To Cat or Not To Cat

I'm thinking about getting a cat. That isn't her on the right, just one that sort of looks like her. Except she's a lot prettier.

Now let me be clear. I've always been a dog person. The bigger the better. I never had a cat as a kid, but did have one for about 12 years when I was married. That cat was a miserable one - it liked to sit on your lap but then if you petted it too long, it'd turn around and hiss at you. I always said, "Never again."

But several friends have cats and I've gotten to know them a bit better. So I started researching them a bit. I decided that if I got one, I'd get a British Shorthair. However, I hadn't really gotten around to really looking since I figured I should get through my surgery first.

About a month ago, I walked past the pet store next to where I go for massage therapy. There in the window was a 5 year-old orange and white female cat named Olivia. Well, I stopped in and talked to her for a while and she seemed to think I was okay. Her family had moved and couldn't take her with them, so had given her to the humane association to find her a new home. I looked at all the stats on her and thought that she would make some lucky person very happy.

So probably about twice a week since then, I stop in to say "Hi Olivia." The second time I went in, she came right to me and rubbed up against the cage towards me and let me touch her gently. I asked if anyone had shown any interest in her and was told that a couple had applied to adopt her. So, I thought "Okay, she'll get adopted."

However, just because you apply, you don't necessarily get her. They want Olivia to have a good home where someone be around most of the time, would really love her, and not end up taking her back. They want a home with no other pets and preferably no children. Well, that's me.

Today, Olivia was still there so I started thinking more seriously about her. And today I also talked to a couple of friends who are encouraging me to go and get her. Both have offered to come with me to see her and I just might go tomorrow night. But first I have to ask one of my daughters if she'll look after her for me when I'm in the hospital and if she'll help out with her for a while when I come home. The other daughter is worried because she says her son is "highly allergic" to cats. But then her husband said that if I wanted a cat I should get one and that they don't come over that often anyway and Noah would be fine.

So what do you think? I've been told having a pet is very helpful when recovering from something like what I'm facing. She would be good company and some"one" to chat with when I'm home alone.

Canada's Health Care Not That Great

I just read online about a study, called Euro-Canada Health Care Index, that looked at health care in Canada from the ordinary person's perspective and compared it with 29 European countries.

Out of 30 countries, Canada came in at 23rd. When adjusted for "bang for your buck," even with Canada's very high level of spending it ranks last. This is shocking news!

The study examined several health-care quality indicators including wait times, patient rights and information, primary care and access to one's own medical records. The report states that Canadians rely upon a "sclerotic, inefficient and remarkably stingy" system when it comes to providing excellent and timely care to patients. And when it comes to patients rights and information, Canada tied with Poland, ahead of only Latvia.

Wait times is the weakest link in the Canadian health care system. As one who is in the queue, I had to wait to see my family doctor (but not too long), then wait for the CT scan, then wait for the specialist (which was originally going to be three months, but I saw him within six weeks of contact), then wait for an MRI (but again I got a cancellation), again wait to see the surgeon for the results of the MRI, and finally am currently waiting for a date for surgery. So far it's been seven months.

On the other hand, the study says that with respect to clinical outcomes, Canada compares well with the best performing health care systems. And within Canada, British Columbia is second only to Ontario.

So even though I'm waiting, I know that I'll be in good hands with quality care when I arrive at the hospital for my operation. However, maybe I should consider moving to Austria, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland or Germany.

Innate Intelligence Trumps Intoxitated Idiocy

"Do as I say, not as I do!" was the frequent refrain we all heard from our Dad. Like all teenagers, we thought he was a hypocrite as he openly drank his beer and hard liquor from his well-stocked cabinet.

However, as we got a little older, he began to teach us how to drink responsibly. Starting at age 16, we were allowed a glass of wine with dinner. At age 19, Dad was on a course in the city where I was living on campus and he gave me a rye & ginger ale in his hotel room before taking me out to dinner. Although he did mention that I wouldn't be allowed anything like that in the restaurant since the drinking age was still 21 at that time.

So I learned to drink responsibly, right? Yeah, right.

Living in residence on campus, I was like a wild beast suddenly let free from its cage. I loved the parties, the drinking, the carousing, the liberty from all parental restraints.

Drink responsibly? Nah! Par-Tee! Par-Tee! Hey, this was the late 60's!

My friends and I frequented the frat parties that were open to any girls on campus. And I ended up meeting and dating one of the guys for the entire year. Practically every weekend there was a party at the "house" with music, dancing, and making out after drinking ourselves to a sleepy and vulnerable state.

At one of the biggest parties of the year, long tables were laid out for the sumptuous meal and wine poured freely from the bottles that just kept on appearing. When the band started up, we were all ready to "get down." Strains of The Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplane, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Steppenwolf, and Chicago got us even more drunk on the beat and the rhythm. At one point, I remember climbing up on the table and dancing solo while everyone cheered me on. Later, my boyfriend and I found ourselves behind some gigantic draperies working on our virginal lust factories. (No! No! all was still intact as we stumbled out after being discovered

A frequent haunt of the campus crowd was a local hotel bar. I'd go there with groups of friends all the time, but once I went with the president of our student council when my boyfriend was studying. As a joke, we thought we'd see how much beer we could drink that night. Driving back (and yes this was a time when people would drive drunk! How stupid could we be?) he had to stop while I vomited into the bushes at the side of the road.

Another time while hanging out in my boyfriend's room in the frat house, we made so-called "screwdrivers" with orange pop instead of orange juice. Two guys shared a room with bunk beds and two desks. Not much floor space, so a bunch of us climbed onto the top bunk to drink. Comfortably settled, one more guy decided he'd climb up, too. Well, no sooner had he put part of his weight on that bunk than the whole thing collapsed with booze, pop, and students flying. The next morning I experience my first true hangover.

There were other times, too....hanging head in shame.

To this day, I detest beer, red wine, and screwdrivers. I can't believe I didn't get hurt, raped, or killed during that time. And I can't believe I managed to get my teaching degree. Thank God drugs weren't involved because I probably would have given them a try, too.

Although our parents thought they were teaching us responsibility, I do believe that they over- protected us most of the time. They didn't allow us to make mistakes growing up at home. So as soon as I felt that freedom from their control, I became an idiot. Yes, an intoxicated idiot.

So if you ever use that phrase, "Do as I say, not as I do" to your kids, be sure to explain the whys and wherefores of it. Tell your kids that you made mistakes growing up and that they will make mistakes, too. But also explain that drinking to excess is a mistake that can lead to life-long problems of a mental and/or physical nature.

Thank God I was blessed with some innate intelligence that overcame the intoxicated idiocy.

Bloggettes and Bridges

What a glorious day today! Waking up to sunshine, warm temperatures, and a gentle breeze, I could hardly wait to get to Bridges for lunch and meet two of my bloggette buddies, jmb and liz. Now jmb lives right in the city of Vancouver and we'd talked on the phone a few times but had never met in person before. And Liz, as a lot of you know, is visiting BC from her home in Wales.

Bridges is an award-winning restaurant, bistro wine bar, and pub right on the Granville Island Waterfront. We sat on the patio under Bridges famous brilliant yellow umbrellas and had views of the downtown city center and the mountains. Some massive yachts and sailboats were moored right below our feet, nestled under the Burrard Street Bridge.

The food is impressive at Bridges and it took a bit of time to reach our individual decisions. I had the smoked salmon and avocado sandwich that came with a beautiful bunch of seedless red grapes. (I'll let the other two tell you their story.) But dessert was something else! We all had the same thing - berry shortcake. Oh my gosh, was it ever good! Loads of plump and juicy blueberries and blackberries on a slice of shortcake, covered with a generous dollop of whipped cream, topped by a mint leaf.

So the venue was great! But the company was even better. Both ladies are wonderful and looked exactly as I had pictured them. There was no problem with conversation and we jumped from one topic to another. I sure hope Liz enjoys her stay here in BC. Tomorrow they're heading over to Vancouver Island for a few days and then they're heading to the Rockies and Banff.

I'll let jmb post her own photo of us all together if she wants to as she usually prefers to keep a low profile. But here are Liz and me just before we dug into our delightful dessert.

As I had a student coming just after 3pm, I had to leave early. However, I'm sure jmb will tell you more about what she and Liz did with the rest of the afternoon. Suffice it to say that I'm looking forward to seeing Liz again next year (I hope!) at her home town in Wales.

Giggles for Gramma

Babysitting my grandson Noah and granddaughter Eden is so much fun! After Mommy and Daddy left, we got down on the floor and played. I propped Eden up against the sofa and Noah proceeded to entertain her. (see video) I got a couple of cute photos before Eden decided it was bedtime (7 pm) so I fed her and put her in her crib. Then Noah got all ready for bed and brushed his teeth before he dragged out a couple of cars that we played with until story time. We read one about superheroes, one about a ball that spent all day bouncing around the neighbourhood, and one called "I'll Love You Forever" that makes every adult cry at the end. (I managed to hold it in this time, though.) Off he went to sleep and so I was able to read the entire newspaper, do my crossword puzzle, and watch CNN about Palin and Biden Revealed.

After coffee and cereal with yoghurt this morning, I left the family to have their Sunday together. Actually, my daughter needs to sleep while the baby sleeps this afternoon since she only managed 4 hours from the time they got home until Eden woke up. And my SIL will keep Noah company, probably playing cars.

As I drove home in the glittering September sunshine, I thought, "Life is good." I think I just might sit outside on my chaise and read this afternoon -won't be long and all the patio stuff will have to be stored away.

Photo Hunt - WILD

This week's theme is WILD!

(Click to enlarge photos and enjoy.)

My first offering is this shot when I became "one" with the bulrushes down at Boundary Bay Regional Park last weekend. They were growing wild everywhere! I hunkered down in the midst of this bunch and got this photo that shows the path we walked with the beach and mountains in the background.

Blackberry bushes lined the dirt path and you can see they're almost ready for me to go back with a bucket.

Hmmm...pie? jam? crumble or crisp?

After walking in the brilliant sunshine for quite a while, we decided to stop for an ice cream. This "wild critter" cosied up to us, begging for a treat. Anyone know just what kind of critter it is? He was actually very polite.

This photo is my favourite one for the theme - makes me think of that old 1969 movie "Easy Rider" and the song by Steppenwolf - "Born to Be Wild."

Anything on wheels for this kid!

Have a WILD weekend, everyone!

World Trade Center Horror

Seven years ago today I reached over to turn off the alarm and fumbled for the TV remote control. Blindly, I aimed it at the TV and clicked.

Instantly, I grabbed my glasses and sat up - stunned.

Images of the World Trade Center filled the screen. Sirens were screaming. People were screaming. TV reporters were screaming. Thick smoke and panic filled the air.

And as I sat there wondering if this were really happening, another plane hit the second tower.

What the h*ll is happening?

Armageddon?

I realise that all this is taped, that it has just happened within the previous half hour.

Then reality struck as the events of the day continue on in real time.

The first tower begins to fall. I stare transfixed as people panic, scream, run, fall, run, cry, run, yell, run, trying to get away from the blocks of cements and metal and glass and smoke from the fires that ensue.

Twenty-three minutes later, I'm still sitting in bed - in shock - as I watch the second tower collapse.

I am seeing death happening.

Suddenly, I wonder what's happening here in my own city thousands of miles from New York! Some unidentified airplanes are approaching Vancouver!

The phone rings. My daughter is frightened to go to work in her downtown Vancouver highrise. I tell her to stay put until we know more.

I scramble out of bed, forgo the shower, and get ready for school. Arriving early, I find the principal dragging one of the large TVs into the library area and getting all the staff together to watch, pray, and prepare for what to say to the children when they arrive.

The entire Western World was terrified that day and for many many days to come. That terror has subsided somewhat, but the legacy of that day continues seven years later.

What were you doing when...

ABC Wednesday - H is for HEAVEN and HOLY

While walking along Centennial Beach this past Sunday, I was telling Cathy (with a C) about being up to the letter "H" for this week's ABC Wednesday. So we started thinking up H words when I suddenly thought of my friend Kathy (with a K) now being in heaven. So we ended up talking about how Kathy's healing had come in a different way from what we'd all wanted for her. We talked about how she's now in heaven with our holy Father. So in honour of my friend Kathy (with a K) here are a few photos. If you missed my tribute to her, just scroll down to the previous post to read about our long and close friendship.

To the right are some stained glass windows depicting Jesus healing the paralyzed man. Below is the mission in Carmel, California and a statue courtesy of Cathy (with a C) from when she visited there last month.





























Although I'm not a Catholic, I visited a lot of cathedrals and churches of the Catholic faith when I visited Italy. At almost every church where I could, I lit candles in rememberance of my husband and my mother. I didn't need to do this to feel their spirit within me or close to me, but I found it to be a very sacred and soothing act of faith. I will do this for Kathy, too. I hope Protestants or people of other faiths don't think I'm sacreligious or anything.








I think of Kathy now as flying free as a kite with the angels guiding her into heaven and into the presence of our Lord.













I took this photo at the beach last Sunday and it made me think about how I will never see Kathy ever again on this earth. And as a human being, I hurt right now.


But I know she's just around that bend. And when it's my turn to cross over that bridge and around the corner, I know that she (among others who have or will precede me) will run with open arms to welcome me to my heavenly home.

My Heart Bleeds

My friend Kathy lived with cancer for almost 20 years. Her battle came to end on August 26th and I know she's both mad and relieved. Of course she's relieved that she is no longer in any pain and she's with our Lord in Heaven - she was a strong Christian woman. But I also know she would have been mad that the cancer got her in the end. She always told me that she wanted to go down in medical textbooks as the woman who lived most of her life with cancer and that it wasn't what got her in the end. It did.



I met Kathy at the local indoor pool one summer long ago when our daughters (she had 3 and I had 2) were at swimming lessons. As we sat watching the girls, we got to talking and found out that we both went to the same church but that neither of our husbands went with us. What a bond that was! Our daughters were all around the same age, with my older one being just a few months older than her oldest and her youngest being just a year younger than my youngest. When we met they ranged in age from 2 to 6 but now they're 27 to 31. We started sitting together at church and went to adult Sunday School classes together for a while. Then we decided to drop the girls off for the early children's Sunday School and go out for breakfast at the White Spot before going back for the 11:00 am service. That became our ritual every week until both of us moved away.



Kathy and her family moved to Regina, Saskatchewan the same summer that we moved to Ottawa, Ontario. That was in July of 1986. No such thing as the internet then, so we would type our letters as a sort of "chat," starting off by saying "Make a cup of tea and settle down for a good long read." We both looked forward to those letter so much as neither of us knew anyone in our new home cities. We'd pour out our hearts to each other as though we were right in each other's kitchen.


Then in 1987, I was so homesick that my husband agreed that we'd drive across Canada to surprise our families. He took three weeks vacation and one of our overnights was at Kathy's home in Regina. What a reunion that was! Eventually, her husband was transferred to Edmonton, Alberta, where they settled.

When computers became more widely used, we'd type our letters in WordPerfect format (remember that old software?), print them out and mail them. Funnily enough, I saved all my letters to her and printed them out, filling a huge binder. These letters are a sort of journal for me and I use it whenever I need reminding of details for the book I'm writing. When her daughter phoned me about Kathy's passing, she said she'd been going through her mother's things and she found all the letters I'd mailed to her! I almost lost it then.



I went to visit her several years ago while she was still having chemo. She had finally agreed to try it again when she came out of remission. The first time they put her on chemo, she was so sick, she said she'd rather die than go through that. But they managed to find some anti-nausea medication that helped her endure the procedure the second time.

I'll never forget that visit. She picked me up at the airport wearing her wig (it looked just like her own hair and hairstyle that she'd had for years.) But when we got home and were sitting around the fireplace (it was December) she suddenly yanked that wig off her head, announcing loudly, "I'm too hot to wear this damn thing!" Well, I was shocked at first, but then it was fine.


The next day, we drove to Red Deer where we spent a couple of days. That night at the motel we got ready for bed. First she took off her wig. Then off came the bra with the two fake boobs. Then out came the contact lenses. Well, we started to laugh. She said, "All I need now is a wooden leg to remove." And we laughed and laughed until we both thought we were going to pee! It was what we needed the most - a laugh, that is, not the pee.


Kathy and I were each other's ear and shoulder when we desperately needed someone to confide in. And every year at Christmas she'd send me a long letter complete with photos of the girls and her husband and herself. Every Christmas I'd put those photos on my fridge and pray for her every day. This Christmas there will be no letter or photos. But I will never forget her as long as I live. I told her oldest daughter that I hope she and her sisters will keep in touch with me and that I would love to tell them some stories about her mother and me. All of the girls live in Vancouver now and since there's no other family in Edmonton I wonder if John will move back here. I'll ask him when I write.


Kathy was a strong woman, even quite feisty. She had a great faith and was active in her church. She was a trained teacher, taught piano, sewed for the family (even parkas when they lived in the Yukon), worked for the legislature in Edmonton part-time and also was responsible for a stretch of public gardens in the city. She never stopped doing something. Cancer made her an even stronger person. She knew her time was limited and so she took each one of her daughters on a couple of "last trips" so that they'd each have special memories of their time together. It got to the point that her husband John commented to her, "How many 'last trips' do you need to take?" Her answer: "As many as I need."


This afternoon my friend Cathy (with a C) and I went for a walk along Centennial Beach. It was a glorious day, sunny and warm but with a good brisk breeze excellent for flying kites. The first thing I noticed when we started walking was a cloud that looked just like an angel - it stayed like that for so long. I didn't say anything to Cathy (with a C) but I thought of Kathy (with a K) as we strolled along. Her passing was gentle, and so I'm happy she's finally at rest. She fought a brave battle and now she can be at peace. She's the first of my friends to go but I know we'll meet again one day and the heavens will resound with our laughter.

I know that this would be what Kathy would want to say to me:

Do not stand at my grave and weep;

I am not there. I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow;

I am the diamond glints in the snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain.

I am the gentle autumn's rain.

When you awaken in the morning's hush,

I am the swift uplifting rush

of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the soft star that shines at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry.

I am not there. I did not die.

Author unknown...

Kathy will be forever remembered by her friend Leslie.

Rooter Tooter

Passion - an intense emotion compelling feeling, enthusiasm, or desire for anything. (from Wikipedia)

My first tutoring student has come and gone and it was an exhilarating experience! We had such a good time and ended up laughing so hard it hurt! At the end of the session, my student earned a sticker and she was excited to add it to her collection on her bed. I know she will look forward to returning.

I know I'm a good teacher. I'm not bragging, just stating a fact. Kids like me because they sense how much I like them. I make the learning fun fun fun because I instinctively know that if it isn't, nothing can be learned.

For example, this student needs to improve on the speed of her arithmetical computations. So after going through some simple addition flashcards as review, I brought out a giant deck of cards. We made up a game whereby I dealt out all the cards so we each had half. I said, "Ready. Set. Go!" and we each put down a card on the table. She had three seconds to get the addition correct or else I won the pair. Whenever she didn't get it right, we went over the equation so that she'd remember it the next time it came up. She beat me in the first game. She beat me in the second game and did it by winning even more pairs. She was having so much fun that she didn't even realise that she was learning. We laughed so hard our faces hurt.

I told her that next time we'd play the game by doing subtraction. After that we'll move on to multiplication and then division. What she doesn't know - yet - is that after we've gone through the game a few times, her allowable time is going to go down to two seconds, and then one second, and then we'll play as though we're equals. Kids love competition. And they love to beat the teacher!

I am passionate about teaching. And my goal is to see my students passionate about learning.

ABC Wednesday - G is for geneology, generation, Gretchen, Gross

My sister is our family historian and has tracked our GENEOLOGY as far back as the 1400s. With written verification, she has records back to William GROSS, who was born July 6, 1555 in Kelsagh, Suffolk, England. He married Mary around 1578 and he died in 1587 in the same town where he'd been born. He was GENERATION #1 in our geneology. I am now part of Generation #13







Generation #11 was my Grandmother, my mother's mother. Grace Lillian Gross was born on January 29, 1891 in Moncton, New Brunswick.





















She married my Grandfather on July 31, 1917 in the same city.












They had two children, Warren born in 1919 and Gretchen born in 1920. This is my mother all bundled up for winter in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan in 1921.

















Now, I may be slighty prejudiced, but I think my mother was a beautiful child and grew up to be a beautiful woman. (Remember my post about when I was in grade 1 and the mothers were invited to observe class in session?)

On the left, I guess my Mom to be around five and on the right around seven. Notice how her long ringlets were cut into the more modern bob.

Here is my Mom with her brother Warren when they were teenagers. I find it interesting how everyone "posed" for photographs and didn't smile much. Maybe that harkens back to the days when the film had to be exposed for a long time in order to absorb the picture so one had to be still or ruin the photo.

Mom graduated from high school when she was only sixteen and then led an active social life, often seen playing tennis at the Vancouver Lawn and Tennis Club.














My Mom caught the attention of a young, locally renown athlete when she was only 21 years old. He began work at the telephone company before becoming a flight instructor for the RCAF and going off to war. They were married in February 1943. In this photo, it is August 1942 and I found written on the back, "Incidently, he's Welsh!"












Mom had three daughters and committed herself to raising us all properly. She became an active member of the local church, played bridge and golf, and also enjoyed sewing, knitting and reading. She was a whiz at crossword puzzles and taught herself Spanish after travelling to Spain and meeting a wonderful family there. They kept in touch (writing in Spanish) right up to when she passed away in 2002.






In 1973, Mom made my wedding dress for me and proudly walked down the aisle just before I did. I was very close to her throughout her life and used to phone regularly and have her (and my Dad) over to visit their granddaughters. As Alzheimers took hold, I would take her for "car picnics" or scenic drives, always stopping at Dairy Queen to buy her a soft ice-cream cone. One place Mom always liked to go was along the Fraser River where I'd park the car so we could look aross and watch the planes take off and land at the Vancouver International Airport. During our car rides, Mom would talk non-stop about her past, sometimes thinking she was actually there, and I let her ramble on, learning so much more from her than I might otherwise had she not been stricken with dementia.

Since I began this post with my grandmother, Grace Lillian Gross (who later was known as Lillian Williamson), it's only fitting to end by showing her with her two great granddaughters - my daughters Jamie and Jaclyn. This was taken in 1983 when Jamie was six and a half and Jaclyn three. My Gramma passed away in August of 1985.

The newest member of our family is Eden Elizabeth Chisholm, born March 3, 2008, to my daughter Jamie. She is, with her brother Noah, in Generation #15.

Chalk Dust and Pencil Shavings

I get excited every year at this time. On the first Tuesday after Labour Day, all the kids go back to school, usually excited to see all their old friends and meet their new teacher. Even though I'm officially retired, I still return to my old school several times a year and keep in touch with former students and colleagues.


I've actually already been to school; last week, I had a meeting with my friend Cathy who is the Learning Assistance Teacher and one of the new teachers who will have one (or maybe more) of the students I tutor. After our little meeting, off I went to the Dollar Store to pick up some supplies. It was so much fun looking at all the fancy pencils, erasers, stickers, magnetic alphabet letters, prize toys, and more. I came out of there with a big bag worth almost $20.00. It now sits on my dining room table waiting for me to organize everything in preparation for my first student who will come on Wednesday.


I do miss teaching in the classroom, but I do not miss all the "extra" stuff that goes along with the job, especially report cards and meetings meetings meetings. I love to work with kids one-on-one and an hour just flies by. I'm hoping to have about 5 or 6 regular students this year to keep my hand in and to keep my mind busy with researching how best to assist them. I'm also hoping I'll only have to take off two weeks after I eventually have my back surgery. Having the kids come for their lessons will be something to look forward to while I'm still housebound and will also keep me from getting depressed.


I used to love the smell of my classroom first thing in the morning before the kids would arrive. But now, instead of waking up early to arrive at school an hour ahead of the students, I can sleep in until I'm totally refreshed. I can sip my coffee as I read the paper at a leisurely pace and do the daily crossword. I can get my grocery shopping, laundry, and other household chores done in the mornings and even have time to occasionally meet a friend for lunch or go and visit my grandchildren. If I go out, I'll be home before rush hour in plenty of time to set up the lessons for the afternoon.


And I'll have my evenings free without having to worry about marking, lesson plans, report cards, parent/teacher conferences, or "Meet the Teacher" Night. (We used to call it "Meet the Creature Night.") This is the life!

Now for a bit of Teacher Humour:

Murphy's teaching laws:

1. The clock in the instructor's room will be wrong.
2. Disaster will occur when visitors are in the room.
3. A subject interesting to the teacher will bore students.
4. The time a teacher takes in explaining is inversely proportional to the information retained by students.
5. A meeting's length will be directly proportional to the boredom the speaker produces.
6. Students who are doing better are credited with working harder. If children start to do poorly, the teacher will be blamed.
7. The problem child will be a school board member's child.
8. When the instructor is late, he will meet the principal in the hall.
9. If the instructor is late and does not meet the principal, the instructor is late to the faculty meeting.
10. Clocks will run more quickly during free time.
11. On a test day, at least 15% of the class will be absent
12. Murphy's Law will go into effect at the beginning of an evaluation.

I'm so glad I don't have to worry about any of that anymore! Retired Teachers still have Class!

Post of the Day

Saturday Photo Hunt - Beautiful

There is nothing more beautiful to me than family. I've been blessed with two beautiful daughters, a handsome son-in-law, an adorable grandson, and a precious granddaughter. They all may be "beautiful" by the standard definition, but I know their beauty goes deep inside to their souls. I am so proud of them all, as my regular readers already know from the multitude of posts about them.

As my first-born, here is my daughter Jamie in a few stages of her life. She was blessed with an ability to ice-skate as we soon found out after her first foray onto the ice at the age of 3. We put her into figure skating lessons which improved on her talents in precision and artistic impression. She won many medals and trophies before she finally hung up her skates. Jamie was always a happy little girl who loved her dog Star (below with the white nose) and Star's sister Kaycee. Her very first paid job was cleaning up our back yard and we always laughed that she could actually say that she'd "shovelled sh*t" for money. Jamie has always had a totally offbeat sense of humour and would always regale us with laughter as she put on little plays or had her sister videotape her making a commercial for ladies' laxatives.

Jaclyn is my "baby" and she could not be more different from her sister. She has been blessed with a very creative soul and it shows in her writing of prose, poetry, and song lyrics; her paintings; her beautiful singing voice; her photography; and her jewellry designs. She was also blessed with an incredible mind and even when she was still very young, I'd buy her Mensa puzzle books that she'd whip through at an unbelieveable rate. She also went into figure skating and at her first ice show at the age of 3, actually stole the show. When her sister was in high school taking a photography course, the two girls went down to one of our local parks and had a great day taking photographs. One such photo turned out so well that I had it enlarged and framed after Jamie had signed it. When Jaclyn reached high school, she also took courses in photography and has taken many fine shots herself. This is one of the other photos that Jamie took of Jaclyn that day at the park. I really like this one, almost better than the one we had framed because it shows her as she truly is, a free spirit.

Jamie grew up to be a beautiful young woman who has worked hard to help her husband as they saved for their first home. They are very happy with their two little ones and now, although she'd rather stay home to be a Mom, she's preparing to return to the work environment to continue her role as co-breadwinner. Jaclyn, also grew up to be a beautiful young woman, and although she has been blessed with many gifts, she's also struggled with health issues over the years. She is doing well now and I'm so proud that she has hung onto her inner strength to overcome some extremely difficult obstacles.

The latest additions to my family are my son-in-law Jason and my two gorgeous grandchildren. As Jason likes to joke, he's really "IN" with me now having given me one of each sex. Jason is a fantastic father and loves my daughter and his two children more than anyone can imagine. After a hard day's work, he's down on the floor playing with Noah or holding his precious little princess. He's definitely proven himself to be a worthy son, let alone son-in-law. Here he is having ice-cream with Noah this summer at Splashdown Park and holding his darling daughter at his own younger sister's wedding this month.

So this is my idea of the word "beautiful" and I'm looking forward to seeing other participants' ideas. See tnchick for more photos on this week's theme but wait until tomorrow as I'm posting early.

From Down Under to the Top of the World

I have just returned home from meeting one of the most charming, intelligent, and gentle men with whom I've had the pleasure of spending time. When David McMahon aka authorblog emailed asking for my phone number so we could have a chat when he flew in from Melbourne on his way to the Yukon, I promptly replied that I would be at the airport to greet him. He had several hours to wait for the final leg of his journey so it was a perfect time to get to know each other over breakfast.

I could not believe how chipper he was after such a lengthy flight of 13,192 km (8,197 miles) and before he began the final leg of 2,697 km (1,675 miles). This map shows just how far he travelled to reach his final destination of Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory of Canada. Melbourne is in the south-eastern area of Australia, Vancouver is the most south-west part of Canada, and Yukon is just east of Alaska. I had a piece of paper with his name printed out on it in case the international arrivals area was crowded, but as soon as he saw me and I saw him, we knew each other! It was like we were already old friends.

Off we went for breakfast at the Fairmont Hotel, where the hostess led us to a lovely table by the window. It turned out that the hostess was one of my former students and she was thrilled to see me, as was I her. We hugged and chatted a moment before she carried on with her work.

Unfortunately, the day was overcast and we weren't able to see the mountains, but David assured me he'd seen them on previous trips. He told me all about his wonderful family, how he'd met his wife and how they'd moved from India to their current home in Australia. It was obvious he's extremely proud of his three children, too. I'd love to meet them some day - Australia has always been on my list of "places to visit before I die" and meeting David and hearing about his family just makes me more excited to see what I imagine to be a very exotic country.

He told me he'd wanted to bring me something but wasn't quite sure what. His wife suggested he bring along his book, "Vegemite Vindaloo" and I really must thank her because I'm an avid reader and wanted to read it, but had not been able to locate it here in Canada. He very thoughtfully autographed it with a personal note, so this book is definitely a keeper. I can hardly wait to start reading it - this afternoon! To see reviews of David's book, click here OR here.

After an incredibly long breakfast, (delicious by the way) it was time to head for Domestic Departures. Our hostess, my former student, kindly took a photo of us before we left so I'm including it here. (Notice I'm holding the book.)

I left David to wend his way to the appropriate gate, and he should be landing in Whitehorse in about 15 or 20 minutes now, exhausted I'm sure. He's up there on business, and I'll be interested to hear from him how he enjoyed his two weeks photographing areas of Canada that most Canadians have never seen. I must admit I'm a tad jealous of his opportunity to travel there.

This blogging business has sure been an experience for me. I've met so many people through the adventure and had people send me and my family gifts from afar. Leeanne from Australia and Liz from Wales both sent gifts for my daughter's new baby in March, John in Edinburgh send me two books of his Scots Haiku poetry, and I'm now awaiting the arrival via mail of a book I won on another site. I've met several women who have become good friends, especially Suzanne and Josie. And, I'm meeting jmb and Liz on September 15th for lunch as Liz is passing through Vancouver on her way to Vancouver Island on holiday with her husband and daughter & her husband. Next summer I'm hoping to meet many others when my friend Cathy and I visit Wales and parts of England. Get ready ladies! Here come the Canajuns!

Meeting David today was another highlight. He expressed his appreciation that I got up so early to come to greet him, but heck, how many times do you get to meet someone from halfway around the world? It may have been cloudy this morning, but I spent a brilliant three hours chatting with an incredible man. He may be on his way to the top of the world, but I'm feeling as though I'm already there.

ABC Wednesday - F is for....

Ah, the F word today! Which shall I choose? A full moon? A forest? My faith? My fake jewellry? Facet joints that need fusing? Or maybe even a photo I've funneled on PhotoShop. Nah! After checking through some of my photos, these are what I've chosen to share with you today.

First, here is Noah at age 3 1/2, the first time he printed his name.

Here are a few of my favourite floral macros.

Some fishing boats at rest in Victoria Harbour.

A fence at the old farm in Campbell Valley Park.

In Lerici (Italy), I saw these fantastic fountains in the town square.

Friends are the most important people in our lives. Here are Suzanne and me when we went to Manhattan Beach, CA, and biked along the Strand.

A fire is a lovely way to finish a fun evening.

Finally asleep after a fun-filled day with Gramma.

I hoped you enjoyed my fotos today and if you'd like to see fotos of other contributors, click here to check out the new ABC Wednesday site, hosted by Mrs. Nesbitt.