Thursday, August 28, 2008

Our new school year

I tried to embed this video, but was not successful.
The man giving the introduction is a former music teacher, our new county school superintendent!!!
Between our new school principal and our new superintendent, I'm a pretty happy employee. Now if I could make enough money to pay my bills....

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Special people




Yesterday I drove to Rehobeth to visit with a friend who was visiting there. I still have a big smile on my face from the experience. 
I first met Dick about 15 years ago at an art/math conference which he attended with his friend Derwood, a musician. We sat together during lectures and wrote notes and behaved like middle school students and promised each other that we were "best friends". He showed me a flexible geometric construction he'd patented and told me of some museum exhibits he'd thought of.  I was enthused about the construction and was doubtful about the exhibits (which he later proved me wrong about). 
Months later he collaborated with me at making "holey-spheres", something I'd vainly hoped I could make money with, but found pleasure in nevertheless. Dick worked tirelessly to develop his "string thing" and eventually it evolved into a toy that sold well in the mass market.  After developing a few more toys, I guess he'd be described as a toy maker. But I think he's really an artist. 
When I have visited him and his wife at home it's always been a magical time. I've known him through three homes: an east village apartment, a country cottage in New York state, and a house in Pittsburg. His home is always filled with fascinating creations - art and toys, objects to explore and explore with. He has stuff hanging on trees in his yard.
I always enjoy being with his wife and he tells me that all his friends feel that way with her. She has a way of tuning into what's important to you and facilitating a lively conversation. She's a kind-hearted person and a superb hostess too.
Yesterday I got to see Derwood again who brought a neat lady friend and the bunch of us, along with Eileen's niece, lounged around Eileen's sister-in-law's house and just talked about anything. I can't remember all the topics, but the range was enormous, amusing, informative and interesting. Dick and Eileen don't have children of their own, but they seem to have a strong sense of family.  They are close to their blood relatives and they are loyal and caring with their diverse friends. I feel so lucky to be in that category.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

'Mater Mania

If you follow the little river that runs through our town and go toward its mouth to the Chesapeake Bay, you'll pass some towns that have been there since before the revolutionary war and that are still populated by descendants of Native Americans and early immigrants. In recent years many others have moved in looking for rural quiet. One group being some organic farmers. These farmers provide the local vegetables I "subscribe" to in a CSA. Today there was an annual tomato festival, the proceeds go for charity (providing vegetables for income people - hey that's ME) and I went to volunteer and to pick up tomatoes for ratatouille and buy a sandwich. 
The sandwich was awesome. Why didn't I think to put basil in one before?
The lady in charge didn't have anything for me to do, so I spent the three hours people watching and socializing. The weather was beautiful, the river was beautiful, and the people were interesting. In another life I should make a living talking to strangers.
Well I'd better go cut up some tomatoes.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Washing the stairs


With our recent cooler weather and my last week before going back to full time work, I've been doing some cleaning that I haven't done in years. I have been cleaning the common areas of my building. 
Someone else is paid to do this, but my landlord is a softie and won't "retire" the lady who is definitely too old and probably too infirm for the job, so if it gets done at all, it gets done poorly. I don't complain because my landlord hasn't raised my rent since I moved here and so I'm grateful my landlord is a softie. And I'm pretty old and infirm myself.
So back to the cleaning. I've scrubbed the landing and have scrubbed half of the stairs. Today I hope to finish the stairs. Four years ago I scrubbed all but the bottom four stairs (They remained for contrast). Since then I've had two knee replacements and my kneeling days are over. And until my surgery, I was a hands and knees sort of cleaner. It's the only way I can do a good job. So now I'm a stand and bend or sit and bend cleaner.
Nobody has done the stairs since four years ago, so you can imagine what they're like. A bucket of cleaning water does no more than four steps. Yesterday I did nine steps (stretched one bucket to five). 
I'm feeling so grateful that I am feeling well enough to do this. Did my apartment floors too this week. And the thing is that I'm feeling better and better as I go along.
Update - done with the stairs! Recommended music for cleaning.

Friday, August 8, 2008

Great weather


All my cells are happy. The temperature is reasonable and they are in homeostasis. I'm afraid I'm like the person in the Bible who is tossed to and fro on waves ... I don't sustain moods or resolve very well. Is it all dependent on the temperature and air pressure? Well, I'm glad I live in a temperate climate area. I'd be mighty grumpy in some other biomes. But here I'm so grateful for the beauty of deciduous trees, plentiful clean water, and comfortable nights.

I survived five short VBS sessions of working with preschoolers without killing anyone or even making someone cry. I didn't do well at it ... my memory was completely shot because I was so nervous and that's the first thing to go. Note to self: don't go into acting. 

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Next year - origami


Yesterday my "SummerScholar" course for gifted students concluded. I was teaching the game of Go and threw in some origami for variety. The kids responded very positively. But if I want to work in the program next year, I've got to come up with something different because Go doesn't draw enough students. 
Like a heavenly sign, e-mail from TEDS last night sent me here:
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/robert_lang_folds_way_new_origami.html
Origami is exactly what the doctor ordered! And I've been fiddling with origami almost as long as I've been fiddling with Go.
We can't just spend 3 hours a day making little animals. But there's lot's of math and science in it (as the video points out too) and we could do paper airplane experimentation for variety.