Scilly's Spot

Contemplating

2012-01-08T19:34:00.003-05:00

Been in a contemplative mood today. Decided not to cook dinner. Everyone fends for themselves tonight. Is that okay? Why do I feel guilty then? Here is another year-2012. I'm 45. Just wondering where I'm headed next. Thinking about family and relationships, choices, libraries and my neglected art. I wish I could travel somewhere.
Maybe it's time to go bake something with chocolate in it.

Something Sticky?

2012-01-03T21:15:00.004-05:00

Waffles with sticky syrup?
Glue?
Gum on the bottom of one's shoe?
Jam on toast?
Honey?
Tree sap?
Duck tape?

Well...this is the very first post of the year. I subbed in an art class today and ended up doing some artwork. I drew a flower arrangement. The students were impressed and they asked if I was an art teacher. I said, "No...but I've always done art on the side as a hobby." I left it on the teacher's desk along with the report on how the day went. (It was a good day!) Now I kind of regret not bringing it home, scanning it and putting it on my blog. I haven't done any artwork in so long that it felt good.
Kristina, I promise to try to draw something sticky this week! It shouldn't be that hard, should it?

The hard Eucharisteo

2011-12-29T22:40:00.009-05:00

It has been a harder Holiday season this year. It seems like I know many families experiencing personal loss this season. On Tuesday we attended the funeral of a 4 month old boy. Pray for this family. They knew his time here on Earth was going to be short...but it is so hard. Another family we know of lost their 19 year old daughter in a car crash on December 11th. She was driving to church. Luckily we know Nancy really loved Jesus. She really radiated Him in her life. Our pastor lost his 17 year old daughter in November. That has been hard for my children...who were friends with her. Ivy touched so many people. She will be missed. Another girl I used to know just lost her life to cancer a few days before Christmas. She was 39 and leaves a husband and 3 children. I hadn't seen her in about 20 years, but I still remember her sweet and gentle spirit. Childhood friends of mine lost their father, and two step-brothers in a tragic fire. My sister is related to this family through marriage.
Meanwhile...I notice my mother slipping farther and farther away from us mentally. It's another loss.
This is the hard Eucharisteo. I think I have been a most ungrateful daughter and have decided to become a more thankful one. It's not always easy. It takes practice and a lot of it. I've started journaling it the old fashioned way...with pen and paper.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-14T19:52:00.001-05:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Do you have your shopping done? How about the baking? I don't!

BHS Class of 1946

2011-12-05T20:53:00.004-05:00

I looked in the yearbooks at BHS today and found my aunt in 1946.
She's on page 25.
Here's a closer look. She looks like a sweet girl. I would have liked to know her. The sad thing is that a short time after she graduated from high school, she died in a car accident. She was only 19. My mother was 14; her younger sister. I've often wondered what she was like and how life would be different if she had lived. I would probably have an uncle and cousins that I don't have now. Who knows what sort of different set of dynamics that would have brought to my life and family. Today I walked down the halls of BHS and thought, "She walked down this same hall as a young girl in high school all those years ago." It made me feel momentarily melancholy. However, the library at BHS is much too busy to allow me to ruminate for long on thoughts such as these. It was another busy day and I was on my feet assisting and locating resources for students and shelving books.
(P.S. I will be subbing at BHS for one more day as it turns out.)

Welcome to BHS University.

2011-12-03T18:21:00.007-05:00

Life has been interesting...even if my blog hasn't been. I have had the unexpected privilege of being able to act as librarian for a few days at this upscale high school in Rochester, NY. (Incidently, one of my aunts graduated from this school. Perhaps my older sister will let me know what year it was so I can look in one of the old year books there on Monday.) The regular librarian has gone to Florida because her mother is very ill.
I think it has been the most interesting high school I have ever worked at. It has an open campus policy. That means the students can come and go as they please, as long as they are present in class. There are no study halls. If they have a free period or lunch, they can go home or to a friend's house or even shopping for that matter...as long as they make it back to class, it is fine. They have operated on this schedule for years with very few problems. It is the first library that I have worked at where I have not had to say or have heard the following words, "Do you have a pass?" "Where are you supposed to be right now?" "Where are you going?" or "You must sign in." I find it to be rather refreshing. No babysitting! The clerk working with me says that the school treats the students this way, keeping in mind that the vast majority of them will be going to college in a few years (or less depending on their age) and the administration feels that it is part of the school's job to get the students accustomed to being responsible for their own time management. I love it! In fact, that was my first impression when I walked in on the first day. The library just had a very "university feeling" to it. Not only is the library very large (two stories), but most of the students are very academic.
It is also one of the most culturally diverse high schools I have ever been in (as far as race or country of origin...I think the vast majority come from well-to-do homes). There is a large Jewish population, as well as a pretty large Asian population.
The library is one of the busiest libraries I have ever been in. On the first day I subbed, I arrived at around 7:10 in the morning and found the library packed with students. Most of them were working on school work. School does not even technically start until 7:45. I happened to mention to the clerk that I need practice with reference questions. I have gotten practice alright! Some of these students are asked to research some very challenging topics. Each day I have had students come up to me asking for help finding information on some obscure topic. It has been a bit intimidating...but I am happy to say that I have been pretty successful! (phew) I am really enjoying this placement. I would love to work here! I am pretty sure the regular librarian loves her job too and will be returning on Tuesday.
In the meantime I will enjoy working there again on Monday.
(P.S. I forgot to mention that on the first day that I walked into the school, there was a man standing in a stairwell wearing a tuxedo, who was serenading the students on a violin. I'm not kidding! I'm wondering if they use fine china in the cafeteria...)

Don't Jump!

2011-11-30T15:17:00.003-05:00

This picture was taken this past summer just outside of Lowville, NY on a trail that lead to Gleason's Falls.

I've been trying to come up with something interesting to say...I have to admit that I have sort of lost interest in blogging. I just can't seem to generate motivation to do it. I still like reading blogs...but I'm not sure I'm doing my own for much longer.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T11:03:00.002-05:00

This is last year's turkey...fresh out of the oven. Someone managed to slice it before I took the picture.

Seriously?

2011-11-16T11:56:00.008-05:00

Since I rarely ever blog anymore, no one even bothers to come to my blog. Go figure. Anyway...to my two royal (er...I mean "loyal") readers I write today.
I have been subbing in at least one library per week...with new ones asking me to sub all the time. I have observed so many things that I have decided to try and reflect on what I like and what I don't. I also must try to be discreet about what I don't like. I really do not want anyone stumbling upon this and it coming to haunt me one day. I do not wish to burn any bridges, but I need to reflect and learn from these experiences too. So all libraries: both good and bad, will remain anonymous.
Yesterday I subbed at P.M. middle school library. I have subbed here a couple of other times. The librarian loves me. She and I are about the same age. I really like how she is quite relaxed in some respects: joking with the kids, always taking time to talk with them. She is very friendly and approachable. The kids like her and her library is a busy place. I feel as though she and I could become pretty good friends. I have one huge complaint however. Her collection is a mess! It drives me crazy when I am there. I honestly do not think anything ever is discarded from the library. She purchases new books, but never gets rid of anything old or outdated. All the shelves are very tightly packed and I don't see any evidence of things being shelf-read. EVER! (Shelf-reading is the process of putting the books in order on the shelf) A few weeks ago, I helped to shelf some books and it was nearly impossible to do it because nothing is in order. I'm not sure if anyone ever straightens or tidies the books either. I understand that a shelf of books can get messy quickly when students start perusing the shelves...but I've never seen it get THAT bad. While I was putting books away that day, I found one book that even had the wrong label on the spine. Ugh!!!! Give me a little organization. That's part of what I like about libraries. Everything has a place to go (unlike my own home)...so I can put things away and it looks nice!
It gets worse. I was giving a group of students an orientation of the library yesterday. I showed them all the sections of the library and talked about what fiction vs. nonfiction means, etc. I showed them the biography section. I randomly pulled a book off of the shelf to show them how the spine is labled with the first three letters of the last name of the person the book is about rather than the author. Guess what book I pulled? O.J.: the Story of Football's Fabulous O.J. Simpson, published in 1974. ( I even found a copy on e-bay: someone is trying to sell it for $10...no one's biting. Was great for an image though!) Seriously? Why is this book even in that library? This is not simply a rare or bizarre occurrence in this library; the entire library is like that! Whenever I am there, I am just dying to start weeding out books. No one wants to look at old books like this one. I actually fantasize about going through this library shelf by shelf and culling old books like this one. (I know that I am sick...but I am a librarian after all.)
So I've composed a little poem with the help of Emma Lazarus:

Give me your tired, your poor, your yellow paged books,

Your shelved masses yearning to breathe free,

Toss them into the wretched refuse of the school’s dumpster.

Send these to be homeless, tempest-tost either to the dump or to donate to someone who actually wants them,

I lift my hand to say "Good riddance!" beside the library door.

Libraries libraries libraries

2011-10-28T22:43:00.003-04:00

I have not blogged in forever. I did not get a job this year...but am being kept relatively busy through substitute teaching. I'm getting better at it all the time. I no longer get very nervous about it. What is totally cool is that I am often called or requested to substitute for school librarians. In the past few weeks I have subbed in 6 different school libraries (some more than once). It has been interesting to observe the different moods of the different libraries I have been in. Some are relaxed and low key. Here are some of the things I have observed in those libraries:
-a group of students playing a game of "Jenga"
-students doing research on computers
-teachers stopping by to not only book the library for their classes, but to stop and engage in friendly conversation as well
-students coming up to the desk to find out if the sub can help them find a good article for their research paper (does she know her stuff?....and yes, I could!)
-laughter
-smiles
-joking
-a stash of chocolate
-middle school kids coming up to tell me how great the last book of a series was and how they need to put the next one on reserve.
-students saying, "Awww! Where's Mrs. ________?" (This is good...I'm the sub, but they love their librarian: which says a lot for her)

Sadly, I have been in a couple of libraries that seem to be the opposite. The adults who work there seem a little uptight to say the least. I was told by an aide that I really ought to go over and speak to a group of students who had come into the library to take pictures for a storyboard. Apparently, they were just having too much fun I guess. I noticed that no one seems to come to these libraries very much-teachers or students.

I just hope I never turn into an uptight librarian.

Went to a Yankees Game

2011-09-10T20:21:00.006-04:00

We had a great time with family at a Yankees Game on Sunday! Our family (my husband's side) had an entire suite to ourselves. It was a wonderful arrangement, especially for my nieces and nephews who have small children.
I believe this is Derek Jeeter up to bat. He hit a home run!
we all had a wonderful time and will cherish the memories.

These little videos make me smile

2011-09-09T15:10:00.001-04:00

Sewing Project

2011-08-31T21:45:00.006-04:00

Thanks to a friend who let me borrow her sewing machine, Alicia and I were able to complete our sewing project. Alicia made the bathrobe that the middle doll is wearing. She did an excellent job! I sewed the one on the right as an example. I also sewed the one on the left...just because I could resist! Click on picture to see more detail.

"Mom, I want to learn how to sew."...and the saga of the old sewing machine

2011-08-26T10:19:00.005-04:00

Alicia decided that she would like to learn how to sew. I am quite delighted by this since I enjoy sewing (most of the time). We went to JoAnne's to find a simple pattern for a skirt or something she might wear, but Alicia found something that she'd rather sew. New clothes for her American Girl dolls (she has 6 of them...and no we did not buy them all).
So here is Alicia working on a bath robe for her doll. Yes, I realize that I have a quaint old sewing machine, but I love it. I inherited it from Jamie's grandmother when she passed away. It is a 1950 model Featherweight sewing machine. It has sewn countless articles for me since about 1993 when I became its proud owner. Unfortunately last night while I was sewing, something went wrong with it. It stopped working and there is a strange sound coming from the motor. This morning I called my sewing machine service and repair people. It is a business run by a Mennonite family in Penn Yan. I explained the problem to a woman named Rachel who answered the phone. She told me they probably can fix it because they have many old black singer machines up in their barn for parts. I just don't know when I can get it there since it is a hike for me.
Anyway, here is a finished bathrobe that I sewed in order to make sure I knew all the ins and outs of sewing this project before getting Alicia started on it. The first lesson? Make sure that if you have directional fabric, that you place the pattern pieces on accordingly. For now we have upside-down kisses! Oops!

Panther Pond

2011-08-21T13:45:00.002-04:00

Went hiking just over a week ago to Panther Pond in Adirondack Park just outside of Lowville. We were on our way to pick up our son from camp. It is a beautiful and absolutely peaceful place. Wish I was there now.
My job search has not been very successful thus far. It's a tough job market out there for librarians. There have been job cuts and many librarians looking for work. I have had two interviews out of the 14 job applications I have sent out since June. I did not get either job. I'm trying to keep my chin up and ears open for more leads.

Team-work

2011-08-02T18:47:00.003-04:00

How do you solve a problem like a game piece being stuck in a very high tree during a family picnic?

It takes team-work and...
a very brave soul.
Quick update on my life: My summer job is going great. I find teenagers to be very amusing...although they can be frustrating at times. Still looking for a job. Keep me in your prayers, especially seeing that I have an interview on Thursday.

Gone but not forgotten

2011-07-09T13:25:00.012-04:00

Yesterday it was just Alicia and I here. I wanted to go for a bike ride with her. That is when I discovered that Alicia had no shoes other than flip-flops that fit her. We will be heading to Cape Cod next weekend and she will need more than just flip flops for that trip. So we went sneaker shopping. I figured we'd just go to the Shoe Department store here in town and be done with it, but Alicia had other ideas. She had her heart set on converse and the local store wouldn't do, so we went to the mall. She had mentioned in the past that she would like to go to her grandfather's grave and see it. I figured this might be a good day for that so after Alicia decided on the gray converse sneakers, we headed up to Oakwood Cemetery in Penfield. I hadn't thought to bring my camera along for this excursion. I'm sorry now. Thankfully, I have a sister who doesn't mind my borrowing images that she has taken. (Right, Mart?)This is not my father's grave, but it is my mother's father's grave. His grave is just three down from my father's grave. I showed this one to Alicia too. I have no picture of my father's grave. Perhaps Martha has one, but not one on her blog that I can borrow.Afterward we swung over to Webster for a bit to eat. We drove by the Dayton Corners School house on the corner of Creek and Plank and I decided to pull in and show Alicia the initials that her great grandfather carved into the post running up the outside. (This time my Father's father)
This of course is not Alicia pointing to her grandfather's initials, but it is my niece, Hannah in 2004. Grandpa P was born in 1904 and attended the school house when he was a boy. I'm guessing that these initials were carved in or around the year 1917. No one knows for sure though. Grandpa lived down the street in a big farmhouse. He was one of 6 children and the family owned quite a bit of land on Creek Street. The farmhouse is still there...right near a street called Royal View Drive on the opposite side of Creek Street. I drove down past it and pointed it out to Alicia. The house sits on an average sized lot and the barn is gone. All the farmland has long ago been parceled up into sections for more houses and neighborhoods.
Lately we have been busy cleaning out my parent's home in Webster to sell it. It felt strange to be so near a place I called home for many years and be unable to go there. I was pretty sure that no one would be there and the place is empty and locked up. Soon it will be owned by someone else...just like that old farmhouse on Creek Street. History gone but not forgotten.

"I'm the Librarian."

2011-07-01T10:54:00.002-04:00

Somehow I managed to not mention that I got a real librarian job for the summer. I will be the librarian for the Western Wayne County Summer School that runs from July 6-August 19. Here's the story of how it happened. The application deadline came and went for the position of which I was completely ignorant. Then my dear friend and mentor, Jacquie contacted me and said, "They still haven't found a librarian for the summer school. If you are interested I'll get the information to you." Was I?!!? She got the information to me on a Saturday and I hand delivered the completed application on Monday. A few days later I got a phone call from a Mr. C-the assistant principal of the summer school. He said, "So are you interested in the job?" I said, "Yes." and was expecting him to tell me to come in and talk with him. Instead he said, "Okay, our first staff meeting is on June 29th at 8:00." I was a bit taken back by this. Wow! Talk about being in the right time and place. I will say that Mr. C already knew me because I had been the library intern at his school this past fall.
So I went to the meeting this past Wednesday morning. I'm listed as a part of the support staff (along with the principal, assistant Principal, nurse and office secretary). After the meeting, all teachers went to their respective room assignments and to see if their log-ins worked for the computer system. I was sitting in the library behind the desk (the same library I worked in as an intern). The library door opened up and in walked a man pushing a cart of refreshments. He was setting up for a meeting that was going to be held there (one that really had nothing to do with me). He looked at me and said, "Who are you?" I said, "I am the librarian." It suddenly occurred to me that it was the first time I had said those words with absolute truth. There have been times when I have been acting as a librarian or even referred to by others as one...but this is the first time that I have said the words-having my degree completed and actually being hired for the position.

Lago de Papallacta

2011-06-26T02:47:00.002-04:00

I wanted something beautiful to look at when I opened my blog page. (Not me...but the scenery) Here I am with my Spanish tutor, Franklin in Ecuador. We are sitting in front of el Lago de Papallacta. I am up and awake at 2:30 AM and thinking about Spanish and how I have not really spoken it since Ecuador. How am I ever to become fluent without practice?

Reading Together

2011-06-21T11:09:00.000-04:00

This image brings new meaning to the phrase.

Wilma and Humphrey

2011-06-03T20:19:00.004-04:00

"Oh shoot, Wilma is too tall. Her neck doesn't fit!"

So what do you suppose that my son is talking about when he says this sort of thing? Naturally he is talking about one of his guitars. He has two of them and is getting quite good at playing them. He just rushed into the house on his way to a party. He was taking Humphrey with him (his other guitar)...but needed to switch cases since Humphrey's case is ripping. He then exclaimed that Wilma is too tall to fit in Humphrey's case...so Wilma rests on his bed while Humphrey goes out partying.

Incidentally, I have no picture of Allen playing either Wilma or Humphrey. The picture above is of him playing his aunt's guitar at her house on Easter Sunday.

When I was in college, my roommate named her bassoon Howard (if I'm remembering correctly) after her grandfather. Does anyone else out there name their instruments? My father had guitars and banjos around all of my life and I cannot recall him ever naming them.

Tulips and Snow in Summer

2011-05-28T09:39:00.004-04:00

This is what my flowers looked like earlier in the week...but alas they have faded and the petals have fallen.

An Ecuadorian Delicacy

2011-05-05T08:51:00.005-04:00

Do you remember those furry little pets called guinea pigs that either you or your friends had growing up? Forget that image and enter the world of fine dining in Ecuador. Cuy! (There are plenty of images to browse on google of this fine feast) Above is my friend, Patty. She and I got into a discussion about these little animals after I saw a pen of them in the yard of a home in Paluga. She was surprised and amused to find out that in America we keep these animals as pets. They are commonly kept in pens in the yards of many homes in South America...just like you might find a pen of chickens in some yards in America. We don't think anything of someone going out and getting a chicken to make into a feast, do we? The same is true for the cuy in Ecuador. They are not named, talked to or cuddled. They are simply fed and eaten when the time is right. This has been going on in Ecuador for thousands of years. The Incas ate cuy. When the Spaniards conquered them in the 1500's, the tradition of fine dining didn't end there. Many of the indigenous people were converted to Catholicism. Early traditions die hard as shown in a painting of the last supper in a cathedral in Cuzco.

Nothing but the best for Jesus and his disciples at this last supper. It is interesting to note that there are other items at this feast that are native to the Andes Region of South America.
(I did not actually see this painting but had heard about it. Cuzco is actually in Peru. I found the painting with the help of the internet)
I had been warned about cuy before I left on my trip. It is a delicacy. It can be expensive and is often reserved for guests or special occasion only. Every year the mission team has been served this. This year was the first year that it was not served. I was actually a little disappointed. I wanted to be able to say that I had experienced this!

Las Escuelas

2011-05-03T16:00:00.015-04:00

The chapel at Colegio Bethel...the closest thing they have to an auditorium.
I'm really in no position to say whether or not the education system in Ecuador is good or not, but I did notice some major differences between the schools that we saw there and the schools here. We take books and supplies for granted, and clean and well equipped school buildings with the latest technological resources. We also take the very clothing we wear for granted. I saw very few school supplies and almost no books at all at two of the schools we visited. We brought up pencils, crayons and some folders to give away to some of the students we met.
I took this picture while casually walking past the classroom. I didn't want to be a disturbance, but I forgot to turn off the flash and there was a collective reaction from them after I took it. (oops) I think it was a math class. Basically the classrooms are bare bones. Four walls, a write and wipe board, and rows of desks.
A window outside the classroom at the high school. Notice the pane of broken glass. I don't know how long it has been broken, but I doubt that it is a high priority to have it fixed.
The school was able to put together a computer lab using old donated parts of computers. They are very proud of their computer lab...and yes, they are wired to the internet. They are definitely very resourceful with what they have. Here in the states, we would probably dump most of these in a landfill. I do not recall seeing any textbooks at this school. I wish that I had asked one of the students there if they had any.
By contrast, the one room school house at el Tambo had quite a few textbooks and other shelves of resources. I am sure that the American couple that started the school has contacts of people in the states that make that possible.
Math work sheets at el Tambo school.
One preschool-kindergarten school we visited seemed to have a number of books too...I did not look closely, but at a glance I could tell that many were in poor shape and/or very old.
The students at Peniel Christian School line up at the school gate to say goodbye to us on our last day. School uniforms in Ecuador are a must and are not free. They must be paid for by the family. For some families this is very difficult. Sometimes this is made possible through child sponsorship.

I am not trying to pick on the schools of Ecuador that we visited. On the contrary, it is on my heart. I love books and education. That is why I want to work in a school library. I know that statistics show that when children read...even for pleasure, it makes their grades go up. I wish we could share some of our resources here. We have so much. I am actually praying about how to help. I recently found this organization and am wondering if it could help.

Franklin

2011-04-28T21:05:00.006-04:00

Another special person I met in Ecuador was Franklin! He was my Spanish tutor during my trip. Franklin would sit with me and purposely initiate conversations with me in Spanish in order to help me practice. He was very patient with me and I was able to have several meaningful conversations with him in Spanish. On my last day in Ecuador, I had a conversation with him about my parents. I told him my father lives in heaven with God (I didn't know how to say that he had died). I also told him that my mother struggles with some health issues and lives with my sister. I told him that my mother cannot always think clearly anymore and that it is difficult for us to see her aging. Franklin was very encouraging and reminded me that "La cuerpa is de la tierra." This entire conversation took place in Spanish and I found it very comforting.
Towards the end of my trip to Ecuador, Franklin told me that he did not know how to speak any Spanish until he was sent to Quito when he was twelve to go to school. Up until then, he had only spoken the Quechua language. I then had a little more insight into why Franklin had been so patient with me while I struggled to put sentences together in Spanish...poor pronunciation and incorrect verb tenses and all!
On our last night, Franklin took us to his church in Quito. He attends a Quechua church. I was able to video tape a portion of the women of the church singing to us...in Quechua. Enjoy!

What was truly special was feeling an incredible bond to these Quechua people because we are united in Christ Jesus!

Martha

2011-04-26T19:02:00.012-04:00

As I said in an earlier post: going to Ecuador was really about the people. I met some amazing brothers and sisters in Christ. One of the sisters I met was Martha. Martha will be turning 80 this year, still rides her bike through the village of Pifo, and is a somewhat of a legend in the area.
Martha came to Ecuador in the late 1950's to work for HCJB radio as a nurse in Quito. A few years later she moved to a small clinic in Pifo where she was the only nurse between Quito and the Amazon jungle. During the course of her work, she ended up adopting 20 children who were left parentless for one reason or another. Many of these children were half of a set of twins. Twins were considered to be a curse by the indigenous people because there was no way to keep both babies alive. A mother could not nurse two babies because of lack of nutrients. Many times a mother would choose one baby to keep alive and would leave the other to die. Martha ended up keeping these babies. I had the privilege to meet 6 of Martha's children and a few of her grandchildren.Here is Ruth,
Anita,
Carola and a grandaughter,
and here I am with Patty. I did not get pictures of either Nancy or Rosa.
They are all committed Christians. They were all a blessing during our trip. Sometimes they translated for us or helped keep children entertained...or just simply helped with crowd control. Martha has some children who have moved to the USA. One son is a doctor in Houston. TX. After Martha adopted 20 children, she started sending other children to the USA to be adopted. You can check out a story about one of those children here.
On the last day of our trip, we were treated to lunch at Anita's house and many of the members of the family came.

A New Resolution

2011-04-24T21:11:00.008-04:00

I have not talked a lot about the poverty level in Ecuador. I have seen pictures of poverty...but to see it first hand is a whole new thing to me. I wanted to take many pictures of the dwellings I saw, but I really didn't want to be disrespectful of the people living there. I took almost all of the following pictures secretly from the bus window. I saw places that were much worse than these.
A house in Pifo, Ecuador.
A house in another small village that we visited outside of Pifo. I cannot recall the name and cannot find it on a map.
A house along the highway in the Andes Mountains. Notice the thatched roof. I thought this one seemed nice in comparison to many houses I saw. I liked the roof.
A home that I saw while walking to the school in El Tambo.
A house in Palugo, Ecuador. All the kids in the picture, including the boy coming out of the house came to our VBS program in the village.
A woman doing her laundry in Palugo, Ecuador. I took this out the bus window. I didn't really want her to know I was taking her picture. The little girls in the picture came to a VBS we ran in the village.
I have decided that I will try not to ever complain again about the home I live in. If I do, I hope the Lord will remind me of what I saw in Ecuador. I will be thankful for what I have been blessed with.

El Tambo Performance

2011-04-22T20:28:00.004-04:00

At the school we gave each child a knitted hat that some ladies at our church had made. We also did a craft with them. They gave a performance for us...which I have videoed part of to share with you. Enjoy!

One room Schoolhouse

2011-04-21T15:58:00.014-04:00

I have figured out that I have not really recovered physically from traveling. You will have to excuse my lack of energy. Posting about the school in El Tambo will have to be cut in two.
We visited a more remote school in the Andes mountains in a settlement called El Tambo. It is hardly what I would call a village. It is more of a scattering of homes across a mountain side. It is named for the Rio Tambo which runs through it. We had to park the bus just off the main road. The children were expecting our visit, so they ran to the bus to greet us.And then we started the trek on foot to the schoolhouse. It is about a half mile trek on a trail that winds uphill.
There were friends along the way. There were llamas, cows, goats and a dog. I was also told by Frank that one year he was chased by a bull. Luckily we did not see a bull on the morning we visited.
The story behind the school is that in the 1990s, a woman and her husband from the USA settled into a house nearby. The woman made friends with some of the children in the area. When she asked them about school, she discovered that they did not go to school because there wasn't any. So she set out to do something about it. With the help of people from the US, she had a school house built. Now she and her daughter teach some 40+ students. She also has a couple of former students who also help teach.

Here is the back porch of the school house. The trails on the way up to the school are usually muddy, so the children stop on the porch and change out of boots into their inside shoes.
Here is a picture of inside the school house with their teacher standing in front. Instruction includes English and Bible. Many of these children are very poor. The mission team that I went to Ecuador with has been visiting this school for nine years now. The backpacks, clothing and shoes that the children wear are largely thanks to team members. A couple of days ago I mentioned buying shoes with another woman using my Spanish skills. These shoes were for some students here in El Tambo.
It is cool in the Andes Mountains. Luckily there is a nice big wood stove in the school.
More tomorrow.

Sharp Thinking

2011-04-20T21:50:00.005-04:00

Today's post will be short since I have been too busy and it is now 10:00 at night. Tomorrow I will tell you about the school at El Tambo!One of the interesting things I saw again and again in Ecuador were these security walls that were all over. They would build a wall around a piece of property. The wall might be anywhere from 6' to 7' tall or so, and on top of that they would stick shards of broken glass into cement in order to deter intruders. I really wanted to get a picture of one of these walls, but never got the chance. Luckily Rich took a picture and has graciously allowed me to borrow it for this post. Click on the picture for a closer look.

¡Zapatos nuevos!

2011-04-19T21:52:00.010-04:00

Really, going to Ecuador was all about the people. The people I encountered in Ecuador were probably some of the warmest people I have ever met. Everywhere I went, I was greeted with smilesand a cheerful, "¡Buenos Días!" or "¡Buenas tardes!" It is customary to also greet people with a hug, putting your cheeks together and smacking sound with your lips.
The children were absolutely beautiful. Sometimes they would come up to us jabbering away in Spanish...and I wouldn't be able to understand a single word of it. I would usually just smile and give them a hug. That almost always satisfied them.
This is a picture of Judi, Melani and Daniel with their mother. The two little girls seemed to latch right on to me during the two weeks I was there. I figured out that these children are in the Compassion Program (although not sponsored by anyone that I know personally) which made me feel good.One of the neatest things that I got to be a part of was taking kids to a shoe store in Pifo to buy them new shoes. We took them to the shoe store over the course of several days in groups of about 20. We ended up buying over 150 pairs of shoes for needy children from two different schools in Pifo. We also gave each child a new pair of socks.
Aren't these little the boys the cutest?
One of the things I had hoped to be able to do was to improve my Spanish. I am pleased with how I did. I am far from fluent, but feel really confident that I could become fluent if I was given the chance to spend a significant amount of time in a Spanish-speaking country. Most of the time we had people who were fluent in both English and Spanish with us...but not all the time. Toward the end of our stay in Ecuador, it was decided that two more children needed shoes. these particular children were not with us because they live in a small town higher in the Andes Mountains. I was chosen to go along because I knew more Spanish than the other adult going. I am pleased to say that I had no problem communicating with the store clerk about what we needed. I am sure I did not do this perfectly, but I am really happy that I was able to be successful!!!
"Necesitamos zapatos para una niña. Talla 31, por favor."

Colegio Bethel

2011-04-18T12:11:00.009-04:00

This is Colegio Bethel in Pifo. Colegio is the Spanish word for secondary school. I originally thought of it as high school...but discovered that there are 8th graders on the campus. This campus was originally an hacienda which is the Spanish word for ranch or farm. It was built in 1882. The mission team that I joined has been coming here to do various work projects for the past 9 years. This year there were two projects underway: building a basketball court and repairing and painting adobe walls.The little girl in the picture is named Shirley. She lives with her parents and sister on the campus of Colegio Bethel. Her parents are the caretakers of the place. Shirley's mother, Monica cooks for the students and staff. Shirley is named after the woman standing on the right. She has been coming down with her husband Rich (holding little Shirley) and leading the mission team for 9 years now.This is Monica cooking chicken for us in an oven that it is about 110 years old. The meal turned out to be fabulous!At every meal Ecuadorians serve this sauce called aji (pronounced Ah-hee). I guess it is their version of salsa. It is quite spicy. They pretty much put it on everything. I have put it on my rice here.On Tuesday of the first week, the students of the school gathered together to give us a welcome presentation. They played music and sang for us. They also wanted one of us to get up and share a testimony. I ended up being volunteered. I gave part of it in Spanish and part of it in English. Luckily I had George to help me out with translating. Although I did very well with my Spanish, I am hardly what you would call fluent. They must have liked it because they laughed at all of my jokes.Here is the beginning of our painting/scraping/repairing job of the adobe walls. This is Frank. Frank is a very special man of God. He has been coming to Ecuador for 9 years and all of the people love him. I will post more about him later.
Working with Ecuadorians on a major job can be quite interesting (and a little frustrating). They may not have any of the tools that you need...or they may see a job as "good enough" when it is not (by American standards). Their method of completing a job might be the most impractical way of doing it that can be imagined. We were warned of this before we even left the USA and told to just smile and do it their way. Enough said. I will say that the people I met in Ecuador must be some of the most cheerful and down to earth individuals around.

Mount Antisana

2011-04-17T18:28:00.006-04:00

This is the view of the village of Papallacta. It was taken from the guest house in which we stayed. It rained almost the entire time that we were in Ecuador. Some of us started to joke that we would need to go back to Rochester in order to get some sun.Here is the guesthouse that we stayed in during most of our time in Ecuador.
Near the village of Papallacta is this huge volcano called Antisana. We were able to take a quick peek at only part of it one day while returning to Papallacta. Apparently it is quite a site to see when the clouds clear away and you can see it in it's entirety. What little I saw of it was quite breathtaking. George, our guide has used Antisana as an example of how God can seem in our lives. On most days, you cannot see Antisana. It is too cloudy. It is very easy to even forget that it exists. You can go about your daily life thinking that what you see is all there is...and you can even be mesmerized by the beauty of what is around you...sometimes thinking that is enough. The mountain range is beautiful, but when Antisana comes out...the mountains are dwarfed by it's majesty. God is the same way. He's is always there...although we cannot always see Him. Sometimes we forget that He is there, putting our attention on the things of this Earth and thinking that what we can see is all there is. The reality is is that God is so much more amazing than anything on this earth and He is always there...even on the cloudiest of days.This is a picture that I borrowed from Creative Commons. I traveled on this road every single day that I stayed in Ecuador...but never saw this mountain. I could only see the mountains in the foreground and didn't even know that Mt. Antisano was there until George told me. Don't forget that God is always there and to also remind others of His presence.
Photo by L.Marco_Ramahlo: Creative Commons.

Ecuador-4/3/11

2011-04-16T10:56:00.013-04:00

I am back from my trip to Ecuador. I have so much to say. It was an amazing experience. I was unable to blog about it as it happened because we stayed in a very remote area that had no access to internet connection at all. During the day we worked in Pifo...but didn't have any time to sit in front of a computer...which I would have had to walk a few blocks to do anyway. I managed to speak to my family by telephone about four times during my two weeks in Ecuador. Each time I wanted to call them, I had to walk a few blocks to pay for the use of the telephone in a little store.
This is the house in Quito that we stayed in on our very first night. It is run by a missionary couple from the US. They host many short term missionaries or the family members of missionaries...or anyone who comes to visit HCJB radio in Quito. It was a beautiful place to stay. The couple fixed us breakfast in the morning and then we were on our way up into the Andes mountains to begin our adventure.
Before heading into the mountains, we stopped at HCJB Radio headquarters in Quito. We picked up some supplies that we needed and saw a bit of the complex. Click on the link to read about HCJB to learn about that amazing ministry.
Here is our team in front of the Buen Pastor Church in Pifo. The man to the far left is George, our missionary guide. He works for HCJB radio in Quito.
We went out to eat after church with the pastor and his family. Isn't this food absolutely gorgeous? It tasted delicious too.This is Pastor Romero. He is the pastor of the Buen Pastor church in Pifo. "Buen Pastor" means good shepherd in Spanish.A house in Pifo.A street in Pifo.Before heading to our home base in Papallacta, we went to Tumbaco to buy groceries. This was a fairly modern grocery store. We also purchased groceries for several families of Compassion children that are sponsored by people in our church. It was quite an undertaking loading the groceries onto the bus.That is our bus driver, Luis in the window as one of the grocery store workers hands him a box of groceries.
I will post more tomorrow with some specifics of what we did during the week.

Leaving...on aJet Plane

2011-04-02T08:34:00.002-04:00

I'm not sure if I mentioned it before on this blog...but I'm going to Ecuador for 2 weeks on mission trip with my church. I'll be taking pictures and I hope to share a little here. I'm posting this in a hurry because I'm actually leaving for the airport in a about an hour and half. Adios!

Brings back sweet memories....

2011-03-24T17:53:00.003-04:00

I got tired of seeing the same old post on my blog. I thought I'd post a new one. I decided I would use the first picture that came up in my file of pictures on my computer. I'm glad this one came up! That's my father playing one of his banjos and that is my son Allen standing behind him. I really miss my dad. Tonight I was singing "The Old Apple Tree" while I fixed dinner and of course I was thinking of him and how he sang that song...that one and many others. I miss hearing his music. This weekend he got to welcome my mother's Uncle Louie to heaven. Uncle Louie passed away Saturday morning. He was 101 years young.

More Reminders

2011-03-09T09:21:00.008-05:00

Yesterday I subbed at a primary school. I subbed for an ESL/special ed teacher. It was an interesting day. Hats off to teachers who do this every day...because I couldn't do it. Among the children I interacted with yesterday were twin girls. They are in first grade and know almost no English. I believe they are new to the district by only a month or so. They came accompanied by a young man whose job it is to attend to them on a 1-2 basis, helping them do pretty much everything. He is fluent in Spanish so this helps teachers with communication barriers. It was painfully obvious that these little girls are not nurtured and cared for the way that everyone ought to be. They are dirty and unkempt. The ESL teacher told me that she has spent time brushing and fixing the girls' hair in the morning...as it is usually snarled and matted. What broke my heart also, was noticing that it is far more than a language barrier that these little girls face as a challenge every day. I had worked earlier in the day with a little girl from Puerto Rico. She had just moved to the USA over the summer. She is bright eyed and eager to learn and can already speak and write surprisingly well. She was a delight to work with. By contrast, the other two had dull eyes and seemed uninterested in interaction, barely making eye contact. Their aid told me that they seem barely able to even speak their own language. They were difficult to keep on task, they were frequently getting up and wandering about the room. They did not seem to understand boundaries-touching, picking up or opening things around the room. We had to keep saying thinks like, "No. Don't touch. That is not yours. Come sit down." They seemed like toddlers. I feel bad because they have been dealt such a bad hand in life. I wished that I could start it over for them with a better hand. I am thankful for people like Christine and John who have helped do this for so many. The aid and I tried to engage the little girls in play. We brought out some dolls for them to play with, trying to get them to interact with us verbally in either Spanish or English. We got almost nothing in return. I drew pictures for them of small animals. If they would repeat the English word for the animal, they were allowed to color it. I drew a frog and one little girl said, "coqui," which is the word for frog in Puerto Rico. (interestingly, the word "coqui" is not used in any other Spanish speaking country-"rana" is.) We allowed her to color it. This sad encounter made me think up a whole new list of things that I take for granted. I thank God for the following:
-a wonderful family
-a sharp mind.
-a nice home
-people who have loved and nurtured me all of my life.
-the ability to love and nurture others.
-clean hair and clothes
-nice clothes
-good shoes
-a warm coat
-gloves
-boots
-the ability to communicate and interact with others
-my shower
-smoke free and drug free environment
-an education
-stability in the home I grew up in
-church family
-good parents
-discipline, direction, guidance, instruction
-boundaries
-things to eat today
In light of my story, what can you think of to add? Please add to my list in the comments.

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress

Seeking Joy

2011-03-05T11:33:00.004-05:00

There probably is a reason that my sister gave me a copy of One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. I forget to be thankful and find joy. Today I Googled the word "encouragement" and ended up here. I suppose that this wasn't an accident either. I have been very discouraged lately. I often feel like I am running on a treadmill...not getting anywhere. Here is a list of gifts from God that I am thankful for.They are in no particular order. They are just in the order in which they came to my mind.

-My yellow lab leaning against my legs while I sit on the sofa
-A cup of coffee with a hint or vanilla
-My children laughing together
-My teenage son singing
-Recordings of my father's banjo, harmonica and singing
-friends coming to visit
-libraries
-an afghan that my mother crocheted
-the honking of Canada geese flying over the house
-the Finger Lakes region of NY state (I am blessed to live in so much beauty)
-wood burning stoves
-watching birds at the feeder
-the Adirondack Mountains
-the gentle and rhythmical clanking of a something with a zipper in my drier
-fresh air

Sneak Peek

2011-02-27T11:37:00.003-05:00

My son has been working hard practicing for his high school musical. Last week they performed the opening scene in the food court of a local mall. It was a lot of fun. Come see the show at Canandaigua Academy!
Friday and Saturday, March 11 & 12th at 7:30, Sunday March 13th at 2:00.
Friday and Saturday, March 18 & 19th at 7:30, Saturday March 19th at 2:00.

Allen is wearing a striped hoodie sweatshirt with a red shirt underneath. He is on the right side of the video.

Where is my sketch journal?

2011-02-17T18:33:00.005-05:00

I have been very busy substitute teaching every day. I have not been working on my art work much lately. I miss it. Feel free to visit my art blog with the flower painting link on the left. You won't find anything new...but you can enjoy the old.
I must admit that these apples almost look good enough to eat. I say almost since I outlined them in black ink. Kind of loses the realness (is that a word?) with the outline. Click on the picture to enlarge to take a look. Maybe I'll have to get those colored pencils out again!

Subbing Hats!

2011-02-10T12:16:00.003-05:00

So I am finally subbing. Yesterday I was reading and discussing Hamlet with 12th graders...today I was supervising UPK students (mostly 4 year olds) while they glued hearts onto cardboard bracelets that they made. I wear many hats!

Trying to stay busy...I hate just sitting around

2011-01-30T13:30:00.005-05:00

I have been a terrible blogger lately. I know...I'm letting hundreds of readers down by not being here more regularly. Ha ha... seriously...to all three of my regular readers, my regards for disappointing you.

Now that I have completed my master's degree in library science and do not have a job as of yet, I am finding new and creative ways to entertain myself. The first thing I have done is to volunteer to help with costumes for the middle school musical. Both of my daughters are in the show. I invite you all to attend it. They are doing "My Son, Pinocchio." Show times are as follows at Canandaigua middle School:

Friday 2/4, 7:30 pm
Saturday 2/5, 2:00 and 7:30 pm
Sunday 2/6, 2:00 pm

(If you come, pay close attention to the donkey ear hats...I spent a considerable amount of time sewing 12 of them. Also, one fox ear hat. And the creating of 9 animal nose t-shirts...don't ask.)

If that wasn't enough, I went to the parent meeting for the high school musical that my son is in. I had told myself that I was not going to volunteer for that one since I am up to my ears (no pun intended) with the Middle School musical...but I felt pity for the poor woman who stood up and said how they desperately need help with costumes. As soon as I am done working on the middle school show, I will begin participating in costume making for the high school. I must say that I really look up to my friend Kathy who is in charge of costumes for the middle school show. She makes all the important decisions and I just do what she asks (or tells) me to do.

This week I also attended my first school library conference. I really enjoyed myself, learned a lot and met many new people. Hopefully I will be employed by a school sometime within the next year and putting all of this knowledge to good use. Never mind my family's snide remarks about the conference. It was all said in jest of course and I can appreciate the humor. Here are some samples of what my husband and son have suggested goes on at one of these library conferences.

Husband (on a possible seminar title): "The Dewey Decimal System and You."
Son (his best stab at the same): "Should Bifocal Necklaces Be Allowed in School...or Do They Pose a Safety Threat?"
Son (his imagination of conversation during the conference...done in a falsetto voice): "I find that if I twist my hair first, it stays in a bun much better."

I have also been trying to get my name onto sub-lists for a few different school districts. One school district...which shall remain anonymous...told me that I am not qualified to sub in their district because I do not yet have my official certificate from NY state. (This was after filling out a ton of paperwork and being interviewed by a vice principal.) I told them that I have a written letter from my university stating that I have completed all requirements for certification and that I will be recommended for certification. Apparently this letter is not good enough for this school district. Who knows how long it will be before good old NY state gives me my certification? I told this story to the Naples School librarians who I ate lunch with during the conference, and they all suggested that I come down and put my name on their list because they are seriously short of subs. I will be doing that sometime this week.

Another thing I did this week was to read the book, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. This was a book that was banned from me in my past and I just had to read it since I was so curious about why it was so terrible. (especially since I plan on becoming a school librarian) I have to say that I really liked the book! I can see how it would generate a lot of good discussion in an English class and make the church lady mad. (P.S. I am not trying to be disrespectful...I was just picturing the church lady on Saturday Night Live from years ago.)

I guess that about wraps it up for me.

bitter cold NY weather

2011-01-25T07:58:00.004-05:00

Yesterday it was -3°F...which is the equivalent of -19°C. Yep...it was pretty cold!

So this morning when I went out to drive my daughters to school, it was about 25°F and it felt downright balmy!

A new Friend

2011-01-20T08:55:00.008-05:00

Hi everyone! I have been trying to brush up on my Spanish since I will be taking a trip to Ecuador in April. In order to help with that, I set up an account at busuu.com where you can practice speaking with native speakers of the language you are trying to learn. I have chatted online with someone from Venezuela, but we could not speak live because his microphone did not work. It was just as well, because I am not very good. Typing out the conversation gave me a chance to think out the language a little more slowly while conversing.

Last night while I was on the site, a young woman from China contacted me to help her with her English. Her name is Grace and she lives in Hunan Province. I think it was the city of Changsha (is that right, Grace?). I told her I would post in her honor today. We had a wonderful little chat over Skype. I enjoyed meeting her. She showed me a couple of pictures of the area in which she lives. Here they are.

I think it would be quite impressive to see these tall cliffs in person. This first picture reminds me a little of Chimney Bluffs here in New York State. Grace, here is a picture of Chimney Bluffs along the shore of Lake Ontario.
Here is the other picture she sent me.

It looks like a very peaceful place to be. If it were not for the snow, I could almost hear the gentle twittering of birds in the trees. Here is a comparable picture of the Japanese Garden at Sonnenberg Gardens here in Canandaigua, NY. It is very close to where I live, only a few blocks away.
While I know Grace is Chinese and not Japanese, I thought the pictures were pretty similar.
I hope I get another chance to talk with Grace again.
(photos: the Japanese Gardens-Jason Roberts, Chimney Bluffs-tooshy, China pictures-Grace)

Can you spot Audra and me?

2011-01-18T19:30:00.002-05:00

Didn't Your Mother Read to You?

2010-12-15T07:45:00.007-05:00

Another fun thing we did in Boston was to go over to the Public Garden and find the sculpture of the ducks that honors Robert McCloskey. His book, Make Way for Ducklings, won the Caldecott Medal in 1942.

I've been disappointed by a few people who have told me that they have never heard of this book! (including my husband!) Luckily all three of my children knew exactly what I was talking about when I mentioned the book. In fact, it was Allen who insisted that we go find the sculpture. Makes a librarian proud!

The Old State House

2010-12-14T07:55:00.004-05:00

This is the Old State House in Boston. Right in front of it is where the Boston Massacre took place in March 5, 1770.
Here is Alicia standing next to a model of it. I should have thought these posts out better. I would have put the picture of me with John Hancock's outfit here because it was taken inside of this building.
This is Priscilla Melvill. She was married to Thomas Melvill, a participant in the Boston Tea party. He was present during the Boston Massacre.

Following the Freedom Trail

2010-12-12T20:20:00.008-05:00

We went on a trip to Boston a few weeks ago. I highly recommend you visit the city if you haven't before. They have this really cool freedom trail that you follow through the city. It takes you to several places of significant U.S. history.
Here I am looking at an outfit that was once owned by John Hancock. He was quite a nice dresser I think!
This is Paul Revere's house. It is the oldest residence in Boston. It was slated for demolition in the early 1900's, but luckily a group of people worked to save it.
This is the Old North Church. It is the church where lanterns were lit from the church's steeple to warn the people of Boston that the British were coming.
A statue of Paul Revere.
Audra and Allen encounter a minute man.
More to come!

Rolling!

2010-12-10T21:13:00.002-05:00

Here are my children rolling down Bunker Hill in Boston!

Desperately Seeking Order!

2010-12-07T09:13:00.008-05:00

This is what happens when you must empty an entire bathroom of it's contents...plus that of another room into your living room. All this was done just prior to Thanksgiving in order to begin the gutting of an old bathroom and construction on a new full bathroom in it's place, along with a brand new half bathroom that never existed before. Was that a run-on sentence?
It reduces you to a much smaller living space and a pile of toiletries in your kitchen.

In the mean time, I really love my functional new tub and shower! I know it will all be worth it in the long run. I have waited 10 years for nice bathrooms...so I suppose I can endure this.

Today my job includes setting up a mini Christmas tree in the one room where we are able to gather together...and straighten and clean what I can.

Second Practicum

2010-11-30T08:57:00.009-05:00

Like I said in my last post, I have not blogged in forever. I know I am letting countless people down lately! Seriously, for all four of my faithful readers, I shall do a recap of my life this fall beginning with my second practicum placement. This recap probably will take a few days.
I spent four weeks at this high school and absolutely loved it! I really enjoy working with high school students. The staff here is wonderful and I learned so much. During the majority of my time here, I worked with tenth grade students who were doing a research project on environmental issues. I helped teach them search techniques, how to evaluate sources (particularly websites) and how to cite their sources. I felt much more comfortable with this age group than with the younger children...although I know I could do that job well too.
The librarian I worked with has a wonderful sense of humor. You really must have a sense of humor to work everyday with students. She is a collector of amusing sayings and fun little toys that she has at her desk. Here is a picture of one of her favorites (and mine too)...the stress reduction kit that is necessary for every school librarian. Click on the image to read it. She has a great collection of toys at her desk that the kids enjoy playing with. She says it is a wonderful way to get kids to come to the desk and talk with her. They play with the toys (wind up toys, a shushing librarian action figure, bean bags with faces that talk upon impact, etc.) and stand at her desk and just chat with her. The kids really respond well to her sense of humor.
While I was working there, Halloween came and went. It is a tradition in this school for all the staff to dress up and parade before the student body on the morning of Halloween. Every year there is a theme. This year's theme was "fairy tales, folk tales or fables." Here we are dressed up as one of Aesop's fables: The Fox and the Crow. Click on the title of that fable if you are not familiar with the story. Jacquie (the librarian) is dressed as Aesop and is holding a fox puppet. Kathy who works in the library too is the crow. I am dressed as a piece of cheese...thanks to my second cousin, Kim who lent me the cheese hat. I wish I had a group picture of the rest of the teachers. We had Little Red Riding Hood, Granny, the Witch, Paul Bunyan, many of the seven dwarfs, Snow White, the troll for Billy Goats Gruff,...I can't even remember what else. It was a lot of fun.
Besides having fun and really loving coming to work each day, I learned so much. Jacquie has a wealth of knowledge after over 30 years of being a school librarian. I hope I managed to soak up at least some of it. I enjoyed working with the students and with the teachers. I just cannot wait until i get a job of my own one day. I have completed my studies in School Libraries...and am now eligible to get a job. I do know of a few possibilities for next fall. Please say a prayer for me that I will find just the right job for me.
I have technically finished this practicum, but next week I get to go back to this same library because the ninth graders are doing an interesting project that Jacquie thought I would benefit from seeing. I can't wait to go back there!

One woman's battle against dust and clutter

2010-11-19T10:15:00.003-05:00

I have not blogged in forever and I thought of this great idea this morning. Post something! Let the world know you are still alive!
My brother-in-law has been redoing our one and only bathroom...and creating a new powder room besides. So to sum up my life in just a few sentences.

Jamie, the kids and I empty one entire room into the living room. We need room for boxes that house bathtubs, toilets and also room for bro-in-law to put his tools and work.
Next, we empty the bathroom of everything in it that is not nailed down-into the living room.
There is dust and grime everywhere in the house because old plaster and lath walls have been demolished.
A toilet...covered in grime sits alone in an empty shell of a room...TP in a zip lock freezer bag. Makeshift dusty curtain covers the window.
No internet connection.
Showers arranged at various homes of friends and the YMCA for two days.
Lowes becomes our second home. We are on a first name basis with the guys who work in the kitchen and bath department. (Thanks Ken and Jeff!)
I cannot find my favorite lotion anywhere.
There are many things that no longer have a home-like toothpaste and contact solution.
We take a family trip to Boston to "get away" for 4 days. Had a fantastic time!
We come back to a functional new shower and a half dry-walled room!!!!
Still washing our hands in the kitchen after using toilet, but I'm not complaining. I am so happy to see our old awful bathroom getting redone!!!!
There are boxes and piles all over the house...has anyone seen the dictionary?
Drywall dust is NOT the worst kind of dust in the world. (Dust from 150 year old plaster and lath IS)
Luckily I have had a high school library to escape to every day...until Tuesday, when it ends. (bwah ha!!!! I miss it very much!)
We have internet connection again!
Drywall is all up in downstairs bathroom.
We finally get a permit to start construction on the powder room.
Walls of PR are being framed.
I decide to download all the wonderful pictures I have taken of the school I have worked at, Allen's X-country sectionals and our trip to Boston...and then blog about my adventures.
I cannot find my camera anywhere in this cluttered house!
I settle for a pictureless blog entry instead.

Some things are way more important than medals

2010-10-16T23:35:00.006-04:00

Today my husband and several of his friends competed in the Black Diamond Duathlon. He has competed in this race for several years in a row and it is one he looks forward to.

Today during the last leg of the race, he saw a man laying on the trail ahead of him. A few other runners were crouched around the man. As Jamie came up to them, he overheard one say, "Does he have a pulse?" Jamie is a certified lifeguard and has taken courses in CPR. In fact, he just took a refresher course a month ago. God is good, because Jamie was called upon to administer his skills to this man, who certainly would have died otherwise. Another runner friend of ours, Sarah, is a nurse. She ran up shortly after Jamie did. The two of them administered CPR on him for about 15-20 minutes until some paramedics were able to come and intervene. The man was rushed away in an ambulance. None of us know the man's name, but he looked to be in his fifties and was believed to be taken to Strong Memorial Hospital. Perhaps you could say a prayer for him.

The photo is from last year's race. Jamie is not in this photo but Sarah is. She is second from the left. Pale green shirt and black hat. (My son Allen is #11)

I am very proud of Jamie and Sarah for rising to the occasion!

Photo source: Ed Martin

The Invisible Blogger is back

2010-09-29T21:52:00.002-04:00

Things have been crazy busy. I honestly don't know how I can accomplish everything that I need to do successfully. I would appreciate your prayers. My library internship is going very well. I feel a little overwhelmed at times because there is so much to know and learn. I vacillate between a strong confidence and being completely filled with fear of taking on this role, several times a day.

This is "Library Gator" as he is affectionately referred to by my supervising librarian. He's also a favorite with the kids. Several years ago, he was won at a fair by one of the teachers in the school. She donated him to the library and he has been here ever since. I really wish that I could take a picture of the kids, but I think there are some rules about that and needing to get permission from parents to put pictures up of them. They are gorgeous children of every race. I just love the mix of colors and cultures of the children in this school. Today I got a chance to use my extremely limited Spanish on a child who just moved here and does not speak English. I was able to establish her name and to communicate that she is only allowed to take out 2 books, not 3 as she wanted. I think if I was to get a job here, I would definitely try to become much more fluent in Spanish than I am now.

I had one observation so far and it went very good. So that makes me happy.

"Good, but busy"

2010-09-14T21:28:00.002-04:00

I sent a message to a friend last night. This friend is a classmate of mine and is doing her internship at an elementary school library in the city of Rochester. I wrote, "How are you doing?" She wrote back: "Good, but busy." Yes, that about sums it up, folks!

So far, it has been great. I am trying hard to soak up all the knowledge that I possibly can and make a good impression! I want to take a picture of the school, but haven't managed to do so yet. Maybe tomorrow!

Changes...

2010-09-05T17:30:00.005-04:00

I just found this picture on my computer. It was in a folder marked "photos by Allen." I think he did a good job. I loved our trip to New Hampshire last year. This was taken from a mountain top less than a week before Dad went into the hospital and our lives were changed forever. I really miss my father very much.

This week school starts for the kids. Audra is looking forward to it. Alicia will be going to a new school and is a little apprehensive. Allen has been very busy with the cross country team already. Next week, I start my first library practicum at a primary school in Geneva.

Grime's Glen...twice

2010-09-01T22:49:00.010-04:00

Yesterday I went to Grimes Glen for the first time with Rachel and her boys. Allen came along and brought his friend, Sam. It was such a beautiful place and I enjoyed it so much that I decided to go back again today with Alicia and her friend Elise. Of course Sherman came along both days. He loved it, but is exhausted now! I can't believe that I've lived near this beautiful place for 18 years now and never went to it!
Yesterday I took photos and Rachel sent me even more. Today I didn't take any because I had left the camera home. I am sad that I didn't get any pictures of the girls. They had so much fun and I missed so many great photo opportunities!

Here are pictures from yesterday. Grime's Glen is my new favorite place to go!

These last days of summer

2010-08-31T19:56:00.006-04:00

I've been trying to enjoy these last days of summer. They are quickly coming to and end. On Sunday we went up to Charlotte for a BBQ to benefit a little girl with cerebral palsy. She is the daughter of a client that my husband's company works with. The weather was absolutely gorgeous. Here's the old Charlotte beach house. Click on it to see the details of people on the beach.
We walked to the end of the pier and back. The pier is about a half a mile in length.
On the way home we stopped in Pittsford for ice cream at Ben & Jerry's. Allen did not come with us since he spent the day with some friends in Hopewell. Next week is the first day of school for the kids.

A day out

2010-08-28T09:29:00.008-04:00

Went to Corbett's Glen yesterday with Martha and some of our kids.
Corbett's Glen is a little nature oasis in the middle of the busy suburbs of Rochester. It is a pretty little place that seems like a secret to me.
After having a picnic lunch, Martha showed me where the dog park is in Ellison Park.
It was great to be at a place where I could let my dog off of the leash, see him romp freely in the water without having to look over my shoulder for whoever might come along and scold me for taking him off of his line. There were about 5 other dogs there besides him. I will definitely take him back there!

Photos are thanks to Martha!

New Blog

2010-08-25T17:59:00.004-04:00

I have created a new blog...if anyone is interested. I have been having very poor quality and inconsistent quiet times with God. I am challenging myself to do at the very least, a devotional each day. I would like accountability and that is why I am inviting you to come look at it and comment. Any encouragement is welcome. Here is the link to it.

My Utmost

Winding down

2010-08-21T22:40:00.005-04:00

Do you like my "new" porch furniture? Amazing what a few cans of spray paint can do.
I am trying to spend a little more time out here...just enjoying my summer because the time is winding down. Soon I will be starting my final semester of library school. I will be doing a practicum in the library of two local schools. Both schools are within a half an hour drive of where I live.
I'm looking forward to this time of learning under some very experienced and good school librarians. Soon my degree will be completed and hopefully I will find a position of my own.

Allen...home from teen camp

2010-08-17T10:44:00.004-04:00

Went to get our handsome teenage son from teen camp on Friday.
He stayed in Red Pine...one of the older cabins. He had such a great week that he didn't want to come home and is seriously considering doing the teen leader in training next summer. I am very proud of how my boy is turning out. He truly has a heart to follow the Lord!

Hiking in Lowville area

2010-08-16T13:16:00.002-04:00

On our way up to pick Allen up from Beaver camp, Jamie and I went hiking. My only regret is that we didn't bring Sherman along. He would have loved it. However, it is a tradition that we stop at Cracker Barrel for a bite to eat on the way home and figured having the dog along wouldn't work well. Here is Jamie looking over the edge of a rock cliff. You can't tell from the photo, but it was about 30 feet up. There was a nice waterfall at the end of the hike.

Had a wild time...

2010-08-13T23:18:00.009-04:00

Got many cool pictures of the animals at the African Lion Safari. One of my favorites was the dancing camel! He moved at the very second I snapped the picture and this is how it turned out! LOL!

And then there was this strange animal that we saw towards the end of our tour! She was friendly, so we took her with us when we left!

Water for Elephants

2010-08-11T08:58:00.008-04:00

On the way through Ontario, Canada we stopped by the African Lion Safari. I had gone there once when I was about 13. It has really come a long way since then! One of my favorite events of this visit was watching the elephants parade down to the lake for a swim.
I think there were about 6 or 7 elephants. When they saw the water, they ran into it! You could tell that they were filled with joy at the prospect of swimming. They reminded me a little of the way Sherman acts when I take him swimming somewhere.
The lake is deep enough that they actually do swim. They are very social animals and several came over to where the crowd was standing to say hello.

On our way

2010-08-10T11:28:00.004-04:00

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line...which is why we cut through Canada on our way to Michigan. This naturally calls for a stop at Niagara Falls.
It never ceases to amaze me that although I only live 2 hours away from this marvel, I have come here only a few times.

Been Away!

2010-08-08T22:29:00.003-04:00

On Thursday morning, the girls and I took off with Jamie's sister Laurie and her husband Kevin to go to Michigan for a family wedding. (Allen was scheduled to go to Beaver Camp so Jamie stayed home to take him there.) We had a wonderful time! I will post more about our trip soon. Here we are on the way home from Michigan today when we stopped in Ohio for some eats. We brought home an extra kid. Paige, one of the girls' cousins who lives in Maryland came home with us. She is staying at our house tonight. Tomorrow, my girls, Paige and two other girl cousins who were not able to make it to the wedding, are gathering together at Laurie's house for "Camp Butler"-a girl cousin camp for a good share of the week!

There is a winner!

2010-08-04T22:10:00.004-04:00

Thank you to all who participated in the Mina Project board game drawing. Thanks to you, $225 will be going to Haiti Relief efforts!

Congratulations to Ben and Karen!

Projects...

2010-08-03T11:51:00.002-04:00

It started out as a curbside find. It is a wicker table that I decided would look good with my other wicker furniture on my front porch. It was blue (no before picture). I primed it...
and spray painted it a dark forest green. I'm planning on spray painting the rest of the porch furniture to match.

Check out my kid

2010-07-30T23:30:00.003-04:00

Audra is home from camp now. She and Abby had an absolute blast! There are some pictures online of her at camp. This one picture in particular is my favorite of her doing the ropes course (click on link to see it)! Aren't summer camps the best?

Photo of Audra on ropes course Here

And another of her rock climbing HERE!

Wish I were a kid again!

Full Moon Over Canandaigua Lake

2010-07-28T18:20:00.005-04:00

When I dropped Abby's mother off at her house, I drove down West Lake Rd and saw the full moon. I just had to stop and get a picture.

Audra goes to Camp

2010-07-27T19:33:00.004-04:00

On Sunday, I drove my daughter and her friend Abby to a camp in the Adirondacks. Abby's mother came along for the ride too. The girls are there for the week and I'm sure they are having a great time. Audra has been looking forward to going since she left camp last summer. This is her third year going. I'm glad she has the opportunity to do this...but I must say that I miss her and that the house seems very different without her here!

Robert Treman State Park-part 2

2010-07-26T22:52:00.009-04:00

On the way down the gorge, we took the higher trail. What you see in the photo is the gorge trail that we hiked up. It is way way down there! I have a pretty good zoom lens on my camera so you really can't tell by the photo how far down it is.Here are Allen and Alicia reading....this sign.
I thought I saw a little orange plastic dinosaur on trail that a kid dropped...but discovered that it was a living creature. A newt. We saw 6 newts in all, a couple of snakes and a few chipmunks.
Allen holding a newt just to show you the size of it.
Looking down on the swimming hole. I remember coming to this swimming hole when I was a little girl. I was very impressed that my big brother, Dan could dive in. Somewhere, I know my mom has a picture of him diving in. I wish I had it. But I do have this one!This was taken at the swimming hole at Robert Treman State Park in the summer of 1970. I am the little girl in the blue. Martha is next to me and Mom is holding Rachel. That's Dan behind us.And here I am just 40 years later! Still wearing blue!
At the end of our hike, we had a picnic "lunch." I put quotes around it because by then it was 3:30 and we were starving! At that point I stopped taking pictures. I guess I was too hungry.

Robert Treman State Park

2010-07-25T21:48:00.013-04:00

On Wednesday of this past week, Jamie took the day off from work. I suggested that we go to Letchworth State Park, but Jamie decided that we should take the kids to a park that they had never been to before. We decided on Robert Treman State Park. I hadn't been there since I was about 12 or 13.
We hiked the beautiful gorge and enjoyed the outdoors.
About half way up the gorge, we could hear the rumbling of thunder and it seemed to be drawing closer along with darkening skies.

When we got to the top of the gorge, we went in the old mill just in time to be sheltered from a torrential downpour. It rained for quite a while. I amused myself by taking pictures of the old gears, signs and other relics.It was a wonderful day! I'll post more about our hike down another day.

Thank you for your support

2010-07-23T11:35:00.001-04:00

Thank you to all who have helped support the Mina Project I have been involved with.

I will be collecting names until Midnight Saturday Night. I will be announcing a winner once I collect all entry fees.

I am very close to having enough entries to raffle off both board games. This is a picture of the detail of that board. If you have no idea what I am talking about, please read the previous post.

Thanks again for making this a success.

The Mina Project

2010-07-19T19:44:00.010-04:00

At church we were given a sermon on the parable of the mina. Remember when Jesus told the story of a man who gave three of his servants an amount of money and then he went away on a journey? When he came back, he found that two of the servants had increased their amount, but the third had not. You can find the parable in Matthew 25:14-30.
Anyway, at the close of the sermon, two missionaries spoke about their experience down in Haiti. Then we as a congregation were given a challenge. Each adult in the room was given an envelope with an amount of money in it. We were asked to go and invest it in some way to try and increase it. We will be bringing all of the money back to church to give as a gift for Haiti Relief. I took my money, Jamie's money, and a friend's money (total amount of $30) and bought supplies to make 2 game boards. I have decided to raffle at least one of the game boards off. I may raffle off both of them if there is enough interest.
So: if you are interested, read on!
Each game board is double sided. On one side of the game board is the game "Aggravation" and on the other is "Chinese Checkers."They are each hand-painted by me. Here are a few pictures of the detail that I put into it.

Each game board also comes with a draw string bag that I sewed that holds all of the pieces needed for the game and also instructions on how to play.
Raffle tickets are each $5.00. All proceeds will go to the relief fund for Haiti. You can buy as many tickets as you want. Please put "Mina Project" in the subject line so I know that I can open it.
Thanks!

The man with the beer?

2010-07-15T21:43:00.004-04:00

So this morning I had a group of preschoolers all sitting down listening to me reading The Teddy Bear by David M. McPhail. The story mentions a "man with a beard." When I read this line a little boy said, "Man with a beer? Where's the beer? I don't see it."

That got a chuckle from several of the adults in the room.

Library Success...putting it on my resume!

2010-07-14T23:18:00.003-04:00

I have not blogged at all about the library work. It has been going great! I wish I had pictures, but I wasn't comfortable snapping pictures without permission from the parents...and I didn't ask.

Tonight was the second pajama story time and it was a lot of fun! It was a huge group of kids. Last week there were only about 10. This week there were at least 25 kids. I didn't count! Everyone seemed to have fun! Thanks to some great technical support, the videos were shown without a problem either.

Tomorrow is the last preschool story-time. I've really enjoyed it and am glad that I can give the children's librarian a positive report when she comes back from France!

Wedding at Garrett Chapel

2010-07-13T08:31:00.008-04:00

Towards the end of June we went to a wedding at this little Chapel located on Keuka Lake. It was built in the 1930's by a family named Garrett. They built it in memory of their son who died of tuberculosis in his early 20's.The details of the chapel are amazing. The family wanted it built reminiscent of the old styles of Europe.
The view of Keuka Lake from the porch is beautiful.The Chapel is surrounded by beautiful stone paths, stairways and a waterfall.
Congratulations David and Karen!

Simon says..."I'm much happier!"

2010-07-09T10:03:00.006-04:00

But then again...Simon says, "Maybe not!"

July 4th picnic

2010-07-06T10:43:00.007-04:00

It was a good day for a 4th of July picnic at my sister's house in Webster. A little different from our usual custom of heading down to my uncle's in Penn Yan. He is not feeling well since recovering from pneumonia. He's in the hospital again from what I hear.
Anyway...the young people piled into the pool and made huge splashing waves.
Later on during the calm...my daughter Alicia ventured in. Here are my girls with my terrific husband.
Lucas wanted to climb all over Alicia.
Josh loves the water. Several people took turns taking him in the pool. He has no fear of the water and I think he'll be a good swimmer some day. He even asked his uncle to throw him in. His uncle Dave obliged and his daddy caught him. He's only 2.
Here's Lucas. He's a cutie...but has quite a little temper and a strong will. He actually reminds me of his father when he was his age! Dave turned out to be a fine adult in the long run and I'm sure Lucas will be too. He has good parents!
Here is Martha and the other uncle Dave on the picnic blanket. Later on we returned home. None of our kids wanted to go see the fireworks. The girls had seen fireworks the night before in Geneva. Jamie and I walked down with the dog and saw them from the pier. It was a beautiful night. I didn't get pictures but my blog friend Katya did. She and I have never met face to face but sometimes I see from our posts that we come close to it at times.

Library Opportunity

2010-07-03T02:00:00.003-04:00

The good news that I never shared with you is that I have the opportunity to do some library work this summer. The children's librarian at our local library has asked me to run a few of the summer reading programs for two weeks while she is in France! I am pretty excited about this. On Wednesday & Thursday mornings, I will be running storytime for preschoolers. On Wednesday night, I will be doing pajama storytime...and yes, I will be dressing in my pj's! On the following Monday morning, I will be running a craft/story time for primary school children. You need to be preregistered for preschool storytime, but for the other programs, registration is not necessary.

So...if you know a kid that loves stories or crafts...come on out! Or, if you love stories and crafts, grab a kid and use him or her as an excuse to be a kid again yourself!

Tears...

2010-06-30T12:42:00.008-04:00

The last few days have been so emotional around here. On Sunday, Mike and Lori and their two youngest boys Weston and Matthew were at church. (they had moved to Massachusetts just a couple of years ago) That is Austin's family. There were tears and hugs...and a little laughter with memories shared. (Please check out the link to learn more about this remarkable young man)

I remember Austin best when he was about 10 or 11 when Jamie and I were in a small group with Mike and Lori. Austin was always full of adventure...doing things like climbing to the highest point of the tallest tree. He also had a heart of gold. I remember him telling our friend Amy that she didn't have to worry about Caleb when he started kindergarten. He would sit by Caleb and make sure no one picked on him on the bus. More recently (probably about 7 months ago now), I remember asking him about the stitches on his leg and inquiring what happened. He told me how he had been cutting down trees using a chain saw. The saw slipped and nicked his thigh. He went a few days without any medical care, but when his grandfather saw it, he dragged Austin over to the hospital to get stitches. His grandfather was a prominent doctor here in town who is now retired. A few weeks ago he was sitting directly in front of me at church. That is the last time I remember seeing him. I wish now that I had said something to him.

Today was the funeral service. It was probably one of the hardest services I have ever sat through. In a little while, I will go to the reception at his grandfather's house. They have a big tent set up. Lori said she wants it to be "fun." (As much as you can have fun under the circumstances) There will be food, lawn games and a bonfire.

I feel rather gloomy right now. For three days in a row I have gone to calling hours and funerals. Yesterday's funeral was touching too and that family is on my heart and mind as well...but I can't bring myself to write any more.

Thank God that this life is not all there is and that one day, He will wipe away every tear!

Sorrows...

2010-06-25T10:38:00.003-04:00

I didn't want to write a sad post. I hate them...I avoid them. But in the words of Oswald Chambers, "Sin and sorrow and suffering are, and it is not for us to say that God made a mistake in allowing them." That was part of the devotional that I was greeted with this morning when I looked at the devotion for June 25 in Oswald's My Utmost For His Highest.

Three days ago, we learned that David, the brother of a dear friend, chose to end his life. Several members of this man's family attend our church. He also has some young children.

Yesterday came more bad news. Austin, a young man from our church, died in a motorcycle accident yesterday morning. He was only 21. This directly effects 4 different families in our church: all related to him either by blood or marriage. His uncle is a part of the church's staff. It was only about 3 weeks ago that Austin was sitting directly in front of us during the service. It is hard to believe that he is suddenly gone.

Photo by Mezuni: Creative commons

Just Because

2010-06-22T22:31:00.002-04:00

This one's for you, Martha!

Father's Day 2010

2010-06-21T12:36:00.018-04:00

Hope everyone had a Happy Father's Day. Today was the first Father's Day that I don't have my father anymore. Luckily, I had a full day to spend with my husband's family at Taughannock State Park. That kept me distracted enough. The day was gorgeous!!!!!
Many members of Jamie's family came to the picnic. My father and mother-in-law, however, elected to stay at home. Dad's knee was really bothering him and he did not want to go sit in a park. We did stop by and visit with them on the way down.
We hiked up the falls. Most of us elected to walk in the water. I love walking in the water, but elected to walk on the dry trail because I was afraid I would slip, fall and ruin the camera.
I like this picture of Audra.
This was taken just before Scott jumped. I didn't know he was going to do it, otherwise I would have attempted to catch him in the middle of the act.
After the jump.
Jamie and his girls.
I think Scott and Audra were trying to pretend it was a hot tub.
Taughannock Falls. This is a 215 foot drop.
My husband grew up nearby. He has told me about when he was in high school, he used to go up on the rim with his friends. I find this to be frightening. Now it is all fenced off to keep idiots (I mean people) from doing that.
Th picnic also included kickball....
and a bocci game.

The day ended with another beautiful sunset over Seneca Lake...visible from my in-law's driveway. (Sorry about the telephone pole!)

Early Morning Hike

2010-06-19T12:13:00.006-04:00

I got up at 5:00 this morning to go with Jamie to Mendon Ponds Park. Jamie was meeting a friend to do some running. Sherman and I took a hike on some of the trails. It was beautiful, but unfortunately I was distracted by a couple of things. One: about 10 deer flies took to buzzing around my head and driving me crazy. When I finally decided to ignore them as best I could since I could not get rid of them, one bit me and another dive bombed inside of my ear. Two: the bathrooms were all locked. Enough said about that one.

Sherman didn't seem to be bothered by the deer flies at all and the locked bathroom didn't stop him at all. He took a dip into Devil's Bathtub when I wasn't paying attention, and was quite scummy! I took him over to the Hundred Acre Pond where it looked clear to encourage him to swim and get cleaned off. We surprised one deer who was coming through the thicket from the water's edge. She didn't see us until she was literally about 5 feet away from us. Luckily, I had presence of mind to grab Sherman's collar to keep him from chasing her. He didn't bark or anything.

After I finally found one horrible bathroom that was accidentally left open, we went back to the van to wait for Jamie. The flies weren't as bad there. I had left my book at home so I had nothing to read, but discovered a word search book that was left in the van by one of the kids. I'm not a big word search person, but it helped pass the time. After Jamie got back from his run, we drove to the village of Mendon and went to Sacred Grounds Coffee House.

I regretted that I forgot my camera. I had intended to bring it, but left in on my kitchen table. I am chalking this up to me not being much of a morning person. It takes me awhile to wake up and be able to think, plan and remember very well.

New Neighbors (part 2)

2010-06-15T12:17:00.009-04:00

I have been enjoying watching my new neighbors-the house wren family. Usually I watch them from the kitchen window as I eat my breakfast. I also like listening to their pretty little songs. Alicia joined me in watching the show this morning. We were watching both Mr and Mrs House Wren chase Mr Grackle away from the house. Bad Mr Grackle!!!
After I walked with Alicia to school, I decided to try to take pictures. They are quite challenging to catch on camera because they are really quick. I think they like to duck into and out of the house before anyone sees them. (or can take a picture) I was very patient though.
As you can see, I caught this one in flight. I was waiting for him to poke his head out of the hole and I missed him.

Memorial Day Picnic

2010-06-08T12:18:00.012-04:00

This year's Memorial Day has come and gone...but I'm blogging about it anyway. We went up to Cicero to have a picnic at the home of Ben and Sarah. Sarah is Jamie's niece. B & S just got married last July and were anxious to host a picnic at their new house-purchased in October.My contribution to the picnic was strawberry pretzel salad. Jamie had told me not to make it since it was going to be a sweltering day and it would just melt into a mess. *sigh* My husband has little faith in me sometimes. I made it anyway, kept it nice and cold on a bed of ice in a cooler, and it turned out just fine!
The kids were able to keep cool in the pool.

I'm not sure what game Audra is playing here...but she looks like she is having fun. I think her Uncle Kevin was squirting water at her and she was catching the water as it fell.Laurie and I kept cool by sitting on the edge and dangling our legs in. I hadn't brought a suit and rather regretted it. Oh well!
Allen was in the pool too but got out to enjoy a game of ladders. He looks on...
as his partner, Ben takes the shot.
They were playing against Jamie and Kevin. I'm not sure who won in the end.

Saturday

2010-06-02T09:04:00.017-04:00

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous lately. On Saturday, Jamie took Allen golfing with my brother-in-law, Kevin and my nephew, Scott. So Audra, Alicia and I hung out with my sister-in-law, Laurie. She wanted to stop by some wineries to take pictures for the website that her son, Scott manages. He works for Finger Lakes Regional Tourism Alliance. I guess she's taken pictures for him to use for it before. I highly recommend checking out the website if you live in the area. There are some great ideas about what to do and see in the Finger Lakes Region. Our first stop was Imagine Moore Winery in Naples. I had my own camera with me as well...so I took a few pictures myself.
They had a nice porch off the side. I love how this picture turned out of the girls. I think I may have it enlarged.
Then we went across the street and had some ice-cream at Bob and Ruth's. That was when I took a walk around the cemetery I wrote about the other day.Laurie had heard about a waterfall in the area, so we went to check it out. It turned out to be a rather small one. Not overly impressive. We hiked a short trail to get to it. There was a policeman there having a discussion with a group of teenagers. I felt uncomfortable because I sensed some trouble. We left our little hike early because of that.
I took this view from an overlook just north of the village. This is looking north from the southern end of Canandaigua Lake.
I feel very fortunate to live in such a beautiful area. Sometimes, I admit that I take it for granted.We made another quick stop at Arbor Hill Winery so that Laurie could take more pictures.
Then we met up with family in Rushville. Here are Scott and Lindsey.Jamie's nephew, Drew was throwing a pig-roast in honor of his wife Kelly's 40th birthday. Happy Birthday, Kelly!
Everyone had a good day...except for the pig.

Memorial Day 2010

2010-05-30T20:11:00.018-04:00

I have a strange fascination for old cemeteries. Yesterday I visited Fairview Cemetary in the village of Naples, after enjoying ice-cream with my daughters at Bob and Ruth's. I thought about Memorial Day and took several pictures of graves that had flags marking the resting place of veterans.Some were too faded to read. After doing some homework, I figured out that this grave is actually the grave of an infant girl name Lillis Ann Oakley, who died at age 11 months. Thus the flag was put on the wrong grave. I also found out that little Lillis Ann's father (William) passed away less than a month earlier at age 39...making me wonder if there was some sort of sickness passed about. Her poor mother (Ann Oakley) and sister (Elizabeth) were left behind.
This photo is presented in honor of Captain Nathan Watkins who fought with the 12th Massachusetts Regiment during the Revolutionary War. Nathan Watkins was one of the first white settlers here in the area. He constructed the fourth house in the settlement of "Watkinstown," later called "Middletown" and finally renamed "Naples." The house was made of logs. He later constructed the first barn. You can read about it here if you'd like.
And this photo is in honor of Sgt. Jabez Metcalf who also fought during the Revolutionary War.
I found out that Jabez Metcalf may have been instrumental in naming the town of Naples. (I say "may have"...because any good librarian knows to check her sources for reliability before declaring anything as truth)

...the original name of Naples was MIDDLETOWN...and, it was changed to Naples in 1808....Jabez Metcalf ran a tavern in Naples. One frequent guest was a Duke from France who remarked that he loved the area because it reminded him so very much of Naples Italy, one of his favorite places. In that era there were six communities named Middletown. Consequently, when anyone said where they were from, they always had to explain which one. The folks grew tired of that and wanted something unique. They held a meeting and during the discussion, Jabez mentioned the Duke's comment. Middletown was changed to Naples.

He also helped erect the first saw mill in Naples.

If you like history: Find out more here.

It all started out to be simply photographs of old graves with flags on them. Then I Googled the names and found out so much more about them. I'm always fascinated by stories and history.

In any case: Thank you to all our veterans. We remember and appreciate you!

New neighbors!

2010-05-29T10:36:00.007-04:00

We have new neighbors. I was pleased to discover that a little family of house wrens has taken up residence in the birdhouse that my father made for me last summer. I was really hoping someone would. I thought it would be very special since my father is gone now.
I think this caterpillar is treading dangerously close to becoming the next meal. I don't know if house wrens eat caterpillars...but assuming they do, this caterpillar better take off in another direction.
I didn't stick around to see what the eventual outcome was.
Once this little family moves out...I will re-glue the calipers onto the peak. It fell off onto the grass below last week. Check out the original post about this birdhouse here and you can see the calipers.

Hawaiian Dog

2010-05-26T11:06:00.002-04:00

On a lighter note: yesterday while walking to school, Alicia and I found a lei just laying on the sidewalk waiting for someone to come along and pick it up. I put it on Sherman's neck. He didn't seem to mind at all. We got a lot of attention from the school children, as well as adults when we walked onto the school grounds. I wish I had a picture of him during that scene...but alas I did not have my camera with me. I still do not have a camera bag for it and am a little leery carrying it while walking a dog. That is how I dropped and broke the first camera. It slipped out of my hand as Sherman tugged on the leash. I'm not going to repeat that mistake.

More Prayers Needed

2010-05-25T12:41:00.003-04:00

I went up to the hospital today to see my Uncle Chuck. He is in ICU with pneumonia and is sedated. I knew that I really wouldn't be visiting with him in a sedated state, but had hoped to offer encouragement to my aunt. She had been there earlier, but wasn't when I was there. I wrote a little note and left it on the table next to his bed.
It was rather disconcerting to see him in such a state. I hope he recovers to be here longer with us. I don't know if I could bear to lose another family member just yet.
Here he is pictured with my father at the 4th of July picnic last summer in Penn Yan.

Wahoo! Good News!

2010-05-21T09:31:00.004-04:00

The good news is that the school budget in the school district where I want to do my internship passed! That means I get to do the internship and don't have to scramble around to find another one. If it did not pass, the school district would have most likely given the librarian a nice incentive to retire so that they could eliminate her position.

Frittering

2010-05-18T15:43:00.003-04:00

Today I went to talk to one of the librarians I will be doing a practicum with in the fall. I really like her. I think she is a fabulous school librarian. I look forward to working with her. My other potential position is hanging in the balance. It all depends on how the school budget votes go in her school district as to whether or not she will be around to mentor me for 4 weeks. I voted today.

I saw a coyote on the way home. He ran in front of my car. No picture. Even if I had had my camera with me, it happened too fast to get a picture.

Not much else is going on. I've been frittering away my time...which is absolutely shameful!

Distressed...but trying to trust the Lord!

2010-05-12T17:23:00.005-04:00

I never did blog about Mother's Day. I had a very pleasant Mother's Day visiting my dear mother in Webster. Now that we have lost our father, I can't help but wonder how long I will have my dear mother. His health was always so good and he took care of her...who's health quite often has hung in the balance. We just never expected to see him go first. I get distressed thinking about this. Please pray that we will make good decisions for her care while she remains with us.

After our visit, which included lunch and a few hours of visiting, our family decided to grab a quick dinner out on the way back to our town. So we stopped at DiBella's in Perinton to eat some subs. Here are our three children. I love it when they seem to be enjoying one another's company.

I have another bit on my mind lately. A "little bird" told me that a certain school librarian will be retiring this year. (this is not public knowledge yet and has been posted in-house only) I really want her job! She is in the school that is within walking distance of my home! However, I am not quite done with my degree. That will be done in the fall some time. Two different people told me to apply for the position anyway. I don't have my portfolio together...and I also really want to do my student teaching. I feel like I am going to learn so much from that experience. I don't want to skip it. Another library friend of mine ended up skipping her student teaching to accept a position. The University gave her credit for student teaching anyway using her new position. It worked...but it is not really ideal.

Another bit of distress and regret...which I am trying to let go of, but it is difficult! I'm just saying, "Ugh!" right now. Two of my classmates each got a hold of me lately to inquire if I am taking any summer courses. I am not. They are both taking "YA Lit." I am so disappointed because when my father became ill, I needed to make some tough decisions. I knew I needed to take the fall semester off to spend as much time as I could with him and assist in caring for him while he was on hospice. I only had two classes left to take-"YA Lit" and another class. I emailed my adviser asking her if it would be prudent to take one of the classes in the spring semester while student teaching...leaving me one class to take. I knew that "YA Lit" was offered last summer and inquired whether or not it would be offered this summer. She wrote back and said that it was NOT going to be offered this summer. She strongly suggested that I take all of my course work first and student teach in the fall. I have followed her suggestion. Now I find out from my friends that "YA Lit" IS being offered during the first summer session...which means that I could have been completely done with my degree at the end of June! This would have solved a multitude of problems I am having being delayed until December.

In all fairness to my adviser, I like her very much. I know that she would not have lied to me about what was or wasn't going to be offered this summer. I am sure that she was telling me the truth as she was aware of it as of the first week of September this past fall, but I am so disappointed and feel very distressed.

I'm wondering if you lovely ladies could pray for me and offer up encouragement. Oh...and there is some good news. I found out I passed my ATS-W teacher's exam, which I had been afraid that I had failed!

I did it!

2010-05-10T12:29:00.003-04:00

I did it! I finally started training for the Crosswinds 5k! I am totally out of shape and it is my first time out running in about 2 years. I actually did better than I thought I would. I ran/walked the entire length that I had set out to do...actually running quite a bit of it. I thought that I must have run/walked for at least a half an hour. When I came in, I was a bit amused to find that I had only been out for 17 minutes. Not so great...but it is 17 minutes of exercise that I would not have otherwise had.

Alicia's Birthday

2010-05-04T22:19:00.004-04:00

Today is Alicia's 11th birthday. We actually celebrated it last night because today Audra had a track meet. The track meet was at the middle school that I attended when it used to be known as a junior high school. (Incidentally, my father attended there when it was a high school.) It is just a stone's throw from my mother's house. Alicia opted to hang out there instead of watching the meet. Here she is playing the marble game with her grandma.
Afterward we went to Charlie's in W. Webster for dinner.
I have to chuckle a little bit because of my sister Martha, who is a fabulous photographer. She would have made sure no one was holding the newspaper in the corner of the photo.

Cool decor that no one enjoys...except for the woodchucks

2010-05-04T14:47:00.003-04:00

This is a picture I took behind my father-in-law's barn. This wheel has been sitting out here for many many years. I thought it would make a really cool edition to my garden a few years ago. I cleared away a lot of brush to get to it. I then discovered that it is not just an old wooden wheel sitting there, it is connected to some rusty apparatus of some sort. This strange "thingamajig" is half buried under the ground. It looked hopeless...so I left it. Maybe I should try again sometime. For now...it sits.