Inspiration

Reading my brother's blog about his lists for October inspired me. I love to make lists, and I really love checking off the items as they are completed. A list keeps me focused and totally motivated. John thinks that's a bit sick, but I can't help it. I am totally addicted because when I don't make a list, it doesn't get done. I have sticky notes everywhere, the Super Sticky ones, that I write on and then stick, knowing they will stay stuck. Those are the immediate goals. I keep monthly lists in a file on my computer. So now that I'm inspired, here's October.

October, 2010
Family (10+ hours)
o Write to Bradley each Monday night
o Have a date each Friday night with John
o Send birthday cards to Max, Natalie, Isabelle
o Be available to help Barry and Melanie as needed with the new baby

RCDP (2 hours)
o Organize the RCDP booth for the Conyers Olde Town Fall Festival
o Make a RCDP deposit
o Spend 1 hour organizing the RCDP books:
o New checks
o Old check stubs
o Check request forms
o Send Lisa membership information

Church (10 hours)
o Have FHE each Monday
o Choir
o Organize music for next few months
o Write in a harmony part for Children All Over the World
o Go Visiting Teaching
o Read scriptures each day

Dissertation (10 – 15 hours reading; 25 – 30 hours writing)
o Read:
o On Not Being Able to Paint
o Bipolar Expedition
o Opportunity House
o Bitter Milk
o Write
o Record quotes from each book
o Transcribe narrative into new story format
 Week of Oct. 4 – 4 pages
 Week of Oct. 11 – 4 pages
 Week of Oct. 18 – 4 pages
 Week of Oct. 25 – 4 pages
o Write new material
 Week of Oct. 4 – 4 pages
 Week of Oct. 11 – 4 pages
 Week of Oct. 25 – 4 pages

I keep another list at school with my work there. I feel better already since writing out this list!

In addition to my new rings, I had another piece of wonderful news on my birthday. Last January John was hospitalized with a hemorrhage. We filed the insurance and Medicare with the hospital. Usually, between the two, this covers the entire bill and we are left with no payment. In April, we received a bill stating that we owed the hospital $990.00. We had also received a Medicare summary stating that they had not paid, but we owed nothing. In May, when the hospital did not refile the Medicare and we got a phone call about the balance, I began a saga that lasted all summer. I called the hospital billing department. I called Medicare. They explained that the hospital had not filed properly and they needed to either refile the claim or call the Medicare provider line. I called the hospital back to tell them what Medicare said. They said they would not refile the claim – it had been filed once and would just be denied again. AND they said they could not call the provider line. I called Medicare back. They referred me to a supervisor who told me that the hospital had been sent an explanation letter in April and it was not their policy to call the hospital; the hospital would have to call them. So I called the hospital billing department again and conveyed the information Medicare had given me. Again, they refused to call or refile the claim. This continued all summer long, back and forth. I documented every phone call with date, time, and name of person I talked to. In the end, when the bill was going to be sent to collections, I called my Congressman’s office for help with the Medicare end of it, and I received a letter stating that they had opened a file for us with Medicare and would get back to us when it was resolved. In the meantime, we began to make payments in order to keep the account from going to collections. Then school started. My free time greatly diminished and I had not followed through until we received another bill in the mail.



On Monday, Sept. 20, I wrote a letter to the CEO of the hospital and requested that the hospital contact Medicare and that they refund the money we had already paid them since the issue had not been resolved satisfactorily. I included all my documentation, a copy of the Medicare summary, a copy of the bill, and a copy of the letter from our Congressman. I also made copies of everything for the hospital billing department and for the Congressman’s office. On Tuesday, Sept. 21, John mailed the letter to the CEO certified mail and the other two copies regular mail. We figured nothing would come of it, but at least we were following through and moving up the chain of command. Our next step was to call Bill Liss, a consumer advocate for one of the local news stations.



On Thursday, Sept. 23, my birthday, John received a phone call from the CEO’s secretary. It turns out that our letter had uncovered some improprieties that had occurred, and as a result the hospital would be reviewing their entire billing process and we would receive a detailed letter from the CEO next week along with a refund check.



Here’s what really happened:

Medicare paid our bill in April. The billing department was an outside business (it was actually a collection agency though they never reported that) that did work for the hospital. Somehow (from a person inside the hospital billing department?) they got our information , represented themselves as part of the hospital, harassed us by refusing to call Medicare and denying that the hospital ever received any communication from Medicare, and tried to collect what we did not owe.



So my diligence in documenting every conversation was noticed by the CEO and in the end we got the result we wanted. But what if I had not followed through? Someone was pocketing our money and probably many other people as well by trying to tell us Medicare would not pay. Think about the elderly (that does not include us!) who simply don’t have the resources or wherewithal to do the kind of documentation I did. Nonetheless, I was ecstatic that we were getting our money back and that some resolution was achieved! And maybe my experience as a private detective carried out every day in my classroom proved useful in another arena!

New Rings!

So much has happened since I last blogged, now that summer is over and I'm starting to catch up at school (since the first quarter is almost over) I will try to produce some new news. This week particularly has been interesting, but for now, I will start with today!

Yesterday( I'm really starting with today - just hear me out) was my 60th birthday, more on that later, so today we went shopping for my birthday gift. I decided what I really wanted was a new diamond, bigger than my original diamond, in a new setting with a new wedding band too. What occurred took me totally by surprise and was not at all what I had planned out in my head.

After dinner, John and I drove to the jewelry store just to look and start getting some ideas of what I might like. The man helping us showed us a number of rings and was very patient with all my questions. He cleaned my original diamond (it fell out of the setting 15 years ago and has been sitting in my drawer, sealed in an envelope, since then); weighed it, and evaluated it for color and clarity.

Then he brought out a diamond that he thought would be similar in color and clarity but was twice the size. $1665.00. My little diamond it turns out is extremely clear and has only one tiny inclusion. It so outshone the bigger diamond that was supposedly about the same quality!

At this point, my emotions, which had been edging their way in took over. It caught me off guard, that suddenly I did not want a new diamond. I wanted MY diamond, the one that John bought for me 36 1/2 years ago when we were young and thought we were in love - really, we were in love, but now we're REALLY in love. The diamond that was small but that had always been very brilliant and sparkly! And I didn't want a new wedding band either. I wanted MY wedding band; the one that says "Eternally Yours 7-26-1974". My engagement ring, though it could be salvaged even though it was worn so thin, would cost three times as much to reinforce it and stretch it as to buy a new one. So when he brought out the engagement ring, almost identical to my original one, but new and beautiful, I was smitten and giddy! My diamond looked beautiful in the 6 prong setting (my original setting was 4 prongs).

Then, we looked at stretching John's ring to fit his finger. Unfortunately, it couldn't be stretched as much as his needed to be. So he is getting a brand new ring. It looks the same as the original one, except it is more comfortable to wear because it has rounded edges and more gold in it.

Monday, after school, we will drive back to the jewelry store and pick up our "new" rings and once again look the part of a married couple! I guess I need to get a manicure so we can take pictures and I can post them!

Bedroom

Over the last three months I have painted my bedroom, ordered a new bedspread ( a real bedspread that reaches the floor and doesn’t need a bed skirt) found a quilt to fold at the bottom and matching pillow shams.  I love the paint color – when Bradley was scraping the window trim he ran across the color of blue I was looking for.  So I took the chip to my favorite paint store – Cowan Ace Hardware  (their grandfather built our house in 1937 – Conyers old-timers call our house the Cowan house).  Eli Cowan is a master at paint – he was able to color match it perfectly, so now my room has a truly vintage look just because of the paint!  I really like it!  It’s soothing and helps me calm down at night.  Here are a couple of pictures.  I still need to put stuff on the walls.  That will come later.  Oh – and it really needs some throw pillows.  The photos made that very obvious to me!  And, it would be really nice to have a bedroom set.  That’s working its way up on my priorities!

      

My New BFF Store

John hates clothes shopping, and he’s difficult to find clothes that fit well and look nice on him.  Hence, he had been wearing khakis with a white shirt and tie to church for several months.  Finally,  in December it could not be procrastinated any longer.  He desperately needed a suit – his other one, like many of my clothes, had shrunk.  So we started at a discount suit store in Stone Mountain where we had gotten some good deals previously.  Nothing in John’s size.  We tossed around a couple of other ideas, then decided to try Men’s Wearhouse.   I really didn’t think they carried anything in his size, but it was worth a try.  To our pleasant surprise, in less than an hour , we had picked out two suits, three ties, alterations had been measured and we were on our way home.

Last weekend was the annual Rockdale County Democratic Party Gala – a well-attended black-tie affair.  John needed something to wear.  Men’s Wearhouse to the rescue again in less than an hour.  Actually about 30 minutes this time.  We bought a tux shirt with tucks (a little play on words there!) with a silk bow tie and matching cummerbund.  He wore them with his dark suit and it looked great!  Unfortunately, no pictures :(  Maybe next time.

The Purpose of Schooling

This sounds like a really deep topic.  It is and I have divided the conversation into two sections. 

Section #1: Schooling

Section #2: Education

#1 – Schooling and Education are not the same phenomenon.  Schooling at this point in time refers to learning the necessary facts to pass THE TEST.    Monday begins the “purpose of school” – THE TEST.  I wonder if I have taught my students the material they need to know to do well.  I know I have “covered” the information, but have I really taught it to them?  Only THE TEST will tell if they know the facts the state expects them to know.  And only THE TEST will show if I am an effective teacher.

#2 – Education is another story.  I try desperately in my teaching to educate my students while they grasp some level of understanding about the required curriculum.  Education is a life-long pursuit that I hope I have instilled some sort of desire in them to continue to be inquisitive and questioning.  Being educated can not be evaluated on a multiple choice test.  How will the test show that my students really learned about the lack of clean water in African countries and that some of them donated money towards building a well?  It doesn’t ask the question that says, “What responsibility does a student have to examine the underlying meanings of what is included and not included in the text?” 

Well – you get the idea.  Next week is the CRCT test that will tell all!

Downloaded Windows Live Writer

Rebecca showed me windows live writer while we were in Hattiesburg and explained that it was more flexible that blogging directly into blogspot.  So-o-o I am trying it out!  Here are some pictures from Easter:

Natalie trying to open the door to go out!

Melanie’s Dad enjoyed himself!

The HUNT has begun!

A pastel-yellow family affair!

Melanie enjoying the afternoon!

Okay – so now I can blog, insert picture, blog, insert picture, etc.  I see I can add a hyperlink also.  Hm-m-m, I’ll have to think about which link to include.

Now, I better go get the house cleaned for the housekeeper tomorrow!  I’ll add more pictures later.

Definitely, this is easier than blogging straight.

Don't feel like blogging

I have started to blog several times in the last few days, but always end up erasing the few words that I wrote and exiting the program. After trying to write for the last few days, I think I'm all writ (?) up! Actually, what I really mean is I've done all the thinking my brain will allow me to think and I'm just tired. One more day of deep thinking and maybe writing, and then I'm taking the rest of the week off to go play with my grandkids in Mississippi! Maybe Rebecca can help me look for something to wear to a big fancy affair in a couple of weeks.

Start of vacation

Finally, I have a day off - first one since Christmas other than MLK holiday. Three flood and snow days took up the other three days we were supposed to get. BUT, tomorrow is a holiday, the start of Spring Break! I actually arrived at school yesterday in a really happy mood and again today just in anticipation. It is a much needed break which I hope to put to good use writing and visiting grandkids in Mississippi!

Teaching For Social Justice Through the Arts in Social Studies

The Conference on Literacy, Urban Issues, and Social Studies Education (CLUES) held at Georgia State University today turned out to be quite interesting and personal. My colleague, Heather, and I presented this afternoon to a full capacity receptive audience about the role of aethestics and imagination in promoting social justice in our social studies classrooms. Before our presentation, the keynote speaker was Greg Dawson, a reporter who has written a book about his mother's experience during the Holocaust. (http://www.hidinginthespotlight.com/)

He opened his remarks by saying that one of the presentations scheduled for after lunch inspired the focus for his keynote address. He read the title, Teaching For Social Justice Through the Arts in Social Studies, then asked if Doreen Williams was present. Heather and I had worried that no one would come to hear us; now we were really worried! It was rewarding to have our work recognized even before we had presented, but mostly it was just humbling. I had a remarkable conversation with him after our presentation and he signed my copy of his book, thanking me for giving him inspiration. His mother was also there, and she signed the book too! When I spoke with the organizer of the conference after it was over, she invited me to come present again next year. Wow! What an exhilarating day. It's nice to have those speckled in the middle of mostly mundane days. It counteracts the worry of not getting as much writing done as quickly as I would like it to be done.

Two Days of Writing

I took Friday off to work on the revision of my preprospectus, giving me all day Friday and most of today to work. It was worth taking the time - I feel much calmer, and I think I made some good progress on it. Being home Friday also gave me time to talk to Mom in the hospital in California and Arla in the hospital in Texas.

John and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves tonight at the annual NAACP dinner - a fundraiser for scholarships. The keynote speaker was a woman who anchors a CBS Atlanta early morning news show - she was outstanding! I was surprised at how many people I knew there, including many of the local and state elected officials. As a sidenote - I realized at 2:30 this afternoon, I had absolutely nothing to wear, literally (my clothes have all shrunk). I ran out at 3:30, found a couple of different outfits, bought them, brought them home, cut John's hair, took a shower, dressed in the $25.00 outfit added a scarf and jewelry and we got there on time! I'll return the $100 outfit that didn't look as nice! Yea! I love it when everything works perfectly! Too bad it doesn't happen more often.

Southern Tradition

Today we attended the funeral for Melanie's mother in North Augusta, South Carolina. It was lovely and lots of people attended. There is one tradition in the south that I think is extremely touching. When the funeral cortege passes on the way to the cemetery, all the cars coming in the opposite direction stop and wait until everyone has gone by. I remember the first time this happened after we had moved to Pensacola...I couldn't figure out why everyone was stopping. I didn't see or hear a police car, an ambulance or a fire truck. Whoever I was riding with explained the tradition to me. Now there have been times when I have been in a hurry to get someplace and have been irritated that I had to stop and wait. But most of the time, I try to remember that some family has lost a loved one and I can show my respect by stopping for a few minutes.

Now I Know/Response to Dirt Cheap

So now I know that a few folks are reading my blog - of course they're all my family, siblings and children. My husband, your dear father and brother-in-law, has never even turned to my page - honestly, I really think he doesn't even know where to look. Of course, he goes weeks without ever getting on a computer. I can't even imagine.

But, after reading Rebecca's blog tonight on Dollar General and Dirt Cheap, it got me thinking more about an article I read in the AARP magazine. Oops, I just showed my age for anyone who doesn't already know me. Every penny counts and to save money you need to count every penny. As my salary continues to shrink before my eyes, we are reverting to some of our earlier habits before we got a little lacksadaisacal because we had a t-i-i-i-ny surplus each month. For starters, we are trying to plan our menus for the week so we're not running to the store every day - because you spend tons more than you would if you went once a week. We're trying and hoping, again, to refinance the house to lower our payment, which might allow us to pay ahead on it so we can pay it off before we die. We are rethinking my going to California for the conference in May - haven't decided for sure yet, leaning towards going, but a little iffy - because the cost is about 3 times what it was last year at Aspen Grove. (Mom actually thought they were paying my way since I was presenting. Hm-m-m. I think they save that for the keynote speaker...not there yet...) Impulse buying is coming to a halt - I resisted buying all the magazines this week that I wanted to while I was standing in the check-out line, and I borrowed a book from a colleague instead of buying my own copy. We'll be looking for more ways to save in the months to come as the state legislature chops more out of education, including teacher salaries. I'm really not consoled with the phrase, "at least you have a job." The problem is, I'll have a job until I'm 80 because I won't be able to retire, in spite of Dirt Cheap.

Who is really reading?

Daily I read people's blogs or their postings on FB, but I don't often respond to them. I enjoy them, many I am touched by, but if someone has already made a similar comment to my thoughts, I usually won't say anything. Of course, one of the reasons I don't is because it feels like I am having a conversation with myself. If I do comment, and I think this is true for most people, no one usually responds directly to my comment, so I wonder if the person who initially posted is even interested in my responses. I don't know if they even read them. On the other hand, I like knowing what's going on in people's lives and I feel more connected to people through blogs and FB. So I don't intend to stop. I'm just musing. I wonder, is this a stop-gap measure for socializing and conversation since our lives are busy, or is this a real benefit in a hectic, but wired society?

Long, but Pleasant

The Atlanta temple is closed for another 6 - 8+ months for renovations, so the closest temple is Birmingham, AL, 189 miles away. They were overbooked for today when I called for reservations, so we went to Columbia, SC instead - 202 miles away. What is normally a 4 hour commitment, was a 12 hour commitment today. The temple was wonderful, as always. I arrived, participated, and left with a sense of calm and peace. But it was a really, really long day. (It takes 3 1/2 hours to Columbia; 2 3/4 hours to Birmingham) We will definitely go to Birmingham next time, and it probably won't be on a Saturday. Reminds me of the old days when we used to drive from Visalia to Los Angeles which was 3+ hours, or even worse, from Pensacola to Atlanta which was a 6 hour drive one way. We have been so spoiled with a temple 40 minutes from the house; I will be so glad when it opens again!

Freudian Slip?

After reviewing my last two blogs, I notice that I have mentioned in both of them that Bradley had forgotten to take a few things. I wonder what that means...probably that I noticed it because that would totally be me if I were leaving for two years. I can't go for a weekend without forgetting something!

Finally Got Some Pictures Posted

I finally posted a few of the pictures we took at the airport Tuesday morning with Bradley. We have not heard from him yet, but we did get an email from the MTC saying he had checked in, so we assume all is well. Although, when I cleaned his room Saturday, I found numerous items that I wondered if he wasn't supposed to have taken them with him. I tried to help him pack on Monday night before he left, and he didn't want my help. So I left him alone... :)

This week, I have to get down to the business of doctoral work again. My dissertation chair, Marla, says I need to revise my preprospectus. Darn. I've ignored it for a week, but now I really have no excuses. Plus they just raised the tuition a bunch, so I've got to get done or I'll never recoup my costs. Not that you can put a price on an education, because I have learned so many things, but I really would like to make a little more money.

Today was for me

It seems like it's been weeks since I've really had any time to myself, not that everything I've been doing with, and for, others has been unrewarding, because that is not true; however, I enjoyed a fairly carefree day. I spent the morning at the monthly Democratic party meeting - four candidates spoke about their campaigns, but the coolest thing was the last speaker. Barbara Cross was the guest speaker in honor of black history month. Her father was the pastor at the 16th street Baptist Church in Birmingham, and she was best friends with one of the girls that was killed and friends with all of them. One of the things that stood out to me was her admonition to all children to obey their parents and their teachers. She was supposed to go the restroom with her four friends (which is where the dynamite exploded) but her teacher asked her to make a list of students who would be promoting to the next class. Instead of giving excuses or saying she would do it when she got back, she did as asked. It saved her life. Her wallet was recovered from the rubble because her friend had taken it with her.

In the afternoon I cleaned up Bradley's bedroom apartment - a huge mess! But for some reason I enjoyed puttering around in a leisurely manner. I found some things I think he was supposed to take with him. Guess he'll manage!

Then, because the sun was shining and it was some warmer than it has been, I decided to go shopping! I spent four hours moving from store to store, trying on a few clothes, looking for items on sale for the house, just generally enjoying myself! I bought a few things - all good bargains, of course and came home happy. I'm looking forward to Sunday.

The Weeks Go So Quickly

Saturday the weather was spring and I baked all day. Sunday was an open-house for Bradley...lots of fun, lots of people, lots of smiles. Monday Bradley was set apart as a full-time missionary by President Johnson. (His son's last area in his mission was Tumwater, WA.) John, Sylvia, and I went. It was a very nice evening. Tuesday morning John, Barry, and I took Bradley to the airport. Not too many tears. Bradley was anxious to get going. Today Bradley reported to the MTC - we assume he got there, though we haven't heard from anyone! Guess I could call Lloyd's sister and find out how things went taking him. And tomorrow is already Thursday, then Friday, then Saturday again. Where does the time go? And Sunday is already February 28, then Monday is March 1st. Wow.

Wow! What a Saturday!

It's hard to imagine that last Saturday we were dealing with the effects of 5 inches of snow and ice and today it is 60 degrees and sunny! I bought flowers to put on the porch, because even though the grass is still brown and the leaves have not budded yet, we need a little spring with color!

I have finished the shopping, now will continue the baking. Cookies, which I love to bake, are my downfall however, because everytime I pass by the counter with the cooling racks, I do a double check on the quality control aspect. Where is my self-control? Cookie Wednesday, as alluded to by Rebecca, and discussed at length by Amy, absolutely would not work at my house. There would be too many Wednesday binges for me.

Mother/Son Date Night

I wanted to write about school today, but I didn't want to combine it with my date with Bradley tonight, so I'm writing a second post. John took him to lunch earlier this week, and yesterday they drove 190 miles to the Columbia, SC temple and back, so I claimed tonight as my night to spend with my youngest son. We had such a nice time. We ate dinner at Olive Garden, his choice, and I enjoyed the conversation and the food. He still needed two pairs of slacks, so we went to Kohl's and found some that fit nicely and fit the bill (conservative, washable, dryable, etc.) We also got to Sam's to buy supplies for the open house and then we went to Publix to order the fruit tray. While much of the evening was spent doing ordinary things, it was nice to spend the time doing it with Bradley.

We reminisced some - but mostly I felt confident that he has grown and matured emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually and I know he will work hard on his mission. I will miss him, but I wouldn't want him doing anything else at this time in his life. So I won't miss him, because he is where he is supposed to be. But I will miss him because he lights up the room when he comes in. But I won't miss him because I am content with his choice. You get the picture!

TGIF

The teacher who was loaning me a movie to show my students told me yesterday she wasn't finished with it...:(

I had to come up with a new lesson plan this morning. After WEEKS of cold, dreary, gray, snowy, wet weather, and three DAYS of testing, the sun was shining and was supposed to be in the 50s - a heat wave. I really didn't want to be at school, or if I had to be, I wanted to be outside or at the very least, playing at something. Not surprisingly, the kids felt exactly as I did!

Three of my students came in early, asked what we were doing today (of course, they thought it was the movie because that was what I had told them). I told them my new plan. They didn't like it, so they decided to create their own plan for my consideration. I liked it! So I gave every class a choice of my plan or their plan. Quite a few picked my plan, but more picked the girls' plan: a group project of creating a picture book about Apartheid, a really great review of our study of South Africa. The creators of the lesson plan were just as happy as I was! Turned out to be a very pleasant day.

Monday, Monday, So Good To Me (The Mamas and the Papas)

A holiday - and I was teaching school to make up the snow day we had in January:( But when I got home, I painted my bedroom! It is such a beautiful color - it's hard to describe, but when the room gets put back together I will take a picture and post it. The color is actually custom matched to an old chip that came off the trim in the living room. When I saw that color, I knew it was what I wanted for the bedroom, so Eli, my friendly paint man at the neighborhood Ace, was able to match it exactly! Eli's grandfather built the house we live in and he remembers playing in the house when he was a kid. He has some pictures, but I haven't seen them. Next time I'm in the store I'll have to ask him. We live in what's called the "Cowan" house, and the store is Cowan Ace Hardware!

Super Sunday

Sundays are wonderful! Today we went to two sacrament meetings - our ward and then the single's ward because Bradley was the speaker. It is remarkable how much he has developed spiritually in just a relatively short period of time. When I see him I am reminded that patience is a virtue when it comes to parenting. The Lord knows the timetable. We just have to make sure we're not behind or trying to push ahead of His timetable.

Another blessing of Sundays is that it's nice to have a day when all the regular projects can be left behind and time is spent in maybe more meaningful? activities. Teaching primary is fun - playing the piano in primary is really fun! (I like it when the pianist is absent!) Though our choir is small... really, really small...I always come away with an increase of testimony because of the hymns that we practice. I appreciate the support from the few consistent members, which includes John - usually the only bass.

The second Sunday of the month is our multi-generational Family Home Evening, so tonight we played peek-a-boo with Natalie; Barry and Bradley gave John a blessing (he hasn't been able to get his blood sugars back to normal since he was in the hospital); and then Barry and Melanie, Bradley, John and I just talked and visited. It was very low key, but I think we all felt spiritually blessed. (The rest of our multi-generation is in Mississippi this week.) I' m looking forward to this next week, hoping to spend as much time as I can with Bradley and helping him get ready to leave the following week.

Snow in the South - Seventh graders in Heaven

What a beautiful day! The snow started about 1:30 this afternoon. By 2:00, when we finished lunch it was falling pretty heavily, so when we got back to the classroom, I turned the lights out and we just watched the snow fall! They were so cute - 1. They really appreciated that I let them just chill and watch the snow. 2. They were excited because it was snowing! 3. It was a nice way to end the week. I let my next class, which is the last class of the day, do the same thing. This is my rowdy class, so I shared my valentine M&M's with them while we watched the snow. They were especially cute - they loved the M&M's - I made them read them before they could eat them. "Doreen I love u." John gave them to me for Valentine's Day - he ordered them on the internet! So when I told them that my husband had given them to me, even the boys little faces softened and they smiled! It was so sweet and absolutely made my day! Walking out to the car in the snow reminded me of college at BYU - probably the last time I've actually walked while it was snowing significantly. The drive home was slow, but absolutely gorgeous. What a nice way to start the weekend.

Preprospectus Finished

Preprospectus is finished, printed, in the envelope, addressed and sealed for mailing tomorrow (by John who runs so many errands for me.) I thought it was done Saturday, then decided to reread last night one more time. I made some more revisions, then printed all 37 pages....then I realized I had not included the running head (although my head certainly has felt like it was running, and not necessarily in straight lines either). So-o-o after working 3 hours last night, I put in another 3 hours tonight....I decided I better check the references one more time to make sure everything cited in-text was listed in the Reference List and vice-versa. It was not - so I revised again. Then I skimmed the paper one more time and realized it stops abruptly. I did NOT write any more. I called it quits and sent a cover letter stating that I would probably add a chapter at the end tying it all together and discussing areas for further research. Now we'll just wait and see what the feedback is. In the meantime, I'm going to get my presentation ready for Saturday and start writing the first chapter for real. But I think I'll take some time to spend with Bradley this weekend too!

They want me...

So, I learned today that I have been accepted to make two presentations at conferences in the next few months. The first is for the Conference on Literacy, Urban Issues, and Social Studies Education (CLUES) sponsored by Georgia State University along with Atlanta literacy and social studies educators. One of my colleagues is a doctoral student at Georgia State and she asked if I would like to co-present with her, so we wrote a proposal and we're in! That presentation will focus on implementing the arts (film, literature, poetry, visual arts, etc.) in social studies instruction with an emphasis on social justice. Rabbit Proof Fence, a video, will be discussed as part of the presentation - good movie about the Australian government's plan to rid the country of the aborigines through kidnapping and then "educating" (indoctrinating) young girls. The movie actually features one girl's true story of how she and her little sister ran away and found their way home against difficult odds.

The other presentation will be in May for the Mormon Scholars in the Humanities conference in Claremont, California. This is a group sponsored by BYU scholars. They sent me an email saying they would like to hear what I have to say, but could I please rework the presentation some. They gave me two different scenarios of possibilities, so I will be thinking that one through in the next few days!

I'm really thrilled about the opportunities, but then I start to wonder what is wrong with me that I keep adding projects to my life...a topic I've blogged on before. All the while, I am still working on my dissertation - should be ready this week to send in my preprospectus. Then starts the nitty gritty of writing the first three chapters.

The Faith Club

My sister gave me a book for Christmas, "The Faith Club" that I subsequently read in two days because I couldn't put it down. It is the narrative of three women, a Muslim, a Jew, and a Christian, who try to find the commonality among their religions in an effort to understand themselves and the world a little better especially after the 9 -11 attacks. They did not know each other before beginning, and really, they didn't know themselves very well. The think I liked most about the book was that each of them came to recognize how important their faith in God was to them. No one converted each other, that was never the intent. But they did unexpectedly convert themselves to recognizing the power of God and His hand in their lives.

I thought of this book today when we took Bradley, our youngest child, to the temple to receive his endowment before going on a mission to Ogden, Utah. My faith is deep, but the sacredness of the temple deepens even more and reaffirms to me that Heavenly Father is real, yet knows me and loves me. At one point in the session today, I had an overwhelming feeling that Heavenly Father was amused with our family and loves us because of all our quirks. It made me smile and I felt that He was sharing an inside joke with me.

What a wonderful day to have shared with four of our five children (we missed Arla) and their three spouses. Sometimes it's good for just the adults to get together without the children, as cute as they are! We really had a good time at lunch after the session at a very tasty Mexican restaurant.

New Hair

I love going to the salon. The two stylists that work there are both very talented; the salon itself is in an old building in Olde Town which gives it character; and the clients are always interesting to listen to. Tonight the orthopedic surgeon who has often been there at the same time I am. was there again getting his hair cut. He talked about getting a stationary bicycle for his office so he could take 2-3 minutes every few hours to ride...nothing too strenuous, just a little exercise, but not to work up a sweat. He's about my age - mature enough to appreciate moderation in all things! Then there was the woman who had never been to this salon before. She walked out visibly pleased with the results.

Meghan is my stylist. She discussed the new tattoo she wanted to get - a star of David. She's not Jewish. She's married with three kids. The conversation then moved to all the foods she did not like to eat because of taste and especially texture. Her New Year's resolution is to try some new food, but she's not sure what that will be. Amy, the other stylist is trying to decide on new paint colors for the salon. So she and I looked at paint chips - Benjamin Moore, which are my favorite paints - will be interesting to see what she chooses.

I came home with a trim and new highlights and lowlights, totally relaxed, and ready to tackle my life again.

Writing in a Trance

When my head is clear and my brain is calm I can write so much better than when I feel as though I'm forcing every word. My best writing comes when I don't look at the screen, and sometimes not even at the keyboard, but just type what comes into my head. If I do this, it is as though there is flow to what I'm writing and I barely have to think about what is coming, especially when I am trying to create a narrative.

Tonight I revised a proposal for a conference presentation in Claremont, CA in May. Mormon Scholars in the Humanities is having their annual conference and the theme this year is the family and human relationships. So I took a piece of my dissertation writing and proposed an idea, including some of my art work. We'll see what they think!

Natalie

Natalie has come to live with us, of course her mom and dad came along too. But she has finally started to warm up to me. Yesterday when she came into the room where I was working, I turned around, opened up my arms and she ran straight into them for a hug. There is nothing quite like having grandchildren! It makes you remember how sweet your own children were as toddlers and elementary age kids and realize how quickly time passed. But back to Natalie - she and Tinker have a special relationship! Tinker loves to play with Natalie using his toy...he growls at her when she tries to get it, but really he's just in for the fun! And they do have fun!

End of An Era

We just ordered more white shirts, warm hat. gloves. and scarf for Bradley for his mission in Ogden,. Utah. We also created the final checklist of other items to purchase and last minute errands to do (including his H1N1 vaccine). I'm really glad that he is able to go, but John and I will both miss him. He has been such a help to us in the last few months since he moved home - changing high light bulbs, moving heavy stuff, carrying in cases of bottled water, etc. Plus, he's fun to be around, and talk and laugh. And nothing beats watching him grow spiritually and be so happy with his life! There's no other place I'd rather him to be than on a mission teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those who wish to hear about it. Of course, he's the last of the children to go, and there's always something to be said about another "end of an era" milestone. No more missionaries after him, no others to take to the temple for the first time, etc. No more young men and young women to send out and have them come back adult men and women. He will be missed!

Another good writing day. I'm making no predictions when this portion will be finally done, but I certainly will publish it with great hurrah's when it is!

Tired!

A very long day today - I stayed after school to chaperone the 6th grade band concert from 6:30 - 7:45 (the concert didn't last that long, that was just the time I needed to be there.) Instead of going home between, which I sometimes do, I decided to stay at school and write on my preprospectus. I got the revisions made on another chapter, so that's 4 down, 2 more to go. I wanted it all finished by Friday, but I have another meeting tomorrow after school that will put me home late again. Soon, soon, soon though.

What to Say?

During the day I will think about something and say to myself, "Make a note of this. It could make an interesting blog." Um-m-m. The problem is, unless I write it down, I can't remember what it was. And so, although I have had some moments of ideas to write about, I can't remember a single one tonight.

I will comment that so far it has been a great three-day weekend. I wrote, did a little politicking, painted on a couple of new paintings, went to church, had a nice chat with a couple of friends, and had a great time chatting with my family.

On the downside, I dropped my cell phone in the toilet. :( It is now in the oven trying to dry out. I hope I can restore it to health so I don't lose all my contacts. And no, nothing is backed up on the internet. (See previous posting: Technically Unsavvy.)

Mish-mash; Hodge-podge

It is no surprise to anyone that I always have multiple projects going on at the same time. I am currently: teaching full time; writing my dissertation; teaching Primary (7 year olds at church, like Sunday School); choir director at church; an officer in the Democratic Party; slowly redecorating my bedroom; thinking about trying to organize the guest room that has now become a storage room; helping Bradley get ready to leave home for two years to serve a mission in Ogden, Utah; and miscellaneous other things. So-o-o I worked quite a bit on my dissertation outline today. Guess what? It mirrors my life. There is a common thread, mental illness, which weaves through five other distinct topics: psychoanalysis, phenomenology, disability studies, narrative inquiry and aesthetic inquiry, any of which could be an entire dissertation on its own. But now I know how to explain the rationale for my hodge-podge of a paper: it's a mish-mash of my life! (Plus, I think I have found a way to include some of my paintings in my work.)

Note the newly posted photo of the completed bookcases, a testament that I do eventually finish what I start. They only took a year and a half.

Benign

I briefly mentioned that John was in the hospital earlier this week. The short, sanitized version is he had a tumor removed which we found out today was benign, though I'm not sure how any tumor could be called benign since benign means kind or gracious, and this was anything but kind and gracious. With much drama this benign tumor manifested itself causing both John and me some stress and consternation sending him immediately to the hospital last Sunday afternoon. When all was said and done and the surgery was complete, John came home yesterday finally to rest and recuperate. When I walked in the door and he was waiting for me, I finally could let go of the adrenalin that had kept me moving all week between home, school, and the hospital and just collapse. Consequently, no blog yesterday.

Today, after sleeping for ten hours last night and having a very benign day at work, I came home to hear that the doctor had called to announce the benigness of the tumor. So I can blog again. One thing I have learned over the years about myself: if I am worried or upset about something, I tend to worry and be upset alone...alone because no one else knows how I feel because I want to process all the information in my head before I share it. So I'm done with processing and ready for a kind, gracious, benign three-day weekend!

Technologically Unsavvy

Rebecca, the original blogger in the family started this whole network of blogs: Brilliant in the Basics (hers); More Like the Basics (Sylvia), Nothing But the Basics (mine), and then today, Barry's new blog, Why Just the Basics? Here I am thinking what a great idea to blog about my life, share it with my kids and anybody else who might look in on occasion, and I'm learning a new skill.
It seems to be working pretty well, although I can't seem to upload pictures or make my website as intricate as any of the other kids, when Rebecca informs me that it works better to blog in Microsoft Live Writer than to blog on the internet. I don't have a clue what she's talking about. I go to My Programs on my Start menu, and I see nothing about Live Writer. So I am continuing to write on the internet. But my real question is, did she hack into my computer to know what I am using to write my blog? Maybe I'm in over my head....

New idea for my research.

While spending the day at the hospital with John (another story for another time) I read about art-based educational research. It's sort of avant-garde stuff, still finding its way into mainstream doctoral research, but I thought it was great. The gist is that the researcher uses forms of art: visual, poetic, dramatic, literature, dance, etc. to give another perspective, another dimension, another window from which to view the written research. So I spent part of the time sketching what seems to me to be the essence of my personal narrative which forms the foundation of my research. I will muse on it for awhile, but perhaps I'll try to paint these impressions and include them with my written work. I would like that, and I know that my dissertation committee is in to the aesthetic aspects also. Hm-m-m. Food for thought.

Should I Blog?

Two of my daughters have decided to keep a daily blog. They have titled theirs "Brilliant in the Basics" and "More Like the Basics". But really, my life is mostly defined as "Nothing But the Basics". I love the phrase "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." I don't own fancy things: I drive a Toyota Corolla, wear Birkenstocks because they are so comfortable, build, sew, or paint what I need and I truly enjoy that sense of satisfaction. Except for one Stickley sofa, every piece of furniture at my house was either given to me, or bought at a garage sale or Good Will and then refinished.

I've taught middle school for 15 years now; elementary and preschool before that. Nothing gets more basic than teaching! It's all about the basic principles of high expectations, respect, and professionalism. Life-long learning is my passion! Teaching is the great impetus for that.

If I take the time to blog, will I keep working on my dissertation? I am pondering that question. Maybe they will intertwine.