Trip to the Moon

I watched Myth Busters last night and guess what? We did go to the moon!
Who would have believed it?  




To the moon, Alice!

Human Anatomy

My daughter's first class Monday in Human Anatomy consisted of dissecting a human cadaver.
She didn't know they were going to "dive" right in there so she wasn't wearing scrubs.
Never fear about next time.   Here is a clip from the viewpoint of the cadaver:

Quite amusing! Oh, and by the way nothing graphic or gross at all!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy Birthday, Dad!  I do miss you.  

For more Wordless Wednesday go here. 

Audrey Hepburn

The most beautiful woman the world has ever known:

I want to see your face
in every kind of light.
In fields of dawn and forests of the night.
And when you stand before the candles
of a cake
Oh let me be the one to hear
the silent wish you make.

What are you doing the rest of your life
north and south and east and west
of your life
I have only one request on your life:
That you spend it all with me.

All the seasons and the times of your days
All the nickles and the dimes of your days
Let the reasons and the rhymes of your days
All begin and end with me.

I want to see your face
in every kind of light
In the fields of dawn
In the forests of the night
And when you stand
before the candles of a cake
Oh let me be the one to hear
the silent wish you make.

Those tomorrows waiting deep in your eyes
In the world of love
that you keep in your eyes
I'll awaken what's asleep in your eyes
It may take a kiss or two.

Through all of my life
Summer, winter, spring and fall of your life
All I ever will recall of your life
is all of my life with you.

the One with the Riding Lawn Mower

Here's the one about the riding lawn mower.

(I love mowing the grass.  It is my favorite chore.)


I go out in the morning all ready to mow the lawn
and get it done before it gets too hot and before
I take a shower.  So I get on my mower after I scooted the

cat off the seat.  I start my mower and drive between two

vehicles where it is parked under the carport.  I head on

out onto the lawn and put the mower in gear.  Then I 

decide to go straight to the far end of the yard and make

a path around the perimeter first.  When I got to the end

of my driveway I decided to mow the ditch by house.  So

down the road I go.  It is a county road.  I do this all the

time so I'm not concerned about any problems.  I always

look both ways to make sure there are no cars coming.  I

can see three-quarters of a mile one way and one-quarter of

a mile the other.  No cars.  I get to the end of the distance

I want to mow in the ditch and turn my mower around in 

the road.  Oh my gosh!  It dies.  I am in the middle of the

oncoming lane!  Down a hill from traffic!  which no one 

could see before they came to me.  I panic for an instant and

my heart is racing.  I jump off the mower and go to the rear

of it where you pull out a lever that puts it in neutral gear

so you can push it.  I push it backwards on to the grass

in the ditch which if a car flies over the hill (and they do!)

would still be dangerous.  I can't leave it there and there

is no one at home to help me.  So I got back on it and

try to start it.  It won't start.  So I try one more time

and it starts.  I put it into gear again and head toward

my yard and just barely make it into the yard off the

road when it dies again.  Out of gas and it will not start

again.  I am so thankful that I got it out of the road.

I certainly did not want to make someone have an

accident or be on the mower when one happened.  What

a relief!  

Here is the hill where I drove the lawn mower down.

It is one long hill and our driveway and yard are at the

top of it.  There are several hills on this road and cars

come sailing by.  The speed limit is 45 mph but they

drive 60 mph or more sometimes.

I am taking this picture from where I was when the lawn

mower died.  This doesn't look like downhill much in this

picture but just after that mailbox it drops off quickly down

another hill. (You can enlarge the picture and it looks more

dramatic.)  We have had people collide in the middle of

the night on this hill because they don't stay on their side

of the road.  Hopefully, I have learned my lesson to always

check the gas tank before mowing.  

Take the Lead

Pierre Dulaine:  "a man who can dance is the most popular

man in the room"

Antonio Banderas
Take the Lead

The Dulaine Method philosophy
Respect & Compassion: At the very core of the Dulaine Method philosophy is the essential respect that goes into being a Lady and being a Gentleman. In a time when we bemoan the loss of civil discourse and our society seems to become coarser by the day, Dancing Classrooms is a program that demands that the children not only treat others with respect but also encourages the children to respect themselves.
Coupled with respect is compassion. Perhaps it is Pierre’s own childhood that predisposes him to walk into a classroom full of children who struggle to believe in themselves, open his arms and heart to them, and then guide them gently along a journey that leads these young people to joy and accomplishment.
Respect and compassion are the foundational elements of the Dulaine Method. Unfortunately, very few adults know how to genuinely treat children with respect. And even fewer adults seem to remember what it was like being a child.
Being Present: Probably the most difficult skill for any teacher to learn is the ability to be completely in the moment when they are teaching. Children in particular are extremely aware of when the adult in charge (parent, teacher, coach) is not really there; and when a child senses that distance, woe be unto that adult.
Pierre’s ability to “be here now” enables him to observe every subtle nuance of student, and group, behavior. He can see when a child is nervous, not paying attention, when the group is becoming antsy and he can respond to those issues immediately, thus keeping the classroom experience flowing. Being present also allows Pierre to express his own positive emotions towards the children at precisely the moment the children need that affirmation.
Creating a Safe Place: Asking children to take the extraordinary risk of embarrassing themselves in front of their peers is precisely what Dancing Classrooms does. And the only reason that the children are willing to take this risk is because Pierre has perfected a way to make that experience safe.
A Dancing Classrooms class is a place in which everyone is equal: the students, the Teaching Artist, and the elementary school staff that are participating. In modern jargon we call this creating a therapeutic milieu, an environment so different from these children’s normal daily environment that simply being in that room and being part of that collective group experience changes that child.
Command & Control: Clearly, if you are going to move 25 children through twenty 45 minute classes and have them successfully learn seven dances, you need order and discipline. Pierre is in command of the class from the moment he begins until the moment the children leave the room.
An essential part of the Dulaine Method is developing the craft of managing the Group. When teachers are being taught how to work with children their training is invariably focused on individual child development. Rarely, if ever, are student teachers taught about group dynamics and how to manage a group of children. In many ways it is Pierre’s innate understanding of how to use the Group to help the Individual that is the glue that holds the program together. The ability to remain in absolute control of the Group while nurturing the children is one of Pierre’s greatest skills.
Language: Body & Verbal Language, both body and verbal, are the great connectors in Dancing Classrooms. Pierre’s entire physical affect is one of openness, warmth, and genuine affection for the children. His verbal repertoire is a consistent barrage of positive comments. There is no denying that when Pierre combines his body and verbal language he is a force the children simply cannot resist.
Humor & Joy: And last, but by no means least, Pierre brings humor and joy to the teaching experience. Humor is perhaps the most difficult, yet powerful teaching tool for a teacher to master. Gentle humor can help a shy child become less self-conscious; humor with that same child handled poorly can make him retreat and never come back out. As clichéd as it sounds, Pierre allows his inner child to fully emerge when he is teaching. He is playful, he is present, and the children can sense that he is just plain happy to be with them. (Wikipedia)

And Now for a Brief Message

And now back to my favorite subject:  Phil Collins

You Can't Hurry Love


I Don't Care Anymore

Which Wich

Have you tried the Which Wich sandwich place?  We were in Dallas and ate at the Galleria.  It is an excellent sandwich.  There is also one near me in Oklahoma.  Which I will have to dine at soon.  Which I will do.  Which you can be sure of.  Which after awhile the word "which" starts to no longer look like a word spelled correctly.  Which is where they have the "Wicked."  It is double meat and cheese.  You can plan your own sandwich by writing it on a paper sack which is submitted to the cashier which hands it to the wich maker.  Which I'm hoping you will enjoy!

Phil Collins-Deserves Better

I hope he can find lasting happiness soon.  He deserves it.

He doesn't get the respect or love that he deserves.

Wordless Wednesday-Take a Look at Me Now

The Ragamuffins:
Three brothers and me!

Her wedding day!

For more Wordless Wednesday go here.

I'm Bringing Home a Baby Bumble Bee

I haven't had a post with much text content lately but I am

working on a series for the future.  Really.  But I was thinking

about this cartoon and thought someone might enjoy it besides

me.  Little bambinos.  Shorty.  Buzzards?  Infintessimal piece

of sh--oe leather!  One of my favorites!

Jane Eyre 2006

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face



You'll Be in My Heart



“wherever you are is my home—my only home.”

Wordless Wednesday-Dad Ad

My dad in Germany during Korean conflict.

He'd make a good ad for beer and cigarettes?

For more Wordless Wednesday go here.

Happy Birthday Daughter!

Believe me this may not look like a great cake, but it

tasted delicious.  I made chocolate buttercream frosting 

and it was moist.  Yum!

Happy 21st Birthday, dear daughter!  (in the middle)

Phil Collins

Fun Monday looked like fun but I didn't participate. We
were asked to name our favorite words. I have always
thought "paradigm" a very interesting word and so fun
to pronounce.  I am only going to attempt to give a definition.

1. A typical example or pattern of something, a model.
2. A world view underlying the theories and methodology

of a particular scientific subject.  

3. A set of linguistic items that form mutually exclusive

choices in particular syntactic roles:  English determiners

form a paradigm:  we can say "a book" or "his book" but 

not "a his book."  

Simple common analogy: A simplified analogy for paradigm is a habit of reasoning or, the box in the commonly used phrase "thinking outside the box". Thinking inside the box is analogous with normal science. The box encompasses the thinking of normal science and thus the box is analogous with paradigm. "Thinking outside the box" would be what Kuhn calls revolutionary science. Revolutionary science is usually unsuccessful, and only rarely leads to new paradigms. When they are successful they lead to large scale changes in the scientific worldview. (Wikipedia)

Here is an excellent song called "Paradigm" by All Together Separate.


Everybody loves a rose,
But will you be thankful for the thorns?
Love is easy when you're loved,
But do you curse another when you're alone?


Chorus:
Oh, I give my life to You so I can gain it back again
Oh, I stand solid while the paradigm is shifting


You say live and let live,
But people are dying everyday
And you way what I don't know won't hurt me
But if what I do not know
Is the very thing I need,
Then I say


Humanity sees truth through a shattered window pane
That blocks the view,
And plants the seed
So we draw the curtains to close but I say
That the sun can still shine behind a closed mind
And sticks and stones do hurt
When tossed from the tongue of mankind

Wordless Wednesday-Shades of Family

My family around 1962. Mom, Dad, three brothers, and me!

For more Wordless Wednesday, go here!

COLOR MY WORLD (Chicago)

As time goes on I realize
Just what you mean to me
And now, now that you're near
Promise your love
That I've waited to share
And dreams of our moments together
Color my world with hope of loving you

You Say It's Your Birthday!

Almost forgot to tell you:

Today was my birthday!