Jealous Teacher ? Ego ?

       What would make a teacher tell a very young student that another person can't be smarter than her, just because she a teacher? Vanity ? Ego? Both I suspect. I have a little guy that I take care of and we have had so many conversations about anything and everything. One chat was about school and getting an education so he asked me about my children, especially my son. I explained how my son had something called principle and one time walked off the soccer field raising his voice to the coach that the couch continually picked his son to start, gave more credits when he knew good and well that many other kids were much better especially two other boys on the team. My son shed his gear/clothes on the field and walked off to a local store, called me, asking me to bring pants and shoes and  a shirt. I was very proud. He stood up for others against someone who has power. Of course he was off the team, but things did change a little after that.
    My son ,now a man always challenged truth in education and life. He has a genius I.Q. and was invited into Mensa. Sure he was arrogant as a teen with people especially in High School. He knew teachers were wrong in much of the information and so he would challenge that. Who wants to be shown up in front of a class of students when they are supposed to have all of the knowledge. But each and every time, he offered to show them he was right, to prove they were wrong. They were as arrogant as he was, telling him to sit down that he wasn't the teacher. My son's response was usually, anyone can can teach when they don't know what they're saying,
    He quit High School on the day he turned eighteen, as a matter of principle. He told me, mom, I will graduate, just not from Spring Grove. It was a matter of, principle, character and ethics. The assistant principle was let go because of his behaviors with female students. This was a man who came after my son saying he was playing hooky, walked through my home as I left the door unlocked looking for what, I don't know, maybe my underwear. I no longer trust to leave my door unlocked. My son was with me that day at a doctor's office. Still I was fined because this is a good old boys club type of town.
   Well skipping to the chase, he had an accident before graduation in  a school he chose, a mall school of all thing which was for kids with behavior issues. I offered to pay to send him out of district. He didn't want it-said it was all about principle. So he has an accident, brain surgery and with a few days wakes up, and is taken for testing. The doctor comes back and asks, do you know your son has a mind like Einstein? Yes I did, The doctor said, well he still has it.
     So my little guy takes some piece of this to school, tells his teacher I said, my son is smarter than she is. She told him _according to him- no he isn't, not possible. Insecure? Why can't he be smarter? Why can't anyone be smarter than teachers? I'm sure this will rub many the wrong way, but think about this. Have you been invited to Mensa at the age of twelve? By the way, he never wanted to join and he never wanted to be in gifted classes, but the last one I wasn't in control of that so he went, but didn't like it. Too many people with higher I.Q.'s are snobs, just like those who don't have that same level of intelligence. Basically we are all just people living in a world and should leave ego's and attitudes at the door. Finally, who really cares? It's what you do in life to make you happy as a person, not your so called class, not positions, but integrity and character. Isn't that the principle of it all?

Ron and a Spalding Ball

    

  For some time now, this gentleman has been making home improvements to state it as a matter of fact. But more than that, he offers suggestion, always with a gentle few words such as, "now I'm not saying you should, just think about it". He's usually right on target. Anything from rototilling  a garden to fixing doors, cutting down brush, picking up and moving concrete blocks and hauling it away, measuring and replacing bathroom tiles, checking roof vents, put up a side awning, storm doors, well I can't think of more off the top of my head-oh yes, he has even driven over to do my driveway, snow removal.
      Ron has also at times given a little bit of manly advice to a kid here or there in my home. Now if he could just cook!
       While I feel guilty knowing he's working so hard, I really want to lay down on the sofa, put on the TV and rest. I am trying to improve things in the home, room by room and now my biggest issues is the kitchen, but day to day I get a little more done.
       Now, the spalding ball and Ron. Today he is outside clearing away years of junk piled up and comes across a "spaldeen", as we as kids always called it but officially a spalding ball, small, pink and happy. Lost in the debris of leaves, tires, iron posts and wood, it finds Ron. Yes, I know Ron found it. Yes, as many times as kids have been playing there, in all the last fifteen years, no one found it. You see that little ball was only meant to be found by a guy from Brooklyn. I am also from Brooklyn, made sense. I washed it right away. But years of dirt grabbed onto the pink surface. Like us, we wear away, yet underneath, we're just like that spalding ball, anxious to pop up again.
     Stepping inside Ron, bounces the ball and tells me look what I found; remember stick ball? Boy did I!  I could hit two sewers. This was the happiest part of my day. There's noting at all like a childhood memory from where a person grew up to bring a sparkle of happiness along with a step of youth, pictures of the block, friends and nostalgia. The windmills of our minds as the song goes. Thank you Ron, for all of your  hard work and the memory, refreshed.

A Neighbors' Table

       As I sat sharing brunch with some people I never met,(but may have seen before) I listened as one man spoke of his wife. She passed away, I believe he said in 2004/5, and he wasn't speaking in a way of "pity me" but more about a factual event in his life. We all had stories to share, some funny, some about food, people, things we celebrate and where we come from.
     One lady had the softest southern accent, I felt like I just wanted to get in my Cooo Gah and take off to Tennessee. Actually I no longer have my Cougar, but I bought it from the same people, the mother-in-law who owned it and I was the lucky one to get it. Sure loved that car and nothing but good memories to come with it.
     Getting back to this gentleman speak about losing his wife immediately brought me to my niece Laura. With My daughter sitting close by I wondered if she too was thinking the same thing. This man also mentioned his late wife a bit later on in the living room. But at the table, concerned with another chat he stated that his family was the church, the people, the pastor and his wife. He was so matter of fact, so sincere, I knew he meant that from the bottom of his heart. That made me think...what did I miss when I did go? Did I give it a fair chance or was I just done with Church. I honestly don't know. But I do know music plays a big part for church with me. Sure I'll never find that church I grew up in, yet I won't stop trying. That isn't to take away from the church I'm talking about. They have a mean band and some awesome voices, but I may still be searching.
       I know too that I will be back from time to time at my special neighbors church, yet I have issues and get distracted easily or maybe I use that as an excuse. The music. At my niece's funeral two women sang songs, Bridge over Troubled Waters and You Raise ME Up. I knew then if all the music was even close to that at their church I will take a trip down there. I've know the pastor who officiated and he very much reminds me of the neighbor pastor. He is who he shows himself to be, honest and with Character, friendly, giving, not showy and above all else he loves God and his family.
     Both of these men will help without asking, will do without expecting and won't preach at you or even to you, but will gently serve as an example and a reminder of who we all should strive to be more like.
    This was a brunch as last year that I very much enjoyed and as we walked out the door, a little guy said we'll have this at our house next year-hey! Ya never know :) HE works in mysterious ways. ...and Miracles do happen :)

Montel Williams-Cash Now?

    The commercial I saw today amazed me. Here was Montel Williams advertising/hawing a company showing a mom with a child, also African American to use this system if you need money before you get paid. He's rich! I'm sure the people were models, but how does he do this commercial? If people can't make it through a pay day, how does it help to have to pay that company and extra twenty per hundred on each pay day. No, I don't know the exact amount they charge, but why would he do that? Will young single African American moms who love and believe Montel run to this new way of banking, aka pay day loans? Well not so new. Many knows these types years ago as loan sharks and I know it really doesn't have anything to do with color, it has to do with being desperate. Montel is this your character?

A LadiesToolbox Times Two-Ron Myrnes

     Not for ladies only, however good to know stuff. Women, don't count on men to do it all as far as things that need to be fixed. It costs you in the long run and not just money. It costs you a sense of, I can do it, and Independence.

    So a basic tool box consist of the usual:
       hammer,
       two screwdrivers, a flat heard and a Philips.
       Screws and nails
    But to go further, if you don't know, take a lesson and Lowe's is great for helping women. Buy yourself a drill with a box of assorted drill pieces. Just a  little while ago when putting a bed together I though , uh oh, I don't have  a wrench to fit this huge screw. It was a hexagon shape, so for the heck of it looked into my little box with all the different pieces to fit my drill and there it was. One that would fit the screw. I inserted it into my drill and zip...Zzz it went in like ease. Yea, I didn't need help, didn't need to learn, explored on my own and did it myself. What a feeling of satisfaction.
     The past few years I somehow got way from my tools and as I did I think I lost some of that old pizazz, but now refreshed and at it again. I still do need help of course and have a guy who at times works with me and a budget.
    Soon he'll be back, hanging/putting it up an awning, or installing it I should say. He is very fair with prices, works with my time and schedule but most of all is so very honest and  a decent human being. While it seems hard to find a person like that, well okay it is. I am simply very lucky to know Ron Myrnes and his work ethic. If you live in or around York Pa. Call him-887-4219

     The second toolbox is for help situations with kids and yourself or anyone you know. It's called a wellness toolbox. In this box you keep, and don't forget to let your kids decorate theirs how they want, and so you place a phone number or two for friends you can call when stressed, a puzzle, a magazine, a favorite movie, a doctors phone number, the pharmacy on the same paper, a music Cd, crayons and keep  hobby stuff close by. You also need to get out. No money?
   Walk, look at your town, take pictures if you have a camera-if you don't ask people if they have one they would be willing to let go and you do something in return. Change your diet. Get a friend and get creative. Walk a pet, volunteer, be a friend. Find a church. There's nothing like having faith. Good luck, stay healthy, and start that toolbox.
Maggieshelpcenter.com

The Jelly Bean Forest Story Book

     

 A finished product which has taken eleven months of collaboration is finally coming true. Well by the time the books arrive it will be one year, start to finish.

       I never had any idea how this would go. To me it seemed simple. I wrote it, had an illustrator, and a guy who knew all about adobe programs and more. Sounds simple too now the way I wrote it. But there wasn't anything simple about it, except possibly my part. Writing comes easy to me, and the rest, now that's a story in itself.

      The idea started with a friend and I who were e-mailing back and forth all kinds of silly stuff, and from that I thought about a Jelly Bean Forest. As I wrote it, in my mind it came to life. I could actually picture it. But once written, who would do the illustrations? Contacting the local high school started out good, but financial expectations were beyond me. So I was  e mailing a cousin in Norway who said to me, come to family first and it's cheaper.
    Siisel let me know her son Tom was an excellent artist,  I sent two stories to him and Tom sent  art work to me, and all I could think was, this kid is only fifteen? Family, cousins and boy was I thankful. The artwork is brilliant and he sent me the originals to scan and then my printer broke down.
   My daughter gave me her printer, but it was so different and didn't scan the way mine did, but again, I was thankful. Family, a daughter. She sent the originals back to Norway, helping out with that expense.
   Now it was time to go from word to a pdf file, but here I was worried as this was all new to me.  One day a guy Ron Myrnes was over for a home repair and in talking he let me know he could put it together for me in no time at all as he had much more computer program experience than I did. I am thankful.
    It took almost a couple of weeks. E mails went back and forth. phone calls back and forth and then  files to the printer. Yes! Finally it was about to come true. Then, the printer said something about the colors and compression and it wasn't good. He asked for different files and Ron hoped, I hoped, cousins in Norway hoped. Ron called, said well if that doesn't work I'll come over and get the originals. I could feel my hope go flat with saying, they were returned. I wanted this book, The Jelly Bean Forest to be ready by March tenth.
     Today, Wednesday I decided to go ahead anyway, as I made tee shirts, jelly bean bags and coloring books with Toms sketches. Then I ran an errand and came home, opened my e mails and there it was.
     The printer said the new files Ron sent worked and I will have a proof  copy tomorrow. I was ecstactic and called Ron who was on his way to meet his wife.
He was happy to hear the news and I was happy to let him know. I am thankful.
The Jelly Bean Forest story is a collaboration of family, family across the sea's, of a man who came one day to roto till a new garden, a printer who, yes will be paid, but many months ago taught me things here and there and I am thankful for everyone, yet I have to end with Tom and Ron who without their skills, talents and kindnesses, The Jelly Bean Forest would surely be overgrown.

Mary, Queensgate Bon Ton, Bargains, York Pa.

       Hello Area Shoppers,
            I stopped in at The Bon Ton today to exchange something and as usual no problem whatsoever. I wasn't even asked for ID. I had my card and the woman behind the counter who wasn't wearing a name tag was just so sweet and simply credited back into my account. I really love shopping there and I am not a shopper. If I could I'd hire someone to shop for me. OH, I really backtracked here, almost published post-go and check out the sales they are having!
        This particular store makes it a whole lot easier, even parking is a better experience, and no, I am not getting paid for this, although that would  be nice. Hey Bon Ton! So back to the people behind the counters. She is a lady name Mary. I have seen her there for quite a while and that says something about how The Bon ton must treat their employees and how the employees get along. I know many people in the work force don't get along but no one stays as long as some of the people I've seen there without at least liking the atmosphere, customers and each other.
   So back to Mary. One day when I was in just before Christmas, I passed Mary as she was heading to the back of the sore. A break, lunch or quitting time she could have easily ignore me, but she didn't. After all she does her job very well at the check-out so why extend herself further to anyone. Can you imagine smiling all day at people? Well she does and then some. Mary made eye contact on her way to the back, smiled and nodded her head with a small voiced hello. Not necessary at all. Just goes to character. You know what you do when no one is looking-or paying you? That is one classy woman and The Bon Ton is so fortunate to have her. Thank you Mary for all the times you treated me with respect. I do appreciate that.