In the last 62 hours I have had 8 hours’ total sleep. I have travelled more than 1000 miles. I have had a puncture at 80mph in the outside lane of a motorway. i have had my roots done. I told you there is Always A Good Thing. No idea where to begin. A long trip for the Office, which I did by car because it’s the fastest way to get about the UK. If you count your time in the numbers of breakfasts and bedtimes missed with small people you cannot go by train or fly. It just takes too bloody long. My colleague drove us back to The City. A very long way from home indeed, there was a loud, horrible clacking noise. Captain Sullenberger steered us across two lanes of traffic to come to a smoking, stinking halt on the hard shoulder. Trucks the size of car ferries whizzed by feet from us. We scrambled up the freezing embankment and took refuge on the side of a gantry for the junction far away. I was in a black linen frock and 3 inch heels. I went back to the car to put out the red triangle. And to burrow in the boot for a pair of sensible shoes.
Wheels sorted and more than two hours added to the trip, we motored back through roadworks, traffic queues, rain, wind and spray. We realised I wasn’t going to make it back home, and I checked into a hotel at 1am this morning. Crashed out, got up again at 5 and headed back. It was 0645 when I drew up outside The House. The lights were on downstairs. The Man was in the kitchen, dressed. He put the kettle on. Son 1 aged 5y 4m and Son 2 aged 2y 4m were upstairs watching telly. “Mummee! Mummeee! I’s coming!” Little Son 2, sweet and smiling. Son 1 not far behind, hanging back, curled up on the stair in his playing-hard-to-get pose. He suddenly sprang up. “Can I look in your bag?” There is always the chance of a present.
I had today off, but still needed to go into The Office. And then a visit to Lifestyle Guru Hairdresser. LGH knows everything. The going rate for the Tooth Fairy (Son 1 thinks he has a wobbly tooth.) Whether I should be compulsively blagging party places for Son 2 for every invitation Son 1 has (she says she blags places for children she has staying with her as well. How to beat the School Run traffic with a secret shortcut. i collected Son 1. At home both boys were exhausted. I dished out presents. ELC fish for Son 2. “I go bed now. I wan’ my barf.” Ben 10 Lego for Son 1. They were in bed and asleep at 1930. I will go up as soon as I can heave myself off this sofa.
On Friday 29th January a recommendation will go before members of Gwynedd County Council Scrutiny Committee (Children & Young People) to abolish thirteen KS2 SEN units across Gwynedd. The report says that the recommendation is being made “in order to ensure the best use of resources”.
Robin Millar, Conservative Candidate for Arfon responded:
“I hope Gwynedd County Council is not looking at this as a cost-cutting exercise. These are the weakest and most vulnerable members of society with no voice of their own. I urge the Scrutiny Committee to recommend that the funding for pupils with special education needs is preserved.”
Papers for the meeting suggest that 87 pupils will be affected. Mr Millar went on to say:
“I know from speaking with Headteachers here in Arfon just how difficult it is to get a pupil into these units. In one case there are ten times as many pupils on the school’s Special Education Register as there were in the Unit. If that is representative, Councillors need to know that almost a thousand pupils across Gwynedd will be affected by the decisions they make.”
[ENDS]
(As Chairman of a Scrutiny Committee for some time now, you get a feel for the papers and agenda items that are coming up. I saw this on the Gwynedd site recently.)
Finding the balance between responding to tragedy and compassion fatigue
It’s been two weeks since the earthquake in Haiti. Images of injured, hungry and homeless people still fill the nightly news. PSA’s, fund-raisers and telethons invite us to keep helping, to keep sending money.
I must confess that last week, I wept over each news report—this week, I have begun to avoid the news altogether.
It is almost too much to watch or think about, especially as we each go about our own daily routines, handling our own daily challenges, even though those challenges may be much less frightening or enduring than those of the people of Haiti. And Haiti is only one place that is full of suffering today.
How should you respond when faced with tragic and overwhelming events? Before you begin to help others:
• Take care yourselves physically. This includes eating nourishing food, getting enough sleep, doing mild exercise.
• Increase the time you spend with family members. Play together. Go for a walk together. Work on a household project together. Take time to appreciate each other with smiles and hugs and words of appreciation.
• Talk with other adults, which will help lessen your feelings of isolation and anxiety. This also provides a “reality check” on your reactions, helping you realize that your feelings are normal. Talking with others also helps bring feelings of helplessness or fear you may be experiencing back to reasonable parameters.
• Spend time with people you enjoy, doing things you enjoy.
• Give yourself permission to be distracted. It is equally important to be kind toward others and tolerant of ways in which their coping needs may differ from yours.
• Avoid real and symbolic tragedy for a while. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the television images, listen to the radio, or avoid news sources altogether. Periodically, you can ask others if there is any significant new information you should know.
• Engage in activities that reaffirm your sense of yourself and others as members of a caring community. Involve yourself in worship and prayer. Join a small group Bible study where you can feel free to explore how God wants us to live with one another.
• Work in a charitable organization within your own community. This can help lessen your feelings of helplessness in the face of so much need.
When you have taken care of yourself physically, emotionally and spiritually, you can then comfort and assist your children:
• Remain alert to the cues children will give about their thoughts and feelings, so that you can provide ongoing support for them.
“Will there be an earthquake here?” “There could be. We should check our plan for what to do and where to go. Having a plan will help us make sure we have emergency supplies, too”. OR “There are usually no earthquakes where we live. But this is a good reminder that we should have an emergency plan and extra supplies for our family. Let’s make a plan now.”
• Remember that it is important to answer the questions children and youth are actually asking and not the ones you think they are asking.
“Who will take care of those children on TV?” “There are lots of people from all over the world who are helping the people in Haiti and they are making sure that every child will have a place to live, just like you have lots of family and friends who would look after you. Let’s make a list of people who would help our family.”
• Most importantly, you can listen to what children and youth have to say, not only in order to minister to them, but in order to learn from them. In crisis situations children will frequently express what others are afraid to say, or will give voice to emotions adults have hidden, even from themselves. Children and youth, as well as adults, are capable of a profound ministry in the face of tragedy.
“If you were in Haiti now, what help would you want? How do you think our family could be ready for an emergency? How do you think our family can help others?”
It is perhaps one of the most difficult things we do, to let go of our fear. However, in our Christian journey, we are reminded over and over, to trust God. That doesn’t mean we will be spared from tragedy. It doesn’t mean our lives will always be serene and simple. It doesn’t even mean we will always have an easy, peaceful feeling. It does mean that no matter what happens, we know that because of our relationship with God and our place in the Body of Christ, the resources will be there to give us comfort, faith and hope and we will get through it.
And when we have arrived at this knowing, we can be God’s truest and most helpful ambassadors to others.
You can read more about how to respond to frightening and overwhelming events in the free LOGOS Ministry resource “Terror and Tragedy: Responding to Our Children and Youth”. Send your email request directly to patjanssen@thelogosministry.org
Friends, family honor victim of brain tumor
By JIM STANTON
Alex Lemons loved baseball and loved riding bikes. He was happiest outdoors, always in search of fun.
Beneath it all was his affection for his family and his close-knit friends. He loved being around them.
Thursday afternoon, those people gathered outside Logan Middle School with only memories of the boy, who died after battling a type of brain tumor that almost never strikes children.
Alex died at age 12 in September — eight months and seven surgeries after hearing the diagnosis.
At the 15-minute ceremony Thursday, a teacher read a poem and a close friend recalled playing baseball with Alex. Classmates sang “The Lemon Song,” a 1962 hit whose lyrics had been revised for Alex.
Asked for a few words, his mother, Colleen, 36, mentioned how caring and thoughtful his friends had been through the ordeal. Some still come by the house.
“That means a lot,” she said.
Then, people shoveled dirt on the roots of a young linden tree planted next to the school in Alex’s memory.
Family members were the first to take the shovels. Then classmate Ashley Remetch asked close friends if they wanted to add some dirt. Many of the most emotional students, with teary eyes and red cheeks, picked up the shovel as Colleen held the tree trunk in place.
“This is a perfect tribute to Alex because he loved the outdoors,” she said.
Even kids who didn’t know Alex well seemed touched by the outpouring. “This is sad,” one girl whispered.
After the ceremony, when others left, Alex’s friends stayed to hug and cry some more. A number of them had known Alex since his years at Lincoln Elementary School.
“He was fun and caring,” classmate Ashley Rossin said. “He loved everything. He was always happy. The sunshine was always on him.”
Other students said the death had prompted them to consider how precious and short life is.
“It makes me think you should respect the person for who they are,” said Clayton Hoffman, a close friend of Alex since kindergarten.
The sickness came on suddenly, Alex’s dad, Gordon, 36, said. Alex had been healthy all his life when he started reporting intense headaches around Halloween 1997.
One episode came at a movie with friends, when the pain was so intense he was forced to leave the theater.
He was taken for an examination. And since Colleen’s family has a history of migraines, physicians first tried migraine medicine, but that didn’t work long.
With more headaches, doctors ran tests and by mid-January 1998 found the real culprit: a fast-growing tumor in the middle of his brain. It was already grapefruit-size, despite starting only six months earlier, doctors said.
Alex spent much of the spring and summer in Iowa City hospitals undergoing surgeries and treatments, but his friends stood by him.
“They came by the house, they came by the hospital,” Gordon said. “Even though he was sick, they would talk to him and visit with him like it was nothing.”
With word of imminent death, the family brought Alex back to Waterloo, where he died Sept. 3 in his home.
“Nobody would think about it happening to your kids,” Gordon said. “It’s bad to say, but with cancer, everybody thinks it’s going to happen to somebody else. It’s unreal.”
Colleen said next week is Brain Tumor Awareness Week. She hopes the event will raise awareness of the problem and spur the search for a cure.
So there I was, minding my own business, reading some blogs over at OpenSalon, when I saw a particularly heartwarming number a mom posted about her daughter.
It got me thinking: I could write about my son here. He’s always doing something interesting, or something I could make sound interesting at least. I should write more about children, anyway–good practice for some ideas I have on the back burner. And of course, I’d end up posting a lot more often.
Then I thought about what generally happens to parents who write about their children, and decided I really don’t want to find out if cat food tastes better heated up or straight out of the can when I’m 85.
ok it has to be said out loud …. WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE ?
the carer
the listener
the counselor
the Dictator
Abandonment
THE GOOD FRIEND
this seems to be how it goes with many friends . we all go thru good times …. and we just love to sit around with all our girls and share over glass of wine … a pot of tea …. or a cafe lunch or two .. we have a good laugh … we make jokes ….. we hug .and we make ever lasting friend memories together …….
but how things can change very fast when . were not happy … were not coping .. things get tough at home or within ourselves …. it seems everyone comes running to your aid with advice …. with there knowledge … they give you that caring face of sympathy .. fill you with hugs and h i know………. a few friends drop of out of visiting while others stay …. listening intently to your misery and woo;s .passing you tissues when you need then sitting closer and closer and they hold your hand.
more friends will drop of or go quiet till your usually left with one friend who you continue to confide in …. you ring each other 20 times a day .. she calls to see if your ok …. her attention is amazing and just what you need right now .all your other friends seemed to of vanished into thin air … but you sign in relief as thank god you have this one person who truly cares for your welfare ….. a true friend cares like this ….
she begins to come up with solutions and ideas for you to help …. you take it in even doing some of what she suggested …. she becomes like your councilor telling you what do you guiding you every day …… you know that she is right … there simple answers and will fix some of your issues ..but your too over whelmed right now to take those scary steps … you dont have the flow thou power inside you just yet but all her advice has been taken in ….
days go by she calls you all the time asking if you acted on any of her suggestions …all the time feeding your mind with another of her 5 ideas she becomes quit abrupt now with the conversations expecting you do just get up change your entire life . ie .( leave your abusive husband ) or deal with aggressive children … what ever your reasoning and life is … this friends tried to become more forceful now telling you …. WELL ive told you what to do …. ..
this friend this confidant who you spent hours up all night crying on the phone to … keeping you calm keeping you stable … now begins to feel somewhat pissed off at you even offended that YOUR not listening to them … Your not doing as they suggested ,,,Your not doing what they tell you to do …. they become very bitchy and snappy … you phone them crying and there caring has ceased … there sympathy gone …. there advice whipped away …. they raise their voice telling you to stop it they have had enough … they have told you how best to solve your problem .. it is YOU who havent listened now …. its YOU who didnt care about there ideas …. they take offence now and cant be bothered supporting you anymore untill you do what they say ….. they then tell you how hard it has been for them how much time and effort they have put into you was all a waste of time because YOU didnt listen … how there mental exhausted from you …. how they cant deal with your insistent whining and not fixing the issue … they tell you they cant handle this situation anymore and must remove themself from it and you all to gether ……and thats it there gone ,,,,
seriously … i know it began with all the best intetions for you .. i know there still a caring person … but WTF ….. how dare they think they are a GOD to be heeded to …. they dont live your life … they dont see and hear and feel what goes on in your life behind closed doors … how can they judge ….. do they know the fear of living with domestic violence .. to they feel the exhaustion it brings …… the fear of leaving and having no home ..no place … and being alone again …. .or the mental anguish of being a teen and the testing of society of finding yourself ..
its one thing to be sympathetic … to listening .. to caring …. but please have respect for the person in hits situation … we all hit that brick wall at sometime .. but it is US ultimately who needs to do the fixing we need to put it into action …. and it may seem easy to someone on the outside … but when those walls are crushing you .. pinning you in …. all you can handle is to chip away slowly ……. if your going to advice someone remember this is there life not yours ……
Greetings!
The first night home, our kitten, now named Nikita (Russian for Unconquerable), cried most of the night. It was his first night away from his mama and other kittens. Each day has gotten better. He plays a lot and follows us around.
He must be getting comfortable here as he was getting into a lot of mischief today. He somehow turned on my copier in the office. He jumped into the dishwasher, the closet and is constantly tackling my feet. He sits right behind me in my office chair so I can’t lean back. He’s doing it right now even. When he purrs he sounds like a small motor engine. He is very cute so I have to remember to be stearn when I scold him for things. We hope to train him not to scratch on the furniture and jump onto counters. I’ve been told he is smart and can learn this, so I will work on it.
Alex and Tania each have taken turns sleeping at night with him. Alex is very protective of him and can hardly eat a meal unless he knows what Nikita is doing and is safe. He has thanked me multiple times, saying “Thank you Mom for letting us get this cat. I’ve never had a cat before. I love him!” The teacher claimed she has seen him kiss the kittens picture he keeps in his desk at school! Funny, huh?
Even Travis, our grown up son, has been caught playing with Nikita. I even saw the kitten asleep on his lap while he watched sports. He is bringing his fiance over tonight to meet the kitten. She isn’t much of a cat lover either, but I can’t see how people would not think Nikita is cute. He really is! He is going to be HUGE though…already the size of a small cat and he’s only 12 weeks old.
Dennis has had no allergy symptoms. That’s what makes a Siberian cat so special!
That’s all for now!
Have a great day….
Debbie Mumm, The Adoption Coach www.everythingforadoption.com
I actually got a bit done yesterday for a change. It’s nice. With all this time on my hands I sometimes find it hard to get stuff done, but again – I spend time doing all the small things that I never get done otherwise. And I get a lot of thinking done.
P’s wedding coming up soon and everything – and people asking me “Now that your friends are getting married, having children and everything, do you hear the wedding bells ringing for yourself??? Feel your uterus moving??” – Simple answer – No I do not. And because people are so busy telling me how great it is that I’m in no hurry, I start to think – Is it weird that I don’t want the same things right now? Sure, at some stage, but I have some priorities (…me) and, kliché, I’m not ready yet. It’s just an odd feeling when you’re so young (only turning 23 here!) and everybody’s getting married and babies. Whoah. I want to enjoy my youth for a bit longer (not saying that they can’t, but children do restrict/enrich you in certain ways), and I feel that I want to do that on my own – with my better half.
That was a explotion of thoughts…! I’m gonna think more, and tonight spend the night with the girls watching X-Factor (uff, secret indulgence) and drinking wine.
Sama Baby Organics is launching our very own line of organic denim jeans, and looking for models now! For the next 7 days you can enter your child in our “Be Who You Want To Be in Sama Organic Denim Jeans Campaign”. We are searching for adorable, edgy and exotic looking 2-6yr olds who live in and around the Houston, TX, area. We are looking for children who fit into the following categories:
1. Girl Fashionista
2. Boy Hipster
3. Girl Princess
4. Boy Churchwear
If your child fits into one or more of these categories, or you think he/she has what it takes to model, please email us a recent photo now! Please also include childs: age, sex, address, phone number, your email address, and a short bio about your child, (about a paragraph long). Please send all emails to: natalie.sama@yahoo.com
We will have Wardrobe Stylist & Fashion Consultant, Bridget Boggess who strives to bring her clients a wardrobe that is Modern, Authentic, Radiant and Interesting, to style each child for their photo shoot! As well as a professional photographer! For more information on Bridget Boggess check this link out: www.dressmarie.com Each child chosen will get a print of their top photo, and the chance to be photographed for the Sama ” Be Who You Want To Be in Sama Organic Denim Jeans Campaign”.
So send us those adorable photos because this is sure to be a unforgetable experience for you and your little one! But hurry, we are only taking contestants for the next 7 days!
What do you get when you put together a gorgeous family (including a beautiful expecting mother), fall colors, and some of the most perfect light ever? Two VERY happy photographers! These images are a bit late since Anna was born the first of December, but we have to share. And just so you know, it’s going to be really difficult to pick some favorites and not post the entire session!
Meet Kevin & Leslie (and baby Anna)!
And Michael!
Thank you, God for beautiful sunshine!
One of our favorite images this year!
Love us some flare!
We are so happy for you guys! Baby Anna is beautiful!
As the shadow cast by a sun dial can tell the observer about the change in time
Shadow of the education system can tell the change in society
Shadow education is a metaphor used for private tutorials that supplements the main stream education system. As the size and shape of the shadow depends on the source object, on the same lines change in mainstream education system impacts size and shape of supplementary education system.
Unlike dictionary definition of shadow which is a passive entity to the object it immitates, Shadow in shadow education is an active entity in every sense. It affects the mainstream system and somewhat controls the flow of it.
Private tutorial is not a new name in the world. It has its foot prints long back in the history that now nobody questions on its existence. The size of private tutorial industry varies from country to country depending on some key factors. Research shows that shadow education is popular in countries having poorly structured education system as compared to countries having advanced education system. Believe it or not, South Korea supplement education market is 150% of the mainstream education system.
Stupendous isn’t it? Believe me, it’s true.
MES v/s SES
Private tutorial works as a load sharing mechanism and hence reduces the burden on mainstream education system. It helps students to navigate a successful passage from school to adulthood. Not only students but tutors also gain a lot for private tutorials.
In a country like India where a secondary school teachers hardly earn 200$ per month, private tutorials provides them a good option to supplement their earnings. It helps in retaining quality teaching staff as the money they earn from private tutorials sometimes goes as high as 500$- 1000$ per month which is even more than a university lecturer.
Guardians are happy in shedding some extra dollars for private tutorials if it helps their ward to perform well. Research confirms that it helps in better understanding of concepts (In this article I am not considering the trauma that a student has to go through when he has to attend 2-3 daily of private tutorials after 8 hrs of school).
Is it a win-win situation or a Paradox?
Wait! Before coming to any conclusion it is wiser to analyze micro & macro dimensions of the state of affairs.
Studies adumbrate that SES plays a coercive role in destabilizing mainstream equilibrium. It exacerbates the nation’s education problems because it fabricates variance in the classroom. All guardians can’t afford a private tutorials for their wards which widens the understanding level of the concept between two kids .Secondly, it is analyzed that if the private tutor is a teacher from the same school then he gives more emphasis on the coaching classes than in the classroom, which further exacerbates the disparity.
SES has its own cons and pros, with more pros than cons if one considers the student aspect under this umbrella. We should improve our mainstream education system so that it doesn’t need a shadow to walk along with it. The money and resources that the world is poring in a well of shadow can be used in strengthening the pillars of the mainstream.
I can be quite obsessive about the things I love and tend to go completely overboard with them. Balance eludes me.
When I decided I was totally in love with Elvis I spent all of my time for months reading about him, listening to his music, watching his movies or movies about him, I bought Tshirts, tacky figurines and my car still bears the proof of my obsession with a decal in the back glass of Elvis’ silhouette. I was like a school girl in love, my entire life was absorbing as much Elvis as I could, which I then passed on to my kids… to this day they can tell you almost anything about Elvis. On his birthday my daughter Sarah went to school telling everyone about him, “he died in his bathroom,” she told her teacher… Mrs. Webster luckily shared my obsession and found this amusing rather than disturbing.
After Elvis came an obsession with Philippa Gregory books, The Other Boleyn Girl started a 6 month reading binge where all I read were books by her (in my defense, she’s a really good writer.) The obsession with her books turned into an obsession over all things Tutor Dynasty. I read countless books about them, and watched anything about them including the much anticipated adaptation of her book The Other Boleyn Girl- (dreadful movie I sold it on Ebay for $10, the book was much..much better) I even rented the first season of The Tutors (it too was horrible, Jonathan Rhys Meyers was the worst pick to play King Henry VIII ever… come to think of it he did a really bad Elvis in a movie too… I don’t think I like him)
When my Tutor obsession ended I turned all of my attention to my family… ENTIRELY. I obsessed over breastfeeding, cloth diapers, having more children, cooking, baking, cleaning and looking like the perfect “housewife” to the point I made myself miserable. All I watched on TV was TLC and Lifetime… lots of Jon and Kate, 17 kids and Counting and birthing shows. I was so wrapped up in making sure my children and husband were happy that I complete forgot to make myself happy… I became depressed of course.
Enter Twilight- Miserable and looking for something I decided to do what I swore I never would, I rented Twilight and while I thought the movie wasn’t very good (with the exception of looking at Rob Pattinson) I really liked the story and thought it would be a good book. And it was… really-really good. I read all 4 very long books in a week, I read so much so fast that I was literally hearing the words in my sleep, with in 2 weeks I had bought the movie and it’s soundtrack, by week 3 I was re-reading the series.
The Twilight obsession is still going on but has turned into all things Vamp; Twilight Saga, The Vampire Diaries (team Damon baby), Christine Feehan the Dark series (really good), The House of Night series (which I think are horrible books but I can’t stop reading them)- books, music, movies… anything vamp. There is no end in sight, I’m completely obsessed.
While I do enjoy my obsessions I’m at a time in my life where balance is key. 5 kids, 3 in school and 2 at home, a husband and house to keep is a big job, tack on writing posts for my blog (which I’m dedicated to despite my poor numbers) and trying to get my book written before August 7th I’m finding myself spread thin. Staying up until all hours trying to write chapters or posts and dragging myself out of bed in the morning exhausted.
Somethings got to go. I’ve decided to take time off from reading for now, it’s really hard to focus on writing a story when your in the midst of reading another one.
I know my life would be easier if I didn’t become so wrapped up in the things I love, if I could only half-ass love Edward Cullen or Damon Salvatore I could probably get a lot more done. But I’m obsessive by nature, it’s just the way I am.
“Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but she did it backwards and in high heels.” – Faith WhittleseySince the dawn of civilization, it has been believed that men and women were created with different roles to carry out in life; a set of responsibilities and duties that are meant to be executed and on which our physiques were designed and created. Men, being the physically stronger gender, are meant to work and provide shelter, protection and food. Women are meant to be nurturers, mothers and harmony-creators. This theory has succeeded in standing the test of time and, no matter how many “women movements” and “equal rights revolutions” take place, the differences in the – supposed – roles of each gender remain unchanged.
Building on this theory, men are therefore perceived as “saviors” to women. They come into our lives, sweep us off our feet, love and protect us, provide for us and we live happily ever after… NOT!
Regardless of whether this theory is correct or not, the reality we live in cannot be any further. For centuries, and for countless reasons and circumstances, women have been doing anything and everything men can do, even better than men do them, and in high heels.
Yet we are still perceived as a gender that needs to saved…
Hence, we are faced with a mentality that requires a woman to be a perfect lover, a perfect mother, a perfect home-keeper and a successful professional at work. We’re not just doing it better than men, we’re doing it backwards, sideways, up-side-down, looking smoking hot AND in high heels!
What surprises me at this moment is that men fail to perceive the fact that women, regardless of who is to blame, have become an independent gender. We earn our own money, fix our own cars, buy our own homes and raise our children alone (in many cases, even when the father is still present). So, why on God’s Earth are we still thought of as “damsels in distress” who need to be saved?
I’m not saying that men are dispensable, no sir. What I wish to get through is that, just like women have evolved into an independent species that can survive without men, men must therefore “”correct” their perception of us as a gender that needs to be rescued and, thus, bossed around. The mere fact that we are thought of this way makes us, by default, a submissive gender that is inferior to men and must be a follower. “I feed you; I am your God”. And here lies the dilemma that causes many relationships to fail…
With the “natural” roles of each gender so deeply carved in our minds, and if women are supposed to be “naturally” inferior, men should have absolutely nothing to fear should we let “nature” take its course. The mere fact that men DO fear female competition at work, at home, with children and almost everything else in our lives, raises sufficient doubt as to the validity of their claim as a superior gender that must “save”, “rescue” and “lead” the other.
And yet we are still perceived as a gender that needs to saved…
If men are to “adjust” their perceptions and treat women for the independent individuals that we are, their expectations and, thus, their duties, will be altered and we will finally live in a more realistic world.
As long as men remain stuck in the mold of the savior who must rescue the woman from the evils of the ugly world we live in, we will never be seen for who and what we really are; individuals who are perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves.
I’ll admit that many women would prefer being pampered over having to work and take on more responsibilities. But, the fact remains, should the circumstances require, a woman can take on the role of a 100 men and overdo each of them simultaneously.
People, we are NOT a weak gender!
In this day and age, women simply do not NEED men any more, we just want them in our lives. There’s a massive difference between “needing” something and “wanting” it. We don’t need to be ’saved’ or ‘rescued’ anymore. We are not damsels in distress.
We need to be understood and respected. We need to be treated as the smart, independent, sensual beings that we are. We have been forced into a role that we may or may not have asked for, but we have succeeded in playing that role so well that it has now become expected of us to ridiculously multi-task and juggle husbands, kids, homes and jobs at the expense of our own sanity.
I write these words while I look over at my car being fixed at the mechanic’s and I am saddened by the thought that, I and many other like me, are believed to be second best and inferior to men. If we were to turn the table and ask the question in another manner; that is “Can men survive without women in their lives?”, we will definitely find a few “yeses”, but I bet the percentages will vary drastically… Who is going to feed them and handle the household chores? Who will succeed at balancing a job and raising the kids? Who will remember the birthdays, anniversaries and in-law visits? Who will drive the kids to school and take them to practice at the club? Who will buffer the stress that men feel when they are over-worked?
And yet we are still perceived as a weaker and inferior gender that needs to saved…
In this day and age, women need to be loved and understood, not fed, bossed around and abused. It is no longer about “del ragel wala del 7eita”. If all a man will do for me is provide a shadow, then, thank you very much, I’ll pass.
I remember the time between my birthdays seemed to creep at a very slow pace, when I was a teenager. So why does it fly by with my kids? Who knows why? I guess I could speculate, so could others. So, I try to enjoy all the time I have with my kids, knowing that, to me, it does seem to go by faster.
My baby girl is so much fun to be with. She’s very social, has lots of energy, is full of ideas, is who we call on to fix things around the house when my husband isn’t home, loves to cuddle, loves animals, can’t wait to drive, is a very good friend, loves her family fiercely, has her own interesting way of doing things, is a beautiful dancer, works and plays great with kids, and encourages me to be and do my best, especially when I don’t feel like it. She was my special gift fifteen years ago and continues to bless me every day.
We made a trip downtown, so much fun!
We found this cool wall with beautiful trees behind.
The best find was this mirror. It was more fun than a photo booth!
We’re back at one of my neighbor’s beautiful yards.
I love this one.
This one too.
Did I mention that she was full of energy? :0)
“For thou hast possessed my reigns: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!” Psalms 139:13-17
We are at home today due to the snow. In fact we have been ‘at home’ for days now as the snow continues to fall and the tempertures drop below zero. brrrr! This family, being snowed in, decided to look through our old computer files. Why Not! We always find old forgetten gems on the ancient WordStar files. These were written years ago and put in our computer ‘attic’, and had it not been for the snow, we probably would not have found them. enjoy!!
For those people having listened to Mr Issac tigrett’s speech on his new video, would have heard the words Swami spoke to him, “I am withdrawing from those who want miracles and interviews – that time is now over”
Swami giving darshan at Puttaparthi
Here we offer more of our memories from years ago:
The end of walking Darshans
It came so suddenly that it took us all by surprise. Swami had given long and loving darshans all through 2002, although he had not visited the men’s side during the afternoons in the Sai Kulwant Hall. What I remember most was the vibrations being exceedingly high on most days. In the afternoons when he had sat outside in his chair, there had been such a feeling of peace that it permeated every inch of the hall.
I wasn’t there for the Siva Festival in 2003 but I was told he had appeared weak afterwards. On my return to Brindavan in April 2003, there was a marked change in Swami. He appeared frail and walked increasingly with a limp. Sai Ramesh Hall had been furnished with special lifts, which Swami had used instead of the stairs. Although things were not quite as they use to be and there were fears that his leg was giving him pain, none of us saw it as the end of the old darshans.
There had been warning signs all along. There had been a gradual withdrawal from the general public since 1997. Swami had walked less through the blocks of women at Brindavan, less altogether through the general public sections. He had concentrated his physical attention on those seated in the V.I.P.’s and on the men’s side. The darshans had been long and especially sweet but getting anywhere near him to offer a letter was severely restricted by 2000.
I’d noticed a huge drop of International devotees at Brindavan during the period 1999 – 2003. There was at one time 50 percent from overseas and 50 percent local people gathered for darshan in the Sai Ramesh Hall, now there were less than 10 percent Internationals. Where there had been photographs of devotees at darshan at festival times, there were now very few, other than those seated in the in the front. I remember thinking how sad it was that many of us who had travelled so far to see Swami, were very much seated toward the back and away from Swami. He had seemed so universal at one time, there for all of us but now there was a notable exclusion of those seated in the general public, which probably served as a deterrent to most followers from afar.
The charm had all but disappeared but the healing vibrations had not. There was still that healing and loving atmosphere that had drawn us so close to Swami in the beginning. Devotees still came away from darshan with a glow in their eyes and a lightness which had been such an important part of darshans from the beginning. We all believe that closeness to Swami is the key to good darshan and it is – in as much as it does wonders for our egos, but true darshan has to be that which touches our hearts. I will always remember a very good saying of Swami’s that spelled it out:
“You can have a very good seat but you can’t have me.”
What he meant by this saying is ‘ okay go ahead and ‘grasp ‘ but when it comes to your heart it can neither see me or touch me, - but it can feel the good vibration that is sent and received by every sincere heart gathered here.’ The more we give of ourselves to others, the more our hearts open to receive. It’s a lesson that is hard to learn when the ego is intent on the physical form.
In 2003, there were many magical moments with Swami on an inner level. Many times I felt closer to him inside when often I was seated way down the hall.
Swami in PN - standing by nearly fitted railings. Oh we were sad with those railings.
During my stay in 2003 at Brindavan I did not attend many morning darshans. I decided that time had passed for me. I was no longer good at sitting for a long time in cramped conditions and for the ladies it was hard to sit outside - a joy the men had always enjoyed at Brindavan.
The afternoons were different. Although they were hot, I lined up for bhajans most afternoons. It was very special for me at least, to be able to concentrate on Swami as he sat in his chair. I had always enjoyed bhajans at Brindavan and 2003 was no different.
Thank you Swami from the bottom of my heart for those lovely, enchanting,magical days with you during the early days. Never to be forgotten.
SathyaSai Family
p.s.
For those people having listened to Mr Issac tigrett’s speech on his new video, would have heard the words Swami spoke to him, “I am withdrawing from those followers who want miracles and interviews – that time is now over”(I have not used Mr Tigrett’s exact words verbatim but expressed it as near as I can.
thanks.
Rush University Medical Center is currently enrolling patients in a pilot study exploring the role of acupuncture for pain management in pediatric patients. You may be eligible to participate in this study if you are 5-20 years of age and experiencing pain.
According to research studies, 30 to 70 percent of pediatric patients with chronic illness experience pain. To help manage pain, 12 to 84 percent of pediatric patients utilize complementary medicine.
Studies demonstrate that acupuncture has been found to be helpful in reducing pain in several adult and pediatric conditions. Additionally, studies show that in pediatric patients, acupuncture is feasible and accepted as a supportive therapy, and considered safe.
To inquire about your eligibility, please contact me at (312) 563-2531 or via e-mail at angela_m_johnson@rush.edu.
Angela Johnson, MSTOM, MPH, Dipl OM, LAc, is a nationally board-certified Diplomate of Oriental Medicine providing acupuncture for patients at Rush University Medical Center.
We are going to America soon, on a six+ hour flight. And the Canadian transport agency, in its infinate wisdom, hasn’t lifted the no carry-on luggage rule on all flights to the US. And I’m panicking.
Can you imagine eight or more hours (imagine the time from arriving at the airport until the plane lands) with your children with nothing for them to do? They can’t bring carry on luggage, so that means no books, no colouring books, no activity books, no markers, no lego, no toys, no stuffies, and did I mention, no snacks? I as a woman am allowed a small purse, and we can bring a laptop. but that’s it.
My “small” purse will have to contain not just my usual purse stuff (wallet, phone, tissues etc.), but also our three ipods chock full of books on tape for the kids. And our camera, which I won’t put in checked luggage for fear of theft or breakage. And my inhalers (what if the luggage got lost?). And can I fit in a paperback for myself? And one for my son the reader? The battery on our laptop only lasts a couple hours, and there’s no internet on a plane, so it might help a bit but not much.
Apparently I can buy newspapers and books once through security (what a boon for those stores!). And food, unless the strike they announced today by food service workers at the airport is real and ongoing while we fly, not that my airport choices are affordable or very healthy, but it’s better than nothing.
My sole relief is that I believe our flight will have on-board satellite tvs, so the kids will just have to veg out to Teletoon for six hours.
This is completely stressing me out and feeling like an absolute nightmare. I’d welcome any advice or inside information from any parents who have had to deal with this no-carry-on thing already.
Over on the WQAD website they are talking about a recent assault on a student, perpetrated by fellow school athletes. The story is sparse in details – but it claimed that two of the attackers held down the victim while a third attacker placed his genitals on the victims face while they were also verbally humiliating the victim. Two seniors and one junior have been arrested and charged for the attack. The two seniors were charged as adults and the junior was charged as a juvenile. The individual they attacked was a freshman. The WQAD readership seems to have varied views on how to deal with the arrested students. Some want to slap them on the hands and say “boys will be boys”. Others want to throw the book at three students for their actions.
Sadly the “boys will boys” statements are all to familiar of an occurrence. For some reason, despite the negativity and possible harms involved, it seems that school hazing rituals continue in one form or another. Some hazing events are well-intentioned welcome to the club trials, others are viciously crafted attacks/torments to drive away competition. Which column this event falls under, is not evident from information given in the article or reader comments. But I strongly disagree with those that say the students should just be slapped on the hand for their possible hazing actions. I have known of so-called “well-intentioned” hazing events that took place over the years, which affected the victims with extreme emotional and/or physical distress. And in most cases the high school students involved in the events received a “bad boy” condemnation or had their hands slapped by getting suspended from school for a short-time and/or temporarily relieved of their athletic privileges. The closest to a serious high school punishment I can remember, involved not a hazing, but a group of jocks that were involved in a disputed non-consensual “boys will be boys” sexual activity. But the jocks were all well-connected and the girl involved had a tramps reputation, so the jocks simply got suspended from school and school athletics for the remainder of the season, but all was forgiven come the following spring. Hardly a fitting punishment considering the age of the girl! The fourteen-year-old girl/victim involved was basically kicked to the side of the road by the system. Hazing perpetrators generally received even less punishment. Hand-slapping was not the proper punishment then, it is not the proper punishment now. Hazing has the potential to become a devastating event for the victim. It is a stupid is, as stupid does moment for the perpetrators and they/all potential hazers/bullies need to be sent a message that hazing and or physical attacks are not an act to be tolerated.
This weekend our family did something new… We moved our oldest daughter into her dorm room at college. Ashley is in her second semester of college but this was the first time we actually set up a dorm room. As most of you know, Ashley spent her first semester in Ireland in a special Taylor University Freshman studies program. It was awesome! But she only took two suitcases and a couple carry-ons to Ireland. On Sunday she moved in at the actual Taylor University campus. They have a month-long class between first semester and second semester called “J-Term”. So she had to be there on Sunday to get moved in for J-Term to start on Monday (today).
Ashley's Study Cave
We took the back seat and one of the captain chairs out of the van and loaded up on Saturday and headed out to TU. Shelly and myself in the van and Ashley and Lindsey in Ashley’s car. We got a hotel on Saturday night and on Sunday we moved her in. It was amazing… we moved furniture around, stacked her bed over her desk and drawer, Lindsey and I carried the couch up to her room and Shelly, Ashley and Lindsey decorated this cement brick room into a very cool place to live! It was awesome! Some of you understand this experience, some do not… Shelly and I both have college degrees, but neither of us had the traditional college experience… so it was super fun for the entire family. Ashley loved it, Lindsey loved it, Shelly loved it and I loved it!
Ashley's Dorm... Nice Face Linny!
Today I am dealing with all kinds of different emotions. I am super happy for Ashley and her college experience. I am also a little bit on edge because of all the stuff that she has to accomplish while she is at school…. But all in all… I am feeling incredibly blessed! Thank you God for my family! I look forward to the YEARS of moving kids to college… Yes, Years… probably 15 or more years of moving kids into and out of college dorms….
Bye Ash... Miss you already!
We had a great time of dropping Ashley off at college…. She was ready for us to leave and be with her friends… my last picture is of her getting ready to drive off to find one of her fellow Freshman Irish Studies friends… Bye Ash… Love ya!
Buy Cheap Teaching Children About Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach Buy Low Price From Here Now TEACHING CHILDREN ABOUT HEALTH takes a case study approach and is written especially for the elementary classroom teacher. The goal of this text is to help teachers become more knowledgeable about and comfortable with health topics, to be more reflective in their practice of teaching about health, and better equipped with activities for incorporating health subjects into their curriculum. Each chapter considers health from a physical, social, and emotional perspective, acknowledging the mind-body connection. The authors include topics that are relevant in children’s lives using a wellness/preventive health model. In addition, each chapter provides activities that can be integrated into several disciplines found in most elementary-school curricula. This text is meant to provide elementary school classroom teachers with the incentive and knowledge base they will need to include interdisciplinary lessons about the various health content areas in their daily teaching. It recognizes that since most elementary-school programs do not have separate health education experiences for students, and since these are the primary learning years, it is the responsibility of the classroom teacher to initiate learning about health…….. Readmore
Technical Details
See more technical details
“Teaching Children about Health” 2007-05-29 By L. Greenberg This book was bought for a class but I did not use it often.
“CSET Health and Science Study Guide” 2005-10-19 By Shelly C. Rodriguez This book has enabled me to study better for the CSET Health portion of the exam. I have found the book to be very informative in providing me information in the 9 areas of the exam. Very easy to understand!!
Images Product
Buy Teaching Children About Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach Now
Who says Summer is the only season to have lazy days?
As I write this it is almost 4 p.m. CST and no one in my house has made it out of their pajamas today. I’ve slept on and off all day (and will pay for it tonight), Travis figured out a way to crack Wii games so we can get them offline (yeah, its probably illegal…who cares), Sara beat her Littlest Pet Shop game and out popped a stuffed animal…she woke me up to show me. LOL. Matthew has been playing his PS2 on and off. He and his sister have also been going outside from time to time because the Lord gave us a beautiful day AND they got new bikes from their dad. It’s days like this that I love love love being at home. I wish they could occur more often. On the flip side, though, my laundry and dishes aren’t getting washes and the house could stand to be straightened again. But who cares? I, like everyone else, is always so consumed by a busy lifestyle that they don’t get days like this often. Not to mention, Travis is off today, on a Friday…he only has Sunday’s off so its cool that he gets to rest an extra day.
Anyway, I hope everyone had a great New Years Eve and I pray that you all prosper in 2010.
Leslie
Interior Design for Children is one of the most fun and beautiful aspects of the company, if you ask me. It's so funny, because children are limitless as far as their creativity and imagination go. When planning interior design for children, be sure to include the children in the planning and if you are very brave, the implementation of your design.
A good starting point or a theme for the interior design for children is a favorite activity or toy, or even startSign of the interest of the child. Remember to change the fact that many products of interest to topics that children with time so try to take advantage of these interests and favorites and enhancements and changes that must be replaced to change slightly in the future as their interests and needs. If a child has a special interest or activity that they are very excited about, and they make a special request that the design would be something very special for it, go for it, as long as the parents areenthusiastic as the child is located. They also warn of a possible headaches they might experience changing it in the future when it's time to redesign the space is to adapt to the changing needs of the child.
Remember when choosing your color scheme or schemes that interior design for children offers a unique opportunity to use bold or bright colors that would otherwise not be ideal for use in adult surroundings. Would be in the same direction, certain areas of the room moreergonomic than focal points then would in the atmosphere of an adult. For example, a blackboard or a child's toy box might capture more attention would be a table or seating arrangement.
Another aspect of the design, different from adult tastes when planning interior design for children would be the accessories that are used to highlight and stress will be key features. Toys and collectibles make wonderful objects to use in this application. However, often the toys thatbe issued or for decoration are toys that the child would enjoy even more, by working in a position to play with him rather than actually on the screen. You can this dilemma by either solving old, unused toys that no longer fascinate the child's interests, or even by purchasing duplicates and so they know actually use a version of the toy and let that other " are looking only. "
Also keep in mind that collectibles are often of less importancefor smaller children then the adults so make sure that each point is not placed in the room of a child much tax or sentimental value just in case!
Building on interior design for children by purchasing one of the millions of available bed treatments that are used to the plans and issues in the creation of the space layout, as well as bringing in well with the selected accessories will be free of charge. Many bed treatment packages come prepackaged with matching detailedSheets, a comforter, dust ruffle, window and floor coverings. These elements are put together in one room, the largest of all modes and an option in interior design for children, which are available from all the observers who make a difference.
Always remember when planning interior design for children that a child changes attitudes, opinions and attitudes, about every three years. Permanent changes of any kind are a big no-no practical and cost effective are ideal. A good tip for furnitureRemember, when designing for children, buy cheap, sound furniture that will not break the bank. Children are even harder on furniture then they are on clothes! And will primarily involve, working with interior design for children – of course, HAVE FUN!
Swami giving darshan at Puttaparthi
