrsqmu3qIa96X64/s1600/house-at-seas-end.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-t5FRW_aVUgkp1FrGmwWcCo548R-2tpIHssnkjoX6_fjxhRJU4sRJu9dgBpeLofdZxBjuUVG-fZKrsLhlkOwrIvsLLAb4djE3CPEHoAyLZ5QN_GcDLP-nOexDKeMTrsqmu3qIa96X64/s320/house-at-seas-end.png" width="238" /></a></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv5EoKzNtM6cpD9nyOrE1nDGaYsy_6hcmHFzfqU6EG2bhZkXoiLSc6RoltjWhDkhEStksi6Uxe2LZuPQKtu6PIqhhC3lukQj0KoOiMGIAbsJu4LM3_vk1Pi4EVvFZjl_n-0g-aVx5Cwcw/s1600/isbn9780857388865_pb1-193x294.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv5EoKzNtM6cpD9nyOrE1nDGaYsy_6hcmHFzfqU6EG2bhZkXoiLSc6RoltjWhDkhEStksi6Uxe2LZuPQKtu6PIqhhC3lukQj0KoOiMGIAbsJu4LM3_vk1Pi4EVvFZjl_n-0g-aVx5Cwcw/s320/isbn9780857388865_pb1-193x294.png" width="210" /></a> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYE68mN9tGeLVNw1UyfKOA2nDNgyexevi-s9Dp9niyaYC_veakZalxEyz8jSvrJKM3XKItrd59KXxHxa94UaJg0eq6ZaDBVLEKGcLW7hGetM7cy9_0lID9UaaePXyIGkals2UZQJKJXPE/s1600/isbn9780857388933_pb1-193x294.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYE68mN9tGeLVNw1UyfKOA2nDNgyexevi-s9Dp9niyaYC_veakZalxEyz8jSvrJKM3XKItrd59KXxHxa94UaJg0eq6ZaDBVLEKGcLW7hGetM7cy9_0lID9UaaePXyIGkals2UZQJKJXPE/s320/isbn9780857388933_pb1-193x294.png" width="210" /></a></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4tQAzWxWfMB6LgXTxmf3vWp29inGoNdceEVgRpAsbm0GTSD3D6kkyGlXqbj1OZ6Hn1HqQPkdd3qq0wj_Jts4_rYkZ68OK5b6PJQrxQ-FQiVo2mp9TFvfqHC56Pp8QmPLd3ghrNOxjLk/s1600/isbn9781849163705_pb1-193x294.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4tQAzWxWfMB6LgXTxmf3vWp29inGoNdceEVgRpAsbm0GTSD3D6kkyGlXqbj1OZ6Hn1HqQPkdd3qq0wj_Jts4_rYkZ68OK5b6PJQrxQ-FQiVo2mp9TFvfqHC56Pp8QmPLd3ghrNOxjLk/s320/isbn9781849163705_pb1-193x294.png" width="210" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwoGbBLhBXPwqVzgXKn6A6wiEKDMKGeZWLo5YUc2xoZjVFeR0kOtWg1YBhaf06NMHrpduQ29GsOl6u6rKr1OtNmRW2XOOCecMSjai3DLw2wUuHbC0YDgwjKYY12YJHv8pFsYoniijRBPQ/s1600/isbn9781849162296_pb1-193x294.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwoGbBLhBXPwqVzgXKn6A6wiEKDMKGeZWLo5YUc2xoZjVFeR0kOtWg1YBhaf06NMHrpduQ29GsOl6u6rKr1OtNmRW2XOOCecMSjai3DLw2wUuHbC0YDgwjKYY12YJHv8pFsYoniijRBPQ/s320/isbn9781849162296_pb1-193x294.png" width="210" /></a><br />
</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_YAi8Ic8oDMDThMhfldvfGt_Iigt3i5dOI7VEGm-2RIJAJLT7QcvyAljgiBnEgQCnOKTNLBY2NrnqQm_gJJlmlg0byxJtoWzDuQ1doTb2stvB3_G5KtOswZOv1-7tQ8D50ysAK0vFZM/s1600/isbn9781848663305_pb1-193x294.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_YAi8Ic8oDMDThMhfldvfGt_Iigt3i5dOI7VEGm-2RIJAJLT7QcvyAljgiBnEgQCnOKTNLBY2NrnqQm_gJJlmlg0byxJtoWzDuQ1doTb2stvB3_G5KtOswZOv1-7tQ8D50ysAK0vFZM/s400/isbn9781848663305_pb1-193x294.png" width="262" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxlYKqnfPrR8CsYkaehyphenhyphenLydrpW1AJ-R4Lu6Q6Yj45DgL8E-UrzMZTZLfsoPGCMKLzAPnLpSuq9NOXj5jtLcWTnHvyFnJICZ-kX48Tj7vFE8wH21CsMathqvLBUI_EjbXRcX69dCOiNPvI/s1600/51YmK6ZoOHL._UY250_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxlYKqnfPrR8CsYkaehyphenhyphenLydrpW1AJ-R4Lu6Q6Yj45DgL8E-UrzMZTZLfsoPGCMKLzAPnLpSuq9NOXj5jtLcWTnHvyFnJICZ-kX48Tj7vFE8wH21CsMathqvLBUI_EjbXRcX69dCOiNPvI/s400/51YmK6ZoOHL._UY250_.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Images found at <a href="http://ellygriffiths.co.uk/" target="_blank">Author's Website</a></span></div>
pass the honehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12237802470668827407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340947200960452694.post-12365587021009149912016-04-09T10:57:00.001-04:002016-04-10T07:44:42.985-04:00My Major Kitchen Remodel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgilFzEUKKPKDYtrLyi41GxO_SKuz_k_V26tu84mARoX7J_iXWyvl85PrFZMZ8l41UlprYm5Nw3bk8rZ0BTGBVPSFc_35VKbhzLoDgLUmXbGpBgAslRJgsewIpkml2vvXeuu6CtQBFS3-8/s1600/1124141555a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgilFzEUKKPKDYtrLyi41GxO_SKuz_k_V26tu84mARoX7J_iXWyvl85PrFZMZ8l41UlprYm5Nw3bk8rZ0BTGBVPSFc_35VKbhzLoDgLUmXbGpBgAslRJgsewIpkml2vvXeuu6CtQBFS3-8/s400/1124141555a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>My</b> house was built in 1980, and nothing in the kitchen had been updated since then except appliances. When I bought the house in 2005, I replaced the range because the original one was really ugly. Since then, I also replaced all the other appliances because the old ones broke. I hated the formica countertops and the dark tile floor, but I didn't really like cooking anymore, so the old kitchen wasn't a priority. </span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I </b>decided that I would wait until I retired to begin a remodel project and in January 2016, that's what I did.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Actually</b>, I started this project a year ago by looking at websites like Houzz and HGTV for kitchen ideas. If I found a picture of something I liked, I saved it in a folder on the computer. I also researched prices of big-ticket items like appliances and cabinets in order to stay within my budget of $30,000. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I</b> didn't know where to start with hiring people to do the work, so I hired a contractor, Scott Bentz of Bentz Remodeling in Tallahassee, FL. The prices of the other contractors I investigated were much higher and it helped that I had known Scott for 35 years. My first year teaching, he was one of my favorite students in one of my 10th grade classes. It was nice working with someone with whom I had a history and felt like I could trust. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Scott</b> told me to first visit certain business and select the cabinets, tile, granite, appliances, etc. His list of contacts was great as all the recommended people knew their stuff. It was obvious from the start of the project that Scott had built a network of tradesmen who were professional and who had years of experience. I always felt comfortable with them in my house and they never had down time. They came in, did their job and left. Scott had a detailed calendar online on which I could see who was coming to work on which date which was extremely helpful. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>This</b> remodel took about eight weeks to complete. During those weeks, I washed dishes in the bathroom sink and we killed many trees using paper plates and cups. There were a couple of hiccups but nothing that wasn't corrected quickly. One major problem was my fault. When I ordered the appliances, I thought I wanted a really big refrigerator which is what I ordered. When the deliverymen came with it, I knew before they unloaded it that it was too big. Fortunately, I bought all of my appliances from a local business and they happily helped by replacing it with a cabinet-depth unit without charging me a restocking fee. Thanks Mays-Munroe! The refrigerator is smaller, but I kept my old one and put it in the garage so I have plenty of storage for extra items. This was definitely one time when buying local paid off. I don't think one of the big national stores doing all of this for me. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Here</b> are my before and after pictures of the remodel. I'm really happy with how it all turned out.</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUcG-B7wtiG3vQ7ctNSpUeKz4XYXUQy1nVtdvC-yAAwMMmkLY37x2LT459yhzKm97sH7GhLIxZvNemTgDQgOy4JBPH9_QOj9qxs1UST97wCnf7QWWqimEZxcHbltgIa0EY9AeIYfskQ40/s1600/0818150648b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUcG-B7wtiG3vQ7ctNSpUeKz4XYXUQy1nVtdvC-yAAwMMmkLY37x2LT459yhzKm97sH7GhLIxZvNemTgDQgOy4JBPH9_QOj9qxs1UST97wCnf7QWWqimEZxcHbltgIa0EY9AeIYfskQ40/s640/0818150648b.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">T</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">he cabinets were in good shape but needed updating. I found that replacing the cabinets was about the same cost as refinishing the original ones because of labor. The lights were fluorescent tubes recessed into the ceiling and covered by a plastic grid. </span></i></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8MsuvIpZNIiHL1qeZpHFn_WdLFyAKOBAFuCZdoiXJBb_r0SafOzMoFbx8k3M2VSFdmrY3Io9qrYFr6y883ymyKbupnVF3vv03IuQ0zwqvke5KRIUV5wQfQwMfaXZdxnX8WR21gVFvU6Y/s1600/0818150648d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8MsuvIpZNIiHL1qeZpHFn_WdLFyAKOBAFuCZdoiXJBb_r0SafOzMoFbx8k3M2VSFdmrY3Io9qrYFr6y883ymyKbupnVF3vv03IuQ0zwqvke5KRIUV5wQfQwMfaXZdxnX8WR21gVFvU6Y/s640/0818150648d.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Hi Drew!</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD1ODRDXn0eoyQKxuZRXUXCU4M9NPzFlrzbI8ViPhyphenhyphenIi8kODZyjNupPGho8rORcB8lnPIHr1H-IomWGyKIjauTpgbmOozm0HHHcmEMEQyf1hrZOpwWw6JIkyKm8ARsybeIj4lJPIcwLpw/s1600/0818150646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD1ODRDXn0eoyQKxuZRXUXCU4M9NPzFlrzbI8ViPhyphenhyphenIi8kODZyjNupPGho8rORcB8lnPIHr1H-IomWGyKIjauTpgbmOozm0HHHcmEMEQyf1hrZOpwWw6JIkyKm8ARsybeIj4lJPIcwLpw/s640/0818150646.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFiHTedMQA5Zg7aP53E9FbJxYXMz-x9Feog6vpXwONPjJlvGWPysHqLTjDD8Tu5swh5BEsUG5mokQe6GDVelMRZMlHUuqrrR7ypiFPbUvV8dMqFEEhyphenhyphenVKbswWaTcctE25zsJqCawPPlek/s1600/0818150644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFiHTedMQA5Zg7aP53E9FbJxYXMz-x9Feog6vpXwONPjJlvGWPysHqLTjDD8Tu5swh5BEsUG5mokQe6GDVelMRZMlHUuqrrR7ypiFPbUvV8dMqFEEhyphenhyphenVKbswWaTcctE25zsJqCawPPlek/s640/0818150644.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2KFNtbhMOKmKGyWN2xeD1rpOVS_Y1nbzZovQQ4RrIrlXrzI_UQgTY_r_NGZTEoTbqcxGrhjNeDtnIRQ875TXMvRCNQpWDQcdgzT_364IK7slXWWodUkUydleahdeEcfwg6nDw1-kvMP4/s1600/0818150649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2KFNtbhMOKmKGyWN2xeD1rpOVS_Y1nbzZovQQ4RrIrlXrzI_UQgTY_r_NGZTEoTbqcxGrhjNeDtnIRQ875TXMvRCNQpWDQcdgzT_364IK7slXWWodUkUydleahdeEcfwg6nDw1-kvMP4/s640/0818150649.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>The kitchen tile joined the parquet in the dining area. I wanted something lighter that would make the area brighter and feel bigger</i></span>.</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4px3YhIeFibVjexqiWa4eBGAiTSw07WNPjH_pTyJVYYaIlzWL4DcoRyf-g-mHpcelSfaS7IaHoYOm56orchCo006EBOs5UmCigsd4jrCbhDVtO3NLCdlnJsF4hCrMpqCVzAzHTvSrpJg/s1600/0818150649a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4px3YhIeFibVjexqiWa4eBGAiTSw07WNPjH_pTyJVYYaIlzWL4DcoRyf-g-mHpcelSfaS7IaHoYOm56orchCo006EBOs5UmCigsd4jrCbhDVtO3NLCdlnJsF4hCrMpqCVzAzHTvSrpJg/s640/0818150649a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>The original pantry was like an abyss where everything got pushed to the back and out of sight.</i></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ_QlpqjGlZ9uq5PAZPlABxnl4pU-I3xAfvvm4Vb-k79JRbOldfo0yX2UsI6TTVvmh80nF3mCZVpBNsB1DoskRH8JiEqMU_zXOmSIjUwvG4nEcIQ6naGxyaTSMEgBPylhSRI4DnJxUxbc/s1600/0113161347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ_QlpqjGlZ9uq5PAZPlABxnl4pU-I3xAfvvm4Vb-k79JRbOldfo0yX2UsI6TTVvmh80nF3mCZVpBNsB1DoskRH8JiEqMU_zXOmSIjUwvG4nEcIQ6naGxyaTSMEgBPylhSRI4DnJxUxbc/s640/0113161347.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>First came the new lighting -- LED can lights on the outside and a ceiling fan in the center of the recessed area. These lights are awesome -- very bright but no heat is coming from them. I love having the ceiling fan in the kitchen, too. I didn't want to close off the recessed area and make it level with the rest of the ceiling because I felt that it would make the area really small. (Note: The electrician on the right is a former student. They are everywhere!)</i></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMy_M7wUnDT8mIhcZVlSAM5F9m_RZ1gTfgrfdGy9raUC0qEXvW2bjvVDrkdpRKw_70_YxMBY3X2MDLRH6zINjwaHXQpwsLPeGysulwRgmmQdgyqnw4JKQI4fH203ZsYyEOyweOcQ7jS2s/s1600/0126161535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMy_M7wUnDT8mIhcZVlSAM5F9m_RZ1gTfgrfdGy9raUC0qEXvW2bjvVDrkdpRKw_70_YxMBY3X2MDLRH6zINjwaHXQpwsLPeGysulwRgmmQdgyqnw4JKQI4fH203ZsYyEOyweOcQ7jS2s/s640/0126161535.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The kitchen and dining room were completely </i><i style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">gutted to make way for new 20-inch porcelain tiles set on an angle.</i></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
<i></i></span>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>
</i></span>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5f9tMmDPHB9rNj0dFmYFk7BGtSl-IR-5_Td1wES29pfL7jUO2z3P0jNnn6r190tqelQh38B3j-CtSq9c9U4OqGKL66e5Og-pjV8V_MvyquZ2gF7VCKOLkAbcN3B2dNv5zBEQSo-zkv4I/s1600/0127161439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5f9tMmDPHB9rNj0dFmYFk7BGtSl-IR-5_Td1wES29pfL7jUO2z3P0jNnn6r190tqelQh38B3j-CtSq9c9U4OqGKL66e5Og-pjV8V_MvyquZ2gF7VCKOLkAbcN3B2dNv5zBEQSo-zkv4I/s640/0127161439.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQtTBvi_NXxhrPMSe4kfvufbx0FT071RjQo7MbXK4zQXcAxGbtRjV5bHoaHvwJ3K8Ch5jWWldgOwfJ660FiTASaSVBsXmgxsMfiKWr3woeYyGrAiOyizZCOC3WKxDGpIV0Z5tbxwCEaY/s1600/0210161822.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQtTBvi_NXxhrPMSe4kfvufbx0FT071RjQo7MbXK4zQXcAxGbtRjV5bHoaHvwJ3K8Ch5jWWldgOwfJ660FiTASaSVBsXmgxsMfiKWr3woeYyGrAiOyizZCOC3WKxDGpIV0Z5tbxwCEaY/s640/0210161822.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Next came the cabinets -- Shaker style in honey maple. I don't like white or painted cabinets which is what seems to be popular right now. I like wood tones but wanted to lighten everything.</i></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxwCN2BsoZ9SfX25IKoI9vhAzAZA3d7nLOs95umCFTNvY2R0boELVwCc01YqGUdUQScgJJPiuzj1wAZ5bIPU6IKlmHNwiNbr-QtazyMFopecYnuXbPKLfT9MhcDo7IGgu-PmE-W1Vi6E/s1600/IMG_6731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxwCN2BsoZ9SfX25IKoI9vhAzAZA3d7nLOs95umCFTNvY2R0boELVwCc01YqGUdUQScgJJPiuzj1wAZ5bIPU6IKlmHNwiNbr-QtazyMFopecYnuXbPKLfT9MhcDo7IGgu-PmE-W1Vi6E/s640/IMG_6731.JPG" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>The new pantry has pull-out shelves. Now I can see what's in the back.</i></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8z3j211VFr0df7ZjBEBYkoktS8YL_LJoIsWPvDdl0XU64QDVvkdE0jQNvqYVwDd4F9mLUdvnrM9q3_Re2r3zkL7ZOKZQZtVjtbo57T3uVU1_4-6d-3c5XNIyaF5GCnG7dSclRnOEfKQ/s1600/IMG_6725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8z3j211VFr0df7ZjBEBYkoktS8YL_LJoIsWPvDdl0XU64QDVvkdE0jQNvqYVwDd4F9mLUdvnrM9q3_Re2r3zkL7ZOKZQZtVjtbo57T3uVU1_4-6d-3c5XNIyaF5GCnG7dSclRnOEfKQ/s640/IMG_6725.JPG" width="640" /></a></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">The paint color for the dining room is Crushed Cinnamon by Benjamin Moore. The granite color is Crema Bordeaux. It's hard to tell in the pictures but there are specks of cinnamon color in the granite.</span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wSndKmldL-E80n7v7_702PAKcAPapLpplKdZbSUoCUWi4Vk8kMoyCO8SmjUi4YqggvzEKaKnNEaOsuLZxVSjmtuDvH_yO7mQt2sGKLK1b5aAmWDz_6bBAJFMvbTNgB6zGXt5tUC14bI/s1600/IMG_6723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wSndKmldL-E80n7v7_702PAKcAPapLpplKdZbSUoCUWi4Vk8kMoyCO8SmjUi4YqggvzEKaKnNEaOsuLZxVSjmtuDvH_yO7mQt2sGKLK1b5aAmWDz_6bBAJFMvbTNgB6zGXt5tUC14bI/s640/IMG_6723.JPG" width="640" /></a></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</i></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3SUlnB91RsS27O8jcseLy-HlQREEg4xmXlIeSdEEp2NqxjpKOfMT2suWaoqCiuuODu0tRWrZFWiSkYgJOmiJk0GhJQuChs1TspBDOyPZBHzVvs2QVlb8d0qs6sj4gok2Ldbb0qB93rUg/s1600/IMG_6732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3SUlnB91RsS27O8jcseLy-HlQREEg4xmXlIeSdEEp2NqxjpKOfMT2suWaoqCiuuODu0tRWrZFWiSkYgJOmiJk0GhJQuChs1TspBDOyPZBHzVvs2QVlb8d0qs6sj4gok2Ldbb0qB93rUg/s640/IMG_6732.JPG" width="426" /></a></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>
<br />
</i></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylis8pkbpB-VhWiFFmhSSDJr1RDzT1_CBAr6BiVsQwykcnmvnuW9O0ew14AbYt-bIpXLCut3ykUHVu_y7aLdcScbiljeICydLewFS8_yflCrf-fgwQVlokrmQlp2X1wsU-78QmU34Oec/s1600/IMG_6739.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylis8pkbpB-VhWiFFmhSSDJr1RDzT1_CBAr6BiVsQwykcnmvnuW9O0ew14AbYt-bIpXLCut3ykUHVu_y7aLdcScbiljeICydLewFS8_yflCrf-fgwQVlokrmQlp2X1wsU-78QmU34Oec/s640/IMG_6739.JPG" width="426" /></a></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>
</i></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><i> All of the appliances are GE. I used almond-colored subway tiles for the backsplash. I wanted something neutral that would not compete with the granite.</i></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><i><br /></i></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>
</i></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-GQh8G8fBaf1ej8AciMVMc4sTLAP5RMcd7eFfYmcXD7COhGytuGfr4TYsyNJAsNCsCHrSHN0Q1plRysvNn6y8588UtZ1PJDUZKL6N2V7nXpQQTuNpJa5DMVuRLUF_rS8JqSTViqjgmM/s1600/IMG_6727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-GQh8G8fBaf1ej8AciMVMc4sTLAP5RMcd7eFfYmcXD7COhGytuGfr4TYsyNJAsNCsCHrSHN0Q1plRysvNn6y8588UtZ1PJDUZKL6N2V7nXpQQTuNpJa5DMVuRLUF_rS8JqSTViqjgmM/s640/IMG_6727.JPG" width="426" /></a></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>
</i></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><i><span style="font-size: large;">The only extra cabinet I added was for the trash can. The old can set here and I hated having it exposed to the dining area. (There was still paint touch-up needed when I took this picture.)</span></i><span style="font-size: small;"><i style="text-align: center;"></i></span></i></span><br />
<div style="display: inline; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">
<div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;">
<div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;">
<div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;">
<div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;">
<div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;">
<div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;">
<div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;">
<div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;">
<div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;">
<div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;">
<div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;">
<div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;">
<div style="display: inline !important;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>
</i></span>
<br />
<div style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;">
<div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;">
<div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;">
<div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;">
<div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;">
<div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;">
<div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;">
<div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;">
<div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;">
<div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;">
<div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;">
<div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;">
<div style="display: inline !important;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><i><br /></i></i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>
</i></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT82dixkI-fkyPTLc7rFDWkaoHWk4j19peOrWN_2mQoKJCbclHmsVPHIhmQIVSyr8E7p0SCQ9fz3aDfuzPUNPzJvtk3PKps_ookKxNEhWwTG4ZsaWqZm4NIn-aADJdRD83Ph4LIYcURDc/s1600/IMG_6735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT82dixkI-fkyPTLc7rFDWkaoHWk4j19peOrWN_2mQoKJCbclHmsVPHIhmQIVSyr8E7p0SCQ9fz3aDfuzPUNPzJvtk3PKps_ookKxNEhWwTG4ZsaWqZm4NIn-aADJdRD83Ph4LIYcURDc/s640/IMG_6735.JPG" width="426" /></a></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>
</i></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">I bought the faucet at Costco. I wasn't familiar with the brand, Hansgrohe, but my plumber said it was fantastic. I paid $269 but the next month, Costco marked it down to $189. Since mine hadn't been installed yet, I took it back and re-bought it. </span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>
</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3 class="r" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i></i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD5ZFexuCtZHhBQdxBsFoy_AbNVGXHarl79-5JdWnAMdZQskxis123FgxI-SfKX_ER_N7Otu0k4zB1r19XUwTw8xImEVyKXZqlnTzujYGMZNTNXZENXPRAnnQn78uXGWZaUbtt0UfxbF0/s1600/IMG_6748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD5ZFexuCtZHhBQdxBsFoy_AbNVGXHarl79-5JdWnAMdZQskxis123FgxI-SfKX_ER_N7Otu0k4zB1r19XUwTw8xImEVyKXZqlnTzujYGMZNTNXZENXPRAnnQn78uXGWZaUbtt0UfxbF0/s640/IMG_6748.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">No one ever noticed this cabinet before. We use it for storing pool items, flower vases and dog food. I requested the pull out shelves to make it easier to get to items.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I</b> never stressed about anything, and any time I had a question or concern, I called Scott. I jokingly told him that my calls were why he was getting the big money he was making! I did go over my budget by a couple of thousand dollars, but I made several changes which increased the cost.</span><br />
<div>
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></b></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>All</b></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> in all, I'd say this project was a good one. I might even enjoy cooking now.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Here</b> are links to some of the businesses who did all the amazing work:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.bentzremodeling.com/" target="_blank">Bentz Remodeling</a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://mays-munroe.com/" target="_blank">Mays-Munroe Appliances</a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.sellerstile.com/" target="_blank">Sellers Tile</a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/hollyree/just-tops" target="_blank">Just Tops Cabinets</a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/SingletonTileInstallationLLC/" target="_blank">Singleton Tile</a></span><br />
<a href="http://www.joelfoyelectric.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Joel Foy Electrical</span></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
pass the honehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12237802470668827407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340947200960452694.post-67905642959006763132016-01-30T18:43:00.001-05:002016-01-30T18:44:20.543-05:00Love and Loss<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Two</b> months ago, my husband bought a car. When we met, he
owned a BMW z3 and now wanted a BMW 335is convertible; however, the price was
around $30,000 for a used one. He’d have to make payments and he hated
payments. Instead, he found a 2002 Mustang GT convertible with only 65,000
miles at a price low enough that he could pay cash. It’s in great shape (no
door nicks, no rust, etc.), has a big, loud engine and a short-throw manual
transmission. It’s a fast car and his dream was that he and I would drive down all the canopied roads in Tallahassee, top down and carefree, like
we did when we were dating eleven years ago. We’d take long drives to nowhere, just
talking, taking pictures of things we found interesting, and listening to NPR,
the only radio station he ever listened to.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqOQoVhbrwNzkRg2lTGoZthSQO_etXsFnhLvefbDOwt7NbyxiBLvJnuLJIgbad-guocnvcoxUOuhtT6uaO11FbJzKeJCv9FXFGAHuCuLePW8T0KfQhEcGEMbwEvXd-zA5K7a-OBeRbEQ/s1600/1228150900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqOQoVhbrwNzkRg2lTGoZthSQO_etXsFnhLvefbDOwt7NbyxiBLvJnuLJIgbad-guocnvcoxUOuhtT6uaO11FbJzKeJCv9FXFGAHuCuLePW8T0KfQhEcGEMbwEvXd-zA5K7a-OBeRbEQ/s640/1228150900.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Our</b> story wasn't unique. We met online (Thanks, eHarmony. It was the best $100 I ever
spent.) After chatting on the computer, we progressed to phone conversations.
After a month, we arranged to meet in Apalachicola, a neutral meeting place
since we both lived in towns about the same distance away. We hit it off
immediately and began dating, each of us taking turns driving to see the other.
After six months of dating, I decided to move to Tallahassee. A job I wanted became
available, my house sold quickly and I bought another one at the same price. Everything
just fell into place, like it was meant to be. It helped that his house was now
only three miles away, making daily visits easy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>We</b> settled into a great relationship, one of true love for
each other but also a respect and gratitude that we had found another person
with whom we could get along so easily. We planned and hosted parties, we took
trips, we helped each other with house projects – we came to each other’s
rescue. Actually, he came to mine more often because he was retired and had
time. I still had ten years of work to go before I could join him on easy
street. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYRvtTrQ5yBHFY2dHnhcqSucSKZHYCjqiDMz2jm21lTA6BpYVg0mDNEpTNIN3Vx7Nm4rs80UtkFTrFcj1iSSgZqrxqyzlVQ9cAk1KATj7xyUb6oiA1HCYHFIhnwUpsSAlU3dNcLT2_Dk/s1600/12438964_10156566656655294_999069147665625087_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYRvtTrQ5yBHFY2dHnhcqSucSKZHYCjqiDMz2jm21lTA6BpYVg0mDNEpTNIN3Vx7Nm4rs80UtkFTrFcj1iSSgZqrxqyzlVQ9cAk1KATj7xyUb6oiA1HCYHFIhnwUpsSAlU3dNcLT2_Dk/s320/12438964_10156566656655294_999069147665625087_n.jpg" width="254" /></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>When</b> we started our relationship, we agreed that we never
would marry again. Why mess up a good thing? But after six years, we saw the
economic savings of being married and making a true commitment. We eloped to
Apalachicola on the anniversary of our first date and married in a judge’s
chambers. Afterwards, we ate oysters and drove down the coast like we had done
on our first date. It was a beautiful December day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Everything</b> about our life together was beautiful. He loved
me and I loved him. We had been through bad marriages and didn’t want that to
happen again. We worked hard to understand the other’s ways and to give each
other space. He saved money and I spent it. He took care of house and car
repairs. I took care of him and the others living in the house. He supported me
with anything I wanted to do – sewing, photography, graduate classes, blogging.
He was my editor with this blog, proofing for mistakes and making suggestions
of how he would say things or something I should add. Sometimes I joked with
him that he should write his own blog since he had so many suggestions for
mine.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Our</b> last trip together started a year ago when he was
diagnosed with lung cancer. After radiation, two rounds of chemo and another of
immunotherapy, his body began to wear down. He died a week and five days ago.
We both thought we had more time, that he would die by gently easing into death
with the help of morphine so as to avoid pain. It wasn’t like that at all. He
had a heart attack on the way to the ER. He was in pain and was scared. His
last words to me were, “I’m not going to make it.” As usual, he was right.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Richard</b> drove that Mustang three times. Only once did we
ride down a canopied road and enjoy the carefree, top-down openness. Our plan did not mirror God's, but really, does it ever?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I</b> turned his cell phone off this week. It’s the last place I
could hear his voice, even though it was only him saying his name on
his voicemail message.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I</b> know I will get through this. I know time heals. I have a
huge support system and many people who love me and my family. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Right</b> now, though, this really sucks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNI53PnluQ8wWsMNYZBda66r6cKk3Ih3iYExejRhhTVd63NYKbzCK28YCcMuyRDVy_DBmibe5EWLY_csQgQvHas-z27_S9LEG2I-cGISWffqT-zkA_khJYEZ3ik8Y2DKIQjSmGFo1EB0/s1600/IMG_0255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNI53PnluQ8wWsMNYZBda66r6cKk3Ih3iYExejRhhTVd63NYKbzCK28YCcMuyRDVy_DBmibe5EWLY_csQgQvHas-z27_S9LEG2I-cGISWffqT-zkA_khJYEZ3ik8Y2DKIQjSmGFo1EB0/s400/IMG_0255.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
pass the honehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12237802470668827407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340947200960452694.post-43303149598009264722015-11-26T06:40:00.002-05:002015-11-26T06:40:32.424-05:00A Story in 101 Words<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">I'm</b><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> having trouble staying on a schedule since I retired. But isn't that what retirement is about -- no alarm clock, no job, no worries! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Yeah</b>, right. Don't buy into that BS. Retirement is a whole lot of work, but you have to make your own schedule. Obviously, I'm terrible at that as I seem to jump from one task to another, never finishing anything. My blog has suffered tremendously. I have several posts that are half way to publication, but I just don't have the desire to complete them. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>This</b> week, I decided to try a different approach and write about a topic on <a href="http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/" target="_blank">Mama's Losing It</a>. This site has weekly writing prompts that can be linked to her site and shared with her readers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>The</b> topic I found intriguing (Write a Story in 101 Words) involved creative writing, something I have never done. I thought I'd give it a shot. Here are two that I wrote:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>#1</b></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> She searched everywhere for that one picture of her baby. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> “No
one else has a copy of that shot. It can’t be gone,” she said while frantically
digging through boxes of old photos, through albums and through pages of
favorite books. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">That one picture captured everything – the pain of birth,
the joy of childhood, the future.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">She
could still see all the dreams she had for Jessie, her child. Jessie --
beautiful, healthy, strong, generous, and loving. What a glorious future belonged
to sweet Jessie!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> “Finally,” she sighed, as she pulled the grainy ultrasound
picture from the pages of her Bible.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatz_WJFrJDIJHQkPKdVBVguOYKbGJAplQKcOqnrkInw5tidDYMOwmLVpV3nik_mmciAyu11QwFgMn_L_CJT__suF1b5fPSrqaN98b5BSJzMCgPwFFcs8rQk2gReplUlhaMyjf64p9Hcc/s1600/4278047856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="451" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatz_WJFrJDIJHQkPKdVBVguOYKbGJAplQKcOqnrkInw5tidDYMOwmLVpV3nik_mmciAyu11QwFgMn_L_CJT__suF1b5fPSrqaN98b5BSJzMCgPwFFcs8rQk2gReplUlhaMyjf64p9Hcc/s640/4278047856.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>#2</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> “We’ll start another round of chemo Thursday,
followed by a scan in three months to see if it’s working,” said Dr. Jonas.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> Three months. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> Three short months to tell
if the poisons they are putting into my body are killing what they are designed
to kill. Three months of nausea, sweats, hair loss, skin rash. Three months to
make sure my family knows my feelings, to make sure they will do everything I
want afterwards. Three months before the “No More” or “Do More” treatment
decision. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> My life -- now measured in three month
increments. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> Screw it. I’m buying that motorcycle.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS6oe-LKw2espY-9_6RsALpbKoHycyIepzyQqNpKGklsNX9YQc602jCK3kGCLDHDKr-hbN8ES3mrAbIAYidhKoSaUZcEVD9mje7Gr7s9FjgDwUBDVZYO0MlznM9FJUKT-JXj3nEPzxDhM/s1600/easy_rider_i_by_pingallery-d4w0byv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS6oe-LKw2espY-9_6RsALpbKoHycyIepzyQqNpKGklsNX9YQc602jCK3kGCLDHDKr-hbN8ES3mrAbIAYidhKoSaUZcEVD9mje7Gr7s9FjgDwUBDVZYO0MlznM9FJUKT-JXj3nEPzxDhM/s640/easy_rider_i_by_pingallery-d4w0byv.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>pass the honehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12237802470668827407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340947200960452694.post-78758936209424675872015-11-07T07:26:00.002-05:002015-11-07T08:14:16.638-05:00Freedom from Fear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Like</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> me, my close
friend/ex-sister-in-law is a retired English teacher. When she and I were in
the midst of teaching and raising kids and married to bad men, we daily shared
our problems with one another. One thing she said that stuck with me when I’d
be complaining and worrying about something was “When you get back in that
classroom tomorrow, you will stop worrying about all of this. You won’t have
time.” </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>That</b> may not seem very wise, but it
carried me through many times when I didn’t know if I could turn off my mind
from all the worrying.</span><span style="font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Now</b>, I don’t have that classroom to
occupy my thoughts. I’m no longer living on the stress of meeting a deadline,
planning lessons, dealing with discipline problems or maintaining control of
30+ teenagers for 50 minutes to make sure they learn how to write a decent
essay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Now</b>, I’m alone with my thoughts too
much and my thoughts naturally go to the worst place of all – the land of fear.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRzkmc46Pnb6mgrQTxTNg6SwMJw2EAOxxZfmfWKDLa9WYKtsIfHZVS5p-9rwVublKfk2jeoLYAJ49wr1Vgmu3_X3c5H6qyGyUJpXBRTmJ8t1l1nUPg4GTNlrLNXKeKPpp43pL5MS0VsLg/s1600/the-scream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRzkmc46Pnb6mgrQTxTNg6SwMJw2EAOxxZfmfWKDLa9WYKtsIfHZVS5p-9rwVublKfk2jeoLYAJ49wr1Vgmu3_X3c5H6qyGyUJpXBRTmJ8t1l1nUPg4GTNlrLNXKeKPpp43pL5MS0VsLg/s640/the-scream.jpg" width="506" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Now</b>, I have all the free time in the
world to obsess about the “what ifs” of my life. No matter how many times I
tell myself that these worst-case scenarios playing in my head are useless,
they are still on repeat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>The</b> funny thing is that, even though I’m
worrying about what might happen, I’m constantly telling others not to worry
about things. It’s the old “do-what-I-say-not-what-I-do” syndrome.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTWym4m6SKzYaHo7HPmhyphenhyphenaSKXf4UDEeWqfIpKNHEHIpO_EEW1bCGEHnSJRoKNb7oWq_wRJXynpKrIua8cri_La6AQOQIjToiKtpWGwqUyd6sgxbgSyzsWRovj7BddJgtgfmRAFbNK5Vc/s1600/images+%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTWym4m6SKzYaHo7HPmhyphenhyphenaSKXf4UDEeWqfIpKNHEHIpO_EEW1bCGEHnSJRoKNb7oWq_wRJXynpKrIua8cri_La6AQOQIjToiKtpWGwqUyd6sgxbgSyzsWRovj7BddJgtgfmRAFbNK5Vc/s320/images+%25285%2529.jpg" width="275" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>My</b> daughter is taking a GRE prep class
and shared her insecurities about how she will do on the test. “What if,” she
said, “I don’t score high enough to get into grad school? What will I do
then?” My response was the typical mother one of “You’ll do fine on the test
and if you don’t, that won’t be an end. Maybe you’ll see a new plan. Maybe you
can become a flight attendant so you can take me places.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>My</b> granddaughter shared her concern recently
when told that the students in her school would get their Florida Standards
Assessment results the following day. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQtbxX0dgkFLs2P-dqGmdbB4kN5M5Cj4e8vKLmNaySpmvyTG4RT0_o6CkR9tYyISpAussCXxqMY6-UXhQ6rMVsrJ9XQwWMt8OKAXhLNxrZd4TNvYgcpDVjfJugGdekJOVkH2wkWYIwMDk/s1600/download+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQtbxX0dgkFLs2P-dqGmdbB4kN5M5Cj4e8vKLmNaySpmvyTG4RT0_o6CkR9tYyISpAussCXxqMY6-UXhQ6rMVsrJ9XQwWMt8OKAXhLNxrZd4TNvYgcpDVjfJugGdekJOVkH2wkWYIwMDk/s320/download+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">She’s only 11 and has taken several annual
standardized tests, but this test was new and different. “What if,” she said, “I
don’t get a good score?” My response was the typical grandmother one of “You’ll
do fine on the test and if you don’t, I’ll raise hell with the school because I
know the truth about those tests.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I </b>think I helped them with their fears,
but I’m still obsessing over my own –the PET and CT scan results, the late
night interstate driving trips, the end of the line for an addict, the money
not stretching far enough, and on and on and on. I use the rational part of my
brain and tell myself that my worrying and fearing these events will come to
nothing which makes them go away for a minute. I try to be a good Christian and
turn them over to the Lord, but the fears are still lurking in the corner of my
mind, waiting to pounce when I have no other thoughts to take their place. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Now</b> I know why retired people stay so
busy playing bridge, traveling, crafting, etc. We are trying to escape our
fears.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Will</b> I have to go back into that
classroom in order to forget all of my worries? Good Lord, I hope not, but ironically,
that’s also one of my fears. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUYdp8V8TwcMc3NpjPy5G3bmIjRwCFDju_tce1mrVOfsUYfsOdSa9LpHt9_EX1LTkXHXEO6E0qdjHJvEgW0T0D4DKIQk2UCkt8cDBwQiGwp-v-51YWJ8n78zJOVoMnyux9KPrnX8n7qg/s1600/download+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUYdp8V8TwcMc3NpjPy5G3bmIjRwCFDju_tce1mrVOfsUYfsOdSa9LpHt9_EX1LTkXHXEO6E0qdjHJvEgW0T0D4DKIQk2UCkt8cDBwQiGwp-v-51YWJ8n78zJOVoMnyux9KPrnX8n7qg/s640/download+%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
pass the honehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12237802470668827407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340947200960452694.post-57851258954682880152015-10-23T23:53:00.001-04:002015-10-23T23:55:39.817-04:00Halloween Costumes: Past and Present<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwB02SHJ9Nh4CdiGMF1dO8NDJ2-B4DhwnnpkBtx_6ep9jttf9ZUENZOxaSH3ek9ql98JrpT8Uc9kKRTTY2ZUUtFGxyeFyxlrzWBwgqgIfzZEMTLRVXJ7b5p_XY1e420oiX8RdI4j32slY/s1600/download+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwB02SHJ9Nh4CdiGMF1dO8NDJ2-B4DhwnnpkBtx_6ep9jttf9ZUENZOxaSH3ek9ql98JrpT8Uc9kKRTTY2ZUUtFGxyeFyxlrzWBwgqgIfzZEMTLRVXJ7b5p_XY1e420oiX8RdI4j32slY/s640/download+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Oh,</b></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"> </b><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Halloween -- a child's favorite holiday! When I was a kid, I loved Halloween. What chubby kid wouldn’t
with all that free candy to feed my sugar addiction?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>As</b> an adult, I don’t especially
enjoy Halloween. Handing out candy to kids who might ring my doorbell is ok;
however, I haven’t had anyone come to my door in four years. Just in case
someone shows, I usually scrape up something that I put in my granddaughter’s
lunch like granola bars or fruit chews to hand them. I know they would be
thrilled to receive such an item.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>In</b> my childhood, I lived in the country on a dark, dirt road with few
neighbors around. Halloween meant my mom and dad had to come home from working
all day and then haul my older brother and me to town so we could
trick-or-treat. That couldn’t have been too much fun for them. They always took
us to the east end of town because that’s where the good candy was dished out. Some of my favorites were home-made caramel popcorn, Hersey bars and Almond Joy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>When</b> we got home, no one looked through our candy to make sure there were no
apples with razor blades or tattoos with LSD. Actually, they didn’t have to
because I threw the apples away and unless that tattoo was laced with
chocolate, I didn’t pay any attention to it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I</b> always wanted one of the store-bought costumes to wear, the plastic
ones with the mask held on your face with a tiny piece of elastic string.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9HGFgIdm-jxDEDGKyMBE0FvSSKXpUh_jshOF_xpK6a01o6jLWW9oe6tkDwGZRCdeGYPOQGsuE4NIMRCocuskR55goubKU4kZmCGCJU9NSGqtJn5hMqHNwisJlLF8zHseg5Q8TZ0jn86I/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9HGFgIdm-jxDEDGKyMBE0FvSSKXpUh_jshOF_xpK6a01o6jLWW9oe6tkDwGZRCdeGYPOQGsuE4NIMRCocuskR55goubKU4kZmCGCJU9NSGqtJn5hMqHNwisJlLF8zHseg5Q8TZ0jn86I/s320/images.jpg" width="320" /></a>I
don’t remember ever getting a whole outfit (probably because it wouldn’t fit), but
I did get a mask and found it to be horrible. It was hot and unless your eyes
were positioned exactly like the mask, you couldn’t see anything. I can imagine
it was how Jean Louise Finch felt in that ham costume in <i>To Kill a Mockingbird</i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8BYnqF7GbbDoW1MGZGf7jkNJAfDCOqzZLXXda6B769nnMyzLvOLg-i6KjWlXCkHpU122IA1UdsUdQHU7mH-JmTw7bv7lV_WrQdEL9CUfrV2debz94WjLOC9-nMn2kx8AWBOHSBZLHHQ/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8BYnqF7GbbDoW1MGZGf7jkNJAfDCOqzZLXXda6B769nnMyzLvOLg-i6KjWlXCkHpU122IA1UdsUdQHU7mH-JmTw7bv7lV_WrQdEL9CUfrV2debz94WjLOC9-nMn2kx8AWBOHSBZLHHQ/s640/download.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFkja-rcNSfIR0LX4hkKb1G3X6AFTdPt9XKXSM227dcZnu44IufWMdX29962fsuhb_FicIWDdd3g6Dp11W4dgAVYtzZJcB1Jw70s1YUh4lzsd_ikDc07HzCOtGSXc6zK2l6CkfDgGWMU/s1600/1960sm06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFkja-rcNSfIR0LX4hkKb1G3X6AFTdPt9XKXSM227dcZnu44IufWMdX29962fsuhb_FicIWDdd3g6Dp11W4dgAVYtzZJcB1Jw70s1YUh4lzsd_ikDc07HzCOtGSXc6zK2l6CkfDgGWMU/s400/1960sm06.jpg" width="171" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>My</b> mom got pretty original on a couple of costumes. In the 1960s, the
Beetles and other English boy bands were all wearing Indian-inspired clothing.
One fashion fad was the </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Nehru collar on shirts.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My mom found two white, polyester knit Nehru jackets, so my brother and
I dressed as rock stars. Another time,
she found out how to make me a cloud by cutting arm/neck holes in a pillowcase
and then using a zillion tiny safety pins to attach Kleenex tissues. The
tissues that didn’t fall off became rather limp as the night went on. I don’t think anyone knew what I
was supposed to be.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWziDkVSq-Q4Mz_UPPJ6YIVy5AyHx3htlZSSpoWDqj8WuGBKmE_2UYQ5LORB135iNNmN3pPaPk7azEUAWYwxHxaRvE4xAvQZCEeTtATZxMT3zBox4Jxk1D_jKq0uol1BXhbv_cHDpiXNg/s1600/28bcf44e1d0d13e07a5b93c0e893e222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWziDkVSq-Q4Mz_UPPJ6YIVy5AyHx3htlZSSpoWDqj8WuGBKmE_2UYQ5LORB135iNNmN3pPaPk7azEUAWYwxHxaRvE4xAvQZCEeTtATZxMT3zBox4Jxk1D_jKq0uol1BXhbv_cHDpiXNg/s640/28bcf44e1d0d13e07a5b93c0e893e222.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>This is what I <b>thought</b> I looked like in my cloud costume.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Nowadays</b></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">, kids usually don’t go door to door to trick-or-treat. Everyone is afraid of “stranger danger” and will barely let kids out of our sight, but
we still want kids to have the same fun that we did as kids. Therefore, fall
carnivals, harvest festivals and trunk-or-treat events are held at community
organizations.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Costumes</b></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> now are so clever, cute and expensive. I would never pay $40
for a costume, and why would I have to when Pinterest holds the ideas and
patterns for zillions of them. This year, </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Stars
Wars</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> characters and Minions are tops in adult and kid costumes. Even pets
are paraded around in costumes to match their owners. This year, my granddaughter wants a poodle
skirt, but instead of a poodle, she wants a dachshund. Then she plans to make a
matching skirt for her dachshund to wear and take her along to trick-or-treat. She is sure that
she’ll get tons of candy with this cute idea.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>In </b>case<b> </b>you haven't gotten your costume yet, here's a chart with all of the top costumes for 2015. There's a nice variety of sweet and scary costumes. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAUbsRZDIsi3cmQga_uNa3r6kn4_PRJhUDdj-l6A-eTeD99lQWFpkkomShqpJXjP0IhIngTVWK94YY3-PFkNgMuGaITc-uZLKhQJxcT-Tlz_VjkkOd42GpIiU1TgordsMklgHSlJ2w2yU/s1600/TopHalloweenCostumes_Image-w-caption.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAUbsRZDIsi3cmQga_uNa3r6kn4_PRJhUDdj-l6A-eTeD99lQWFpkkomShqpJXjP0IhIngTVWK94YY3-PFkNgMuGaITc-uZLKhQJxcT-Tlz_VjkkOd42GpIiU1TgordsMklgHSlJ2w2yU/s640/TopHalloweenCostumes_Image-w-caption.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>If</b> you want a good laugh, check out this video of Halloween pranks. I can imagine how scared these people were, but the events made for one truly funny clip: </span><a href="https://youtu.be/_0KTStEyztM" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">Halloween Pranks</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Happy</b> Halloween everyone. I hope you get lots of candy!</span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1wTkhucxhaM2e1LGUyhsfeBm6B3Zcal7phaHcAJYOtvvkcDjAYYRjWjftdrYK9IcU-4V0gktlvRkr3tuLBrfpEuJ8oshconZeRkNL8PXlwmv-5UgKoi3W-a3LsAhqX-CEWaKJba1rE8Y/s1600/images+%25287%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1wTkhucxhaM2e1LGUyhsfeBm6B3Zcal7phaHcAJYOtvvkcDjAYYRjWjftdrYK9IcU-4V0gktlvRkr3tuLBrfpEuJ8oshconZeRkNL8PXlwmv-5UgKoi3W-a3LsAhqX-CEWaKJba1rE8Y/s400/images+%25287%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
pass the honehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12237802470668827407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340947200960452694.post-47903924490579810072015-10-19T20:17:00.002-04:002017-03-01T17:41:23.396-05:00My Southern Revitalization<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7WVIVNJdhsiWZdGKXD3Oe8EX6ZGGRIMUnmiqTX6_fKxxdpnYKUH2EHeXibscg6Ukklr0Hpj4ZHsHigdoKsbvgeKS-7yDbGVbNPNsIOjatYuRoNN1Liy6W14mj7lM2tG-WCYBN8XujCtk/s1600/al-map.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7WVIVNJdhsiWZdGKXD3Oe8EX6ZGGRIMUnmiqTX6_fKxxdpnYKUH2EHeXibscg6Ukklr0Hpj4ZHsHigdoKsbvgeKS-7yDbGVbNPNsIOjatYuRoNN1Liy6W14mj7lM2tG-WCYBN8XujCtk/s400/al-map.gif" width="365" /></a><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">I </b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">recently returned from a quick trip
to visit my mom. She lives in Alabama, my home state. I say </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">home state </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">because it’s not only the
state where I was born but also where I lived my first 22 years. It’s still
where most of my family lives. It’s where I feel connected because it holds many
ghosts from my past.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>When</b> I go home, I bond again to a
rich Southern culture that is rarely understood by anyone except another
Southerner. It has nothing to do with a Confederate flag, the Civil War,
slavery, etc. It has everything to do with a good and decent way of life, with drawling
speech and with kindness to everyone. This culture may be similar to other
parts of the United States or of the world, and I hope it is, but since I have
lived my entire life in the South, its culture is what I know.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>While</b> driving through the county roads
that always need maintenance, I thought about how similar they look to all the
times I have driven them before. Sure there are some new buildings along the
way, but not much has changed in the rural/county areas. There are still huge
pine trees, closely-managed pecan groves, long chicken houses, kudzu vines
galore and acres and acres of Southern snow – cotton.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQ0WoZjkZEfFaRQcgY8Snq2MmRqlyoGYu8x3ujPkQZwEpxANViJ1MpyUB2NuryGfkY8_hm6LJFCuTG0ZZZYaBv-NwZfDu7FSgh5FML6oJ6KGGJngN1DQZv8Y_DNuhRe81DyTH8hB4wg0/s1600/Cortaro_Farms%252C_Pinal_County%252C_Arizona._Cotton_pickers_weigh%252C_haul%252C_and_dump_their_sacks_at_the_cotton_._._._-_NARA_-_522505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQ0WoZjkZEfFaRQcgY8Snq2MmRqlyoGYu8x3ujPkQZwEpxANViJ1MpyUB2NuryGfkY8_hm6LJFCuTG0ZZZYaBv-NwZfDu7FSgh5FML6oJ6KGGJngN1DQZv8Y_DNuhRe81DyTH8hB4wg0/s400/Cortaro_Farms%252C_Pinal_County%252C_Arizona._Cotton_pickers_weigh%252C_haul%252C_and_dump_their_sacks_at_the_cotton_._._._-_NARA_-_522505.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>My</b> paternal grandfather was a cotton
farmer and paid people to hand pick the cotton that the mechanical picker left
behind. They carried huge white cloth sacks that took them forever to fill and
they worked all day in the scorching heat. I don’t know how much they were
paid, but it probably wasn’t much. Once when I was around six years old, my grandfather
told me that he’d pay me $.25 to fill a bag. I picked for about five minutes
and left to spend the rest of the day jumping into the cotton-filled wagons. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>On</b> my recent trip, I told my fellow
traveler, my 10-year-old granddaughter, all about cotton and its importance to
the South. I told her that when I was her age, I learned in school about
the evil boll weevil, Eli Whitney and his cotton gin, and the cotton farmer’s savior,
George Washington Carver and his peanuts. I was taught Alabama history/civics
in grades 4, 8 and 10, so I know a lot about the history of the state – every important
part from the four major American Indian tribes and the Trail of Tears to the Civil War and slavery to
the governor at the time, George C. Wallace.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyTN8asMtbzKs0drJiAaI8GkyUDs4LhKebkvoQVlS4abRdEttmdglfTPjQjfuzpO0X9i1WDXx8Wz1FZKtJHbUqRoAsN7v34JmK1yakJPmQ8UGZUo9UPTYTClgjwgaCh75EwCJqcg46Z2s/s1600/IMG_6092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyTN8asMtbzKs0drJiAaI8GkyUDs4LhKebkvoQVlS4abRdEttmdglfTPjQjfuzpO0X9i1WDXx8Wz1FZKtJHbUqRoAsN7v34JmK1yakJPmQ8UGZUo9UPTYTClgjwgaCh75EwCJqcg46Z2s/s640/IMG_6092.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">I </b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">learned all of this history of Alabama and
of the South, but what does it mean to be Southern? It’s not really one thing I
can put my finger on, but I know it’s much more than just being born in one of
the states below the Mason-Dixon Line.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9VegQCNMAwxhmz5GzEIr8pFKSARXXq796fROW2kKLAgXxYgWfNFc7BXuzaqTAu2LlWlH18Ka1VDSeNVvd0dJEQ9BxIFGNhEzX9MumvkFR03mscDB6Y74dtWyIqjxOgFAbcHRrSdFcY4/s1600/5be3ae6cd1e91f8c5734774f1724ac52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9VegQCNMAwxhmz5GzEIr8pFKSARXXq796fROW2kKLAgXxYgWfNFc7BXuzaqTAu2LlWlH18Ka1VDSeNVvd0dJEQ9BxIFGNhEzX9MumvkFR03mscDB6Y74dtWyIqjxOgFAbcHRrSdFcY4/s400/5be3ae6cd1e91f8c5734774f1724ac52.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Being </b>Southern means worrying and worrying about
something for a long time and finally letting go of your worry by telling
yourself, “Just turn it over to the Lord.” It’s taking black-eyed peas and a
peach cobbler to a church member’s house when his family member dies because
food is comfort. It’s killing someone with kindness even though you don’t like
the person and you don’t want her to know it, or that person knows you don’t
like her and you want her a little bit paranoid. It’s going to church on Sunday or not going and toting
a huge load of guilt the rest of the week. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmwDgYf39syY815MmhrcKmyD5LJcKAtkGeuIMpcJe-7TNHR6Axd7DZaJ8YY5vEuYVDVv0tFtNTR0XV-nwLaq5xlK9CbPwW0yy9RGYiKVW8JmbK4-lQVGA0wGVqM2J9d4Ps7ljZaVwTOC4/s1600/130627102615-n-paula-deen-deals-dropped-00013804-1024x576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmwDgYf39syY815MmhrcKmyD5LJcKAtkGeuIMpcJe-7TNHR6Axd7DZaJ8YY5vEuYVDVv0tFtNTR0XV-nwLaq5xlK9CbPwW0yy9RGYiKVW8JmbK4-lQVGA0wGVqM2J9d4Ps7ljZaVwTOC4/s320/130627102615-n-paula-deen-deals-dropped-00013804-1024x576.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Southern</b> food plays a huge part of the
culture. The South is synonymous for fried chicken, turnip greens, corn bread, buttermilk biscuits, fruit cobbler and watermelon. Watching
Paula Deen cook is like being in my grandmother’s kitchen when I was a kid. Oh
my, the food was to die for. Actually, the food caused many early deaths
because much of it contained artery-clogging ingredients like lard and
sugar. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>The</b> people who think Southerners are slow
simply because we speak that way are far from wrong. The South is filled with
many smart people who are great spokespersons for this culture. Take former President
Jimmy Carter, for example. You may not agree with his politics, but he’s one of
the most intelligent and highly-educated POTUSs. His legacy is not what he
accomplished when he was in office but all that he did to better humanity when
he left the Presidency. And he did it all while still teaching Sunday school
each Sunday.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNd-ZjT61xZABCNweuVZ0usNnujJrfiaYI3VC11lVmj5ljk_S4eoE5PvVp0AU57VUY6IAsKJ4kxdIPBojlPJfUgsB1knwbl1dk3-LZtQIvomCbOTPHJ-ovMoVmCi-T3qqKi-W6B2UGtU/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNd-ZjT61xZABCNweuVZ0usNnujJrfiaYI3VC11lVmj5ljk_S4eoE5PvVp0AU57VUY6IAsKJ4kxdIPBojlPJfUgsB1knwbl1dk3-LZtQIvomCbOTPHJ-ovMoVmCi-T3qqKi-W6B2UGtU/s640/1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">My</b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> quick trip home revitalized me.
Maybe the fields of cotton have the same relaxing effect as sitting by the
beach. Maybe those country roads that are always the same allow me to drive
automatically so I can mentally relive past events. Maybe going home gives me the chance to visit the ghosts of my past and remember what being a Southerner is all about.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxqfUm8_eSYqbOLAZJ_IUnDiNGc01dGr0jUbPcmWxPn0P1SqOYqcVduyp55UpbfEdxVDQnxcEBBxp6hYsZ2XxMvfRzsLl6wuxDPypKRSRf6grCTgFPN7fmFqLjeiIhi8KzCu1PyYCmkWU/s1600/IMG_6090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxqfUm8_eSYqbOLAZJ_IUnDiNGc01dGr0jUbPcmWxPn0P1SqOYqcVduyp55UpbfEdxVDQnxcEBBxp6hYsZ2XxMvfRzsLl6wuxDPypKRSRf6grCTgFPN7fmFqLjeiIhi8KzCu1PyYCmkWU/s640/IMG_6090.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
pass the honehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12237802470668827407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340947200960452694.post-11848790699680497932015-10-10T07:28:00.001-04:002015-10-10T08:23:41.669-04:00Getting Rid of My Junk/Treasures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcMmXZirBB5LlqSEcaEq1bAwEkDGRuVpMRliY2WDCa1I4yTg2SjPP9wgrSuuc4sj3XSEJBGc7CS2_ApFl3tkP7qmdhDF-I0Qmtmrytqlz49U0u2DMjQqlRiec_EcZIjlMhD2d3x_muus/s1600/hello+october.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcMmXZirBB5LlqSEcaEq1bAwEkDGRuVpMRliY2WDCa1I4yTg2SjPP9wgrSuuc4sj3XSEJBGc7CS2_ApFl3tkP7qmdhDF-I0Qmtmrytqlz49U0u2DMjQqlRiec_EcZIjlMhD2d3x_muus/s640/hello+october.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">I</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> always love this time of year.
October is a great month. Most days, the outside temperature is finally cooler,
and it’s nice to be out of the house. The grass has stopped growing so there’s minimal
yard work. The green leaves are turning all shades of orange, red and yellow.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_A2yzZbzTfDMbqi8joXMXgezeYAe1T1qFG4UigW9zSNvz9P7B6q2UCtUS7cG7bN5czaYKndHjWdS7bpaqkllqpXOTiovJ4IfiVMdEHFiBBGZraw97HWVfwXwtrfhzAXYoMDALwIyQq-c/s1600/images+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_A2yzZbzTfDMbqi8joXMXgezeYAe1T1qFG4UigW9zSNvz9P7B6q2UCtUS7cG7bN5czaYKndHjWdS7bpaqkllqpXOTiovJ4IfiVMdEHFiBBGZraw97HWVfwXwtrfhzAXYoMDALwIyQq-c/s320/images+%25284%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlcrF-tA-tRl6RjmcSR9d4SasAMelDIyO7_4NVMSmfS_vqvn7ZEk6x1bnUHaW0dOrOE_MLcw29pw_o4N_lgAOHwiCZtC353tUEVFZY0YR_mLOjK9_LGFJl7aA1DSkgPPaQgRnNDkEpwA4/s1600/images+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlcrF-tA-tRl6RjmcSR9d4SasAMelDIyO7_4NVMSmfS_vqvn7ZEk6x1bnUHaW0dOrOE_MLcw29pw_o4N_lgAOHwiCZtC353tUEVFZY0YR_mLOjK9_LGFJl7aA1DSkgPPaQgRnNDkEpwA4/s320/images+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">I’d</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> have to say that fall is my
favorite season.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>With</b> the cooler weather here for a few
days, my family and I decided to have a yard sale. I have been obsessed with
cleaning since I retired. All the miscellaneous items I had thrown in the
attic, the under-stair closet, the junk drawers, and the garage were closing in
on me. I had to get it out!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE5OOcddbK-tDyqro5ihsj3FTyvMTetvVxloet8sF3KUcjQ9P7dea-p1mICoeNY2GtgiZ1VctGbXs97pjB3y1GTZ9mmCbxn0qkBB53WhLkRuemmeHIRt29JzOZI6BY1DK9fkYJnp66S-g/s1600/images+%25287%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE5OOcddbK-tDyqro5ihsj3FTyvMTetvVxloet8sF3KUcjQ9P7dea-p1mICoeNY2GtgiZ1VctGbXs97pjB3y1GTZ9mmCbxn0qkBB53WhLkRuemmeHIRt29JzOZI6BY1DK9fkYJnp66S-g/s320/images+%25287%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">I</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> hate having yard sales because I
never make any money. I spend weeks dragging items to the garage, deciding what’s
to go and what’s to stay, asking my family if they will ever use this item,
etc. I've heard of people making hundreds of dollars selling their junk, but I
never have, so this time I didn’t even think of the money. My goal was to get
the junk/treasures out of my house. Therefore, I sold things that cost me a small
fortune for a little of nothing. For
example, a small, new Dooney & Burke bag that I paid over $100 for went for
$1.00. I had given it to my daughter as a Christmas gift four years ago, and
she had never used it. I had held onto it waiting for her to realize that my
taste was better than hers, but alas, I finally gave up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>At</b> my sale, whatever price people
offered became the selling price. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1ovQrvDH9dI/VhA860W5FUI/AAAAAAAAKwo/to-KzK4rqSI/s1600/1003150735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1ovQrvDH9dI/VhA860W5FUI/AAAAAAAAKwo/to-KzK4rqSI/s400/1003150735.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">My granddaughter made $6.00 selling </i></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>doughnuts and lemonade that cost </i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<i><div style="text-align: left;">
<i>me twice that to buy.</i></div>
</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SKIcxYW_8og/VhA89j32khI/AAAAAAAAKw4/jpecUsYDXYE/s1600/1003150736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SKIcxYW_8og/VhA89j32khI/AAAAAAAAKw4/jpecUsYDXYE/s320/1003150736.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Before the sale began, my daughter helped</i></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>place our treasures on makeshift tables</i></span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">I</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> really enjoyed talking to potential
customers, many of whom had really interesting stories. Some of my treasures
brought back memories of items they had once owned that were similar or they
told of why they were buying a certain item from me. I heard many tales of what
careers people had and of their families. I also got to meet several neighbors
who stopped by while on their morning walk.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>My</b> sale was from 8:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m., and I made a grand total of $157.27. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisn0b9vgZO35P3rZMZjtbT7Z-BFkTxqrQMc0eBSLKA8HMObBH5aRCl7t4PokaJZ7SskzM0qhx1Wb07M34_rvffgi3i4VmlHeNN3bsUGN6muJVer9klaefx4WHT1w69vub1HupjzBN3rD8/s1600/images+%25286%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisn0b9vgZO35P3rZMZjtbT7Z-BFkTxqrQMc0eBSLKA8HMObBH5aRCl7t4PokaJZ7SskzM0qhx1Wb07M34_rvffgi3i4VmlHeNN3bsUGN6muJVer9klaefx4WHT1w69vub1HupjzBN3rD8/s200/images+%25286%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdlktCKh6Fwuc1hS-I9Op9bDat2sEFZxIxPG5ANUg5-0bZA-RqH2x1Tm-2RK4jUUstBjuqbSvZElCH7xqoMX4AiHc9HwcSLP4kqbCZDEVLwN1KWxkExaajgBUbqjxASOgeoorx2zVH6k/s1600/citywalk.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdlktCKh6Fwuc1hS-I9Op9bDat2sEFZxIxPG5ANUg5-0bZA-RqH2x1Tm-2RK4jUUstBjuqbSvZElCH7xqoMX4AiHc9HwcSLP4kqbCZDEVLwN1KWxkExaajgBUbqjxASOgeoorx2zVH6k/s320/citywalk.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.citywalkthrift.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Click here to find out about City Walk</span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">At 11:15 a.m., we loaded the leftovers into my
husband’s truck and took them to the City Walk Mission Thrift Store. This
business supplies food, clothing, etc. to the homeless in the community. I got
a tax write-off, and they were happy to get my remaining treasures.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Now</b> I can actually walk into my
walk-in attic, my garage shelves are organized, and there’s no more junk in my
junk drawers. I vow to keep everything this way, but I’m living with four other
people. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>I’m</b> not so sure they will accept the challenge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
pass the honehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12237802470668827407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340947200960452694.post-9573358917499372152015-09-29T07:22:00.000-04:002015-09-29T07:22:02.995-04:00I Am an Advocate!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2JDdTx5xyyYHpi-hVdf6zGtnl8-S5sAy8OJppmJPJWw7arbm6SVWkj5Xp9-mZ7M9NkyPDct9ihYkBGdL4oXbcoTVmZTvpuXjzSb6LPCQi-TqGxGQmsWm9t7_pfhwk640NLcXp5j2ozws/s1600/images+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2JDdTx5xyyYHpi-hVdf6zGtnl8-S5sAy8OJppmJPJWw7arbm6SVWkj5Xp9-mZ7M9NkyPDct9ihYkBGdL4oXbcoTVmZTvpuXjzSb6LPCQi-TqGxGQmsWm9t7_pfhwk640NLcXp5j2ozws/s640/images+%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>As</b></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> a parent of a child with a
disability, I have had to learn a whole new language. Because every child has
different abilities, I feel like sometimes I’m the only one speaking the
language.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Imagine</b> that you have to learn this
new language. In your quest to master it, you study 300 different language
textbooks giving you vital information as well as web sites/references/links to
more vital information. You begin your journey thinking that one day you will
pass the exam and know all the words and phrases you need to raise your child. Just
when you think you have a handle on everything, you figure out there are several
problems:
the language vocabulary/rules keep changing, the lessons get harder and harder,
and there’s never a final exam. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Recently</b></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">, I attended a meeting of
parents of children with disabilities. Most of the attendees had middle school
age or older children, and we met to exchange ideas on issues we all share.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGXVn-Wum7itxY7bFY1F7NdvcEdvVyzKANx01F2LyZrB3SZfW5JECHQMimi-djAw0IatEAVpiT4c289VYBKJNy-kY6ftQCa1emwIdrd1cZPF50egGczZuSptEhMkjT1c6ejPdO0D4QKdI/s1600/margaretmead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGXVn-Wum7itxY7bFY1F7NdvcEdvVyzKANx01F2LyZrB3SZfW5JECHQMimi-djAw0IatEAVpiT4c289VYBKJNy-kY6ftQCa1emwIdrd1cZPF50egGczZuSptEhMkjT1c6ejPdO0D4QKdI/s640/margaretmead.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>At </b>the meeting, parents of older
children shared information with younger parents about legal guardianship.
Because 18 is the legal age of maturation no matter what, a parent of a person
with an intellectual disability has to become the legal guardian. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>When</b> I was faced with this task, I was
overwhelmed. I had to hire an attorney who specialized in elder law. Then my
son was appointed an attorney to represent him. Next, he was examined and
evaluated by a physician, a nurse and a mental health counselor. Finally, we
went before the judge who ruled that I was fit to be my son’s guardian. Funny
thing -- I’d already had 18 years being in charge of his well-being and no one seemed
to care.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Another</b> legal issue parents at the
meeting brought up was the special-needs trust. We can’t die and simply leave
our child money. We have to set up a special-needs trust to oversee his money
and make sure it’s used for certain items he will use in the future. Otherwise,
our children would lose all of their benefits granted by the government which
include Medicaid and social security. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>An</b> imminent concern with everyone,
parent or not, is what happens to this aging population when they finish public
school. With better medical treatment, people have longer life expectancy, which
is great. But what happens to our adults? If they can’t handle a job, do
they just sit at home and let their world get smaller and smaller? There is a
huge need for more adult day programs where these adults can interact with
their peers and role models. In Tallahassee, most of the existing places are at
capacity and can’t take more clients. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuW5fU2yeunfRLGFxa_MR-J3PABfhjFxT9XsPD1WCgQK9p0thi5XIYy4pGaq2uXGgtOf5cZguygUy7T6gQslg4lX-oq0QvjAgHJ9DzZCbffUpbZkHledGHtcglFzrcGuGgkaHxn3afVGU/s1600/images.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuW5fU2yeunfRLGFxa_MR-J3PABfhjFxT9XsPD1WCgQK9p0thi5XIYy4pGaq2uXGgtOf5cZguygUy7T6gQslg4lX-oq0QvjAgHJ9DzZCbffUpbZkHledGHtcglFzrcGuGgkaHxn3afVGU/s1600/images.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I</b> don’t consider myself a really smart
person, but I’m lucky that over my son’s 28 years, I have been able to figure
out most of this new language, but it’s not been an easy program of study. I’ve
made mistakes and made many people angry in my insistence of getting what’s
best for my son. When he was younger, I remember going up against some state
agency to get them to do something for him. I told my son’s school principal
about the situation and apologized for being such a bitch. Her response is
something I’ll never forget. She said, “You are not a bitch. You are an
advocate.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>These</b> parents who met recently are
great advocates who are still on their quest to learn this very difficult
language and are also eager to tutor those coming after us. We aren't going away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEireKw_92fFH7Q_Ah_wTQDKqoPN8-brWJzFFZIKFBqwMm6EStYtuXNkBLrw972205My9aYGn13tkF8iBeg-DLkX85GACwssIG9AzT7SJJru_jZmNccccgVuNVvrO-fQXDU8NTexxrJOOIo/s1600/advocacy-definition1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEireKw_92fFH7Q_Ah_wTQDKqoPN8-brWJzFFZIKFBqwMm6EStYtuXNkBLrw972205My9aYGn13tkF8iBeg-DLkX85GACwssIG9AzT7SJJru_jZmNccccgVuNVvrO-fQXDU8NTexxrJOOIo/s640/advocacy-definition1.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />pass the honehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12237802470668827407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340947200960452694.post-77308140847322846872015-09-19T23:13:00.001-04:002015-09-19T23:13:18.059-04:00"Things that Make You Go Hmmm"<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Things
that Make You Go Hmmm<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>This</b> song from the early 1990s by C+C Music
Factory came to mind this week. I had a couple of experiences that were sort of
like someone had been pulling the wool over my eyes for a long time. Now they
were showing me exactly how things in my life are or could be. I’m not so sure
I like all of this clarity.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>In</b> the song, the singer has several
experiences that make him question the results of some action. For example, he
tells in one verse how he let his best friend move in with him. The singer’s
wife becomes pregnant and when the baby is born, it looks a lot like the best
friend. That’s what makes him go <i>hmmm</i>. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>My</b> <i>hmmm</i> experiences weren’t as racy
as the singer's were.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCQOhuen15yWWatoS1a_xLqV6Egf4Eh-WBrNRx4L4AkMX9FisxJo4guDIXdEybUj3tEaMjbCjlTmuXIZlZWQJAAHltcbu9VUMwZxVLOBvbu3M_U9HRPLDEU73kDbq9eGr9xNRuxwrAnM/s1600/images+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCQOhuen15yWWatoS1a_xLqV6Egf4Eh-WBrNRx4L4AkMX9FisxJo4guDIXdEybUj3tEaMjbCjlTmuXIZlZWQJAAHltcbu9VUMwZxVLOBvbu3M_U9HRPLDEU73kDbq9eGr9xNRuxwrAnM/s320/images+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>This</b> week, I accompanied someone to
physical therapy. I’m not talking about the physical therapy most people think
of when they hear the words. There were no sharp-looking athletes with torn
rotator cuffs, no tennis stars with tennis elbow, no soccer players with a torn
meniscus. No, 80% of the people in this rehab facility were senior citizens.
Many were attached to wheelchairs, walkers or canes. Most had helpers with them
to help them even get to and from the rehab center. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJZWnxMX7UXCEoSWNo5RprNcRPtyNEN21lvy8iMd5xNDqFh1xk9AHSH20NAnmStkg-JNL8loJ_asEsvqHvnoz0FlTgCehjEp6FkyTg-Svku8IkiuHEpYmiQT_J1ZGy7xTuYZ2ybd1Aoo/s1600/images+%25288%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJZWnxMX7UXCEoSWNo5RprNcRPtyNEN21lvy8iMd5xNDqFh1xk9AHSH20NAnmStkg-JNL8loJ_asEsvqHvnoz0FlTgCehjEp6FkyTg-Svku8IkiuHEpYmiQT_J1ZGy7xTuYZ2ybd1Aoo/s400/images+%25288%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">I</b><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> sat there all smug, thinking that I won’t
be one of those people. After all, I was somewhat young and pretty active, but
was that enough?</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">The therapist said that
as most people get older, they tend to make their movements smaller because
they are worried about falling or hurting themselves. Those smaller movements
are actually more dangerous because our bodies are designed to walk at a
certain gait and to reach and stretch in all different directions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I</b> thought about my actions lately. I
do stop and consider the results of standing on a ladder or chair or of moving
too quickly in the wrong direction. I always thought that I was being careful because
I have so many people depending on me; I can’t afford to be sick or hurt.
However, maybe my actions are because I’m actually older and more aware of my
aches and pains.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHFbt6RRvAFqLA2Nh4tder_WWtSye2KEV8YrKpYsjnJn3KT4kSbqgoA0lUp3ry34LE9uHap5KOa9IqSMRZ2nGxmRMpREKvHU2HJrpggHtWVecqUDyJelcWLmpqljCFF0rmOwYhLvVz5Y/s1600/images+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHFbt6RRvAFqLA2Nh4tder_WWtSye2KEV8YrKpYsjnJn3KT4kSbqgoA0lUp3ry34LE9uHap5KOa9IqSMRZ2nGxmRMpREKvHU2HJrpggHtWVecqUDyJelcWLmpqljCFF0rmOwYhLvVz5Y/s640/images+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6cI9jiDYjmD1S_47z-A2Hg9YcSVixr7-3LJazxoaJUISBWZzLWJ6zPV4EiWhf4VlwbjtYCy9bpR3Oo2HOTm0v6o6w8I4wDwvMlR8jdSCXkUyFRrDlH3evF-XfLHHwAb4i40_wzBvjtg/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6cI9jiDYjmD1S_47z-A2Hg9YcSVixr7-3LJazxoaJUISBWZzLWJ6zPV4EiWhf4VlwbjtYCy9bpR3Oo2HOTm0v6o6w8I4wDwvMlR8jdSCXkUyFRrDlH3evF-XfLHHwAb4i40_wzBvjtg/s320/download.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>My</b> second <i>hmmm</i> event happened when I went to my bridge class. Yes, my bridge
class. Before I retired, I said I was going to learn to play bridge because
that’s something that retired people do. Playing it is supposed to keep the mind
sharp. It must work because I know a lot of older bridge players and can count
on one hand the number of younger people I know who play.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAzElm_l65jpWm2Bf7QSoRTi4545xFFvJJ-0SrGl3d7WBFXlY-SwnbAEzDPLcFuSGINWS8Y4f4MixeDRLCmtSSylZcjyUhHkdbhHfPY4pwm0TZk7Sg5Xxy_xU6oGXkzrPUpDcQrG2MOJI/s1600/images+%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAzElm_l65jpWm2Bf7QSoRTi4545xFFvJJ-0SrGl3d7WBFXlY-SwnbAEzDPLcFuSGINWS8Y4f4MixeDRLCmtSSylZcjyUhHkdbhHfPY4pwm0TZk7Sg5Xxy_xU6oGXkzrPUpDcQrG2MOJI/s400/images+%25285%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">During</b><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> the class, I looked at
all of the people sitting around me, some of whom had about 20+ years on me. I
thought, “Do I look like that?” “Am I really old?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>For</b> the past 35 years, I have been
around teenagers all day. Their antics kept me knowledgeable about trending
events, about new music or about just popular culture in general. Now I’m
around people on the opposite end of the age spectrum. They talk about what’s
happening in the news, the prices of gas and groceries, doctor visits and their
aches and pains. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I’m</b> adjusting to lots of life changes
now. Without work, I have time to notice others and listen to them more. I have
the extra time to think about and act on my <i>hmmm</i>
moments. I came home from physical therapy and turned on a yoga program on TV and even did a couple of sun salutations and forward bends. It felt good just
doing that much. Tomorrow I’ll add a few more moves. In a month or two, I’ll be
posting pictures of me standing on my head.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>This</b> week, I realized that I’ve got to
get my body moving and stretching while also strengthening my mind. Somehow, I
rather quickly became one of the older folks.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(<b>Note</b>: Here's a link to the song's video if you are interested: </span></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF2ayWcJfxo" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;" target="_blank">C+C Music Factory</a>)</div>
pass the honehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12237802470668827407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340947200960452694.post-40920343364902644282015-09-12T08:11:00.000-04:002015-09-12T11:20:47.827-04:00Sometimes I Just SMH*!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZMX_trMH-JO-9sa8zf_i6bzOjsb3sfi-3E5kOhap_UAB-n9ZlZ5NB5BpjT49LI8nHUBx2ASk16A9U9Akl7otiKFHmgsUrAdTN6-T2kUUUwqVDplMg5tK4iIy4D-TO-3Hjb-Y6HdfF_II/s1600/flag-eagle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZMX_trMH-JO-9sa8zf_i6bzOjsb3sfi-3E5kOhap_UAB-n9ZlZ5NB5BpjT49LI8nHUBx2ASk16A9U9Akl7otiKFHmgsUrAdTN6-T2kUUUwqVDplMg5tK4iIy4D-TO-3Hjb-Y6HdfF_II/s640/flag-eagle.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>I’ve</b> lived through a bunch of years
(57) and have been in a classroom with outrageous teenagers for over half my life (35), so I didn’t
think I could be shocked by much anymore. I’ve had and observed many shocking
experiences just by being alive and in the line of work I was in; however, now
that I have time to sit and think about events, I tend to have that
jaw-dropping feeling more often. Some of the recent events follow:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpLast">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Shocker
#1</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>The
Presidential candidates</i> – How is it that in the “greatest country in the world,”
the really strange people run for president? Is it scary to you or am I just
too old or maybe too liberal? </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">I look at the list of candidates and can’t
believe that people would actually vote for some of these people. When I voiced
my opinion about Donald Trump to my mom, she said that Trump was another George
Wallace. People of her generation were impressed with how forceful Wallace was
in his bids for the Alabama governorship and presidency, but people in my
generation remember Wallace for his fanaticism about race. Voters in the
present generation only remember Wallace from the small clip in the movie </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Forrest Gump</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3QRYDljG74cumWXHimKHseUIIr46Lz3L_kuapnRu2d_xTTT-JWo6cvlDLOhOg3jCJEuww6eQXUwMNeAPGy20IfVj3sTr6XoOHYnUKAqBlCI07ll3FJAqPyrQqZWUyB856RXWt50XdQLo/s1600/images+%25287%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3QRYDljG74cumWXHimKHseUIIr46Lz3L_kuapnRu2d_xTTT-JWo6cvlDLOhOg3jCJEuww6eQXUwMNeAPGy20IfVj3sTr6XoOHYnUKAqBlCI07ll3FJAqPyrQqZWUyB856RXWt50XdQLo/s400/images+%25287%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdDn8YE8JH-y1YrWanqTMvt2Zu_5TIXLS_3XRmTtFWwEx9-ucZnXt-OSdam7rK3tjJwvje1XHeAYPgYJ_GDRBuEEJlE0GkpraL9aWD9aELgs6SAROcBn31s_uNYYQC-0Liza8KEXdLowE/s1600/images+%25286%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdDn8YE8JH-y1YrWanqTMvt2Zu_5TIXLS_3XRmTtFWwEx9-ucZnXt-OSdam7rK3tjJwvje1XHeAYPgYJ_GDRBuEEJlE0GkpraL9aWD9aELgs6SAROcBn31s_uNYYQC-0Liza8KEXdLowE/s400/images+%25286%2529.jpg" width="313" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>In</b>
this country, anyone can run for political office if she/he meets the
qualifications, and that’s great! However, when I think of Trump as President,
all I can visualize is his possible meeting with Kim Jong-un for a nuclear
peace agreement. Trump starts his normal ranting and raving and then simply
walks out of the meeting. He reminds me of little kids on the playground who
get mad at their friends and stomp off while saying, “I’m taking my toys and
going home!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Shocker
#2</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>The
cost of cancer treatment in America</i> – A few months ago, my husband went through
a series of radiation and chemotherapy treatments for a cancerous area in his
lung. That’s all over and done, but now the benefit statements from the
insurance company have shown up in the mail over the last couple of weeks. He
doesn’t even open them to see how much his medical treatments cost because he
has two insurance policies that cover everything. I always open them just to
see how much these medical charges total. Having never paid for cancer
treatment, I must tell you that I was totally shocked at the amounts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>My</b>
husband had 38 radiation sessions. Each treatment lasted about 10 minutes. The
cost of each treatment was $2,530.80 for a grand total of $96,170.40. The cost
of one of his four chemotherapy treatments was $15,732.81 for a total of $62,931.24.
These costs do not include doctors’ fees or any pharmaceutical supplies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvR4Ck-Hx41GdEq4iGg9L_JLq3__YqZiYb-esi7EmlZFg0m8gjH5pLCVJIwauuKtnaMHIb34KgM1gdxJU1ZU6szq2JsWj6BTdxm7gkFJo3k7YgW3SwD34yWBvuAafs3CpxGF2kJUYlRvY/s1600/0912150750a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvR4Ck-Hx41GdEq4iGg9L_JLq3__YqZiYb-esi7EmlZFg0m8gjH5pLCVJIwauuKtnaMHIb34KgM1gdxJU1ZU6szq2JsWj6BTdxm7gkFJo3k7YgW3SwD34yWBvuAafs3CpxGF2kJUYlRvY/s640/0912150750a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>I</b>’ve written about the costs of medical care in this “greatest country in
the world” in an earlier post, but I’m still shocked that these charges are so
much. How does a family with no insurance pay bills like this? I’m not talking
about the poor people who are fortunate enough to have Medicaid. I’m talking
about the middle-class family who can’t afford insurance or who has the minimum
policy required now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>This</b>
post isn’t supporting one Presidential candidate or political party over
another (but I’m a Democrat who has only once voted for a Republican because he
was my former student and I didn’t vote for him for re-election). As Americans we
have the right to choose whomever we want. I just hope, like many generations
before me have hoped, that the voters study the platform of the candidate and
don’t vote according to theatrical actions they see in the media. This election
may be real life, but it’s not reality TV. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>When</b> deciding your candidate, check out what he/she has planned for
healthcare. The older you get, the more important it will be to you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">(*SMH -- Shake My Head)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
pass the honehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12237802470668827407noreply@blogger.com0