Being big, but not mature!?!

I am a saver. I save everything. I learned it from my mother. In fact today they have an entire industry devoted to what my mother did back in 1945---scrap-booking! I can go to my closet and pull out old scrapbooks and see who sent cards congratulating my parents on the birth of their first born. Of course my mother didn't use special cutting tools, expensive paper, or the correct adhesive, but I still have all those mementos to tell me who was thinking about me.

Recently I was going through some old manilla envelopes and found all my old reports cards and class pictures from grade school. I can see my mother storing these important papers in the back of the coat closet at the bottom of the stairs. It was where my mom kept her silver chest, the good wrapping paper, and family documents.

I felt a little trepidation about opening this envelope after so many years. Did I really want to know what those teachers thought of me? After all I am a teacher, I know the power and weight these words carry. Would they be words that made my parents proud of me or would they be words that made my parents worry about me?

Since I didn't go to Kindergarten, my initial report card was for first grade. From Mrs. Bertha Chausse's (Seated at the end of the front row on the right side.) comments, I can see that I wasn't very well prepared for entry into school. According to Mrs. Chausse, I definitely needed some improvement.

{Barbara didn't do too well on the test partly because she gets so “worked up.” She needs to relax and takes things a little more calm. This semester we will be stressing the addition combinations 1-10. Have her count blocks, pennies, clothes pins, etc. to begin with (4 pennies and 2 more). Still continue Library reading}

According to my attendance record, I missed 19 of the first 67 days of my school life. If my math skills have improved, then I was out almost one third of my initial foray into public education. Wow! I recall having chicken pox in first grade. My scabs dried up just in time for me to return to the classroom on the last day of school before Christmas break. It was the day of the Christmas Pageant. All the girls wore angel wings, but I didn't get to participant because I had been home sick. While everybody else was in the gymnasium/auditorium rehearsing, I stayed back with Mrs. Chausse and a girl who was “really, really poor” (as opposed to the rest of us children from factory-worker homes). Mrs. Chausse took the two of us to the locker/shower room. She washed this girl up, fixed her hair and put her in a new dress. I wonder what her parents had to say about the new dress and hairdo?!?

One of my first episodes of homesickness occurred in first grade. I was overcome with the need to go home! During one of the recesses I took off and tried to walk home. I got as far as the park across the road at the back of the schoolyard. I remember Mrs. Chausse talking me back into the school.

With having a July birthday in Indiana, I was among the youngest in my class. Unfortunately though I was among the biggest in my class with flaming red hair and a face full of freckles. By second grade I must have been feeling my oats because I made a real enemy of my second grade teacher, Mary Van Drew. (Third person seated from the left on the front row). In looking at the comments on my second grade report card, I feel she thought I should be more mature because of my size!?!

{Barbara could do much better in school if she would mind “Barbara's business”} Under PERSONAL AND SOCIAL GROWTH: Makes good use of time-she checked {NO and wrote in (too much visiting)}

One of my distractions in second grade was my cousin, Danny. I obviously didn't understand that I could not act the same way around my cousin in the classroom as I did on Friday nights at Grandma's house. If he dropped his crayons, I had to help him pick them up.

Fortunately for Mary Van Drew our classes were really over crowded and she got to dump (select) me in (for a transfer to) a second-third grade combination classroom with Mary Towne. Poor Mrs. Towne (First person seated on the left in front row) didn't do much better understanding that “big” in size didn't equate with “big” in maturity. I remember my mother bemoaning this transfer because I spent the rest of second grade only knowing what was being said in third grade. According to my report card, I missed 10 of the first 30 days in the new combo class and I had my first tardy. Mrs. Towne couldn't even bring herself to check yes or no for “Makes good use of time” during the first two grading periods of second semester. She printed {fair imp} over the blocks.

I hold very fond memories of third grade. My teacher was Elenora Stanford (Second person from the left seated in the front row). She had the nicest voice. It was the practice back then for the town kids to go home for lunch and for the bused kids to stay at school. Mrs. Stanford had 40 students that year with no teacher's aid. Half of our class could go home for lunch and she would still be caring for 20 kids. Mrs. Stanford introduced us to the world of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Everyday after lunch we would put our heads down and she would read us chapters from the “Little House Series.” Plus, I must have really struggled with cursive writing because the only hand-written note on my entire third grade report card refers to WRITING: Uses correct habits {tries}.

By the time I started fourth grade I think that I was feeling very confident about school in spite of being in a class of 42 students. I was getting mostly A's and some B's. I was even slamming “Arithmetic” with A's on the semester exams and A averages for each semester. However, according to the “NO” checks under Habits and Attitudes, Mary Laughlin (seated in the middle of the front row behind the school sign) thought I was still struggling with “Follows directions promptly, Practices self-control, and Is considerate of rights and properties of others.” I do remember one incident that brought me back to the attention of Mary Van Drew, my original second grade teacher. I was reported to Principal Warner (standing in the middle of the back row) by Mary Van Drew for shoving (not bumping) my teacher out of the way as we all raced to wash our hands and be the first in line. It was my misfortune that my mother was at the school that day working on a PTA project. Mr. Warner pulled her out of the meeting and told her what I had done. Needless to say my mother was embarrassed and I was made to apologize to Mrs. Laughlin. My parents didn't punish me at home though because they understood that size did not equate to self-control.

My last year at Waynedale was fifth grade with Helen Berkey (Third from the end on the right side of the back row). In spite of being in a large class of 44 students, she made school interesting and challenging---spelling bees, projects, book reports, etc. My dad got involved with subjects like Geography, Science, and History by helping me make buzzing quiz boards and light-up maps. Even though I can honestly say I loved Miss Berkey (she wrote one comment on the back of my report card, {Good work!}) my fondest memories were of the time spent across the street at Waynedale Methodist Church (not yet United). Almost our entire class (except for a few Jehovah Witness) would march over every Wednesday for some Bible study. We would memorize Bible verses and sing hymns. To this day in my head, I can still hear the “church lady” play THIS IS MY FATHER'S WORLD on that big grand piano. Strange what stays with us!?!

Lessons from Obituaries

I read obituaries. This is not the first thing that I generally tell people about myself, but it is something that I do. I read obituaries for the stories. I have “met” some of the most interesting people by reading their obituaries.

Through obituaries I learn how people are related in the community. I may not know the deceased, but I may know their grandson or sister. I also learn the history of the area. You become familiar with local family names and their connections.

I also cut out and save favorite obituaries. I may be drawn to a touching description or a particularly heoric life. One of my favorite obits said “he enjoyed fixing things, Topsail Beach, golfing, NC State “college,” watching any team play any sport, flying the American flag, being waited on, bird dogs, sardines and saltines, cabbage, carrots, burnt toast, a good straw hat and fishing. He never ceased to amaze us with his many uses of duct tape and spray paint.*” When I read that obit I felt like his family really knew him and appreciated him. I can only hope that my own family will be able to list my favorite foods and past times.

I am often drawn to obituaries for folks from my parents' generation. I am particularly drawn to obits of women from my mom's generation. My mom was a child during the Roaring Twenties, spent her teens in the Great Depression, was a bride during World War Two, reared two daughters during the Fifties and Sixties, and retired in the Eighties. She did all this without ever really leaving “home,” Fort Wayne, Indiana.

So when I read obituaries about women of my mother's generation, I am curious as to what caused or motivated them to leave home. When I read local obituaries of women my mother's age who were born in California, Arkansas, Michigan, etc, I get curious. What was it about their lives that moved them such distances? What special set of circumstances or opportunities existed for these women?

For example, I recently read the obituary of Dorothy Nesbitt. She was born in Port Huron, Michigan in 1922. I knew Dorothy and had worked with her on some projects at the YWCA Lower Cape Fear. So when I read her obituary, I was intrigued to learn that she had left home at the age of 15 to join the School of the American Ballet. My own mother left Fort Wayne at about the same age to live with her father's uncle and wife in Birmingham, Alabama. Her aunt and uncle did not have children of their own so this would have been a real opportunity for my mother since she was one of ten children. So what factors helped Dorothy bloom as a result of leaving home at 15? What factors kept my mother from staying with her aunt and uncle?

Of course from reading all of the write-ups about Dorothy Nesbitt, she was a very gifted and talented person who never stopped achieving during her 91 years. So Dorothy herself is probably the biggest factor in her success at leaving home at 15. However, we can not diminish the power of parenting. Dorothy had to have had parents who saw “her leaving home” as an opportunity for her future.

What was it about living in “the South” in or about 1935 that drove my mother back home to Fort Wayne? I know my mother liked her aunt, Julia, and uncle, Tim. I have family photographs showing me with them at their home in Fort Wayne. She trusted them enough to leave me in their care when I was a toddler. I heard stories about them. In fact my parents built our house down the road from their property. So why did my mom not see living with them in Birmingham, Alabama as an opportunity to finish school and go to college? Did my mom feel a need to work and help her family through the hardships of the Great Depression? Did my mom feel guilty because of her good luck? Did my mom just plain miss her siblings? Now, sadly, I can only surmise what her reasons were for not wanting to leave home.

 * StarNews Obituaries: John Addison Spencer, Winston-Salem, NC, 1927-2012

Justin Bieber

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Justin Bieber

Island Records

825 Eighth Avenue

28^th Floor

New York, New York, 10019

Dear Justin,

I know that I could send you a “tweet” on your Twitter account or post a message on your Facebook page, but I am an old fashion person. I feel that I need to write to you in the form of a letter in order to convey the power of this message.

Yesterday I attended a Life Celebration Service for one of your devoted young fans. She only lived to be 10 years 11 months. She was profoundly disabled physically, but acutely intelligent. Her only form of communication was with a chin-activated button to her computer.

You might even remember her because her devoted family worked so hard for her to meet you at a North Carolina concert in 2013. Her family used social media to generate attention to her so that she could be backstage at the concert. You and your music did so much to lift her spirits. She loved to be held by her dad and dance to your songs.

As I was sitting in the church at her Life Celebration Service, I kept thinking about recent stories in the news about you. I was actually hoping that Marlie hadn't heard any of those news reports. I didn't want the power of your music to be diminished for her. Your songs and videos had the power to make her feel pleasure and joy.

Marlie is now without pain, illness, or the earthly restrictions of her profoundly disabled body. But you, Justin, still have an entire life to live. You are gifted and talented. Your exceptional abilities were recognized at a very young age which has put enormous pressure on you. I can not begin to understand your life, but I do know that it has the power to help people. I saw first hand what you meant to this child and her family.

The life we live is one of Free Will. Marlie didn't have any choices when it came to her earthly body, but she did for her heart and mind. She chose your music in order to escape her pain and frustrations. Your music had the power to lift her above the restrictions caused by her disabilities. Justin please do not diminish your God-given talents with poor choices.

I can imagine at your age that you feel that you have lived a long time and are invincible. Unfortunately no one is invincible and no one has the luxury of making bad choices regardless of how talented they are or think they are.

Please know that now there is an angel in heaven dancing to your music. If you are lucky she might be given the job of being your guardian angel. Let's hope she will be on your shoulder the next time you have to make a decision. She would never want you to be less than the talented person that she loved.

Respectfully,

Someone's grandmother

50 Years Ago---The Beatles

1964 Wow, a lot was going on fifty years ago. I am trying to remember what I was doing while all these momentous events were happening. I was 18 and a half years old. I was in my second semester of my freshman year at Purdue University. I was involved in pledging a sorority, Alpha Phi. I was trying very hard not to be homesick so I guess a lot of my thoughts were about myself.

I never have been much of a popular music connoisseur. I liked popular music, but the titles of the songs or the names of the artists never stuck with me. I remember standing in someone's dorm room and being told who the Beatles were. Most of my time was spent going to class and studying. When I say that I spent time going to class, I literally mean that it took time to go to class. Getting to class was a real time management issue for me because I had to walk quite a distance from my residence hall to my classes. I was in a residence unit out at the end of State Street near the married student courts and the Purdue University airport. It was no easy feat to be at some lecture hall at 7:00am at the center of campus behind the Student Union. Too bad I didn't have a pedometer to wear fifty years ago, I am certain that I more than racked up the current recommended 10,000 steps per day for heart health.

I am not saying that I didn't have music in my life back 50 years ago. It just obviously wasn't the “cool” kind. In the Spring of 1964 I was a sorority pledge. This means that I had to learn the Alpha Phi songs and the songs used for “rush.” The instrument of choice for these songs was a guitar and it was not electric. This music is called “folk music.” When I read about the passing of Pete Seeger this year I had a real nostalgic urge to pull out all my vinyl albums and listen to Gale Garnett or Peter, Paul, and Mary. Unfortunately, our Heathkit assembled turntable doesn't work anymore.

Since I was the first member of my family in my generation to go away to college, I was in real uncharted territory on a college campus. My time and energy was definitely consumed by my day to day existence. 50 years ago my problems centered around how to do my own hair and iron my own clothes. Stitched down, knife-pleated skirts were very popular. Also there were no permanent press fabrics. So until the first time I did my own laundry, I never realized how much time and effort my mother put into ironing.

50 years ago President Johnson was declaring war on poverty. I know that piece of “current events” was not part of my day to day vernacular back in '64. I had my own war on poverty going on. I was trying to handle my own checkbook for the first time and get by on the $5.00 a week allowance that my parents could afford to give me. I was struggling with the day to day urges of wanting a candy bar or a new outfit and not having the money for either.

I guess this ramble down memory lane says that it is hard to really know what will be remembered as momentous in 50 years. Not too long ago I was watching a movie about Woody Guthrie and upon hearing the song 500 MILES, I was wrapped up in the same emotions that I felt 50 years earlier in the thralls of homesickness while at Purdue University. At that time in my life I wasn't ready to receive the message from the world that “it isn't always about you!?!”

Teaching In February

Over the years I have always liked teaching during the month of February. I have especially

enjoyed it here in Wilmington. The month is filled with numerous opportunities to explore great topics.

By February students are comfortable with their teachers and the teachers are comfortable with

their students. Classroom routines are on auto-pilot. Everybody knows what needs to happen.

Classroom life can be simpatico and copacetic---both congenial and very satisfying!!!

Of course the month starts off with talk of Punxsutawney Phil. The legend of the groundhog can

lead to discussions on “How is weather predicted? (science), How are shadows formed? (play shadow

tag), How do groundhogs live under ground? (research), or What is a groundhog called west of the

Mississippi? (vocabulary).”

If you are not a real fan of the whole groundhog legend, then you can spend some time at the

beginning of the month on heart health. The first Friday in February is Wear Red for Women's Heart

Health. This can be a fun health unit covering nutrition and exercise. Have the children listen to each

other's hearts with stethoscopes. If you don't have access to real stethoscopes. You can make

stethoscopes using an empty paper towel rolls and Solo plastic cups with the bottoms removed. Use

packing tape to secure the plastic cup to one end of the paper towel roll. Put the plastic cup against the

chest and the other end of the paper towel roll to the ear. You can really hear the heart beat after the

children jog in place for a few minutes.

Next we prepare for Valentine's Day. Assemble Valentine Holders for Party Day---shoe boxes,

tissue boxes, large manila envelopes, cereal boxes, sew two paper plates together, etc. When decorating

the containers, be careful to make certain that the children have ther names plainly displayed. Start

doing songs and finger plays about Valentine's Day. Incorporate a countdown to Valentine's Day in the

daily calendar activities. My favorite has always been:

I made a little Valentine. (Sung to: I KNOW A LITTLE PUSSY/

She wears a coat of red. Guiding with Jewels)

I gave her to my mother,

And this is what she said.

I may be just a Valentine

Of paper, lace, and glue,

But I am very special

For I say “I love you” (point at students)

-- 'n you, 'n you, 'n you,

And you, 'n you, 'n you, 'n you,

And you, 'n you, 'n you, 'n you,

'n you, 'n you, 'n you!

(When pointing, form your fingers to say “I love you” in American Sign Language)

The children generally prepare lunch as part of their party activities. Parents send in the

supplies. It is easy to prepare fun,finger sandwiches using heart-shaped cookie cutters---peanut butter

and jelly, pink tinted cream cheese, or heart shaped ham and cheese. Strawberries are a good fruit

because when sliced they look like hearts. Two Twinkies sliced diagonally can be made to look like

hearts when reassembled. I thought we would cry when the maker of Twinkies went out of business for

a period of time.

The parties always included some form of face painting. If I was the teacher running the face

painting center, then they got a simple red heart with Cupid's arrow shot threw it. However some

teachers were very clever and creative with the face painting. This activity affords the teacher an

opportunity to be one-on-one with each child. Plus the children got all that tactile stimulation on their

faces. As expected the fun part was the peek in the mirror when the face painting was finished.

Of course the best part of Valentine's Day was delivering all of Cupid's mail. With the younger

children, the parents were asked not to address the cards, but only have their children sign their cards. It

was a great way to practice one-on one correspondence. One card for each mailbox. With older children

it is fine to have them address and sign their cards. When the older children delivered their mail, they

had to practice reading the names of their classmates.

Next in February we concentrate on Presidents' Day. This is the holiday that really makes me

love teaching in Wilmington. Of course, Washington didn't sleep at the Burgwin-Wright House, but it

was here when Washington was our first President. Also Lincoln didn't visit Wilmington, but he did

travel by train. The Railroad Museum is a perfect Presidents' Day destination for the younger crowd

and the Cape Fear Museum is the perfect Presidents' Day destination for the older crowd. The dioramas

at the Cape Fear Museum depicting Civil War Battles are awesome.

Since I always taught on a year-around schedule, I liked to concentrate on Abraham Lincoln for

Presidents' Day and save more of George Washington for Independence Day. Wilmington was the

home of an actual signer of the Declaration of Independence, William Hooper, who lived off of

Masonboro Sound Road. There is an obscure headstone along the road to designate the location of his

home. Nothing like looking out at the same water that William Hooper saw. However, February 27th is

the anniversary of the Battle of Moore's Creek and a day trip out to the battle site would be very

enlightening and return you to 1776. Another worthwhile day trip is down to Fort Fisher and the Fort

Fisher Museum. I would start the Fort Fisher Day trip with a visit to Louise Wells Cameron Art

Museum. The grounds around the museum is the site of the Civil War Battle of Six Forks. Use a

circuitous route from Cameron Art Museum to Fort Fisher by way of Masonboro Sound Road and

Myrtle Grove Road in order to get a sense of what the Civil War soldier felt as he marched along under

some of those old live oak trees dripping with Spanish moss.

President's Day also lends itself to dressing up in beards, stove pipe hats, wigs and three-corner

hats. I always liked sharing the story of how Abraham Lincoln ended up with a beard when he was

campaigning because a young girl wrote him a letter. In addition Presidents' Day presents an

opportunity to compare and contrast what it is like to look at a painting versus looking at a picture. We

only have paintings of President Washington, but we have actual photographs of President Lincoln.

Singing songs typical of the Revolutionary War or the Civil War help children feel a connection to

history. Preschoolers love a good active rendition of “My Hat It Has Three Corners.”

I once visited a classroom in Indiana where the teacher used the concept of silhouettes to teach

math, art, science, and social studies. The teacher started the unit with the connection between

Groundhog Day and shadows. Next she created a “shadow art” silhouette of each student. The large

student silhouettes were put on display along with silhouettes of President Washington and President

Lincoln. Follow up work consisted of the students studying money and the relative value of coins

covered with silhouettes. For Mother's Day the teacher helped her students mount and frame their

silhouettes as gifts for their moms.

Of course Presidents' Day slides us into our last regular unit of the month---Dental Health. Poor

President Washington is never depicted with a smile in any of his portraits. His poor dental health sets

the stage for great discussions about the reasons to care for your teeth. Some of our best guest speakers

were the dentists and dental hygientists who came to visit with the students. Over the years we have

seen a great variety of puppet shows, videos, posters and brushing or flossing demonstrations. My two

favorite classroom activities were reading the story of DOCTOR DE SOTO and teaching the children

to floss. Developing fine motor skills isn't always achieved with pencil and paper. Working with the

turned over bottom of a paper egg carton and a piece of dental floss is quite skill building.

If you noticed I said that Dental Health was our last ”regular” unit for the month not our final

unit for February. February is a month that during some years you might include the Winter Olympics,

Chinese New Year, the Super Bowl, Mardi Gras, the 100th Day of School or Leap Year. February is also

Black History Month which with our students actually started with the celebration of Martin Luther

King's Birthday in January. In our classroom incorporation of Black History was always with

discussions of the importance of Abraham Lincoln as an outstanding and commendable president and

why we would pick the month of his birth to celebrate Presidents' Day. Depending on the age level

(which I point out because developmentally young children do not actually see skin color differences

until around five years of age), programs like “What's Wrong With Different?” are very good classroom

tools. “What's Wrong With Different?” was created in Wilmington by local YWCA staff members on

the premise that color is only skin deep and we are all the same color on the inside.

Mush

Last week I was checking out a newspaper column, COOK'S CORNER by Linda Ciero. I have always enjoyed this column, but this day I took particular notice because of the huge picture of Neese's Liver Pudding across the top of the page. Even on a good morning the mention of liver can be a little offsetting. The column, as it turned out, was a discussion of livermush or as some call it liver pudding. The columnist was trying to help a lady find a recipe for livermush so that she could make it for her grandfather who was pining for his mama's sandwiches.

The first time I left Indiana it was to live in Massachusetts. I remember the feeling of searching for a particular food because it would remind me of home. In 1968 the Pittsfield, Massachusetts grocery store meat department did not carry packages of “breaded pork tenderloin” which was and still is a Fort Wayne, Indiana meat department staple. I was such an inexperienced homemaker at the time that I didn't know that you needed a recipe to prepare “breaded pork tenderloin.” You can imagine my embarrassment when the butcher asked me which cut of meat was I needing to prepare “breaded pork tenderloin.” Sadly years later I found out that my beloved “breaded pork tenderloin” was really Indiana's knock-off version of Wiener Schnitzel.

Well, back to the livermush---it was surprising to read how many people had thoughts about livermush. Some folks thought the lady was really looking for liverwurst, braunschweiger, goose liver pate, or scrapple. Some folks even knew that there were laws about making livermush. It has to be 30%

pork liver which can include meat from the hog's head. In most states all that yummy goodness is mixed with cornmeal, but in South Carolina it can be mixed with rice. Who knew!?!

Actually. I did know. Back in 1969 our family (year old son and husband) moved to Hickory, North Carolina. I was so excited to find livermush. I had a baby with a wheat allergy and I loved fried “mush.” Well it turned out that North Carolina livermush was not my kind of “mush” and my son did not like it.

Sadly to say I never lost my hankering for my kind of “fried mush.” Over the years I have shared this love of “mush” with colleagues here in Wilmington, NC. For many years during my trips to Indiana, I tried to figure out a way to bring my kind of “mush” back to Wilmington. I wanted my fellow workers to know and appreciate what I was missing.

Happily to report that last summer I accomplished my mission. With the help of my granddaughter and my sister, I was able to leave Indianapolis with frozen rolls of my kind of “mush.” I wrapped those precious rolls of Jaxon Cornmeal Mush in newspaper and stuffed them in my suitcase. However, when the time came for me to share my loot with my friends, they were not that impressed. Not because it wasn't tasty, but because they had eaten it all their lives. They just called it another name---fried grits!!!

Purdue, Pur Don't!

I am not a conspiracy theorist, but I do wonder if there is a plot afoot. Earlier I had pondered why Indiana was getting so much attention on prime time television. Fly over country is not exactly the poster child for the typical liberal, Hollywood agenda. You know the state that had Mitch Daniels and his balanced budget for Governor.

Well, a recent episode of THE MIDDLE has given me goosebumps. You know how in families people tease each other with sometimes real below the belt remarks. However, if someone outside the family made the same remarks, then they become fighting words. Well, as a girl, that is the way it was about going to Purdue versus going to say Indiana University or Butler University. I grew up hearing comments like “farmers sent their hogs to market and their daughters to Purdue or was it they sent their cows to market and their daughters to Purdue.” It was OK to be teased like that at the Indiana State Fair, but I wasn't going to stand for it outside of Indiana.

Back in January of 2013 Mitch Daniels became the President of Purdue University. He has spent this past year trying to define Purdue's future. Back in 2011 or 2012, I answered a very lengthy online survey about the direction the university should take. I would like to think that maybe I had a hand in helping pick a person like Mitch Daniels to be the new head of Purdue. There is nothing wrong with having a balanced budget.

I have even read Mitch Daniels' “2014 state of the university” address. President Daniels has some very practical and doable ideas about how to save the university and the students some money. It isn't going to be pretty, but I can see it working. In fact Mitch Daniels sounds like someone who had been reared by parents who lived through the Great Depression. Some of the cost cutting ideas for the university smack of real thrift----bulk purchasing, getting rid of surplus vehicles, and buying “used” furniture instead of new.

In fact I believe it is this thriftiness that has caught the attention of Hollywood. President Daniels even acknowledges in his January speech that “Purdue caught the attention of many in and beyond Indiana last spring when we broke a 36 year string of tuition increases, announcing instead a two year freeze.” He was even so bold to say in his speech that he is recommending an extension of the freeze to 3 years.

Mitch Daniels' Depression Era thinking of tightening our belts and doing without is radical. In his speech he declares“henceforth we would seek to adjust our spending to the budgets of students' families rather than require that they adjust their budgets to ours.” This is scary stuff to government employees, politicians, bureaucrats, etc. who have never thought to cancel rate hikes, decrease taxes, or reduce fees.

So why did I get goosebumps watching the February 5^th episode of THE MIDDLE when Axl is critiquing Sue's stack of college brochures. Axl in his offhanded way dismisses Sue's selection of Purdue as one of her choices by saying “Purdue, Pur Don't!” Axl on the show is portrayed as the embodiment of “cool.” It implies that Purdue is not “cool” and no one should even consider going there.

President Daniels needs to take notice of this slight by Axyl. There is a thin line between what viewers perceive as real and what they perceive as fiction. To some Axl's opinion might have validity..

Hoosiers On TV

Back at the beginning of January when all the 2013 lists come out, I noticed that a local StarNews reporter created a Top Ten list of his favorite 2013 TV shows. Lo and behold, what did I find on his list? At #3 and #9 were two shows about life in Indiana. Of course I am referring to PARKS AND RECREATION at #3 and THE MIDDLE at #9. For those of you who do not catch these two shows, PARKS AND RECREATION is about a small town in Indiana named Pawnee and THE MIDDLE is about a family in the suburbs south of Indianapolis.

I know you are asking yourself “How do I know that it is south of Indianapolis?” Well, the dad is the foreman at a stone quarry---Indiana limestone which is a very good building material is cut south of Indianapolis. For those of you old enough to remember the movie BREAKING AWAY, the son of a stone cutter competes in a bike race with local college students (A.K.A the Little 500 at Indiana University).* In BREAKING AWAY, the “townies” are referred to as the “cutters.”

It is interesting that the StarNews reporter likes PARKS AND RECREATION because of the “perky positivity” of the lead character, Leslie Knope. Does this reporter not see Leslie Knope as a grown up version of the sister, Sue, in THE MIDDLE? The unflappable optimism demonstrated by Sue every time she tries out for an extra-curricular activity is the “perky positivity” embodied in Leslie Knope. It must be inbred then why I get up every morning thinking that I will be successful today!?! I don't always know what I will try, but I always feel perky and positive about it.

The name of the town in PARKS AND RECREATION is Pawnee. According to the story line, Pawnee gets its name from a battle between the Indians and the settlers. I have had this nagging feeling that Pawnee is located somewhere in northeast Indiana. I know most people don't geographically associate Indian uprisings, like those depicted in old Westerns, to northeastern Indiana. Unfortunately, battles like the ones depicted in the “Pawnee” mural did happen. Sadly, the bad feelings about the Indian uprisings lasted well into the early 1900's. One of my grandfathers born in 1888 told of seeing signs in tavern windows that said “NO INDIANS AND NO IRISH.” We of course heard those stories because he was Irish.

However, some folks in Fort Wayne during my years in school did decide like Leslie Knope that we should remember the contributions of the Indian tribes to the local history. We had housing additions and schools named in honor of the local tribes. I remember Kekionga Junior High School. Near my home was a huge housing addition and elementary school named “Indian Village.” My sister had the privilege of attending Indian Village Elementary. Someone else of note grew up in Indian Village, the actress, Shelley Long. Shelley Long's mother taught at Indian Village Elementary. I should check the credits for PARKS AND RECREATION, maybe Shelley Long is a writer or producer for the show.

* Like the author, Jen Lancaster who has some ties to Indiana, I am going to add a footnote for clarification. While going to graduate school in Lousiana, I tried to explain to a local professor that what he was calling “University of Indiana” was not Indiana University. I tried to explain to him that University of Indiana was in Pennsylvania and that what he was referencing was Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. Duh, why do you think they call it “IU!?!” As you can imagine, he did not appreciate the clarification and my final grade reflected his feelings. I got an undeserved B.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss

Sunday, March 2^nd was Dr. Seuss' birthday. During my years in the classroom I have collected a lot of Dr. Seuss memorabilia. Somethings I bought, somethings I made, and somethings I have been given. My many treasures have aided me with my quest to inspire an interest in books and reading.

On Sat, March 1st I attended a Dr. Seuss Birthday Party at the Wake County North Regional Library. It was a party for young, school-age children. I asked the librarians ahead of time if they were interested in any of my Seuss memorabilia. Upon receiving an affirmative response, I decided to give them my six foot tall folding cardboard “Cat in the Hat.”

Since I currently do not have need of many of my classroom props, I have been trying to find them homes. It is a struggle to let go of teaching aids. Part of the problem with acquired teaching aids is that they were purchased with my own money. School budgets never seem to have line items for storybook characters, lifesize cardboard cutouts, or stuffed animals and dolls. Most teachers will tell you that it is hard enough to find money for construction paper, bulletin board paper, or glue. I am also trying to spare my family the task of having to throw my treasures away. I have bad dreams where I see my teaching supplies being tossed out of our second story window directly into a dumpster.

Not long ago I was reading an article about decluttering. One line caught my attention because it addressed my problem with wholesale paring down. I struggle with letting go of somethings because I want to remember them. The article suggested taking pictures of things that were being held on to for sentimental reasons. Thus, my new mantra, “take a picture of it!”

On Saturday at the party, I saw my “Cat-in-the-Hat” outfitted with a fresh, new “Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss” banner. It was displayed proudly with balloons as a photo shoot center. I watched as children asked their mothers to take a picture of them with “Cat-in-the-Hat.” It was so cute that older children would have made “selfies!”

As I enjoyed all the activities during the celebration I knew I had found a good home for my classroom prop. It was going to be used and cared for in such a way that it would continue to inspire an interest in books and reading.

Other Dr. Seuss Birthday activities at the Wake County North Regional Library:

1. A Spoon/ Egg Race: a relay race using green plastic eggs and wooden spoons for GREEN EGGS AND HAM?
2. Art Center: table with materials to make a Seuss character stick puppet; materials to create a Seuss-like collage filled with “weird paper shapes and stickers” indicative of Seuss generated illustrations; and feathers to glue on a drawing to create a tail for MISS GERTRUDE McFUZZ.
3. Guessing Game: at the book display table, which was filled with many selections by and about Dr Seuss, was a glass Mason jar filled with colored Goldfish crackers. To celebrate ONE FISH TWO FISH RED FISH BLUE FISH, the children were asked to guess how many Goldfish were in the jar.
4. Librian lead discussion and shared reading about Dr. Seuss, aka Theodor Seuss Geisel, with audience participation by way of a big screen monitor.
5. Take home sheets: a table with reproducible handouts filled with matching games and drawing sheets.

As always, I either learn something new or am reminded of a fact that I have forgotten. Saturday it was Dr. Seuss had another pseudonym, “Theo LeSieg.” (Geisel backwards).

First Teaching Job

Waking up this morning to these cold, icy weather conditions, reminds of my first day on the job at Miami Elementary School in Lafayette, Indiana. I had just graduated from Purdue University at the beginning of January, 1967 and had signed a contract to take a position teaching a self-contained fifth grade. For those of you not familiar with educational jargon, I was going to be responsible for all subjects----not just my favorite ones, but all of them! I had to cover grammar, social studies, spelling, handwriting, reading, science, math, and art. Fortunately there were books and Teacher's Manuals for all subjects except art. The only two subjects that I was not responsible for were PE and music.

I was lucky enough to have signed my contract, toured the school, and visited the classroom before the teacher left on maternity leave. Her name was Sheila and her students loved her. She seemed easygoing and congenial. She willingly left me her lesson plans, her teaching manuals, and her organizational charts. She made it all seem so easy. She was definitely what would be referred to today as a”master teacher.”

Well, feeling that I had some big shoes to fill, I prepped for my first day solo in the classroom. I had lesson plans to write, textbooks to read, bulletin boards to prepare, and outfits to plan. As a newly wed, my husband was just getting his first dose of what it was going to be like living with a teacher. I was anxious to say the least. He realized my anxiety when I would sit up in bed in the middle of the night reciting lesson plans in my sleep.

On the morning of the first day, I was up early. Since we were living in the married student courts on Purdue's campus, our car had to sit outside. It was January in Indiana, so my husband, a Purdue student himself, got up and started the car, scraped the windows, and hauled all my classroom paraphernalia to the car. I wanted to be at the school early.

I drove through campus, across the Wabash River, and up the hill in Lafayette to Miami Elementary. When I got to the school, the parking lot was empty. I thought that I was the first one to arrive. I gathered my ”instructional materials” to enter the building when the janitor appears at the door He informs me that the school is closed due to “inclement weather.” I asked him if I could use the phone to call my husband.

How did I miss the “inclement weather” conditions? How did I get up the hill? How did I not see everything covered in ice? The minute I got my husband on the phone I was a basket case. Now I was scared. His reply, which I have learned after 47 years of marriage is as always, ”what do you expect me to do about it?”

Fortunately, I got back home safely, I lived to teach another “first” day, and I learned to never underestimate the power of adrenalin.