Debide's view of the world

Man divided, life questioned.

2011-08-05T22:53:00.000-07:00

Today I saw an old friend. He was a man divided between a tremendous pain in his heart from loss, and a heart filled with the joy of goals accomplished and dreams met. He said that through his tragedy this summer he had found a new sense of how special people are in his life and how to treasure those that mean so much to him. I started to wonder how we loose touch with each other, how do we not reach out and remind people how much they mean to us. Have I said how important you are in my life lately or do I simply say you should know? But do you really know? Can you know?

We rate our lives now by the number of “friends” we have on Facebook, but shouldn’t we really be focused on how many “people” did we talk to today? How many lives did we personally touch? How many times did we thank God for the blessings we have in our lives when we have heard the pain and frustration in others. Have cried in one eye and laughed with the other. Instead of accepting another friend on Facebook why not pick up the phone, call, talk, share your life. And just maybe, instead of just having a friend on a website you will have a friend in your heart.

Rome and Paris Tour May 2012

2011-07-16T13:41:00.000-07:00

The Sound of Freedom

2010-11-07T04:31:00.000-08:00

Several years ago I had a young man, ask me what the sound of freedom was; since he was simply using the question to disrupt the class I simply ignored it and went on with the day’s lesson. But something inside of me raised that question again this weekend as I work to plan the Veteran’s day assembly “What is the sound of Freedom”.

Memories: we all have that special smell that can bring back volumes of memories of warm summer days and fresh watermelon, or the warmth in our hearts when we smell the turkey coming out of the oven on Thanksgiving Day. Those are tangible memories ones that come back easily or can be felt or touched but how do you define the “sound of freedom”??? Some of you may raise your hands and say “The liberty bell” or “The Star Bangle Banner” and the list can go on and on of sounds you have heard from childhood that to you represented the freedoms we all enjoy …….but what is the sound of freedom?

I narrowed my list down to two: The opening of a textbook – symbolizes the sound of our freedom through education. Try listening to 30 textbooks opening all at once to study today’s lesson. The book sees no difference in your sex, color, economics, religion or lifestyle – it is freedom that brings insight. I thank God for the freedom to hear the sounds of education that so many have fought and died for, and which other countries so deny to their people.

My second sound may cause you to stop and think I hope it does. As most of you know I grew up Air Force. To some that may not mean much given that you stayed home while your parent served but for our family we went where ever dad was stationed. I bring that up because military life even for the children was completely different than for those of you growing up non-military. And for the most part the differences we minor – I grew up “on base” you grew up in a neighborhood, I went to a school “on base” you went to public schools.

So where is the “sound” difference?? Movie theaters……….yes I said movie theaters. I know some of you are saying “well she finally lost it” but hold on…

In the military, when you went to a movie, there were rules that had to be followed and here is where the “sound” comes in. At the beginning of every movie they played our national anthem – all they had to play was the first two notes of that song and every man in that theater SNAPPED TO ATTENTION – seatbacks snapped up and……….. you have no idea how “freedom” sounds until you hear over 200 military combat boots snap together. The sound is almost deafening. There is a ……it is so hard to describe – the feeling rumbles in your heart it is so strong and it implants itself into your whole body that these men, these boots are there to protect, defend and to secure your freedoms. It has been almost 45 years since I heard that sound – I can still hear it and it brings a smile to my face and warmth to my heart. I wish each of you could experience that feeling. Today there is a small sound that echoes when you see a military parade, or when a young man is given a metal, and yes………the sound of the quiet tap when they lay another soldier to rest. I hope each of you has a “sound of freedom:” because remember in some countries the people are deaf.

God bless our men in the military, God bless our country, and by far God bless the “sound of freedom” today and always.

Remember our Veterans this Thursday Nov. 11, 2010, but more than that remember them everyday.

2010-03-21T14:49:00.000-07:00

Spring break vacation

Baseball and ??Snow??

How to describe a 7 day period that I have been waiting several weeks for is hard, especially if you live in Oklahoma.

Spring Break March 2010. We left very early (4am) on Sunday March 14th for vacation. - three nights in theTunica/Memphis area. The picture on the left is a beautiful glass blown design that greets guest at the GoldStrike Hotel. The glass looks so fragile.

Arrived Sunday afternoon, took a nap, rested, and played a little. Monday we went touring the area – down to the Town of Tunica, and then out to the Riverpark area where they have ecotrails, and a small museum/history. Mike was fascinated by one of the old propellers.

Tuesday was “My” day as I finally made it to Beale Street in Memphis. And of course I forgot my camera. I did take some pictures using my cell phone and as soon as I figure out how to download them I will post them. I loved the evening. We walked up and down Beale Street, ate some great BBQ at a place called “Pigs with Attitude”. And then spend over an hour listening to a band called The Plantation Allstars – OMG they were so good. The blues just resonated through them – It was everything I imagined.

Long long drive back on Wednesday. Thursday was just a kick around day – laundry, banking and getting some school work done.

Friday my sister and I took a short trip to Miami Oklahoma to watch our nephew Josh play Baseball for Northeastern Oklahoma A & M. We bought the NEO t-Shirts so of course we wore them to cheer on the team. It was a beautiful day – forgot the sunscreen so our arms got a little red but I love color in my skin. Doesn’t even matter what the score was it was more important that we were there, we were supporting the team, and we got to see Josh.

Saturday northeastern Oklahoma was hit with some pretty strong winds and lots of snow. We got about 5 inches of the wet stuff. Woke up this morning and it was snowing again, but it is quickly melting. I guess Mother Nature had one more blast of winter to get out of her system. I have no idea what is up with her but I have reached my limit with the snow this year.

My goal for the next 9 weeks of school……….lesson plans, worksheets, whinny kids, sunshine and MORE BASEBALL!!!!!!

2010-02-10T20:55:00.000-08:00

Train in transition part II

Just for fun Mike laid out his blue board, and put some buildings up to give me a perspective on what it might look like. You have to imagine the mountains on the top and apparently there will be a river next to the Casino on the main level........ Thanks to Mike's favorite Uncle Jim we have wonderful buildings and memories........... Don't forget to click on the picture to see it up close.

debide

Train in transition

2010-02-07T18:10:00.000-08:00

For those of you who regularly check in to my blog forgive me for using my space to share pictures of my husband building his train table. It is just easier for the family and extended family to see his progress without having to email everyone picutres.

Since his retirement Mike has been working on a design for his "O" gauge Lionel train. He has had the train since 1956 and is just now taking it out of storage. It has taken over the spare room and continues to grow each week. He has architectual drawings of where the train will feed in and out of tunnels, through the town, drop off goods and pick them up.

So far he has a table that is set on wheels so he can work on all sides, his base table, and this weekend he created the upper mountain tracks and the tunnel. The "M.K.J." is set to go full speed ahead early this summer............with prayers.
(click on a picture to see full size and more detail)
d

New weather Pictures

2010-01-30T09:02:00.000-08:00

Since my blog yesterday we have had an additonal 9 inches of snow~~~

There are some beautiful trees across the street - hope you enjoy these pictures. With 9 inches of snow, one lane bridges, and few "working" buses I doubt we have school on Monday. Remember there is still a 1/2 of ice under all the snow. We are "stuck" here in Sperry but have plenty of house projects, and as usual I have plenty of papers to grade and lesson plans to write. Just took Sweet Potato Pecan Bread out of the oven. Sounds good with some coffee.........

Will keep in touch.

** be sure to check out the difference in the two pictures of the patio table from earlier yesterday morning's blog and today **

ANOTHER snow storm...........

2010-01-29T12:01:00.000-08:00

Well it’s been a long time since I have seen a winter like this in Oklahoma. But here we are again with ice and snow. (see previous blogs) Thought we were going to miss out on the blunt of the storm, and to some extent we were as we only got about ½ inch of ice, but this morning around 9:30 it started snowing and it is still snowing and expected to continue until late evening. So far we have about 5 inches of snow on top of the ice. We are lucky that we still have power, full refrigerator and things to do around the house. Hopefully we will be able to get out tomorrow or Sunday – then they are predicting another “something” for Monday. At this point I think they are afraid to use the “snow” word again……….ha ha ha

Teddy Bears and Love

2010-01-23T08:05:00.000-08:00

Teddy Bears and Memories

This week our FCCLA group has been collecting Stuffed Animals for DVIS and Nursing Homes and I thought it was time to maybe clean out my closet for some “Slightly used” Teddy Bears. So while I was at work I had Mike take them out and lay them on the bed for me to decide which to save and which to donate. Well………..I knew I had some bears, but I had no idea I had that many!!! They took up the whole bed, and of course Mike had them staged just perfectly. I remember walking into the room and the first thing that popped into my head was “Love”. Look at all that love. I never remember thinking – what a mess – or how did this thing get out of hand – or have they been multiplying on their own. – but love.

Each of us has memories of that favorite thing we carried everywhere when we were growing up - for my brother it was his beanie hat, for my grandson Jason its his donkey and for my grandson Kevin it was his monkey. But I never remember having anything I had to carry around, maybe I did but I am so old I can’t remember. But I do know that if I had 30 minutes to pack up before disaster I would for sure grab the largest stuffed bear on the bed. Why?? Because it symbolizes me hugging me, me hugging family, me hugging God. That’s the whole thing about Teddy Bears isn’t it?? That we as humans can hug something – we can connect our bodies with something else. We have that need to touch, hug, embrace, and confirm our existence with someone or something else.

So what is a Teddy Bear and why are they so important in our lives?

A Teddy Bear is Love,

A Teddy Bear hears all our pain as we cry

A Teddy Bear hold us when we are sick

A Teddy Bear is the best defense in pillow fights

A Teddy Bear protects us on cold and rainy nights

But mostly a Teddy Bear is the one friend, family, and life line that will never judge, never criticize never forsake or abandon us and will always be the last thing we see in the morning and the first thing we see when we go to bed. But most of all the Teddy Bear is the smile that makes life happy. For me life is easy – I don’t need jewelry, I don’t need flowers, but apparently what I do need is another teddy bear.

( did I give some away……..no, I couldn’t because each held a special memory – this one I got for Christmas, or this one I got when I graduated college, or these are all from my brother-in-law………and so the story goes. But I will buy a new one and donate it so that some child can feel its love, and an older person in the nursing home can have fond memories return to hug.)

Christmas Blizzard

2009-12-24T15:59:00.000-08:00

It has never happened - at least that is what the weathermen are saying - BLIZZARD Warnings for Tulsa County. It started yesterday - rain, heavy at times with lightening and tornado warnings in the southern half of Oklahoma. Then this morning a viscous arctic blast - rain turned to freezing rain, sleet. Then about an hour ago it turned to snow. We are expected to get 4 to 8 inches. So much for Christmas Eve family get together. Even the Churches in Tulsa have all cancelled their evening and midnight services.

For us Christmas Eve started out with cooking and mike smoking a Ham. Then as the day went along first our grandson Jason became ill, then our grandnephew Lucus turned up ill, couple that with the weather and the two matriarchs - (Debbie and Cari) decided we did not need "specific date" to celebrate Christmas and family so we cancelled the evening events and rescheduled for tomorrow. So here we are food in the fridge - but that is for tomorrow, so for tonight I am making a big batch of Chicken Enchilada Soup and grilled cheese sandwiches........

Tomorrow we will feast on lots of GREAT food and goodies, open gifts, and share the true meaning of Christmas - Christ, Love, and Family

2009-07-22T09:01:00.000-07:00

The Alps
There are rare occasions when we need to step back and reflect on the level of our own worth and importance in this world. Basically just how significant are we? Is an ant less valuable because it is smaller? If so how do we measure up to the size of a Mt? I recently had an opportunity to stand upon a mountain– Mt Pilatus at 7,000 feet, but to also sit and view the alps from the balcony of our hotel at 6,000ft. And the definitive question and answer has to be – are the Mts. Gods gift to us to show us his beautiful work or is it to remind us of his infinite power and wisdom? I like to think a little bit of both.

As I sit here looking at this world
To see Gods great hand
I realize what a gift he gave us in a single command
Love one another

As an ant respects his world and sees the glory of Gods work in the smallest of crumbs, so should man take time to view the beauty we call Earth and see its inner value as Christ see and fills our souls with the same.

color choices

2009-07-21T18:05:00.000-07:00

To Tent or Curtain Maker that is the question:

I used to tell people that I had my clothes made by Omar the Tent Maker, but it was not until we were on vacation in Myrtle Beach South Carolina that I realized that I had my bathing suit made by his cousin Corilita the Curtain Maker. (Mike said he was grateful that I had a sun burn otherwise he would not have been able to see me sitting at the table.) If you click on the picture you can see just how closely they match.
Enjoy your summer, love, laugh, and BE HAPPY
Lots more blogs to come of tours, trips and flowers.
d

Europe Trip 2009 Part 3

2009-06-24T19:15:00.000-07:00

D-Day and the Chunnel

As a History teacher there is nothing more real that actually touching the ground or seeing first hand the impact some major event has had on society. It is hard to put into words the emotions I was feeling this day – that we were to cross the English Chanel. To most of the students in our groups this was just an opportunity to sleep on a train. But for me it was much more – you see I knew the date – June 6th, in historical terms “D-Day”.

WWII Multimedia Database
“On 6 June 1944 the Western Allies landed in northern France, opening the long-awaited "Second Front" against Adolf Hitler's Germany. Though they had been fighting in mainland Italy for some nine months, the Normandy invasion was in a strategically more important region, setting the stage to drive the Germans from France and ultimately destroy the National Socialist regime” DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER

What a unique honor it was to know that 65 years later I would be crossing the English Channel, certainly not in the same means, nor with the same intensity, but none the less I would be traveling the same land/water that took the lives of so many of our American and Allied soldiers in WWII. The magnitude of understanding what their sacrifice has meant to Americans and others freed around the world. To know that because of these young men, many of them not much older than the boys on tour, sacrificing their lives so that we would have the freedoms to travel, to learn, to see first hand.

I thought back to movies that I have seen, The Longest Day and Saving Private Ryan. but mostly the documentaries that aired on PBS World at War series - The announcer in the background, deep voice crying out the horrors of War. Watching film clips of our young soldiers storming the beaches, clips that were shown back home in movie theaters to elicit national pride and encourage enlistment. Those to me were the real meanings behind the invasion. And here I was 65 years later, crossing under, the same waters they crossed. As we crossed under the water in the Chunnel I could not help but want to reach out to all those who died in the water to thank their souls for the sacrifices they made and to their families that will never have a gravesite to visit or honor.

The Chunnel was to start in 1974, ran into problems and was not actually started until 1988. It was completed in May 1994 and opened to passengers in Nov 1994. It is about 31 miles long (under water). It takes only 2 hours and 15 minutes to get from London England to Paris France. There is no “fanfare” letting you know you have entered the Chunnel – it just gets eerie dark for a long long time…………. Then you emerge into the daylight and surrounding new farm land that is France.

God Bless our troops, God Bless our country, God Bless our History
*** Click on Europe Trip 2009 Part 3
at the top of the page and it will take you to a video on D-Day***

Europe Trip 2009 Part 2

2009-06-23T05:44:00.000-07:00

Art – or

why I ended up in Marching Band

As you may note in my previous blog I had two loves in my life – created by two trauma’s – first it was the popsicle stick (architecture) and today I will talk about art, primary colors, ships and the clarinet.

I loved drawing – ok not so much drawing as coloring (yes within the lines) highlighting, shading sometimes adding my own personal touch. But no matter how hard I tried at freestyle art, it always just looked like a mush of colors. Again there was no connection created in the womb between the art that the eye sees and the hands…………. Alas……….. I was doomed to love and not touch. So how does this relate to today. Well it all started in 9th grade (when it was still part of Junior high) .. You see I decided my 9th grade year that instead of playing the clarinet (poorly) I would take art instead. After 2 weeks of introduction from the teacher he gave us free reign to draw anything we wanted. So I used the bold primary colors and drew a ship with masts and water with waves. I was proud!! Then he came over to look at it – and I will never ever forget his word- “Debra you played in the band didn’t you?? You might want to consider going back to band”. OMG how traumatic. So the next Monday mom and I went into the office, and by last period there I was sitting 3rd seat, 3rd row clarinet.
We did not see a lot of art this trip – So I will throw in a few pictures that I have loved over the years.
Stay tuned for next blog = D-Day 65 years later

Part one of this year's European Tour

2009-06-20T05:48:00.001-07:00

Architecture
or the trauma of Popsicle sticks

As many of you have noted over the years my blogs tend to focus on art and architecture or sculpture. They are my loves in life – as with many of you our loves are also our secret inabilities.
Growing up I loved looking at buildings, the more unique the better. Always asking the “how” or “why” of the architect. These were the hidden dreams of a little girl traumatized by the popsicle stick..
I bet you all remember Vacation Bible School or Girl Scout Camp - a time of joy and sharing. I had fun, learned a little but mostly had fun – until the Popsicle Lady showed up and fear emerged in me like Mt. Vesuvius getting ready to explode. Why – because she was always “perky” and said “Now children today we are going to take these sticks and you are going to build a church” Ok…… Now I have said how much I loved architecture what I did not say was that getting a concept from my brain to my hands – well lets just say that connection was never made in the womb. So here I sat – looking at dozens of sticks, glue, and felt……. well after hours of trying the best I could do was make a very large star. Not exactly the church the teacher wanted I would go home defeated – why could other kids glue sticks and make reindeers, or houses and I could not……
But architecture remained in my eye, and even today; as you will see with my pictures; I still love to look at the lines, the design, the vision of the architect and hey – give them credit - apparently they knew what to do with the popsicle sticks.

Stay tuned for more pictures from London and tomorrows blog: Art truama and the Clarinet

2009-04-24T20:05:00.000-07:00

Sunsets are often seen as the end of something, but what if the sunset was the beginning. The beginning of a new time, of a time of peace, tranquility, a moment frozen when we can take that one big sigh as if to say “all is well”.

There is a moment when the sky is lit with a luminance that challenges the mind to identify the colors – are they real, can they be duplicated, would they have taste? Is a sunset a commitment from God that there will be a tomorrow? Is a sunset a place in our minds that reminds us of that time in our lives when we laughed and loved and smiled. Are sunsets that passion that dances in our souls within the human body and arouses our senses? Or are sunsets just empty signs that the earth has moved?
To me………..sunsets are much more than just that random movement of the planets and weather fronts and ozone layers. A sunset reminds me that while there is so much ugliness in the world, I need not worry for the father has laid down a beautiful resting place for me that soothes, excites, will enhance my senses, and give me peace.

Tulsa, Oklahoma March 28, 2009

2009-03-28T18:16:00.000-07:00

I know there is a famous quote out there somewhere about Oklahoma weather. That if you don't like the weather just wait 30 minutes and it will change. That is just so true about our weather. Yesterday we had tornado warnings in the eastern part of the state blizzard conditions in the western half of the state. Even here in the Tulsa area we had severe thunderstorms and 30-40 mile an hour winds. Flooding became a concern in most areas.

Over night a cold front from Colorado came through and this morning we woke to a beautiful snow storm. The snow continued from 9am to almost 6pm. Some areas got up to 9 inches of snow those of us north of Tulsa got between 5-9 inches. It is beautiful, wet and big which means that it is going to be a mess for several days. Tomorrow the weather - 60 and sunny. By the middle of the week we will be back around 70 degrees. I can't wait!!!!!!

2008-08-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

18 million cracks

or How to teach women’s roles to young girls

There certainly has been a buzz all week about women – breaking through the glass ceiling. I was fortunate enough to hear Hillary Clinton’s message that while she did not win the nomination of her party she and 18 million others had put cracks in the proverbial male/society created glass ceiling. Then on Friday I sat in my classroom and watch as Gov. Sarah Palin continued that sentiment by saying that while Clinton cracked the ceiling, she was there to finish the job. Two women, one week, one goal………….
Some praised McCain for his choice; some said it was a disaster. Some loved that Hillary was the first to truly jump on the bandwagon to lead our nation; some said it was a disaster. So where exactly do women fit into society?

As a history teacher, in each chapter that I teach there is always the section on “the family” or the “role of the woman” and credit given to the females in my class I always have them asking “Why were women treated like that?” And I have to remind them that finding a woman’s role in society or even within the family is often a difficult task. There are barriers to what a woman can do within each race, religion, section of the world, and even among women. I remember how Hillary Clinton got slapped down when she gave that speech about “stay at home women and how they could make cookies” or something like that. Not all women want to rule the world, not all women want to stay home, not all women want to be the head of the family or leader of a nation, not all women want to be subservient – so even though we look to man and ask “why can’t we” we have to look among our sisters and ask “Who are we”?

This week I taught about the Hindu ritual of the Suttee. A ritual where when the man dies, as he is being cremated it is encouraged that the wife to throw her body onto her husband so that the family sins will be forgiven and they will all be reincarnated into a better caste the next cycle. In India, the most remote parts, they still find it acceptable for the fathers to kill baby girls because they are seen as a financial burden, and yet they accept some women in their politics. So how do we understand a society in India today that – in some regions still practice the Suttee – kill female babies and yet has voted for a female Prime Minister?

Today in China they are facing a huge problem regarding females. Because of China’s rule of one child - thousands of couples have been aborting their female fetuses because of the importance of having the male. In 2004 – you get kindergartens with 45,000 boys and no females. Now China is in the position of having to rethink the societal norms and encourage families to have the females. So how do you say in a communist country that “everyone should be treated equal” - that we are all of one nation without division and yet see their concept of the female?

I don’t even know if I want to go into the realm of religion and the role of women. In some religions women are encouraged to become preachers, ministers, advisors and in others they are to remain – not necessarily subservient, but to understand that the man is the head of the family and that the wife should be obedient to his wishes. I could write 5 blogs on the status of women and religion. But I will leave that for a later time.

So where does the modern female of the 2000’s stand? Is it beside the man, under the man, behind the man, or in front of the man?

I know where the females I know are standing – On a trampoline, jumping up and down and given enough time WE WILL break that glass ceiling My goal, however, is not to break it because of anger, or because we need to “prove” ourselves to mankind; but to break it through compassion and a desire to be better, and to improve our society for not only our daughters, but for all our children.

My favorite women whose leadership I admire the most and who I use as an example in my life:

#1. Golda Meir: First Female Prime Minister of Israel. Negotiate with the United States for additonal weapons during the Yom Kippur War (1973) while making breakfast for her family. Not a beauty but when she spoke her mind it was firm and determined.

#2. Margaret Thatcher: First Female Prime Minister of England. Extremely strong willed and able to stand up to the harshest critic of the English Government. She served England well, and was a great supporter of the United States. She was often refered to as the "Iron Ladyof England".

#3. Queen Elizabeth of England. Married to her country, gave birth to the arts rather than children. Did not back down or show fear towards an emerging King Philip II of Spain. "I may not be a lion, but I am a lion's cub, and I have a lion's heart"

#4. All the females in my life right now.

Be they teachers, wives, mothers, sisters, friends we are

the ones who control our destinies,

we are the ones who will shape the next generation,

we are the ones who will be accountable to

our granddaughters, grandnieces, and others

What will we answer when they say

“What is a glass ceiling”?

2008-07-11T01:31:00.000-07:00

Florence Part II

There are two stories with Florence - the first is the art, the second are the churches. In my previous blog I wrote about all the beautiful art and sculptures there are in Florence, today my focus will be on the two main Churches and the Baptistery of San Giovanni(St. John).

The Duomo di Santa Maria de Fiore: “Our Lady of the Flower”
(The Flower in this case is the Christ Child)
This is probably the most recognizable dome in all the world. It has been in movies, documentaries and has come to symbolize the great achievements of artists Brunelleschi and Michelangelo. Started in 1296 it took 170 years to complete. The Nave was completed in 1418. In 1419 the famous Dome was started by Brunelleschi.
The horizontal and vertical bands of marble are from various regions of Tuscany. The white marble called “Carrara” are from the city in the province of Massa-Carrara in Tuscany. The green is called Prato and the red Siena each also from Tuscany regions.
The outside façade was first designed in 1587, then a new façade, which we see today, was constructed in 1867 -1887.

The bronze doors are dedicated to the “Mother of Christ”
Be sure to notice the cross beams in the ceiling.

The Battistero di San Giovanni (The Baptistery of St. John the Baptist)
As I have commented in several blogs the Catholic faith believed that you had to be baptized before entering the church so they built a beautiful Baptistery across from the Duomo di Santa Maria. The most important part of the building are the Bronze door which were designed around the 14th and 15th century. The first Baptistery on this space was built in early 600’s.
The much larger one we see today was built from 1059 - 1128. The doors are scenes from the life of John the Baptist, and reflect the Baptism of Christ. The doors are referred to as “The gates to Paradise”.

The Basilica di Santa Croce
Built in 1294 by Arnolfo di Cambio - it was consecrated in 1443 by pope Eugene IV. It houses the tombs of both Michelangelo and Galileo. The Neo-gothic façade was added in 1857. It has 16 chapels inside

These are the tombs of Michelangelo and Galileo. The Pope wanted Michelangelo to be buried at St. Peter's Basilica but the people of Florence, as Michelangelo was a Florentine, insisted that his body be returned to Florence. If you click on his tomb the statues have taken a rather funny stance.

2008-07-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

Sunsets

I often wonder about GOD. Is he there, does he care. What proof do we have of his existence? How do we feel his love? Is it as the Deist believed – that GOD is seen as this watchmaker who came to earth and set things in motion and then left?
I know there are a lot of people in this world today who are suffering, in all areas of their lives, emotional, mental, physical, economical, and social are they looking for the answers from man or from GOD??
For me GOD is simply a feeling of peace that comes over me when I think his name. There is that silence that comes into my heart that helps me to know that he is near – maybe not even a silence but more like calm.

For me GOD is in the sunset. I love sunsets. It is the time of day when all is done, and we can sit back in awe and know that this was a day GOD meant for us to have. What did we do with it? Did we make someone happy, did we spread a kind word, and were we the people he set out for us to be.
If sunsets could have a sound I would imagine some of them with the quiet hum of nature and others with the gentle giggle of an innocent child.

The colors of sunset can be as vibrant and exciting as an adrenaline rush, while others can be the warming gentle breeze of a hammock on a warm summer eve. Sunsets are not just for summer. Take time this year to watch the winter sunsets. They can be as beautiful and warming.
I was sitting here wondering where all this love of sunsets comes from when it hit me like a ton of bricks – my mother. I can remember ALL of the pictures she took of sunsets. She had a 35 mm camera and would stand on my front porch and snap shot after shot of sunsets.

God created our world from the smallest creation to the grandest of all messages –
“I am here…. I am with you….. I love you”.
Look to the sunset the next time you feel alone and see the life that is there, the quiet that is there and the knowledge that with the sunset, comes the morning.

2008-07-05T00:02:00.000-07:00

I am proud to be an American

Today is a special day for me – the celebration of a ragtag group of Americans, under the rule of King George III, who took it upon themselves (the arrogance of them) to say “We wish to make the following declarations”. If you really look at the Declaration of Independence, beyond the preamble, you will find that it is a basic statement of complaints. We find that the king did this, or that England did that – 27 of the 32 paragraphs deal with complaints. But what were we really trying to say. Basically = we are old enough to be on our own. Scary thought given the climate of the late 1700’s. But they were willing to sacrifice everything they had = to obtain the simple concept that when decisions are made then everyone should have representation in that decision. The Revolution came on the heels of the Enlightenment period in Europe and, believe me I teach how terrified each of the monarchs was because of what was going on in “those Colonies”.
Think about it – those 13 colonies flatly said to one of the most powerful nations in the world at that time “we don’t need no stinking king”. Granted the English did not take it all that well, I mean after all they did send ships, and soldiers to “put us in our place”. But sometimes you can destroy the strongest ship by simply removing the smallest pieces.

I have taught American Government for the past 18 years. The past few years I have had the pleasure of teaching Advanced Placement United States Government which allows me the ability to really spend time on “What is America”. But for each class my daily statement is “Popular Sovereignty”. What is it and why is it important in your life?

There are 2 things that people in the United States do not always remember.

First Popular Sovereignty: means that the power of the government lies in the hands of the people. The Government literally can not do anything without the people’s permission. Let’s say that Congress writes a law requiring all of us to shave our heads on Tuesdays. WE THE PEOPLE contact our president and have him veto the bill. But lets say he doesn’t – WE THE PEOPLE still have another option – take the bill to the Supreme Court and say it violates our basic principles of freedom of choice to shave or not. Or lets say we want something – all we have to do is contact our representatives and, with a little pressure, we can usually get it done. If not; we always have the power of the vote………… ah…. The power of the vote.

Second – VOTE!!!!! America you do not realize how powerful that simple act of punching a button, pulling a cord, or yes Florida even punching a hole, has on the life we live today. I preach and preach to my students how important voting it. It is the act of choosing your representative on the local, state and federal level. It is also the ONLY TRUE RIGHT TO PRIVACY you have as Americans. The government can find out 99.9% of what you do with your life, and they can control about 75% of your life through federal regulations BUT…….. they can not regulate, or find out how you voted! Think about the last time you went to vote – you sign it (but it doesn’t say how you voted), you get a ballot (but there is no record of which ballot is yours), and you go into a secluded voting both or slot to mark your ballot. I have never understood people who then walk out and tell the news media how they voted. Why would you discount your one true right to privacy??? No where in the Constitution does it say you have a right to privacy, but you have to believe in your heart that the ACT of VOTING is the one right to privacy that the founding fathers gave you without having to tie it down with regulation and bylaws, and all the government double speak. It is a simple, pure right. VOTE!!!!!

Lord, we have a number of problems in our nation today. Left, right, straight, gay, 1st amendment advocate, anti everything, civil rights civil liberties, the rights of the one outweighing the rights of the many. I think we have lost who and what we are. It’s like we need a NATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBERING who, what and why we are. What was it that made us great, that keeps us great, that offers the next generation hope. There are days when I want to go into class and say “Students I can not find one thing I like about our country today”……but then I remember – It was because of men like Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Richard Henry Lee with 52 other brave men that I HAVE a classroom to teach in – THAT I HAVE the right to wake up and say “I Love the United States, but today I may not like it”. THAT I HAVE the right to redress my government without the fear that someone will break down my door and throw me in prison.

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA~~~~~

May GOD and the people of this nation

take a moment to look around and smile……

to say – thank you forefathers – ya done good.

Here’s to the neighborhood parade, hamburgers,

hot dogs, potato salad and watermelon.

GOD BLESS and Keep the Faith America!!!!!

Remember to take time to pray for our men and women overseas. May they stay safe and return to us soon.

Florence Part I

2008-07-02T18:37:00.000-07:00

Today’s blog is Florence (the first of two). You can go back to 2007 and see my writings on previous trips to Florence. I was thinking about what I could put in new that would make Florence more interesting but decided that after 4 trips to Florence it still comes down to the two famous churches in the town and two specific statues that just blow me away.

When you arrive in Florence the first thing that catches your eye is the beauty and calm of the Arno River. But don’t let that fool you – it has on occasion flooded Florence, the last being 1966. There are several bridges or Ponte that cross the river. The most famous is the Ponte Vecchio (old bridge) which was the one remaining bridge that the Germans did not destroy during WWII. The outside of the buildings on the bridge are reminiscent of the Middle Ages but in reality the inside of those building are used for storage from the many shops you find on either side of the river.

One of my many favorite stops is the Loggia Della Signoria – built around the end of the 13th century. It houses many famous statues. The first statue is that of Perseus holding the head of Medusa. It served many purposes – to warn enemies of Florence of what they were capable of doing, and it also served as a symbolic recognition by the Medici family as to their desire to split with the other Italian Republics.

The second statue has a little history to it – Neptune Il Biancone (wasted Marble). Often times the Florentines refer to this statue as the “ugly white thing”. It was built by Bartolomeo Ammannati and the people would say……..
“Ammannato, Ammannato,
quanto marmohai sciupato!
(you've ruined so much of marble!)”
It has suffered much humiliation – being used as a washbasin to being damaged during war. It was restored in 2007 after vandals destroyed part of the arm in 2005.

As a tribute to the Medici family, wealthy patrons of artists, a bronze statue was made of Cosimo De Medici. Cosimo ruled Florence from 1537 (age 17) to 1574. He was crowned the first Grand Duke of Tuscany. He had 14 legitimate children and 3 illegitimate. He was a very strong and powerful ruler.

The fourth statue has a little more history to it. The story was written by Livy and then adapted to sculpture. It is called the Rape of the Sabine Women. But it is important for you to understand that the word Rape back during this time period really meant -the Abduction or kidnapping- of the women. History according to Livy stated that the Roman men needed wives. They asked the Sabine fathers for their daughters. When the fathers refused they arranged a dinner for the Sabine to celebrate the festival of Neptune. Once there the Romans stole or kidnapped the women and forced them into marriage. These women were given rights and were treated very well. As the Sabine fathers decided to go to war with the new Roman husbands it was up to the women to run to the battle field and bring peace between father and son-in-law.
What makes this statue so unique is that it is made of ONE piece of marble. You have to look at it several times to understand the complexity of sculpting marble to make it appear that there are several different people before you. The designer went through 5 different mock ups before he felt comfortable enough to start with the actual marble. I find myself standing in awe at the way he chiseled the marble to make the pieces seem apart and yet bonded by history.

The remaining statues are of famous people in Italian history. This works well in my classroom as the students get to have that “visual” where they can see what the person looks like. We have the traditional people Michelangelo, Machiavelli, and DaVince, Donatello but my favorite Francesco Petrarch.

Francesco was one of the founders of Humanism –a new way of thought during the Renaissance. He has a famous quote that goes something like this: “Nothing weighs less than a pen, and nothing gives as much pleasure”. I require my students to think about the power of the pen, or these days, the power of the keyboard. We can write I hate you and have a horrible effect on people, or in the same matter we can write I love you and have the most profound effect on people. Think about the quote – what is your interpretation????

(Petrarch was found dead July 1374 in his library, his head resting on an open book, his pen fallen from his hand.)

The Island of Capri

2008-06-25T11:22:00.000-07:00

Ahh....... the Island of Capri

From Sorrento we traveled to Naples where we caught a ferry ship to Capri. Once in Capri we got on a very small power boat for our cruise around the island. There are spectacular views of the cliffs surrounding Capri as well as the water. If nothing else it was worth it just to see the beautiful clear and I mean clear waters. I hope that you will take the time to click on the pictures so you can get a greater view of the water. As we were traveling the guide pointed out some interesting facts about Capri and the surrounding areas. But I admit I was more taken with the water than anything she was saying so this blog will be short on history… The water is so clear you can see the floresant coral under water.

(for my love affair with water see my blog from last year “Are we of water or land”)

One of the unique views was of a rock formation that the people of Capri have deemed the Virgin Mary. They believe that the rock formations have taken on the image of the Holy Mother and her followers after Christ’s death.

The rock formations here are called the Faragilione – or the Sea Stacks. These are natural formations that have been weathered over millions of years. The one closest to the mainland is called Stella, the next Mezzo, and the most unique of all is called Scopoto. It is impossible to capture the magnitude of these rocks in picture. You have to be there to truly appreciate the beauty and significance of them.
Once our boat ride was over – one moment – I forgot to tell you that there are so many boats out there making waves that during one eventful period I was drenched by a wake from another boat. So much for looking nice in Capri= I had to suffer with “wet butt” syndrome. Thank goodness it was sunny and hot and I dried quickly.
Ok – so we were on our way to Capri – you have to take a tram up the cliffs to Capri. Once there you walk to the most expensive sections of Capri only to end in one of the most beautiful garden areas I have seen in Italy. These are called the gardens of Emperor Augustus. After taking pictures we were led over to the side of the cliff where you could take pictures of the Marina Piccola below.

Again breathe taking views.

Capri is a beautiful island and I hope that someday you will have an opportunity to see the clear blue waters and the fantastic natural rock formations.

2008-06-19T19:19:00.000-07:00

Sorrento, Italy

What a beautiful place to get refreshed.........
On our way to Capri we stopped off and spent the night in Sorrento. The City overlooks the Bay of Naples, Mt. Vesuvius, and Capri. There is a very very scarry drive to get to Sorrento. It is called Amalfi Drive. As you can see from the pictures Sorrento is beautiful, and what a wonderful way for the kids to relax, swim in the Tyrrhenian Sea (part of the Mediterranean Sea) and catch our breathes before heading off to Capri the next day.

Our hotel is at the base of the cliff on the left side.
First stop after dinner - the water...........
This is the view from several of the hotel rooms.

Sunset - my favorite time. A time to relax, a time to reflect, a time to become one with life.
We move 900 miles a hour through life, there is so much to see, so much to do, and yet we rarely can find the time needed to slow down and ask ourselves - What did I just do, or What did I just see???

Sunsets.............my time to be

Today's Lesson St. Francis of Assisi

2008-06-18T08:02:00.001-07:00

Today’s lesson is over St. Francis – oops I forgot this is not my on-line class… but I believe that every time we have a chance we should Teach as well as opine.
So……… St. Francis founder of the Franciscan Order. He started questioning faith, and eternity after having been captured and tortured for a year during war. After a night of heavy prayer and confusion he heard a voice call him to:
“Go Francis, and repair my house which you see is falling into ruin”.
At first Francis thought that to mean the physical church but later understood it to be the spiritual church that was facing so much corruption and lack of spiritual leadership.
His father did not accept Francis’s desire to give to the poor and had him taken bound and beaten and placed in a closet - where he was later freed by his mother.
“Having therefore been taken before the biship, Francis stripped himself of the very clothes he wore, and gave them to his father, saying:

"Hitherto I have called you my father on earth; henceforth I desire to say only "Oour Father who art in Heaven"

" Then and there, were solemnized the Gospel of the day told how the disciples of Christ were to possess neither gold nor silver, nor scrip for their journey, nor two coats, nor shoes, nor a staff, and that they were to exhort sinners to repentance and announce the Kingdom of God. Francis took these words as if spoken directly to him, and so soon as Mass was over threw away the poor fragment left him of the world's goods, his shoes, cloak, pilgrim staff, and empty wallet. At last he had found his vocation. Having obtained a coarse woolen tunic of "beast colour", the dress then worn by the poorest Umbrian peasants, and tied it round him with a knotted rope, Francis went forth at once exhorting the people of the country-side to penance, brotherly love, and peace."

This was an 11th century church that we were told was closed, but later when Stephen and Adriane went up they found it open and snuck in to take some beautiful pictures.

During the Lent of 1212, Clare, a young heiress of Assisi, sought him out, and begged to be allowed to embrace the new manner of life he had founded. Clare at age eighteen, secretly left her father's house and went to the Porziuncola, where the Friars met her in procession. Then Francis, having cut off her hair, clothed her in the Minorite habit and thus received her to a life of poverty penance and seclusion. Clare stayed provisionally with some Benedictine nuns near Assisi . There is still today a small convent that works out of the Chapel of Sta. Clare – they remain sequestered from the outside world and serve in prayer and devotion.

When you walk into Assisi there are several archways each indicating a century. The first is the 11th century. All the houses and buildings in that section are the same way they were in the 11th century. You can do anything you want to the inside – internet, plasma TV – but the outside must never be changed.

This is the view from our Hotel room window...... absolutely breath taking views. It was truly spiritual even for those of us that are not Catholic.

(Quotes for today's lesson came from the Catholic Encyclopedia)

Leaning Tower of Pisa

2008-06-17T08:17:00.000-07:00

Leaning tower of Pisa, fact or fiction???
Well of course the tower is leaning – it’s either that or we are all daft in the head. But how much is it leaning and will it ever drop?? Well those are the questions we leave to the experts -which by the way say at the current rate it will not really drop until 2110 or something like that – so for today it was a safe trip to take.
As you know from my other blog I was concerned that Italy might be to boring for me after so many trips, and I was searching for something more – well I found it in several unlikely places – the first being Pisa, which I will write about today, Assisi which comes tomorrow, and Sorrento which will round out the week.
Pisa was an “optional” tour which is a kind way of saying it cost extra – and there was a time when I really debated on whether or not I wanted to spend extra money to see a leaning tower. WELL……… was I ever glad that I went. You see Pisa is a lot more than just a leaning tower. There is the baptistery, the cathedral and the amazing love the people have for their town and their special place they believe has been blessed. Our guide could not be more passionate about “his” town and the beauty and history it places in the world. After all it has been written and discussed that it was Here that Galileo made his discovery that objects fall at the same speed

When you go to Pisa the first place you have to go to is the Baptistery. It was the belief that you could not enter the church until you were “Cleansed or baptized” so they built the Baptistery- you were baptized then went into the cathedral. The Baptistery is an eight-sided shape building. The most unique thing about the building, and the one thing that absolutely caused the hair on my arm to stand up, was when this young man came in and made a single note sound, as it traveled around the room he then added another vocal note an octave higher then another and the echo was so defined that within seconds he was harmonizing with himself. It was absolutely amazing. Something I could have sat and listened to for hours.

Pisa is a beautiful little town with only three credits to its fame. A place to be baptized, a place to worship, and a bell tower that is leaning. But to the people of Pisa it is their gift to, and from, God. It is a special blessing that thanks to the people of Pisa we get to share.......

ROME AT NIGHT

2008-06-16T07:23:00.000-07:00

This year marks my 4th trip to Europe with students and parents. It is also my 4th trip to Rome and while many of you dream of someday going to Rome, I was concerned that something so beautiful and historic might simply become “just another ruin”. So I prayed that I might find something “new” something that would peak my interest and believe me I found it. ROME AT NIGHT………… We live in a world that although we see in dimensions, is often so routine that we forget to really look at life in a different perspective. As I said I have seen Rome from really just one perspective, the daylight when all the imperfections, age, and rush of the city can be seen. So to see it at night, with the lights flooding the area to enhance the shadows, the beauty of the architects design was a great find. Our tour guide Arnaldo decided on the tour as a last minute event. We had to get permission from the bus company, had to authorize our driver to get overtime, (and to use the extra fuel) and each of us had to put in 15 Euros (about $25.00) and agree to a very late 3 hour trip. But when would we ever get another chance to see Rome at night.
Our driver Dino was fantastic. He risked life and limb (ok – bus and tickets) to drive as slowly as he could around all the landmarks – the occasional honk from an irate Italian would spur us to move on – but there were a few times when I felt the bus “pause” long enough for us to try to take some pictures. We also saw places that were not on the regular tour – like the Presidents residence etc. I have included in this blog the two views of several of the sights I hope that you will take some time and look at the “Day and Night” views. More blogs about our trip are coming so stay tuned.
IF YOU CLICK ON A PICTURE IT GOES FULL SCREEN SO YOU CAN SEE IT BETTER.

St. Peter's Basilica

T

Trevi Fountain

The Colosseum

2008-03-27T19:50:00.000-07:00

Dads,
DNA, and
Baseball

Christmas, Anniversary and birthday all rolled into one - you guessed it - it is TIME FOR BASEBALL~~~~~~~
Am I in hog heaven or what. For the past few weeks baseball has been more like freezeball. Never has my face been so cold or my rear end so frozen, but today...........ah today........ the sun was out, the heat was on (87 degrees), and there I sat with my sunflower seeds and water..
(If you are not quite understanding why my zeal for baseball, click on the right hand side under archives for 2007, then go to July 31, 2007 to see the love of baseball.)

I have often wondered if maybe the scientists stopped to early when they discovered the DNA module, and now the markers on those DNA strands because I believe that they just might have missed the most important stand of all - those particular loves that come from your parents. After all why would I be obsessed with crossword puzzles, or love sports, or love baseball. My love of words comes from my mother, my love of sports comes from my father. Baseball has become my therapy.

My father was the typical great dad; he loved baseball, he even was that Little League coach that when all the other fathers were to busy, my dad stepped up and coached for many years. I think that is why my brother has carried the torch and coaches for his sons, and maybe (again I believe it is in the DNA) his sons -or his daughter- will carry on the torch and coach the next generations.

I have to tell you a funny story about my mom, as many of you know she recently passed away from Alzheimer's, but her humor never left. Even as it was getting worse, she would call and say how she loved baseball because she could forget she was watching it, sleep and when she woke up it would still be on TV and the score would be just about the same....... ha ha ha

Baseball has a fluidity - a flow - I know I mention water a lot and the peace that comes from a still lake or pond - the almost glassy look of perfect quiet. Sometimes when a pitcher throws the ball there is that moment of stillness when the body is in perfect form and flow. The silence of the ball as it leaves the hand, the motion of the spin, the sound as it hits the catchers glove and the roar of the umpire "s t r i k e 3"........

Baseball is suppose to be slow, it was designed as a summer afternoon event that you brought your family to watch as you sat out on the lawn and had a picnic. It was never intended to be a billion dollar business where players take enhancing drugs and get paid mega millions. As I watch so much of the dirty muck that goes on day after day about who is dirty and who is clean I find myself wanting to slap them silly and say "enough" no more salary, no outrageous ticket costs, lay a blanket down, eat fried chicken and bring on the the guys that play because they LOVE the game.

I wonder if what I am really saying is "bring back the family"...........

This season my "happiness cup" runeth over........... I have two teams that I am watching with particular enjoyment. I have 2 families. My natural family - Nephew Josh playing for Creighton Prep in Omaha,

and my school players: Denton, Bobby, Byron, Sean, Josh, and Logan.

Each of these young men bring that innocence to baseball, that fun element, as baseball should be. they are the excitement of what the future of baseball can and should be.

So here's to both teams - may they win their state championships, may they NEVER loose the love for the game, and may they always remember:

" We flow like water, there may be twigs to block our flow,

but it is what is under the top ripple of water that

defines the strength and direction of the river."

2008-02-11T21:03:00.000-08:00

End of an Era

There are times in history when the pundits say "this marks the end of an era" and for the most part they are correct. But what happens when it is a personal "end". Several things have happened lately in the small town where I teach. There has been name calling, hateful websites constructed to demean and destroy people, but there was always the sense that "tomorrow" things would get back on track - people would heal- and I would get up and do the same thing I have been doing for the past 18 years - after all isn't that what we say about all run-away trains..............Eighteen years ago I was a naive young teacher starting her first day at a new school. I decided late in life to change my career and teach - I believe that teaching is actually embedded in our DNA - no matter how hard we try to ignore it pushes its way into our hearts.

End Number 1
After interviewing with Mr Hammack I was interviewed by Mr. Jerry Burd. I liked him - he sounded positive and encouraging. Little did I know that a few years later he would become my superintendent - and I would become the SEA (teachers union) president. I can not tell you what a wonderful relationship we had - his door was ALWAYS open - I can not remember one time when I went to his office that he did not stop what he was doing and spent some time with me - discussing issues (even to this day we laugh about the "tennis shoe" issue). He truly loved the school, the school district, and most of all he loved the kids. EVERYTHING he did was basically to help make it easier for the students to achieve. There have literally been dozens of "new" ideas for teaching and Mr. Burd had us explore them all.
We found out that Mr. Burd has decided that enough is enough and has opted to retire effective this June. How sad that the "End of an Era" has to be so painful. I am sure that those who had this hidden agenda had a party while the majority of us felt a deep sense of loss - sadness- and a questioning about how a school district that has raised test scores, that has a wonderful sense of family, can loose a leader like Mr. Burd.We will survive, after all, it is a school and educating our young will continue - but there will be that sense that something is gone.

End Number 2

The second piece of news came as a total shock! I remember when my friend called me and said “Mr. Smith has resigned”. I just stood in the kitchen and kept repeating “I can’t believe it, I don’t know what to say”. Finally I said I would have to call her back because all I kept saying was “I can’t believe it”. This man was the School Board President.
He has been there forever. I can tell you the first time I met the man and what his message was to the teachers that morning. He inspired us to be the best teachers we could be. He promised us he would work with passion to get us the things we needed to be successful in the class. Even as I write this I can not find the words to express how much this man has meant to the school, the teachers but most importantly to the students.
Do you realize that we have one of the best school districts in Northeastern Oklahoma?? Do you realize that we have over 50 smartboards in the classrooms, while Tulsa teachers are just praying for computers? We have computer labs and testing that some school districts will not see in ten years. We are so cutting edge in some of our technology that other schools come to us for training. ALL OF THIS comes from a school board that had FAITH in our teachers, and had a DESIRE to see our students succeed.
He will be so missed. I wish him all the best, all the love that he inspired in our students, and all the happiness and peace that comes with knowing that YOU were HERE for a reason, a purpose and you have succeed in the plan that God had set for you.
Good bye and God Bless

Mr. Burd, and Mr. Smith

(the train is still out of control……..)

"The Glory of Sonic Ice or How I miss Mom and Dad"

2008-01-13T07:28:00.000-08:00

I know it’s been a while since I updated my blog – but given the ice storm, the clean-up, the holidays and other minor crises of life I think I can be forgiven. Today’s blog is dedicated to the wonders of “Sonic Ice or missing Mom and Dad”

You see, there is a stomach virus going around that is absolutely horrible by any standards. Nausea seems to be the worse part of the virus. After frequent bouts of throwing up everything including your toe nails, the feeling does not simply go away. It hangs on and on until you feel you are loosing your mind. And of course everyone has a horror story to share about how many times they have thrown up – 9, 15, and 37 times in one day. All making the newly infected person all the more afraid of what is about to happen.

Mike’s bout with this virus started last Monday. He had worked Sunday night; everything was fine, woke up Monday morning and began throwing up. This continued until Tuesday, but even today he is still plagued by the nausea. I prayed and prayed to God for anything but the throwing up, I offered my body up for any other illness out there to take its place. You see in our family we are not afraid of natural disasters, fire, or even death to some degree but when it comes to throwing up we are terrified. So I fought everyday, took vitamins, stayed the positive thinker, continued my prayers, and took care of mike as a good wife should………. But on Friday morning at 2:10 am my body succumbed to the horrible virus and I found myself in the bathroom following the path that so far family, friends and students have taken. But I feel lucky in that my bout was minor in comparison to the other stories I have heard. My time in the bathroom was limited to only 4 “events”. But the nausea has continued.

The only cure on the market at this time – Sonic Ice. Now you might be wondering why Sonic Ice – well it comes in small small chunks – the kind you love to munch on after you finish your drink. They fit either a small spoon or can easily be picked up by your fingers. (We buy it by the large bag, bring it home and section it off into large zip-lock bags. That way we don’t get the clumps of ice that come with normal bags.) Just the idea of food in the stomach is enough to cause one to run to the bathroom, but ice works out fine. It is cold, wet, refreshing, and can melt without using any muscles. It is what you need to replenish the body.

I can remember as a small girl my dad bringing in glasses of chopped ice trying to make us understand why we need to eat all that ice – “it will make you feel better and when you throw it up it won’t hurt as much” I can remember him saying to me one horrible day. So I ate the ice and have done so ever since when faced with the nausea.
Mom’s cure was an immediate bowl of chicken soup – I can’t figure out if it really is the broth or the salt in the broth that really cures the person, but to this day I also reach for the chicken soup when sick. Since Friday morning I have consumed 5 saltine crackers, 2 pieces of dry toast, and 2 cups of broth.

Today I am going to try and guilt someone into bringing a chicken and putting it on my front porch for me to cook and make some more chicken soup. To have a chicken brewing, a gallon of water, salt, a few veggies, a few Jewish phrases and a blessing or two and I should be better within the day.
I am 54, sick and still wishing for dad’s chopped ice, and mom’s chicken soup. But will settle for the love of my husband, the prayers of my family, the blessings of the Lord, and Sonic Ice.

2007-11-04T07:31:00.000-08:00

I am woman, hear me roar In numbers too big to ignore

And I know too much to go back an' pretend

'cause I've heard it all before

And I've been down there on the floor

No one's evergonna keep me down again

CHORUS

Oh yes I am wise But it's wisdom born of pain

Yes, I've paid the price But look how much I gained

If I have to, I can do anything

I am strong (strong)

I am invincible (invincible)

I am woman

In the last blog I wrote about boys and their dads. In this weeks blog I think I will focus on the girls, their mothers - and of course the mothers to our boys. You see girls tend not to get as much attention in the High School years as boys. Let’s face it – on the news Friday night it’s all about the boys, but where do the girls get attention.

Well it‘s up to the mom’s of this world to let the girls know how valuable they are not only to the family but to society as well. We can go back in history to the early English scientific observatory where women were not allowed to “publish” their conclusions, to Germany where Maria Winkelmann had to “play” assistant to her husband while making discoveries including a comet she discovered in 1702 - even after his death she was only allowed to continue her research by posing as an assistant to her son. But it is through the continued works by women like Margaret Cavendish and her books that young girls of the 1700-1800’s were introduced to the possibilities of science and math and a life outside the realms of labor and home.

Even as far back as the 1970’s girls graduating high school were pretty much granted four professions, teaching, nursing, secretary or homemaker. Now I do not mean to demean any of those professions, I am just saying it would have been nice to know I could have been a rocket scientist (ok those of you that know me and my math skills stop laughing).

For my senior girls – the world is open to you – you have so many opportunities available, so many options as to where your life can take you. Never settle for anything less than what you want. Never let anyone tell you “you can’t do it”. You have the strength, resourcefulness, and power to be whatever you want. You are women, let the world hear you roar…………

Senior girls that were involved in Volleyball, Softball, band and football and their parents celebrate Senior Night 10/26/07

Mothers and daughters,
Fathers and daughters.
The evidence that God has decided that perhaps the world does deserve another generation........

Every year on Senior Night the mother's get together
and perform a special dance for their sons and daughters. This year was terrific!!! Here's to all the mothers - those strong women who will spend the next few months fighting back tears of saddness that their child is leaving, mixed with tears of joy and accomplishment seeing how their hard work has paid off. Yes you are wise, and its wisdom filled with pain, and yes you paid the price but LOOK how much you gained - you were strong, you are strong and this generation of seniors thanks you!!!!!!!!

2007-10-27T13:52:00.000-07:00

Life Passages
There are certain events in our lives when we find ourselves going from one stage to another. When people ask why I teach high School, specifically Seniors, I always reply that I love watching them pass from one stage in life to the next. This year is no exception as I have watched them enter into the “last” of their school year activities:
The last homecoming,
the last float,
the last home football game.

So for this week I am dedicating this site to my students who on Friday night celebrated “Senior Night” with their parents at the last home football game. Each picture represents those moments in life that are a toss up between happiness and sadness – the beginning and the end.

I love this picture of the moment when a dad places his arm around a son, a bonding of ideas, memories and a recognition that they are no longer the little boys who brought home frogs, but now young men that are about venture onto life’s field of college, careers and dreams.

So here’s to memories, fun, sadness, the future, friendships, and a realization that although this may be the “last” of something in their lives, it is also the “first” of something new.

Casey and Abbie

Amanda and the girls

Colton and Louie

Lets hear it for the boys

Katie, mom and dad

Jay will always be remembered.

Every few days I will try to update the site with more pictures of seniors and their parents, the game and Senior life.
I hope you enjoy these pictures.
d

Baseball, Family, and Summer

2007-07-31T20:38:00.000-07:00

Ah........... the boys of summer, America's past time, BASEBALL!!!!!!!!!

There is something unique about spending an entire week sitting on a hard bleacher, eating sunflower seeds, and watching your body sizzle from the burning sun, that drives us to say "we love our baseball"..... but we do - day in day out - baseball consumes our lives for over 160 games.
But............ the best game in town is NOT the gazillion dollar paid "pros" . It is the essence of baseball, that vulnerable age where there is no real ego, no "absolute" need to win, no pressure from the parents that drives the kid to early ulcers of stress. The best baseball is in the 13 and younger league. It is the true baseball, pure as it was intended.
Ok - I realize that there are always going to be the overzealous parent who freaks out if their kid doesn't play, or doesn't get the winning out. But what I really mean is the ambiance that is summer baseball.
Heat,
Kids, Baseballs,
parents cheering,
and kids who just love what they are doing.
So why the waxing nostalgia???
I had one the of the best weeks of my life 2 weeks ago when my brother and nephew , Mason, came to Tulsa for the National World Series for the 13 year olds............. Super Series.

Not only did I get to see my brother - who we only get to see about twice a year - we got to watch Mason play ball. We (my sister and I ) were there, morning - 8:00am games, and there at night (10:45pm) when that game started. We were there Sunday through Friday morning................ we were there, cheering, sweating.
There is a peace, a smile that comes over the face when you step out of the scene and just look around and watch the innocence of the world in those kids.

Will any of them go on to the Pros??? don't really know. But what I do know is that there was a lot of love on this team, between the players, the parents, and especially for two Aunts that were just happy to be there.

Venice, Italy

2007-07-19T19:42:00.000-07:00

As we continued on our trip we ventured into Venice. Now I know I will probably make a lot of people mad, but to be honest with you Venice was not my cup of tea. I could have been happy doing a one hour tour of Venice, learned about the history and gone back to the mainland. But...

I did learn about how Venice was built on top of trees that have petrified

under water. It was interesting to see the canals, and to know that there are no cars, no firetrucks, no ambulances - those are all done by boat.

The gondolas were interesting. Several of our students decided to take the ride. It was a little expensive but they wanted the experience.

This next part is a little personal so I hope you will not mind my detour from the "history" of our trip. You see, Tuesday May 29th was a nerve wrecking day for me because my daughter was back in Tulsa, Oklahoma having a C-Section for our second grandson!!!! With a 7 hour time difference only meant that I would have more "daytime" to worry. As I have mentioned before I find it hard to go by a Catholic church without lighting a candle, and for some reason I kept coming back to this church so I went inside and in the picture below you can see the two candles on the left - one for my daughter and one for my new grandson, with prayers that they would have wonderful lives, and be happy in the warm love of Christ.

All went well and I have an absolutely Beautiful Grandson named Jason. The next day I was on the bus heading to Switzerland when I took out some paper and wrote the following note:

" Life is good today. Yesterday I became a grandmother for the

second time to a beautiful Jason Riley.

Today I dipped my toes into the Adriatic Sea, and left

Venice behind. As we traveled north west to Verona we

could see the Alps, snow capped - and on my IPod I listened

to Enya and all of a sudden life was wonderful and peaceful.

My kids are asleep, and my life is fine.

The next song was "String of Pearls" by Glen Miller

- thought of WWII and the American Soldiers that had to

fight their way north from Italy to Germany - 60 years later

we sit on a bus, congested on a freeway knowing our

freedom and the cost our soldiers paid. I hope my

kids are able to appreciate their sacrifice."

Church

2007-07-03T00:27:00.000-07:00

I wonder what my fascination is with the "Church". What is it about the architecture that I find so interesting. My faith is of the the Protestant church and yet I can not walk by a Catholic church in Europe without going in and lighting a candle..........or two......... and admiring all the beautiful artwork and statues. I must admit there is a peace there as well.

These pictures are from churches in Venice Italy, and Lucerne. Switzerland. These two pictures are from Venice Italy. the one to the left is St. Marks Cathedral.

It is believed that when St. Mark died his bones were stolen and brought to Venice where they were placed in safe keeping at a church later named St. Marks Cathedral. The art work in this church is indescribable as it is all in tiny mosaic pieces - mostly gold. All the churches in Venice have the lion with wings - it represents St. Mark. He is the patron saint of Venice.

This is the protestant church in Heidelburg Germany. We did not get to stop and go in, but it was beautiful even from a distance.

The next few pictures are from the Catholic Church in Lucerne. What impressed me the most was the use of Red Marble - everywhere. What also made this experience so unique was that someone was playing this wonderful large organ that just resonated throughout the Church. It was truly a moving experience.

This is the organ that is in the back of the church - absolutely beautiful.

2007-06-26T18:58:00.000-07:00

What a group.......

It finally dawned on me that I have not entered a picture of our group.

Here we are - students, parents and teacher

This is a group picture we had taken at the base of the statue of King Victor Emanuel II of the United Italy. Each day our tour director would take a picture and post it on the Internet for parents so they could see what we were up to that day. They just forgot to tell me to tell them - so I doubt any parents checked the website.

There were some great bonds of friendship that came from this trip. Casey became a friend and helped keep me centered each day. - she has a great personality and is a wonderful young lady.

There is also a picture of her
with Cody H. and several of the others in the background. Cody took over1,000 pictures on this trip.... thank goodness Reasor's is running a 10 cent a picture sale....

Jake and Brittany in front of the statue of King Victor Emanuel the II. in Venice Italy

Here they are at the oldest church in Munich. great looking group of kids..........

Hope they are having a wonderful summer.

2007-06-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

Enough life questions....... how about the trip???

Ok I know I have been a little melancholy about life, love, and the mystery of life so now it is time to get focused again on the purpose of the blog. TO SHOW PICTURES...........

The tour's first stop was in the city of Rotenburg ob do Tauber. This city is located in the Bavarian region of Germany.

The town is actually located on the top of a mount overlooking the Tauber River. It is one of the best examples still remaining in Europe of what a Medieval town would look like.
The name Rotenburg ob de Tauber actually comes from the words "rot = red" and "burg = town". As you can see in the pictures the city gets its name from all of the "red roofs".

The city is famous for two street Koboldzellersteg and Spittalgasse. As you can see the streets are very narrow, but are also beautifully decorated.

The town design was the inspiration for Walt Disney studios when they decided to create the movie "Pinocchio".

If you click on the picture you should be able to see the steeples in the background. They are of the church St. Peter and Paul built in 968.

Are we of water of land???

2007-06-20T20:36:00.000-07:00

Are we of water or land?

There are times in my life when I am troubled by things I hear and see. I find myself wanting to retreat and find solace in vistas that will comfort my soul. But I have trouble deciding: "am I of water or land?" - Will I find the peace I seek on land or on water?

These are difficult times for me and I am thankful that I have these pictures to focus on for inner peace. I know most of you are saying "what about GOD". Well GOD is in my life and does offer me the spiritual peace that I crave; but I am talking about the inner turmoil that comes with being a part of society. The family, the job, the relationship between people = all of those are wonderful, but as you can see by this picture, life can be full of heavy seas.

This is a picture of the Adriatic Sea - we crossed the sea to reach Venice, Italy. The water was a little choppy as this is the only way into Venice and the water traffic was heavy.

What I seek in life is the inner peace that GOD brings to our lives. The sigh that means "all is right with the world Debbie just relax"I can imagine what it must be like to look out over the view of the lake in this picture. Do the owners of the house appreciate the beauty and majestic show of God's power and love? When they go out on the porch do they "sigh"............

Here's to the rough times that bring us strength. They are what make us strong enough to want to get out of bed the next morning. They are the promise that for each rough morning there is also the peace that comes each night.
The picture is from the Rhine Falls, very powerful waterfall in southern Germany. There is a boat that will take you out to the center of the falls and you walk up to a platform to hang over the falls. It must be majestic, and frightening at the same time, as is life..........

"Am I of Land"???????

Some of my happiest memories are of working in Seattle Washington. Every moring driving to work I could see Mt. Rainer. On this trip we went up 7,000 feet to the top of Mt. Pilatus in Switzerland. The VIEW from this mountain is spectacular. There is a peace that comes over the body when the ears no longer hear the rush of life..........

As I get to this picture I am at peace. There is a beauty that surrounds the soul and I hear that all will be just fine. According to God's plan as it was millions of years ago when he created the Alpine mountain range so that we might traverse the long haul to see how truly beautiful and simple life was meant to be...............

Two views of pain and sorrow..........

2007-06-14T21:39:00.000-07:00

There are things in this world that defy explanation. Sometimes its family, sometimes it's emotion, and sometimes it is that feeling that although you were not directly involved you understand the pain and sorrow just by looking at a picture or sculpture. I try not to envy, and yet there are people, sculptors to be specific that I am in awe at what they can accomplish with just a simple stroke of a brush, or nick of the chisel.

There were two events on this trip that showed the beauty, the pain, the sorrow of mankind.

The first is a lion - not just a lion - but a
representation of a group of people who
suffered a horrible loss, and we can see
it in the lion's eye. How unbelievably
talented was that sculptor to know how to
shape, how to caress the pain and
sorrow and express that in a simple eye,
an eye that can say so much to the world.

The eye made me cry, as if it were saying

"I did my best, but I have lost."

Swiss guards were hired to protect French King Louis XVI his wife Marie-Antoinette and their children. When the French mobs attacked the Palace more than 700 Swiss officers and soldiers died trying to protect the royals. The Sculpture was created by Danish artist Bertel Thorvaldson.

It is carved out of a sand stone cliff above the city center of Lucerne, Switzerland.

Dachau Concentration camp Germany

The second sculpture is much more moving, much more of the pain and suffering of man. And yet our eyes are drawn to the simplicity of the sculpture, at first it seems a simple twist of metal, then our brains absorb the shapes and we begin to see the depth of human suffering and pain. We are at first repulsed and our hearts reject what our eyes are seeing, but the brain insists - LOOK, FEEL, REJECT, ACCEPT, REMEMBER...........

2007-06-12T08:05:00.000-07:00

Munich to Innsbruck Austria

Today's trip took us from Munich to Austria.

I have to admit the scenery was absolutely breathtaking.

I hope that you can get a sense of the beauty from my pictures.

Our guide explained that while we call them

the Alps they are in fact the German Alps,

Austrian Alps, Italian Alps, and of course the Swiss Alps.

I have pictures from each area a believe me

they are worth taking a trip to see.

Innsbruck is known for the summer

palace of Marie Theresa, and Mozart memorabilia.

It is an adorable little town nestled

between the mountains. What

a view they must have every morning!

After a short walk, and a visit to a few churches we headed south to Venice for the next stop on our tour.