Click here to hear my all time favorite song!!!!! And dance a little... for me! Even though it's MY song, I'll share it...
xoxoxo b.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Rant
Okay, my Mom just wrote to me about this:
"I went to a forum which my church holds at noon once a month. Mr. Gilligan, who was an Ohio governor and has been more recently held a position on the Ohio State Board of Education, spoke on the status of education in Ohio and in particular in Cincinnati. Evidently the Ohio Supreme Court has voted 4 times that it is illegal to fund education in Ohio from the real estate taxes but the legislature has not voted to do anything about it. Gilligan is really against Charter Schools as they are not regulated and only recently have been told they must meet certain standards. One third of the 800 charter schools either have or soon will be put out of business. Also, without having to prove how they are spending the money, they are taking funding away from the public schools. It was a very interesting hour and a half forum. Gilligan has got to be in his 80s but only recently, after serving on the Ohio State Board of Ed, for 8 years, is going to step down."
I feel like I need to educate the public on exactly how wrong this man is because politicians are spreading lies just so the Dept. of Education can keep all of YOUR tax dollars!!! First, a CHARTER school is a school which has met certain standards in order to operate within a district and thereby is eligible to receive tax dollars PER THEIR OWN STUDENTS from the district in which that student lives. And only A PORTION of the tax dollars are put aside for that student. The district is still getting paid a portion of the tax dollars to educate a student WHO IS NOT THERE! Why do we NEED Charter schools?? Just take a look inside a classroom. There are many kinds of students with many different kinds of learning styles and needs. As much as I revere teachers, I have not known anyone to be able to meet all of those different needs at once and they would be the first to tell you that themselves. Especially with the state standards and No Child Left Behind (which isn't working). Charter schools provide all kinds of alternatives for those children, whether gifted, behind or atypical. Many cyber (online) homeschools have been started during the past 8 years or so. They have been evolving as this is completely new for our country. They absolutely DO have standards to follow...state standards if they receive public funding. Students are required to do the same annual tests that public students take. The schools do have to show that they are teaching the children! Otherwise the students would be declared TRUANT which is against the law. This is even more difficult for these schools because they do attract students of all different abilities...the "norm" is much different sometimes and test results can suffer from that. If the Charter school is not doing it's job or is not successful at organization, it will close. It does happen which is good. Public schools which are not successful, still stay open. Hmmmm. There are Charter Schools in Cincinnati that have been there longer than some of you have been alive! I taught at two of them! And they are still there. They are part of the Cincinnati Public School System -- so this Mr. Gilligan, who by the way is NOT a teacher and probably sent his children to a private school, which is even more "UNregulated" than Charter schools, does not know what he speaks about!!
Now YOU are an informed person! YOU should be able to choose where your child attends school for THEIR own success... not some politician who is just a mouthpiece for one of the largest lobbying unions in the United States!!! Go and be wise!!!!
"I went to a forum which my church holds at noon once a month. Mr. Gilligan, who was an Ohio governor and has been more recently held a position on the Ohio State Board of Education, spoke on the status of education in Ohio and in particular in Cincinnati. Evidently the Ohio Supreme Court has voted 4 times that it is illegal to fund education in Ohio from the real estate taxes but the legislature has not voted to do anything about it. Gilligan is really against Charter Schools as they are not regulated and only recently have been told they must meet certain standards. One third of the 800 charter schools either have or soon will be put out of business. Also, without having to prove how they are spending the money, they are taking funding away from the public schools. It was a very interesting hour and a half forum. Gilligan has got to be in his 80s but only recently, after serving on the Ohio State Board of Ed, for 8 years, is going to step down."
I feel like I need to educate the public on exactly how wrong this man is because politicians are spreading lies just so the Dept. of Education can keep all of YOUR tax dollars!!! First, a CHARTER school is a school which has met certain standards in order to operate within a district and thereby is eligible to receive tax dollars PER THEIR OWN STUDENTS from the district in which that student lives. And only A PORTION of the tax dollars are put aside for that student. The district is still getting paid a portion of the tax dollars to educate a student WHO IS NOT THERE! Why do we NEED Charter schools?? Just take a look inside a classroom. There are many kinds of students with many different kinds of learning styles and needs. As much as I revere teachers, I have not known anyone to be able to meet all of those different needs at once and they would be the first to tell you that themselves. Especially with the state standards and No Child Left Behind (which isn't working). Charter schools provide all kinds of alternatives for those children, whether gifted, behind or atypical. Many cyber (online) homeschools have been started during the past 8 years or so. They have been evolving as this is completely new for our country. They absolutely DO have standards to follow...state standards if they receive public funding. Students are required to do the same annual tests that public students take. The schools do have to show that they are teaching the children! Otherwise the students would be declared TRUANT which is against the law. This is even more difficult for these schools because they do attract students of all different abilities...the "norm" is much different sometimes and test results can suffer from that. If the Charter school is not doing it's job or is not successful at organization, it will close. It does happen which is good. Public schools which are not successful, still stay open. Hmmmm. There are Charter Schools in Cincinnati that have been there longer than some of you have been alive! I taught at two of them! And they are still there. They are part of the Cincinnati Public School System -- so this Mr. Gilligan, who by the way is NOT a teacher and probably sent his children to a private school, which is even more "UNregulated" than Charter schools, does not know what he speaks about!!
Now YOU are an informed person! YOU should be able to choose where your child attends school for THEIR own success... not some politician who is just a mouthpiece for one of the largest lobbying unions in the United States!!! Go and be wise!!!!
Book of Love
I don't know if you ever listened to this group back in the 80-90's? I have been listening to YouTube (my newest obsession) while doing some paperwork this afternoon-- "Boy", "Alice Everyday", "Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls", "I Touch Roses", and my favorite "You Make Me Feel So Good".... And then I bought the cd!!! (Don't tell Craig.... he doesn't usually read this!).
But their music makes me feel so good.
But their music makes me feel so good.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
The sun is shining
I got a reality check yesterday when I got a call from a friend who is helping me coach our Odyssey of the Mind team and she was crying because she had just lost a friend yesterday who had been ill. I was thinking of my troubles with losing things on my computer and they didn't seem quite so bad anymore-- I still have my family and the memories in my head!
Then I found out that one of my own friends, not real close but I have spent lots of time with her over the four years we've lived in Lancaster, just died suddenly of a heart attack on Tuesday evening. She left her husband and two beautiful daughters (middle school ages). It just breaks my heart! I took Ellie out for a walk and that is where we spent time together-- walking the path behind our home-- and I just cried. Maybe it's the age I am now, that these things might happen more often. It isn't easy to think about. Heart health is something that women need to pay closer attention to!!! I will miss Cathy and there seems to be a void in my world now...
The sun is shining today... it is a beautiful day. I guess those of us who are still here need to pick up and go on. And keep appreciating all the beautiful things that are still in our lives.
Like you!
*** Cheer up with me: click on this link to hear what my daughter and I are loving to listen to lately: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8Z-DIAthbM
*** Jenn Docherty is blogging again!!! And I've missed some since October! She's already had snow in New Jersey... check out her blog at the right on my favorites!!
Then I found out that one of my own friends, not real close but I have spent lots of time with her over the four years we've lived in Lancaster, just died suddenly of a heart attack on Tuesday evening. She left her husband and two beautiful daughters (middle school ages). It just breaks my heart! I took Ellie out for a walk and that is where we spent time together-- walking the path behind our home-- and I just cried. Maybe it's the age I am now, that these things might happen more often. It isn't easy to think about. Heart health is something that women need to pay closer attention to!!! I will miss Cathy and there seems to be a void in my world now...
The sun is shining today... it is a beautiful day. I guess those of us who are still here need to pick up and go on. And keep appreciating all the beautiful things that are still in our lives.
Like you!
*** Cheer up with me: click on this link to hear what my daughter and I are loving to listen to lately: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8Z-DIAthbM
*** Jenn Docherty is blogging again!!! And I've missed some since October! She's already had snow in New Jersey... check out her blog at the right on my favorites!!
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Bad News!
My hard drive is completely fried. We are trying to get a quote by a different company to see if they can rebuild the layers to retrieve our files. Major expense there. So I definately need a new computer and now I have to figure out how to put my checking account into order without all the information that I lost. All my graphic design projects are gone. And most of all, my photos of my kids and everything we've done for the past 6 or 7 years. Most of their lives. I'm too upset to cry.
On a better note, my Fraktur lesson went really well and the kids enjoyed learning to use pen nibs and ink! Now I have to get ready for my Odyssey of the Mind team to come over for their weekly meeting. I hope I can do this... I think I'm in shock right now that everything is lost.
On a better note, my Fraktur lesson went really well and the kids enjoyed learning to use pen nibs and ink! Now I have to get ready for my Odyssey of the Mind team to come over for their weekly meeting. I hope I can do this... I think I'm in shock right now that everything is lost.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Shultz, Computer and Fraktur
I feel like I'm so out of touch with everyone lately... sorry if you've stopped in and I haven't responded! My Geek Squad is supposed to have the computer done by tomorrow, so we'll see if I still have my files!! I am starting to look at new ones. I'm getting close to being a Mac convert. I actually learned everything on a Mac way back in the beginning, so it would be like coming home again :)
Today is Charles Shultz's birthday! He was born in 1922. So what would that make him? I'm too tired to do the math!! He was one of my first heros when I was in First Grade. I LOVED the Peanuts (I think you already knew that), and I credit him with my desire for drawing the perfect curved line! Just try to draw Snoopy's nose and you'll know what I mean!
Lastly, you're wondering what Fraktur is? I'm teaching about it tomorrow. This is probably my last real class because I'm handing over the teaching jobs to others in December. Fraktur is a German form of calligraphy that the immigrants brought with them to America. It is a rural art form which has it's main center here in Lancaster, PA. The Amish and Mennonites are the last group to practice it, as printing presses took over the industry. Scriveners would offer their services for birth records, baptism records, marriage certificates, book plates, etc. Teachers and ministers were actually the main artists of fraktur, as they were the most literate of their towns and teachers made very little in the days before public education, so it was a way to supplement their salaries. Fraktur was also a way to preserve the cultural heritage that Pennsylvania Germans brought from their homeland. The writing and motifs reflect the life that they led and is a large piece of American History. Only 5% of fraktur samples are in existence today due to their fragile nature. You can see samples at the Philadelphia Art Museum and the Met in NYC.
Hope your week is off to a great start!
xoxo ~ Bethany
Today is Charles Shultz's birthday! He was born in 1922. So what would that make him? I'm too tired to do the math!! He was one of my first heros when I was in First Grade. I LOVED the Peanuts (I think you already knew that), and I credit him with my desire for drawing the perfect curved line! Just try to draw Snoopy's nose and you'll know what I mean!
Lastly, you're wondering what Fraktur is? I'm teaching about it tomorrow. This is probably my last real class because I'm handing over the teaching jobs to others in December. Fraktur is a German form of calligraphy that the immigrants brought with them to America. It is a rural art form which has it's main center here in Lancaster, PA. The Amish and Mennonites are the last group to practice it, as printing presses took over the industry. Scriveners would offer their services for birth records, baptism records, marriage certificates, book plates, etc. Teachers and ministers were actually the main artists of fraktur, as they were the most literate of their towns and teachers made very little in the days before public education, so it was a way to supplement their salaries. Fraktur was also a way to preserve the cultural heritage that Pennsylvania Germans brought from their homeland. The writing and motifs reflect the life that they led and is a large piece of American History. Only 5% of fraktur samples are in existence today due to their fragile nature. You can see samples at the Philadelphia Art Museum and the Met in NYC.
Hope your week is off to a great start!
xoxo ~ Bethany
Friday, November 23, 2007
Post Thanksgiving Observations
Unfortunately I cannot post photos of yesterday's big holiday, as my computer is still being repaired and I am lucky to be able to sign on and write this!
We had a lovely time at my inlaws home for Thanksgiving...they are all the nicest people in the world! BUT... Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because I LOVE LOVE LOVE the traditional feast of foods: green bean casserole, turkey AND gravy, cranberry relish, and of course pumpkin pie! If you know Craig's parents, you know that they love to experiment. So hesitantly I went, hoping that they would at least prepare a turkey! They did, though they "didn't have time for the gravy". But they did have time to make shrimp and scallops!!! I guess maybe the Pilgrims might have served sea food at the first feast but that was the first time I had it for Thanksgiving! They remembered cranberry sauce... heavily injected with ginger!! I ate it, but I would recommend not using it in the future. There were the regular Hissong mashed potatoes, broccoli, yams and sweet potatoes (though no casserole which I need to make!), corn, and .... I was waiting for my favorite green bean casserole.... Scott made it... where was it here???? No where! (I have to make that this week too!). For dessert I always look forward to one of my very favorites: pumpkin pie with whipped cream. It's not something I ever eat outside of Thanksgiving because my family doesn't like pies very much, and I would weigh 200 lbs. if I ate it by myself regularly. Well, we had pumpkin cheesecake. Sounds good but it's NOT PUMPKIN PIE! So, now I have to find a slice of pumpkin pie somewhere. I almost bought a whole one but I recently lost weight and didn't want to revert back to not fitting in my skinny jeans again.
So next year I am thinking of offering to cook Thanksgiving dinner at our house again and that way I can have all my favorites. I did enjoy the dinner yesterday, don't get me wrong. And the conversation was very interesting... Craig's brother is trying to convince him to attend some extraordinarily expensive seminar (while I was kicking him under the table). I think it was very beneficial to them but I have furniture to buy... he can "find himself" some other time!!!
After we came home, we watched the parade that Craig taped and I saw my Snoopy float! I was a little disappointed in the lack of float coverage and the bands they only showed for a minute, before switching to Broadway performers and NBC actors. But I'm thankful for my tivo and tv, so I could see it. Today has been a very quiet day... I'm learning all about the art of Fraktur for my lesson on Tuesday and enjoying our Friday off. We went to Central Market this morning, picked up locks for breakfast, a couple salads, and a nice piece of salmon to grill tonight! Hope you're enjoying your day too :)
We had a lovely time at my inlaws home for Thanksgiving...they are all the nicest people in the world! BUT... Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because I LOVE LOVE LOVE the traditional feast of foods: green bean casserole, turkey AND gravy, cranberry relish, and of course pumpkin pie! If you know Craig's parents, you know that they love to experiment. So hesitantly I went, hoping that they would at least prepare a turkey! They did, though they "didn't have time for the gravy". But they did have time to make shrimp and scallops!!! I guess maybe the Pilgrims might have served sea food at the first feast but that was the first time I had it for Thanksgiving! They remembered cranberry sauce... heavily injected with ginger!! I ate it, but I would recommend not using it in the future. There were the regular Hissong mashed potatoes, broccoli, yams and sweet potatoes (though no casserole which I need to make!), corn, and .... I was waiting for my favorite green bean casserole.... Scott made it... where was it here???? No where! (I have to make that this week too!). For dessert I always look forward to one of my very favorites: pumpkin pie with whipped cream. It's not something I ever eat outside of Thanksgiving because my family doesn't like pies very much, and I would weigh 200 lbs. if I ate it by myself regularly. Well, we had pumpkin cheesecake. Sounds good but it's NOT PUMPKIN PIE! So, now I have to find a slice of pumpkin pie somewhere. I almost bought a whole one but I recently lost weight and didn't want to revert back to not fitting in my skinny jeans again.
So next year I am thinking of offering to cook Thanksgiving dinner at our house again and that way I can have all my favorites. I did enjoy the dinner yesterday, don't get me wrong. And the conversation was very interesting... Craig's brother is trying to convince him to attend some extraordinarily expensive seminar (while I was kicking him under the table). I think it was very beneficial to them but I have furniture to buy... he can "find himself" some other time!!!
After we came home, we watched the parade that Craig taped and I saw my Snoopy float! I was a little disappointed in the lack of float coverage and the bands they only showed for a minute, before switching to Broadway performers and NBC actors. But I'm thankful for my tivo and tv, so I could see it. Today has been a very quiet day... I'm learning all about the art of Fraktur for my lesson on Tuesday and enjoying our Friday off. We went to Central Market this morning, picked up locks for breakfast, a couple salads, and a nice piece of salmon to grill tonight! Hope you're enjoying your day too :)
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Holiday Wishes
I'm still without my computer, but I wanted to make sure I wished all of you
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
I'm so thankful for all of you and I hope you have someone special to share your holiday with!
I also pray that everyone finds a table to share food with someone and to say grace with in all our cities across the country tomorrow. Our family tries to help as much as we can, whether it's our neighbor next door or the soup kitchen downtown... it always makes the holidays more special when you can give a little joy to someone else!
I realized last night I missed A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving!!! And I don't even own it, go figure! Maybe there will be a repeat playing somewhere? I will be taping the parade tomorrow because we'll be driving 'over the river and through the woods' to the kids' paternal grandparents house in the morning!!! So the next time you see a Snoopy float, think of me ;)
Love to you all ~ xoxo Bethany
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
I'm so thankful for all of you and I hope you have someone special to share your holiday with!
I also pray that everyone finds a table to share food with someone and to say grace with in all our cities across the country tomorrow. Our family tries to help as much as we can, whether it's our neighbor next door or the soup kitchen downtown... it always makes the holidays more special when you can give a little joy to someone else!
I realized last night I missed A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving!!! And I don't even own it, go figure! Maybe there will be a repeat playing somewhere? I will be taping the parade tomorrow because we'll be driving 'over the river and through the woods' to the kids' paternal grandparents house in the morning!!! So the next time you see a Snoopy float, think of me ;)
Love to you all ~ xoxo Bethany
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Crash!!!
I'm briefly posting from my daughter's computer because when I woke up this morning, my computer had crashed!!! BIG TIME! (Looks like someone might get a new computer for Christmas.) I'm just hoping we can somehow access the hard drive so I can retrieve all my files, especially all the photos that I never got around to copying to disk, especially of most of the kids' lives!!! That is why I have a love/hate relationship with technology!!!
Monday, November 19, 2007
She won! She won!
Laura from Cupcakes for Clara has won the Softies Award under the category "Doll Dress Up" and one of the first to win two Softies Awards!!! Laura-- You go girl!! We voted for you and knew you'd win (I told her that!)!!! We are Cupcakes for Clara groupies here! :)
'But you're standing on my head Clara,' said Macy as they stood making a very cute but slightly heavy snowman.
'But you're standing on my head Clara,' said Macy as they stood making a very cute but slightly heavy snowman.Laura also has other wonderful things for sale on her etsy site like these "Christmas Puddings"!
Sunday, November 18, 2007
sniffly Sunday
After all the excitement of the week, it caught up with me and today I am fighting a sore throat and sniffles! But I still taught my class this morning and managed to clean, do laundry, bills, and all the stuff I have to do for next week. Luckily it's a short week because of the holiday. I think being a mom is the only job you can have that doesn't allow for sick days!!! (So nobody better complain to me that they have sooo much to do... if you don't have kids at home, I'm not listening!!!!!!!)
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Curtain call...
This was the last show today that Caroline did. She had so much fun and it was fun to be there to watch too, especially all the little girls who get so excited to see the girls in character!
Here's a fan waiting to see the girls after the show... she was just as adorable as the little ones who were in it!
Here is the whole group! Lots of phone numbers and email addresses were exchanged!
Friday, November 16, 2007
Preview
Busy, busy, busy week!!! Here's a little preview of the big night tonight! Caroline has been rehearsing in the evenings for her American Girl Fashion Show benefitting the Hands On House, our local children's museum. She is "playing" Josephina and gets to wear several of her outfits. Then she wears a couple modern girl outfits too. She has had a real blast doing this and meeting all the other girls too. They are all so cute in their costumes! So tonight is the first night and then she does an afternoon show tomorrow. We're dragging the boys to it tonight but it's just me and some other moms tomorrow afternoon. Of course I love it because I'm just a big kid who still loves dolls and dressing up! Luckily the kids are off school today too and I'm catching up with things around here...and thinking of some fun projects to do for the holidays :))
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Anna Maria's on Martha Today!!!
Anna Maria Horner is going to be on the Martha Stewart Show today, showing some of her work! She is such a sweetheart and if you're reading this, you probably already are familiar with her blog, her designs and her wonderful family! Her new website just got up and running too! I have it taped because I'm teaching this morning, but I can't wait to watch her later!Have a great day!
xoxoxo Bethany
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
A brief advertisement for a blogging buddy...
Felicia of Fluffy Flowers has asked me to let you guys know that she has teamed up with a fellow blogger/craftster friend and they are offering their fun creations together! Here's the link to the little "fairy tale" on their etsy site: An International Crafting Fairytale. Follow their links on the story to their things!
Major Surgery Today...
I went into see the doctor about my little mole above my lip today. I've had it for as long as I can remember. Whenever I drew myself as a little girl, it was there. Some things just become part of who you are! My girlfriend Colleen used to take a pen and draw one just like mine above her lip because she said it was my beauty mark!!! Well, several weeks ago things looked not quite right, so I was able to get into a specialist (kids in tow) and before I knew it, they took it off and me being a big baby, cried just a little. Now my lip hurts and is half numb and more than the pain, I think I'm in shock because after the scab comes off I won't recognize myself anymore!!! So, not to make light of the surgery thing (if you know me, you know I've had my fair share of real surgeries... I almost died in sixth grade!!!) but I didn't know I'd go under the knife this morning!! And I still got my kids to school on time...
Me in Second Grade and my mole.Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Advent is coming!...
These are Advent Calendar Pixies from fjorn scandinavian. I'm seeing lots of pixies, tomte, and gnomes lately!! And now the little Santa Lucia dolls are ready too!Did I ever tell you our family secret? My daughter is an elf and after lights go out at bedtime, she sneaks up to the North Pole to make toys for Christmas! She was born a week before (Dec. 17th) and she can wiggle her ears just like one!! But, shhh, don't tell anyone! I always kiss her goodnight and tell her to hurry back before the sun comes up! (My son is a leprechaun... that's the Irish "Quinn"...his middle name... in him! He was born March 20th... 3 days after St. Patrick's Day!)
Only another week until Thanksgiving and the Macy's Day Parade...hooray!!! I LOVE the parade and I love to watch for my Snoopy float! I don't know why...just a long standing tradition!
Today's Art Day went fabulously and they did enjoy the pop-up card! (and the flip books, and the Chippewa Birch Bark Canoe, etc., etc. ). I LOVE LOVE LOVE watching children make art! And one boy who has a learning disability found that he could draw well, which led to him trying other projects and he came away from the morning beaming ear to ear! He finally felt like he was good at something! That's what makes it all worthwhile!!! And I even got a couple hugs too! You know I love that!
xoxoxo Bethany
Monday, November 12, 2007
Thanksgiving pop-up card
This is one of the many things I'm doing with my class tomorrow! A pop-up card of a turkey by Robert Sabuda! Find this and other pop up cards here. If you do the "Mouth Pop-Up", you can turn that into a turkey beak and draw one around it. (and glue it to another piece of paper to make a closed-back card!). I used to do these with my Middle School art classes and they loved them!***************************
What I'm listening to right now: Peter Gabriel's "Us" album... "Love to Be Loved", "Steam", "Kiss That Frog", etc.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Apricot
I just entered Stacey's contest for best pet adoption story! As if I don't talk enough about her, here it is!!!:
I have always adopted cats all my life, but one in particular was the love of my whole family's life! Her name was Apricot. Only because that is what they called her at the Shelter, after a little apricot coloring behind her ears! My children were only in preschool and had only owned goldfish which subsequently died easily, leaving them in tears for days and myself wondering if it was a good idea to introduce pets whose life spans only lasted months! My husband and I lost our first "baby"...Molly Cat who died one month before our daughter was born, leaving me thoroughly depressed (high hormones didn't help!) and lonelier than ever. After having two babies 15 months apart, we had chosen to wait on adopting another pet... well, we didn't really have time to think about it!!! So the children finally were old enough to ask, and I took them down to the shelter. They had been around my in-law's dog when they were very little but he passed away and then they were introduced to my mom's large, bouncy lab and developed a fear of dogs in general. Dog... out for now. Cats... no problem. Or so I thought. I expected to look for and adopt the first calico I saw because I grew up with Patches, the perfect calico cat, then Eloise, the next perfect calico cat (you see the pattern). Well that calico that I did see had a note on the cage that it did not prefer children (or many others I also found out). I was going to make that cat like me ... I am the cat whisperer! But it hissed and didn't care that I was the cat whisperer. Then they pointed to the fluffy cat. The nice lady at the shelter said she had this tiger-striped cat who she knew was a sweetheart. They used her for pet therapy at retirement homes. She was young and loved people. Hmmm. Never liked the tiger stripes as much. It wasn't calico. period. But this lady insisted we look at her: Apricot. "But you can change her name of course." We took her out of the cage and into a room to get acquainted. She sniffed around and looked at us a little hesitantly but started warming up to me. It could be that she sensed my kids were a little afraid... they were backed up into the corner of the room, with their legs pulled up ontop of the bench, wondering if she was going to jump on them like the big lab did!! I immediately liked her personality, but still...she's not calico! So I told the nice lady that we'd go home and talk about it and I would come back if I thought we wanted her. Well, that doesn't go over big with kids...leaving without anything. But we did.
I told my husband that evening and he was missing having a cat too, so I decided to go get Apricot while the kids were at preschool! She was the sweetest thing. I knew she'd fit perfectly with our family. And she had already used her charms on the older people...great resume! I brought her home and later when the kids came home, they came in and I told them the news! Apricot came out to greet them and they ran and jumped on the couch, away from the floor where she was. They were terrified! (They thought she would come always caged???!) After a half an hour they realized that she just wanted to be their friend, and they warmed up to her, petted her and well, fell in love! And a miraculous thing happened. Apricot taught them to love other animals too...even dogs! When I asked them what they wanted to name her, they said, "She has a name: 'Apricot'!". So it stuck. "Apri-cat" and a host of other nicknames followed. Everyone loved her... friends and neighbors! She was the most loving cat we've ever had. I attached a photo of one of her favorite sleeping positions! Unfortunately she didn't get to be with us for as long as she should have. Someone visiting let her out the door (and it was not like her to run outside) and she was hit by a car. We were mortified. We still haven't replaced her with another cat. It's so hard. But we did adopt another pet earlier this year: Ellie, the collie! I am proud to say that I am now a cat-lover who owns a dog!!! And Apricot will always live in our hearts eternally!
I have always adopted cats all my life, but one in particular was the love of my whole family's life! Her name was Apricot. Only because that is what they called her at the Shelter, after a little apricot coloring behind her ears! My children were only in preschool and had only owned goldfish which subsequently died easily, leaving them in tears for days and myself wondering if it was a good idea to introduce pets whose life spans only lasted months! My husband and I lost our first "baby"...Molly Cat who died one month before our daughter was born, leaving me thoroughly depressed (high hormones didn't help!) and lonelier than ever. After having two babies 15 months apart, we had chosen to wait on adopting another pet... well, we didn't really have time to think about it!!! So the children finally were old enough to ask, and I took them down to the shelter. They had been around my in-law's dog when they were very little but he passed away and then they were introduced to my mom's large, bouncy lab and developed a fear of dogs in general. Dog... out for now. Cats... no problem. Or so I thought. I expected to look for and adopt the first calico I saw because I grew up with Patches, the perfect calico cat, then Eloise, the next perfect calico cat (you see the pattern). Well that calico that I did see had a note on the cage that it did not prefer children (or many others I also found out). I was going to make that cat like me ... I am the cat whisperer! But it hissed and didn't care that I was the cat whisperer. Then they pointed to the fluffy cat. The nice lady at the shelter said she had this tiger-striped cat who she knew was a sweetheart. They used her for pet therapy at retirement homes. She was young and loved people. Hmmm. Never liked the tiger stripes as much. It wasn't calico. period. But this lady insisted we look at her: Apricot. "But you can change her name of course." We took her out of the cage and into a room to get acquainted. She sniffed around and looked at us a little hesitantly but started warming up to me. It could be that she sensed my kids were a little afraid... they were backed up into the corner of the room, with their legs pulled up ontop of the bench, wondering if she was going to jump on them like the big lab did!! I immediately liked her personality, but still...she's not calico! So I told the nice lady that we'd go home and talk about it and I would come back if I thought we wanted her. Well, that doesn't go over big with kids...leaving without anything. But we did.
I told my husband that evening and he was missing having a cat too, so I decided to go get Apricot while the kids were at preschool! She was the sweetest thing. I knew she'd fit perfectly with our family. And she had already used her charms on the older people...great resume! I brought her home and later when the kids came home, they came in and I told them the news! Apricot came out to greet them and they ran and jumped on the couch, away from the floor where she was. They were terrified! (They thought she would come always caged???!) After a half an hour they realized that she just wanted to be their friend, and they warmed up to her, petted her and well, fell in love! And a miraculous thing happened. Apricot taught them to love other animals too...even dogs! When I asked them what they wanted to name her, they said, "She has a name: 'Apricot'!". So it stuck. "Apri-cat" and a host of other nicknames followed. Everyone loved her... friends and neighbors! She was the most loving cat we've ever had. I attached a photo of one of her favorite sleeping positions! Unfortunately she didn't get to be with us for as long as she should have. Someone visiting let her out the door (and it was not like her to run outside) and she was hit by a car. We were mortified. We still haven't replaced her with another cat. It's so hard. But we did adopt another pet earlier this year: Ellie, the collie! I am proud to say that I am now a cat-lover who owns a dog!!! And Apricot will always live in our hearts eternally!
kit crazy
Just a heads up that Alicia is making kits to sell of her St. Lucia dolls that I posted about a couple days ago! She said that they will probably be ready this week to buy. (Why am I telling you this, when they could sell out??? I guess I'm too nice--ha!). Just let me know if you see anything cool out there! Everyone's been doing the Michael's Martha Stewart line lately...there is some great stuff there too!
thankful...
Thanksgiving is coming in a week and a half and this is the time of year that I love. It is easy to be down sometimes... news of an old friend who just lost her mom to cancer on Nov. 1st, being bogged down with too many little jobs, feeling homesick as I always do during the holidays. But I'm not letting it drag me down! I am lucky enough to be constantly surrounded by three wonderful people every day... one big guy in particular who makes me smile and laugh and forget about my worries! And all my friends who are so encouraging! I get beautiful emails from my girlfriends here in town, out of town, and my blog friends who just know the perfect thing to say to make me light up with happiness. How lucky am I???! I used to have a poster when I was a little girl that said "To have good friends you have to be a good friend!" and that is so true... a little love given out comes back ten-fold! It's usually easy to tell who those people are with the warm hearts and giving natures. I'm sending hugs from PA today to you, my good friends and hoping you know how thankful I am for you!Saturday, November 10, 2007
Friday, November 9, 2007
"O..H...!"
"I...O!" It never fails... go almost anywhere and you'll run into a Buckeye! Becky just posted about her son's obsession with the best football team out there (ha!) and I realized I never mentionned this family's red blood! We're deep in Penn State territory but we wear our loyalties to OSU proudly!!! They play Illinois on Saturday... no problem. We're undefeated.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
St. Lucia's Day Craft...
Alicia at Posy Gets Cozy just posted today about a St. Lucia's craft that she came up with previously. St. Lucia's Day is December 13 (a little more than a month away!). Here's the link if you want it: St. Lucia dolls
Here's another fun site that Hilary at Wee Wonderfuls found: le train fantome Very french handmade dolls: Babette being my favorite (and my French name in high school!)...maybe one for the Christmas list!!!:
Time to start the Christmas shopping and Holiday decorating!!! It would be nice to buy handmade this year when possible! And time to design the annual Hissong Christmas card too!
More Andy...
I pulled out a portfolio of prints from printmaking classes and found a bunch of Andy Reed's work. The first one is his self-portrait from our Art Ed class (probably "Visual Communications" with Dr. Silva). It is a 3 color silkscreen from his own photo of his reflection in the chrome of his Studebaker:
The next print is a lithograph which was done on a very thick piece of limestone. The image is drawn with a wax pencil, the acid bath is done and a print pulled. Again Andy chose his Studebaker for the main subject. He was from central Ohio were there was more farmland and that tends to be reflected in his art:
The last print is actually his Christmas card he sent to me. It is also a lithograph and on the back of the card he wrote, "1963 Studebaker Lark Regal Wagonaire - Lithograph 1988". I told you he liked them! One time he went to a car show during the summer break and sent me a photo of a Ferrari at a car show he went to... as if I would like that or something??!!(He and Craig would get along great!):
The next print is a lithograph which was done on a very thick piece of limestone. The image is drawn with a wax pencil, the acid bath is done and a print pulled. Again Andy chose his Studebaker for the main subject. He was from central Ohio were there was more farmland and that tends to be reflected in his art:The last print is actually his Christmas card he sent to me. It is also a lithograph and on the back of the card he wrote, "1963 Studebaker Lark Regal Wagonaire - Lithograph 1988". I told you he liked them! One time he went to a car show during the summer break and sent me a photo of a Ferrari at a car show he went to... as if I would like that or something??!!(He and Craig would get along great!):
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
My latest movie...
"The Search for M. Andrew Reed"
The movie begins with me... undercover....sleuthing my way around, trying to find Andy! He was everywhere back in 1987-89. I couldn't shake him. But after college, he left for San Francisco, never to be seen again. Well, except at Caroline's wedding, but that was brief and I being engaged at the time intimidated him from his usual hanging around...
(This is me fooling around on the job at the Typesetting place I worked at with the stat camera--the only way to take a picture of yourself was to wear sunglasses and keep your eyes closed!!! What?!! I wasn't the only one there who did it!!!)
So, where were we? Yes, well if you knew Andy (and most people did) you knew that he was one of the most creative and talented guys you could ever meet! His art work amazed. (I am not scanning in his drawings...maybe another time) But I do have some things to show you that he did for me way back when...
Andy knew I loved birthday cards and always made his own for me:
He also made fun of my car!!!! He had an old Studebaker (in great condition) and he loved them. Car snob!We also left each other notes in our printmaking drawers... both of us loved Calvin and Hobbes cartoons. Here's his own caricature of himself...I think he was trying to grow his hair longer than mine at the time!!! Kind of like that lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers!!!
One day I got this in my drawer! A story about how he ran into Edie Brickel who was in town doing a concert, and managed to wipe out on his bike in fresh concrete.... always something crazy with him!!!!
Here are two Christmas cards I got from him... he was fantastic with relief printmaking!
So if you run into a guy who loves to laugh, calls himself M. Andrew, who is sickingly talented, listens to They Might Be Giants and dances ANYWHERE, and has an Art Ed degree from DAAP, Univ. of Cincinnati... let me know!!! I would love to find him and say, "hi" again! In the meantime, I'll continue to sleuth and maybe he'll turn up where we least expect him!
To Be Continued...
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Fairies and Sprites...
My daughter has been interested in fairies and sprites lately and Karla posted about a website where you can put in your name to find your fairy name. Mine is:
Find your fairy name!
Your fairy is called Field Elffrost
She is a cheerful sprite.
She lives in fields where wild flowers and poppies grow.
She is only seen during the first snow of winter.
She likes to wear red petals in her skirt. She has delicate green wings like a cicada.
She is a cheerful sprite.
She lives in fields where wild flowers and poppies grow.
She is only seen during the first snow of winter.
She likes to wear red petals in her skirt. She has delicate green wings like a cicada.
Find your fairy name!
Monday, November 5, 2007
And we have cake...
The man delivered the cake... no card... but cake! Yes...it was a good birthday. But I'm still waiting for the card!My talented son
Here is a drawing that Nathaniel did on our train ride back on Saturday night. He drew from a stuffed figure of Scar that he got after the show:
Sunday, November 4, 2007
It's Here!!!!
My birthday is finally here! Yes-- I get excited every year because despite whatever the previous year held, I choose to feel that being here is a blessing and when I get a card, a phone call, email or well-wishes I realize how lucky I am to have all these wonderful people in my life! I'm one of those people who never have enough people in my life to love, so the more, the merrier!
We got into the city at 11:00 am and went straight to Toys R Us on Times Square where the kids showed me their Christmas wishes...
We ate at Angus McIndoe's for lunch, which was right there on the Broadway strip. I got eggs and salmon, with caviar, mimosas and a banana pecan bread pudding...yum!!
The Lion King is celebrating it's 10th year on Broadway this year! It was PHENOMINAL!!!! If you ever get a chance to go, take it! I think it was the best show I will ever see!!! The costumes, the music, the props... it was the most creative production. At each scene we were at the edge of our seats, fascinated by everything that was going on! I can't describe it. Here's a photo from the book I got afterwards of Scar and Mufasa. This play was way better than the movie:
Afterwards we were lucky enough to go on a backstage tour with Halle Vargas Sullivan who played the young Nala!! The two children who played Nala and Simba were amazing at only 10 years old (the same age as my kids) and she was so great at explaining everything and showing us all the costumes and props and how they worked.
These were the shadow puppets that were made of thin plexiglass...
These were the masks for the hyenas:
Here is the Pumbaa costume that weighs 40lbs.!!! The actor wore this in his scenes...it is huge!
Here is the puppet for Zazu. We got to see Jeff Binder, who played him, show us how it worked...
The actors were totally amazing! They did have voices similiar to the actors who did the movie, but we thought they were better. Here's us in the dressing room....
Here is Halle and the kids:
Well, this birthday turned out to be one of the most extraordinary I've ever had! We took the train from Lancaster to New York City early in the morning yesterday, which was my and the kids first ever train trip. Here's my cuties:
We got into the city at 11:00 am and went straight to Toys R Us on Times Square where the kids showed me their Christmas wishes... We ate at Angus McIndoe's for lunch, which was right there on the Broadway strip. I got eggs and salmon, with caviar, mimosas and a banana pecan bread pudding...yum!!Then we were off to the Minskoff Theatre to see the highlight of our trip:
The Lion King is celebrating it's 10th year on Broadway this year! It was PHENOMINAL!!!! If you ever get a chance to go, take it! I think it was the best show I will ever see!!! The costumes, the music, the props... it was the most creative production. At each scene we were at the edge of our seats, fascinated by everything that was going on! I can't describe it. Here's a photo from the book I got afterwards of Scar and Mufasa. This play was way better than the movie:Afterwards we were lucky enough to go on a backstage tour with Halle Vargas Sullivan who played the young Nala!! The two children who played Nala and Simba were amazing at only 10 years old (the same age as my kids) and she was so great at explaining everything and showing us all the costumes and props and how they worked. These were the shadow puppets that were made of thin plexiglass... These were the masks for the hyenas:Here is the Pumbaa costume that weighs 40lbs.!!! The actor wore this in his scenes...it is huge!Here is the puppet for Zazu. We got to see Jeff Binder, who played him, show us how it worked...The actors were totally amazing! They did have voices similiar to the actors who did the movie, but we thought they were better. Here's us in the dressing room.... Here is Halle and the kids: And one more of the family on the stage!
And the last birthday thing I want to share with you is the sweetest gift from my friend Becky-- she needle-pointed this beautiful sewing pouch for me!!! She hid "Happy 41" in it too ;). You're the best Becky!!!!
That's the closest I'll ever get to the stage!!! I used to love putting on plays and puppet shows when I was young for my parents or the neighborhood. I hope my children realize how lucky they are to see such wonderful things at their age!
And the last birthday thing I want to share with you is the sweetest gift from my friend Becky-- she needle-pointed this beautiful sewing pouch for me!!! She hid "Happy 41" in it too ;). You're the best Becky!!!!
You might notice that my new Michael Buble cd is in this picture too!!! Dad got it for me!!
I'll leave you with these wonderful lyrics as this is what I've been listening to all day:
You're a falling star
You're the getaway car
You're the line in the sand when I go too far
You're the swimming pool on an August day
You're the perfect thing to say
And you play it coy
But it's kind of cute
When you smile at me, you know exactly what you do
Baby, don't pretend that you don't know it's true
'Cause you can see it when I look at you
And in this crazy life
And through these crazy times
It's you, it's you
You make me sing
Your every line
Your every word
You're everything
You're a carousel
You're a wishing well
And you light me up when you ring my bell
You're a mystery
You're from outerspace
You're every minute of my every day
And I can't believe that I'm your man
And I get to kiss ya baby just because I can
Whatever comes our way
We'll see it through
'Cause you know that's what our love can do
'Cause in this crazy life
And through these crazy times
It's you, it's you
Ya make me sing
Your every line
Your every word
You're everything
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