Birthday Wishes to Jaclyn

As regular readers will know, this past year and a bit has been one of the most difficult times of my life, mainly because I nearly lost my daughter to a wicked disease. And then when things finally settled down, we almost lost her again to possible cancer. (It wasn't, but it was still a very scary time!) Since tomorrow is her birthday, I'd like to honour her here and tell you a bit about her. Some of the following is from last year's post, but I've updated it because she is so special to me, and I'm so proud of how she has fought hard to turn her life around despite being burdened with a condition that will be life-long.

May 20, 1980 - a day I will forever hold in my heart as extra special. It was the day my second daughter was born, 9 lbs and 23" long. She had a round little tummy, long skinny arms and legs, blue eyes and dark hair. I'd thought all along that she would be a boy because I'd carried her so differently from her sister. It took her quite a while to arrive - we joked that she was too comfy in there and we were disturbing her perfect little world. Finally, we heard the doctor announce, "Another girl," and we had to scramble to find a name for her. It didn't take us long to decide. Since I loved my sister's name and she'd never had the joy of having a child, we just changed the spelling to make it unique. And since she was going to be the last, we made up her middle name to honour her Daddy.

Jaclyn was the cutest little girl and her personality developed quickly. She was a determined little girl and tried to boss her big sister around. When she started school, her teacher tried to be very tactful in telling us something we already knew. Even when she was a toddler, we could tell she had her own mind about things. The first year she was in figure skating and part of the annual ice carnival, she actually stole the show. The 2 & 3 year olds were part of the Anna and the King of Siam segment, and they were to simply skate around the edge of the arena as "Anna" did her routine in the center of the ice. At one point, Jaclyn left the group of toddlers and skated over to "Anna" and proceeded to copy her movements. There was a roar of approval from the audience and she ended her own little "routine" with a standing ovation! Here she is in her "official" portrait and when she stole the show that memorable day:

Jaclyn was always a leader and wanted to be involved in everything from soccer to ballet to figure skating. Being the only girl on her soccer team in first and second grade didn't bother her at all because she wanted to be like her Grampa who was a soccer hero. She loved animals and in kindergarten decided she would marry a dairy farmer because she didn't want the animals killed for beef. Here are a few shots showing her with different animals she loved.

When she saw her Gramma knitting, the only thing possible was to have Gramma teach her to knit, and when she saw her Grandmother playing the organ, nothing would do but to learn how to play the organ.

When Jaclyn was only 3 years old, she had her first solo in a Sunday School Christmas program. In elementary school, she joined the school choir and participated in many festival choir competitions. She also had roles in school and church plays (e.g. "The Miracle Worker"). In high school, she had a part in "Oliver" and other productions. She took singing lessons and sang at church and later even considered trying out for Canadian Idol. She'll often go out to karaoke with friends, too, but I've never had the guts to sneak in to listen to her. I always stop everything I'm doing whenever I hear her singing - she sings an awesome "At Last" and anything by Andrew Lloyd Weber. Here she is in her Grade 6 musical production during one of her solos.

Throughout her childhood, Jaclyn was also involved in other various sports and other activities. Here are just a few photos illustrating her interests in a vast variety of activities.

I know that some of Jaclyn's favourite memories have to do with summers at the cabin on Shuswap Lake. She was only 2 months old the first time she went with us for our summer holidays. Over the years, she had lots of fun swimming, boating, fishing with her Dad, paddle-wheeling, exploring in the government campsite nearby, horseback riding, picnicking, barbecuing, and roasting weiners and marshmallows, and sipping hot chocolate over the campfire that her Dad would make every night. Besides swimming in the lake, I took her to swimming lessons so she was very comfortable around any sort of water. Here she is on the beach at at Cape Cod where we had a wonderful vacation the year we lived in Ottawa, Ontario.

Jaclyn loved her Daddy more than anyone in the whole world. Her world was shattered in August of 1992 when her father died, and her life would never again be the same. Although she tried to deal with the tragedy and the pain it brought, she's had a really hard time moving on with her life. That fall when she entered seventh grade, she made it her goal to honour her father by doing the absolute best she could in her school work as well as being the best person she could be towards others. That next spring, she received the Citizenship Award and I cried as I watched her stand to be honoured by the whole school. I was so proud of her.

(This is a photo of Jaclyn at her seventh grade "grad." She's trying to smile, but I can see the sadness in her eyes.)

Jaclyn went on to graduate from high school with very good grades and some honours. However, she had coasted through, usually bored with her courses because they didn't challenge her enough. She tried college, but it didn't work, so she went to work. That was boring, too. Finally, she went to Blanche MacDonald School and got her diploma in makeup technology. I was so proud of her when she graduated and supported her while she tried to break into the industry. She was involved in several movies and did all sorts of makeup work - from brides to zombies. She and a friend developed their own production company but when her partner sold her out, she was devasted and decided to change course. She has a very good job now and management is thrilled with her customer service skills.

Jaclyn is a singer, a writer, a poet, an artist, a jewellry designer, a computer whiz, and a proud Auntie to Noah and Eden. She is sensitive, intelligent, generous, and has a dry wit. She is beautiful, gentle yet strong, loving, caring, and genuine. She loves all animals, especially dogs and cats and used to have a pet rat named Whiskey. (I do have to protect her from spiders, though.) Sometimes she likes to shock me because she thinks it's funny, but if I ever need her, she's there for me. I love her so much and know that my life would not be the same had she not be born. I thank God every day that He sent her to be my daugher for always. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACLYN - may all your dreams come true.

Politically Correct Teaching

Love him or hate him, he sure hits the nail on the head with this! Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it! I used to get so tired of listening to kids whine about how long someone else got to play on the swings. If you want to swing, tell the other kid to get off!

Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself. When kids would ask me, "Is this good enough?" I would always say "NO!" If you have to ask, then it's not. If their feelings are hurt, sobeit; they haven't worked hard enough for any praise.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both. (see #6)

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. This made me laugh. I was always saying things like, "If you think I'm tough, wait until you get a job!"

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity. My kids' first job was shoveling sh*t cleaning up the backyard from what the dog deposited. We'd all laugh about how they could tell their own kids that they actually did shovel sh*t in their lives. We'd tell them everyone has to start at the bottom. (And yes, they got paid well for the chore.)

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them. This is a good one. One time we were studying Sound and the task I gave the kids was to make a musical instrument out of nothing. I showed them examples of attaching rubber bands to empty tissue boxes to make a guitar, putting dry rice in a tupperware bowl to make a percussion, banging pencils on coffee tins for drums, etc. One boy had his Dad make him a guitar with his table saw and fancy woodworking tools. The problem was that the guitar made no sound, so the kid ultimately got a bad mark on the assignment. All the other kids thought his "guitar" was so cool, but not I. He did not make it. The buck stopped at him, in my opinion.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room. I don't think I've had a problem here.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life. Here's another buggaboo to me. Our school used to have this argument all the time. There shouldn't be any awards at the end of the year. We need to change our A,B,C+,C,C-,D,F manner of grading, etc. And no one "fails" a year, they just continue on with extra help. I'd be tearing my hair out (in my head) and would suggest that "life isn't really like that and what would we be teaching the kids if we did this," etc. etc. But.....

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time. It's funny how kids think they get the whole summer off. Mine were out working even before it was legal for them to do so. There's all sorts of things kids can do. My younger daughter made up flyers, delivered them in our subdivision, and started up her own "Summer Vacation Pet Sitting" business. She ended up getting so many clients who had her even come to water the lawn and the inside plants along with caring for dogs and cats and birds.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs. See above.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one. So true. When I went to my 30th high school reunion, it wasn't the so-called "popular" kids who'd made it. It was the average guy/girl who had had to work hard in school and learned how to succeed. Nothing had come easy for them but they had made it in life!

Saturday Photo Hunt - CANDY

Since I don't eat candy and never have it around the house, I had to come up with a twist for today. So I decided to do "EYE CANDY" instead. We've had such a horrid winter and spring so far that our gardens are behind in fluorishing. For me, this "candy" is much more satisfying to my soul. And the calories don't remain on the hips. I managed to go for a stroll this afternoon and took along my camera to take some photos of flowers that are currently in bloom.

So, for your viewing pleasure here is today's "eye candy." The first three are from my own back garden - English poppies and cornflowers.

Along the route of my usual walk, I pass a house with a giant lilac bush that hangs over the sidewalk. My daughter knows the lady of the house and has told her to just break off whatever she wants, but I can't do that. However, every time I pass, I stop and take a deep sniff of the wondrous lilac scent! I took a couple of photos today and I share them here. The first is of part of the whole bush and the second is a closeup of a few of the blossoms.

On my way back home, I discovered that one of my neighbours has a deep purple lilac blooming in her garden. It has the same sweet scent, but the dark tones make the flowers much more attractive. I wish I had one of these in my garden!

And another neighbour has this lovely lilac-coloured rhododenron currently in full bloom at the side of her house. So I had to share it with you, too.

I have to admit, though, that there is another bit of "eye candy" that is even less fattening than flowers. In fact, if only this bit of candy would cooperate with me, I'd be able to lose more weight by having "fun" with him. And okay, it isn't my picture but I'm sure all you ladies out there (and maybe even some men) would agree with me that this is, in my humble opinion, the best eye candy ever! Dream on with me! I wonder what does his girlfriend has that I don't have? lol

Have a wonderful weekend, especially my Canadian friends as it's Victoria Day weekend here.

Pain Postpones Plans

Back in February I wrote about spinal stenosis and you can read about it here if you missed it. I've had a bad back for most of my life, partly genetic and partly from being so athletic in my youth. I finally had a CT scan in March and got the results of it several weeks ago from my doctor.

Anyway, the scan indicated that there has been more deterioration of the spine and in the report the word "severe" is mentioned five times. At L3-4 I have a herniated disc which is affecting the nerve root on the right side. No wonder it hurts. At L4-5, there is another herniated disc which is affecting the nerve root on the left side. No wonder it hurts. There is also severe left facet joint arthropathy (which basically means lots of bone spurs) and at L5-S1 there is anterolisthesis (which basically means that the upper vertebra slips forward on the one below.) No wonder it hurts.

I now have an appointment with a surgeon on August 29th. Yes, this year.

It seems odd that suddenly my back has become so much worse. But over the past few months I've noticed that I can't stand in one spot for any length of time or else my left leg goes numb. Then it happened once when I lost the feeling in both legs at the same time. I almost fell.

In the past week, I've been in constant pain and can't even think straight. I've been so exhausted because the pain is so bad I can feel it even in my sleep. When I saw my doctor yesterday, he gave me a prescription for Emtec, a pain reliever, which is sort of like Tylenol 3s, that I can take as needed, but no more than 2 per day. Last night I took 1/2 of one and managed to finally get some sleep. But I am having a lot of pain all the time - sitting, standing, walking, all the time. As I write, I'm hoping the 1/2 pill I took after dinner will hurry up and kick in.

My friend Cathy and I were going to go to the UK for a summer holiday this year, but it appears we shall have to postpone it until next summer. We had to make a decision today and we're both disappointed, but I'm glad Cathy is being so good about it. She said she could tell I was in a lot of pain last Sunday so we feel it's better to wait until this condition is fixed - probably through surgery and spinal fusion.

My massage therapist has helped me a lot. Naturally, she can't cure what is wrong with my back, but she keeps the muscle knots under control. Did you know that when a muscle tightens or knots up that it can feel as hard as bone? Yesterday, I had a session and mentioned that my legs were feeling weak and that my left foot was twisting inwards. So my MT worked on my legs and it was one of the most painful sessions I've ever had. When she got the spasm out of the muscle that controlled my left foot, I actually screamed! And she's told me in the past that I have a high tolerance for pain. I think I lost all my tolerance yesterday.

I remember how awful it was recovering from my previous back surgery, but even knowing all that, I want the surgery! Up to this point in time, I have taken good care of myself and my back in order to avoid further surgery. But now? Fix me, doctor! And quickly!

I think much of my summer is going to be spent watching my daughter weed the garden and catching up on my writing and reading. However, I will try to keep active by taking short strolls around the neighbourhood or going on day trips where I can drive (or maybe I should be the passenger as I'll be so doped up on prescription drugs).

Cathy and I might still do a trip to Calgary and Edmonton to visit friends. For those who don't know, it would be 2 days drive to get to Calgary, a couple of hours from Calgary to Edmonton, and 2 days drive home. So with visiting and sightseeing, etc. we could be gone for 2 weeks. At least we'd still be in Canada and close enough to home that if anything more serious happened to me, I'd get the best care. And geewits is coming to visit josie in June and we're going over to Victoria together. Hopefully, my friend Suzanne from Arizona will still be able to come for a visit, too.

I think I'm going to go and take the other 1/2 of that pill. My left side is still hurting all the way down to my foot. Thank goodness, I have nothing pressing for tomorrow morning as I'll probably end up unconscious until noon.

ABC Wednesday - the letter Q

ABC Wednesday is brought to you by Mrs. Nesbitt. Be sure to pop over to see who's participating. It should be interesting this week with Q as the letter of the week.

Q is for question mark and questions.

Have you ever wondered how this symbol came about? I turned to my trusty Reader’s Digest book entitled "Why in the World?" (all you ever wanted to know about the world around you but may never have thought to ask) This is what it had to say about our question mark:

Our system of punctuation came to us from classical Greek and Latin, where its chief purpose was not to assist comprehension but to guide those reading aloud. Different marks showed the reader how to stress syllables, and where to pause and draw breath to maintain the metre in a line of poetry.

In Latin, a query was indicated by the word "questio" placed at the end of the sentence. The laborious task of handwriting books was made easier by abbreviating many words, and "questio" was shortened to QO. Since QO could be mistaken for other abbreviations, scribes began to place the Q above the O. Before long, the Q deteriorated into a squiggle and the O became a dot.

Bet you didn't know that. I certainly didn't. And that's what is great about ABC Wednesday - it challenges me to learn something new each week.

Here are a few interesting questions from the book.

1. Why do we talk about the Man in the Moon?

Open a children's storybook, and you're likely to find a drawing of the Man in the Moon. For many people, the Moon, with its combination of light and dark areas, looks like a man's face. The Man in the Moon is always young, freshly discovered by each pair of eyes that sees him for the first time. And he is also ancient, dwelling in the Moon right down the ages, immortal as the rocks and dust of the Moon's geological face. And for those who travel for the first time to the opposite hemisphere, the Man in the Moon may have an unfamiliar face. Britons who visit South America or Australia assert - quite correctly - that their friendly figure from the north has suddenly turned upside down.

2. Why do some people have freckles?

If you have freckles, blame your ancestors. Almost certainly they are inherited. They first show up in childhood and, if you are going to have them, they have usually all appeared by your twenty-first birthday. . . In most of us, sunshine increases the production of melanin, the pigment that tans our skin and protects it. Some fair-skinned people and most redheads don't tan in the sun. Their pigment cells fail to respond, or do so unevenly. Instead of producing an even tan, the pigment collects irregularly in small dark spots. Even though freckles themselves are harmless, people who have them should take greater care out of doors. They should never go into the sun without a hat, and guard themselves with sunscreens to avoid a tendency to burn.

3. Why do chefs use dish-covers?

At many feasts and banquets, the chef's special dish is usually delivered with some ceremony. Often, it is wheeled into the dining hall, concealed under a cover to maintain the surprise. Then - presto! - the cover is removed to reveal the "chef d'oeuvre" in all its magnificence. Dish-covers serve to maintain surprise and keep the dish hot, but that wasn't their original function. When poisoning was a convenient way to dispatch an unpopular monarch, ill-lit corridors from the kitchen to banqueting hall offered ample opportunity to pop a fatal dose into the royal dinner. Before any food left the kitchen, it was placed on a dish, and the cover was padlocked. At the table, the chef unlocked the cover and tasted the food before it was served. If the chef failed to supervise his staff or made too many enemies, he ran a high risk of suffering a painful death.

I always had this book at school so that whenever an interesting question arose from my students, I would direct them to this book - or other books where they could look up the answer themselves. When they would complain and say, "Why don't you just tell me the answer?" I would simply smile and tell them they'd remember the answer all their lives if they went to the trouble of looking it up themselves. They would sigh deeply, but off they'd go searching for the answer. I hope that someday they'll remember the teacher that made them look it up for themselves.

Have a great week, everybody! I'll be popping 'round to see what you came up with for Q today.

With Tear In My Eyes...

Yes, with tears in my eyes I ask you to read my daughter's blog. I am so proud of her for coming through such trials in her young life and becoming the strong, loving, compassionate person she is. It was a rough go for a long time, and she says I am her angel. But I think it's the other way around.

What she has written on her blog is the best Mother's Day gift I could ever hope for. And I'd be grateful if you'd visit her here and comment on her site. Thanks.

And the Winner is....

MOMMA, whose blog is entitled Poetic License. She lives in Maryland, USA, and this is what she says about herself. MWF, 45: Published author writes vignettes from "real life" (as opposed to fictional life). Born Southern, married a guy from "up North," had a couple of kids, and became overrun with animals. Pop over to visit her and tell her Leslie sent you.

Momma was the first to attempt the quiz and only got one wrong! Congratulations, Momma!

As promised, here are the answers to my little Mothers Day Quiz:

1. Who was the mother of Cain and Abel? Eve

2. Who is the mother of Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah? Demi Moore

3. Another name for terra firma? Mother Earth

4. Her nursery rhymes are part of childhood. Mother Goose

5. She was married to Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation. Sarah, mother of Isaac

6. Liza Minnelli’s mother starred in "The Wizard of Oz." Judy Garland

7. Who is the mother of Lourdes and Rocco? Madonna

8. She was famous for her good deeds in Calcutta. Mother Teresa

9. She was not a nice mother in the movie "Mommie Dearest." Joan Crawford

10. Who is Pebbles’ mother? Wilma Flintstone

11. Who is Bart, Lisa and Maggie’s mother? Marge Simpson

12. Who is considered the founder of Mother’s Day in America? Anna Jarvis - In 1912, a delegate from Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton,West Virginia, introduced a resolution recognizing Jarvis as the founder of Mother's Day, and suggested that Mother's Day be observed on the second Sunday in May.

13. Who was John the Baptist’s mother? Elizabeth

14. Solomon was the wisest mortal who ever lived. What was his mother’s name? Bathsheba

15. Who is the best mother of all time? Mine or Me (you could each say that your own mother was the best OR you could say that YOU are the best mother.)

Thanks for playing along and I hope you all have a fabulous Mother's Day!

Saturday Photo Hunt - Post Any Photo

Since Mother's Day is tomorrow, I am going to post some photos of my mother who passed away May 22, 2002. Mom and I were very close and I remember her telling me that one day she had asked my Dad which of their three daughters was most like her. Without hesitation, my Dad told her that I was. And it's true. My mother once told me the story of when she was in elementary school and the teacher asked all the students what they wanted to be when they grew up. Everyone else said they wanted to be a doctor, teacher, fireman, policeman, businessman, nurse, secretary, etc. so Mom was terribly embarrassed when she said she wanted to be a wife and mother. Turns out that was really my calling, too. The wife part didn't work out the way I wanted it to, but my Dad once told me (and by the way, he was very stingy with compliments) that I was a good mother. Mom suffered terribly from rheumatoid arthritis from her early 30s and later, from Alzheimers which ultimately took her from us. After my mother had been gone for about two years, one of my sisters and I were visiting and remembering Mom. Somehow it came up that one day when Mom was in the hospital and my sister was visiting with her, Mom (thinking my sister was me and calling her by my name) said to her, "I always loved you most, Leslie." When my sister told me that, I could have cried - for two reasons, as you might imagine. And the night before Mom took the turn towards her final journey, we were together and I saw her smiling and nodding at what I believe were her family gone before her, gathering around waiting for her to join them. I'd like you to meet my mother, a good woman who didn't get the life she deserved.

This is just before Mom and Dad got married in January 1942.

Here they are on their wedding day, February 15, 1942.

When we were kids, we always went camping. This is around the mid-50s.

Here's my mother helping me put on my veil on my wedding day, June 23, 1973.

Once we were all grown up, Mom and Dad travelled a lot. This is one of their first trips to Spain in the late 70s. Because they went back many times, Mom even learned Spanish on her own.

By the time my daughter got married in 1999, Mom was in the full throes of Alzheimers. When Jamie walked down the aisle, I overheard my mother say, "Who is that?"



This is the photo we had at Mom's memorial service in May, 2002. It was taken on Christmas Eve of 2001 when I had her and my sisters for luncheon. She seemed so bright and happy that day, knew us all, and enjoyed the day immensely.



I love you Mom and I'm glad you and Dad are finally reunited.

Mother's Day Tidbits

With Mother's Day coming up this Sunday, I started thinking about my own mother, whom I still miss so much. Because of this, I did a bit of research online about mothers and came up with the following bits of interesting material:

Katherine Hepburn's father was a surgeon and her mother was a dedicated suffragette and early crusader for birth control.

Kim Basinger's mother had been a champion swimmer who performed water ballets in several Esther Williams movies in the 1940s.

Laura Dern earned a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her illuminating performance as the title character in Rambling Rose, an underrated picture in 1991 that also won a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her mother, Diane Ladd. This was the first time a mother-daughter team had been so honored; they became the first mother and daughter ever nominated for Academy Awards for the same movie.

Elvis Presley, was a mama's boy. He slept in the same bed with his mother, Gladys, until he reached puberty. Up until Elvis entered high school, she walked him back and forth to school every day and made him take along his own silverware so that he wouldn't catch germs from the other kids. Gladys forbade young Elvis from going swimming or doing anything that might put him in danger. The two of them also conversed in a strange baby talk that only they could understand.

Many of the sweaters worn by Mr. Rogers on the popular television show, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, were actually knitted by his real mother.

Eric Clapton was born to an unwed mother and to shield him from the shame, Eric grew up believing that his grandparents were his parents and his mother was his sister.

Actress Jane Seymour's mother, Mieke Frankenberg, was born in Holland and lived in Indonesia during World War II, where she spent more than three years in a Japanese concentration camp.

Jack Nicholson, born on April 22, 1937, had been the illegitimate child of 17-year-old June Nicholson. Nicholson had spent his life up to age 37 assuming that his biological mother, June, was his sister, and that his maternal grandmother, Ethel May, was his mother. Even on their deathbeds, neither June nor Ethel May had offered up the truth.

And here's a Mother's Day Quiz for you all. First person to get all answers correct wins .......... ta da ...........

a sense of honour in doing well.

Okay, here are the questions, but be careful because there might be a "tricky" one in the bunch.

1. Who was the mother of Cain and Abel?
2. Who is the mother of Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah?
3. Another name for terra firma?
4. Her nursery rhymes are part of childhood.
5. She was married to Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation.
6. Liza Minnelli’s mother starred in "The Wizard of Oz."
7. Who is the mother of Lourdes and Rocco?
8. She was famous for her good deeds in Calcutta.
9. She was not a nice mother in the movie "Mommie Dearest."
10. Who is Pebbles’ mother?
11. Who is Bart, Lisa and Maggie’s mother?
12. Who is considered the founder of Mother’s Day in America?
13. Who was John the Baptist’s mother?
14. Solomon was the wisest mortal who ever lived. What was his mother’s name?
15. Who is the best mother of all time?

I'll post the answers on Sunday, but in the meantime,

Happy Mother's Day to all of you wonderful mothers!

Wish I Could Afford an Original Monet

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK - A Claude Monet painting of a bridge with two trains passing over the Seine while pleasure boats float below was auctioned Tuesday for more than $41 million, breaking the auction record for the French impressionist artist.

"Le Pont du chemin de fer a Argenteuil" was sold at Christie's impressionist and modern art sale for $41,481,000, said Rik Pike, a spokesman for the auction house. The previous record for a Monet painting was $36.5 million for his 1904 "Nympheas," which was sold last year.

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Ever since I visited France and Monet's home in Giverny, I have had a thing for his paintings. I bought two prints while there and had them professionally framed upon my arrival home. I've shared these pieces of art with students over the years, along with photos of me standing on the bridge at Giverny overlooking the lily pond. Can you see me?

These are the two prints I bought in Giverny for the approximate equivalent of $15.00 Cdn. in 1997. The framing was tres cher.

When I taught Art to my fourth graders, I did a whole unit on Monet - his life and work. We studied pictures of his paintings, the meaning of Impressionism, watched a couple of videos about his life and works, and experimented with some of his techniques. It was so much fun. I got a lot of ideas from this book for my Art classes.

And whatever I had the children do, I did as well. Of course, they thought I was a fabulous artist, but really....lol These are two of my feeble attempts at reflections. We used chalk to do a simple picture by the water on the top part, sprayed it to get it wet (everyone loved that part and we had lots of fun squirting each other!), and then folded it and put it under piles of heavy books for about 10 minutes. Then we unfolded it and watched the reflection appear. It seemed like magic for the kids.

Since I'm not even close to being an artiste, I have developed a taste and appreciation for art, especially the masters of impressionism. Next time I'm in Paris, I'm going to go to the Louvre and the Musee d'Orsay. I must say, though, that when I was in San Francisco the last time, I did see one of Monet's famous water lilies painting. It was over 40 feet long! Very impressive, to say the least.

I will never be able to afford an original Monet, but I can appreciate his works by visiting art museums in Europe and America. That, at least, I think I can afford.

P is for PEDAGOGY

ABC Wednesday is brought to you by Mrs. Nesbitt. Check out her blog and see who else contributes. Be sure to go by and comment.

Pedagogy is the art, science, or profession of teaching. The term generally refers to strategies of instruction or a style of instruction.

Some people learn how to be a teacher and some are born. I'm one of the lucky ones that was born a teacher. When I was a little girl, I used to round up all the neighbourhood kids to "play school." I was always the teacher! I made desks and chairs out of boxes if we didn't have enough little tables and I would lead "my class" in all the subjects by having them read aloud, do arithmetic skills, sing, and would even lead them in PE (running, throwing a ball, tumbling on the lawn, etc.)

My university courses weren't as effective in making me a good teacher as actually being in the Profession. Promoting effective learning can be complicated at any age or grade level. Research has found that students learn more when they:

* are actively engaged with the work
* have high but realistic expectations and goals
* receive regular, timely and specific feedback
* focus on what's most important
* are aware of their learning
* experience a balance of intellectual challenge and academic support
* are explicitly aware of preconceptions and prior learning and are willing to unlearn when necessary
* connect new and prior knowledge
* organise their learning in a meaningful way
* apply their learning to real-world situations
* they are assessed appropriately and understand the assessment criteria
* work regularly and productively with instructors
* work regularly and productively with other students
* invest time and make a committed effort.

A lot of the above came naturally to me, but I learned a lot more during my years in the profession of pedagogy. I loved every minute I spent with my students, even the ornery ones. Sometimes, they can be the most stimulating and rewarding part of a teacher's life. When you see a lightbulb go on or you see a positive change in attitude or effort you can't help but have a sense of Pride. I always felt that the best way to teach was to make the whole process FUN. If I wasn't having any fun, then the kids probably weren't, either.

I was looking through my HUGE Portfolio of photos, cards, and notes that I've received over the years from students and their parents, and there are so many fond memories there. On Saturday, in the local newspaper, there was an article about one of my former students who is now 20 years old and a student at a Canadian Christian college. My heart was full when I read he had received a special award for his work with underprivileged youth. I always knew he had it in him.

I occasionally see some of my former students around town. Some are working their way through university by waiting tables in local restaurants or in the grocery store. Some have even gone all the way to France, Germany, and/or Switzerland for higher education. I'm so proud of them. One day as I was out for a walk, a young man caught up to me and from his approximately 6'4" height, said, "Hi, Mrs. C!" He had been one of my favourite students who had a really playful way about him in school, but was not necessarily the "best" in the class. He is now a plumber's apprentice and is very happy with his life. To be remembered enough for him to stop and speak to me made my day!

But then there has been some sadness, too. In 2006, when I was at Vancouver International Airport, I ran into a former student and her mother. Mrs. V was sending her daughter Kate to England to stay with her aunt for a few months. She was so excited about her adventure and I was hoping we'd be on the same flight, but we weren't. Then when I was staying with my friends in Andover, I received word that Kate had become very ill and her aunt was sending her home. However, at Heathrow Airport, Kate collapsed and an ambulance rushed her to the hospital in London where she passed away within a few hours. So tragic! I wept for Kate and for her whole family. But I have photos of her and this note from her Mom the first year I taught Kate, which will help me to always remember her.

I wish you could see the photos, but of course I can't publish them here for privacy reasons. But here are just a few more little notes I received from other students. I love the ones that are handmade but I treasure all of them.

If anyone wants to know about "Backward Design" I'd be happy to explain it to you. It was one of my major assignments a couple of years ago when I went back to university to study higher levels of pedagogy.

NO? That's what I thought! Ha Ha

Just a bit of news

I haven't felt like posting anything for several days since I had that exhausting and emotional day with my out-of-town friend. I think that day really hit me and I'm still recovering from it. I'm sleeping 10 hours a night and don't seem to have much energy.

That said, we had a little "Welcome Eden" party yesterday. Just the family and a few friends for a casual meal. Eden was so sweet and we're getting lots of smiles from her now.

Propped up on Gramma's loveseat.

Big smiles for Daddy.

She was very patient as she got passed around a lot, but settled down to sleep chomping away on her soother while we all ate dinner.

Everyone certainly enjoyed the delicious cake, made especially for the occasion.

Noah was a bit hyper, but still his funny and loving self. He ate up all his dinner so he could get to the cake, but when it was served, he decided he didn't like it. So his Auntie Jaclyn got him some ice cream instead. He loudly asked, "Why are all these people here? Is this a party?" He got lots of laughs from that.

Auntie Jaclyn adores her new niece.

So my other bit of news is that I got my CT Scan results back. I now know I have two more herniated discs (at L3/4 and L4/5), something wrong at L5/S1 plus more stenosis. Am waiting to get in to see a neurosurgeon and am preparing myself for more back surgery and possible spinal fusion. I already had one disc removed in 1986. Lucky me to have inherited my Dad's bad back - he had to have fusion, too. But maybe that's what happens when you're athletic in youth - you suffer in middle and old age. *sigh* Oh well, it's a lovely day so I might go for a short walk later to keep myself mobile. My legs are feeling a bit rubbery lately, but I don't need a cane - yet.

Tulips and Me

A random bit of information about me: my favourite flower is the white tulip. I always think that if I ever get married again, I'd carry a bouquet of white tulips tied together with raffia.

Josie did this meme and said if anyone wanted to do it, go ahead. So, since I'm too weary these days to think about too much else, I'll give it a try. You just might find out a few more random bits of info about me. You have to answer the questions with only one word and for someone like me, it's not as easy as you might think.

Where is your mobile phone? Purse

Your significant other? None

Your hair? Brown

Your mother? Beautiful

Your father? Athlete

Your favorite thing? Traveling

Your dream last night? Weird

Your favorite drink? Scotch

Your dream/goal? Published

The room you’re in? Cozy

Your ex? Loved

Your fear? Loss

Where do you want to be in six years? Europe

Where were you last night? Home

What you’re not? Skinny

Muffins? Fattening

One of your wish list items? Paris

Where you grew up? Richmond

The last thing you did? TV

What are you wearing? Socks

Your TV? Sony

Your pets? Dead

Your computer? laptop

Your life? Swings

Your mood? Tired

Missing someone? Yes

Your car? Luxurious

Something you’re not wearing? Bra

Favorite Store? Talbots

Your summer? Warm

Like someone? Me

Your favorite color? Guess

When is the last time you laughed? Forget

Last time you cried? December

I'm not going to tag anyone except my daughter Jay.Cee at Random and Interesting Things who has a new blog now, but if anyone else wants to, feel free to try it. Or - just comment here with one or two answers about yourself. I'd love to know more about YOU! Have a great weekend, everyone!