I have to at least post something. I am feeling old (er). we are sitting here talking to our second college Freshman. Last week, Michelle took Liz out to Provo to get ready to start at BYU.
It was the crazy week from heck, and "losing" Liz at the end of it only made it crazier. we have been getting excited about her going out there, but it doesn't seem like it has been long enough since she was riding circles around Justin on her new bike, yelling "come on, you can do it", "even I can ride better than you", just before crashing into Granny's mailbox. She bounced right back up, and hasn't slowed down much, sincce.
She has grown into a pretty amazing young lady (yes, I know I am biased, but many others say the same thing), and lots of people are going to miss having her around all the time. But, we know she is moving on with life, and many great experiences and adventures await her.
And Ian is a senior, already getting piles of recruiting mail, because of his high test scores and good grades. And Justin will be home in December. We may very well be sending 3 to BYU next year! Yikes!!
Maybe it's time to look into real estate in Provo again?? 3 Apartments to rent, or one mortgage? Something to think about.
Liz is off to a freshmen orientation dance. Does that mean they point them in the right direction, to music?? JK.
She is having so much fun this week, but she is also excited about classes starting on Monday. Such a gem. we are blessed to have her as a part of our lives.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Legalized, mandatory gambling
I sometimes think I should not try to write something when I am right in the middle, and other times, I think that that is when I am at my best. The down side is, I may fire something off that I would like to pull back later. I guess that is the beauty of the delete and backspace buttons. I always read through my posts several times before I "publish" them, but I wonder if I give out too much info inadvertently.
This morning, my gripe is about insurance. Now, don't get me wrong..... I think it is a good plan, overall, but do we all know that this is legalized gambling?
Let me explain my thought process, and anyone who wants can straighten me out if they feel I am way off base.
Insurance companies make their money (read in "their fortunes") off the most careful and healthy and cautious individuals. That's just the way it works, but that's is not the only source. They play the odds. plain and simple. they base their premiums for any given policy or type of coverage on the statistical odds of having to pay that out. Hence extra riders to have flood insurance if you live anywhere near a river flood plain.
Take this week. We have had an accident. Along with other things, you could call it the week from ..... well. But my focus is on car insurance and the like. Liz got in an accident. She didn't cause it, but she couldn't avoid it. Short version: Car behind her passes her and the next car in a blind "s" curve, not knowing that there is an intersection (stoplight) just past the curve. Car A jumps back in the right lane, and slams on the brakes to make the stop. Car B (Jeep) locks 'em up, manages to miss car A, but Liz (car C) can't make the stop and creams the back of Jeep (car B). Light turns green, car A leaves without a scratch or a trace, leaving Liz and Jeep to trade insurance info. Police arrive, issue no citations, because both witnesses explain car A, but of course have no ID info. My car is totalled!
Our insurance coverage will probably pay for what is left of the car loan. It is only a year old, but we had a big down payment, and our loan remaining is about the same amount as the bluebook. So how is this gambling? When we bought the car, we paid a hefty premium for GAP insurance. We gambled that we could avoid a wreck for at least 6 months, on the payments we make.
You see, GAP cost us about $700 when we bought the car, and because of where our loan balance is right now, 1 year later, they will probably pay NOTHING, because our loan amount and our primary insurance are right about even.
If we had kept that $700 in an envelope for the last 12 months, we would at least have $700 to almost cover the deductible on our primary coverage. To say nothing of trying to come up with a down payment for a replacement car. In other words, our years of paying faithfully into our "insurance" slot machine have saved us from having to deal with a loan amount on a dead car, but leaves us nothing with which to replace it, and our lovely GAP policy would have been useful 6 months ago, but will be (or would have become) even less valuable each month from this time forward.
Maybe I am too naive. Or maybe we just constantly get the cheapest coverage available not realizing the "bonanza" available at the next premium level. Or maybe I am too honest. I hear people claim that their insurance coverage gave them a great boost. "look at the new car I got after my accident" Or that medical insurance had some "left over" and they used it to buy new furniture. For me, insurance has always been a gamble, and like most gambling, the "mark" loses.
The gamble is that we pay into a system ( by law, many times) in which we only "win" if our mishaps, bad health, damages happen very early on, or continuously. But most of us try to stay healthy, we drive carefully, we try not to build houses in the same flood zones that have been hit every year for the last 3 decades ( I said "most of us"), and in the end, our money is meant to protect the banks and goverment agencies, not us.
Of course, I say this not in ignorance. I know certain insurance is a great blessing when a house is destroyed or a child becomes very ill and requires surgery, or needs insulin his whole life. I know car insurance is a "game" of chance, and it lives because it protects the money, but for those of us who have little, it is frustrating. It doesn't really offer us a hand up when "life" happens, when our tired fingertips threaten to slip from our precarious perch on the edge of the precipice, it just keeps the banks from coming over with a hammer. I guess I can even see that as a blessing. Eventually.
This morning, my gripe is about insurance. Now, don't get me wrong..... I think it is a good plan, overall, but do we all know that this is legalized gambling?
Let me explain my thought process, and anyone who wants can straighten me out if they feel I am way off base.
Insurance companies make their money (read in "their fortunes") off the most careful and healthy and cautious individuals. That's just the way it works, but that's is not the only source. They play the odds. plain and simple. they base their premiums for any given policy or type of coverage on the statistical odds of having to pay that out. Hence extra riders to have flood insurance if you live anywhere near a river flood plain.
Take this week. We have had an accident. Along with other things, you could call it the week from ..... well. But my focus is on car insurance and the like. Liz got in an accident. She didn't cause it, but she couldn't avoid it. Short version: Car behind her passes her and the next car in a blind "s" curve, not knowing that there is an intersection (stoplight) just past the curve. Car A jumps back in the right lane, and slams on the brakes to make the stop. Car B (Jeep) locks 'em up, manages to miss car A, but Liz (car C) can't make the stop and creams the back of Jeep (car B). Light turns green, car A leaves without a scratch or a trace, leaving Liz and Jeep to trade insurance info. Police arrive, issue no citations, because both witnesses explain car A, but of course have no ID info. My car is totalled!
Our insurance coverage will probably pay for what is left of the car loan. It is only a year old, but we had a big down payment, and our loan remaining is about the same amount as the bluebook. So how is this gambling? When we bought the car, we paid a hefty premium for GAP insurance. We gambled that we could avoid a wreck for at least 6 months, on the payments we make.
You see, GAP cost us about $700 when we bought the car, and because of where our loan balance is right now, 1 year later, they will probably pay NOTHING, because our loan amount and our primary insurance are right about even.
If we had kept that $700 in an envelope for the last 12 months, we would at least have $700 to almost cover the deductible on our primary coverage. To say nothing of trying to come up with a down payment for a replacement car. In other words, our years of paying faithfully into our "insurance" slot machine have saved us from having to deal with a loan amount on a dead car, but leaves us nothing with which to replace it, and our lovely GAP policy would have been useful 6 months ago, but will be (or would have become) even less valuable each month from this time forward.
Maybe I am too naive. Or maybe we just constantly get the cheapest coverage available not realizing the "bonanza" available at the next premium level. Or maybe I am too honest. I hear people claim that their insurance coverage gave them a great boost. "look at the new car I got after my accident" Or that medical insurance had some "left over" and they used it to buy new furniture. For me, insurance has always been a gamble, and like most gambling, the "mark" loses.
The gamble is that we pay into a system ( by law, many times) in which we only "win" if our mishaps, bad health, damages happen very early on, or continuously. But most of us try to stay healthy, we drive carefully, we try not to build houses in the same flood zones that have been hit every year for the last 3 decades ( I said "most of us"), and in the end, our money is meant to protect the banks and goverment agencies, not us.
Of course, I say this not in ignorance. I know certain insurance is a great blessing when a house is destroyed or a child becomes very ill and requires surgery, or needs insulin his whole life. I know car insurance is a "game" of chance, and it lives because it protects the money, but for those of us who have little, it is frustrating. It doesn't really offer us a hand up when "life" happens, when our tired fingertips threaten to slip from our precarious perch on the edge of the precipice, it just keeps the banks from coming over with a hammer. I guess I can even see that as a blessing. Eventually.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Not anti-Chinese, just pro-American!
I heard something today at a school meeting, and then I got an email from Robin (sis-in-law) and I thought this is something to throw at the world. (Even if the part that "listens" to me at all is somewhat small.) If you agree, maybe you could pass this on somehow, or send others links to my blog.
We "know" that there are issues in China, with human rights, government oppression, economic and social controls that we disagree with, and even events of "unlawful" or unethical practices that hurt people both there and in many other countries. Two came to my "front burner" today.
Discussing curriculum issues in one of our teacher meetings, our new district curriculum specialist, while setting the stage for a discussion of common core curriculum, mentioned a conversation she had with an official in China this last year. State and district personnel were in china for some program comparisons, and as part of the Chinese bridge program, which is an effort to improve educational relationships between China and the US. (I guess). When comparing test scores and competency ratings, our personnel noticed that there were no special ed kids, and asked where they were in the school system. The answer was essentially "they are somewhere else." the same question was asked about handicapped kids, ADHD, autistic, etc., and the answer was the same. They are not a part of "the system", and therefore not included with the comparisons. why then are we so worried about not "looking as good" as China?!?
If they included all of their kids, would they even come close to us? And what about all these other countries that we are always claiming to be behind? Are they comparing apples to apples, or are there a bunch of oranges and bananas in the fruit bowl?
The other issue came in Robin's email, and it is so simple, yet so powerful that I feel I have to address it. We are in an economic "crisis"(?) in this country. There is very little made in China that does not have other roots. Why do we complain about trade imbalance with China, and insist that the government do something about it? Are we not trying to be masters of our own checkbooks and wallets? No on forces us to buy Chinese products. I know, on a budget, we try to find the cheapest items we can, but seriously, if the difference is a few pennies, why not support the American economy, and put down that "made in China" or made in PRC, or Hong Kong? If we quit buying food sent from china, guess how long places like wal-mart will keep stocking it? We fuss and complain at times that our government buys uniforms, supplies, flags, etc, from China, rather than support competitors in America, but what are we doing?
Every time we buy a product from China that has an american competitor, WE are adding to the massive trade deficit, and adding to China's power. WE are handing our economy to a country that does not respect us. WE are allowing our economy to deteriorate, for the sake of a few pennies, which would come back to America if WE would just support US (U.S.?) first.
Robin's email suggested trying it out, for a month. Check what you buy, and if it says Made in China, put it back and find an alternate!! If there is no alternate, do you really need it? If we can't live without China's inferior products for a month, we deserve the economic disaster that is coming.
We "know" that there are issues in China, with human rights, government oppression, economic and social controls that we disagree with, and even events of "unlawful" or unethical practices that hurt people both there and in many other countries. Two came to my "front burner" today.
Discussing curriculum issues in one of our teacher meetings, our new district curriculum specialist, while setting the stage for a discussion of common core curriculum, mentioned a conversation she had with an official in China this last year. State and district personnel were in china for some program comparisons, and as part of the Chinese bridge program, which is an effort to improve educational relationships between China and the US. (I guess). When comparing test scores and competency ratings, our personnel noticed that there were no special ed kids, and asked where they were in the school system. The answer was essentially "they are somewhere else." the same question was asked about handicapped kids, ADHD, autistic, etc., and the answer was the same. They are not a part of "the system", and therefore not included with the comparisons. why then are we so worried about not "looking as good" as China?!?
If they included all of their kids, would they even come close to us? And what about all these other countries that we are always claiming to be behind? Are they comparing apples to apples, or are there a bunch of oranges and bananas in the fruit bowl?
The other issue came in Robin's email, and it is so simple, yet so powerful that I feel I have to address it. We are in an economic "crisis"(?) in this country. There is very little made in China that does not have other roots. Why do we complain about trade imbalance with China, and insist that the government do something about it? Are we not trying to be masters of our own checkbooks and wallets? No on forces us to buy Chinese products. I know, on a budget, we try to find the cheapest items we can, but seriously, if the difference is a few pennies, why not support the American economy, and put down that "made in China" or made in PRC, or Hong Kong? If we quit buying food sent from china, guess how long places like wal-mart will keep stocking it? We fuss and complain at times that our government buys uniforms, supplies, flags, etc, from China, rather than support competitors in America, but what are we doing?
Every time we buy a product from China that has an american competitor, WE are adding to the massive trade deficit, and adding to China's power. WE are handing our economy to a country that does not respect us. WE are allowing our economy to deteriorate, for the sake of a few pennies, which would come back to America if WE would just support US (U.S.?) first.
Robin's email suggested trying it out, for a month. Check what you buy, and if it says Made in China, put it back and find an alternate!! If there is no alternate, do you really need it? If we can't live without China's inferior products for a month, we deserve the economic disaster that is coming.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Life moves pretty fast!
So much has happened since my last post.
And that is just the basics. I will say nothing here of my thoughts on major political and world events. That takes time that I will arrange another day.
I had a small group travel with me to German speaking Europe this summer. We visited Switzerland, Austria, and of course Germany. Oh, not to forget Liechtenstein, even though the 1.5 hour stop and roughly 1 hour to drive through the tiny country hardly counts as a visit.
I am falling in love with Vienna (Wien). The city has so much history and culture just right there in your face all the time! This was my second time there. As the royal capitol for nearly 8 centuries, you can see so much of European history represented all around you, to say nothing of the tours through palaces and museums and such. Some will consider this "history-nerdy", but to me looking at a sword that actually belonged to Charlemagne is breathtaking, even if the sword itself is nothing fancy to look at. Just the fact that it is a piece of real history more than a millenia old blows my mind!
And, of course, I love Switzerland! I look forward to some summer in the future just taking Michelle and spending a month or more in this beautiful country! We will travel to other places, but maybe do a house swap, or something, and just BE in Switzerland for awhile.
And Germany is always of interest to me. It was really a great trip! We had nice touring companions on our bus, and the guide and driver were exceptional! Our guide is a TV actor and vocal soloist named Matthias Unger. He was great! Had sooooo much fun on this tour!
Since my return, I have dealt with chicken farm issues such as burnt out fan motors ( I am getting quite good at handling electrical work), leaking water lines, feed auger systems which had to be repaired and/or replaced and so on. I have only got hands on training in all the plumbing, electrical, and industrial equipment work, but it is becoming rare that I have to go find Bob or some other "expert" for advice or help. I feel pretty good about that.
I did also go to Tulsa University, to get training for AP German, which will be offered at Conway this year!! Yeah! I haved worked hard to build this program to the point that District administrators will soon have to decide to hire another part-time German teacher or figure out how to tell parents that a school of 3000 students can't offer German to everyone who wants it! They will have to turn down about 20 this year as it stands. I hope next year the number is double that. That would be 2 classes!
Getting long, back to normal chicken farm life for the past few weeks! More next week, after school starts (for teachers). :( or is it :) Maybe better wait till October to decide; that's when I will feel like I am ready to start the school year.
And that is just the basics. I will say nothing here of my thoughts on major political and world events. That takes time that I will arrange another day.
I had a small group travel with me to German speaking Europe this summer. We visited Switzerland, Austria, and of course Germany. Oh, not to forget Liechtenstein, even though the 1.5 hour stop and roughly 1 hour to drive through the tiny country hardly counts as a visit.
I am falling in love with Vienna (Wien). The city has so much history and culture just right there in your face all the time! This was my second time there. As the royal capitol for nearly 8 centuries, you can see so much of European history represented all around you, to say nothing of the tours through palaces and museums and such. Some will consider this "history-nerdy", but to me looking at a sword that actually belonged to Charlemagne is breathtaking, even if the sword itself is nothing fancy to look at. Just the fact that it is a piece of real history more than a millenia old blows my mind!
And, of course, I love Switzerland! I look forward to some summer in the future just taking Michelle and spending a month or more in this beautiful country! We will travel to other places, but maybe do a house swap, or something, and just BE in Switzerland for awhile.
And Germany is always of interest to me. It was really a great trip! We had nice touring companions on our bus, and the guide and driver were exceptional! Our guide is a TV actor and vocal soloist named Matthias Unger. He was great! Had sooooo much fun on this tour!
Since my return, I have dealt with chicken farm issues such as burnt out fan motors ( I am getting quite good at handling electrical work), leaking water lines, feed auger systems which had to be repaired and/or replaced and so on. I have only got hands on training in all the plumbing, electrical, and industrial equipment work, but it is becoming rare that I have to go find Bob or some other "expert" for advice or help. I feel pretty good about that.
I did also go to Tulsa University, to get training for AP German, which will be offered at Conway this year!! Yeah! I haved worked hard to build this program to the point that District administrators will soon have to decide to hire another part-time German teacher or figure out how to tell parents that a school of 3000 students can't offer German to everyone who wants it! They will have to turn down about 20 this year as it stands. I hope next year the number is double that. That would be 2 classes!
Getting long, back to normal chicken farm life for the past few weeks! More next week, after school starts (for teachers). :( or is it :) Maybe better wait till October to decide; that's when I will feel like I am ready to start the school year.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Some thoughts on dealing with life stress.
If you haven’t heard from me recently, or haven’t seen my most recent posts, I can safely say that life is currently hectic.
Now, please understand, this is not meant to be a gripe session, because most if not all of my HECTIC is done by choice. Sometimes the choice was made a long time ago, and I am just carrying on. Other times, it is a choice based on belief or principle, and it dictates what happens as things come up.
And, as I have told my kids at home and my kids at school, griping about things you have the privilege of changing is not only pointless, it is also really annoying. You know…..If you’re not going to trouble yourself to vote, don’t be the most vocal complainer when you don’t like how things turn out.
Anyway, back to busy. I have been spending an average of 2-3 hours per day away from home, and away from school, while I access the internet to do research and readings for my UALR classes. (AVERAGE) things on the farm have been pretty normal, which means some days go with no glitches, and other days something breaks, and I add hours to my busy-ness. My church responsibilities don’t usually add a lot of time concerns, unless there are training meetings, or temple trips (like last week, which by the way, was a great day), but there are always concerns running around in my head. Trying to stay on top of my needs for Conway is a challenge. I have been assigned to do morning hall duty from 7:30-8, as a trade off for being allowed to leave early to go to UALR. I monitor the north hallway 5 days a week, so that I can leave early on 2. Major downside: I am not allowed to access the internet (even though we have a wifi server, teachers are rarely allowed access), hauling a desk back and forth would take far more time than it is worth, in terms of being able to grade, and it gives me about 4 minutes to get ready for my students, unless I choose to get here by 7 am. Problem with that is it requires me to leave the house by 5:45.
That leaves me with my prep period, and 3 days a week after school. So of course the conflict is, Monday Tuesday and Friday, do I spend the extra hours for Conway schools, or do I use the time to go access the internet at the library, so that I can stay on top of UALR, and still have a few minutes with my family?
That has been the crux of my hectic schedule. Although I am doing it all from this computer, if I am sitting at the school in Conway, I still cannot access the internet. So anything internet related that I do at the high school has to be transferred to this computer. At least this one has pretty much all I need, so my time at wifi hotspots can be as productive as I need to make it. This thing is pretty fast.
As I was driving home the other night, after one of those 3 day periods where nothing seemed to go right, I was feeling really stressed. I had been behind because I had not been able to get out and do homework at all over the weekend. Monday, I had stayed at the library to the last minute, and then met Michelle and the boys at their Scout meeting in Heber Springs. I have signed on as assistant Scoutmaster with troop 200, where the boys are working toward Eagle, since Batesville doesn’t have an active troop. Tuesday, I was working at the Library, and the thunderstorms moving through were not only making me nervous, as the lightning was striking really close, but it also kept knocking out the wifi server. I ended up typing nearly 4 paragraphs on something before I realized that I was no longer online. That was my German Blog for class.
Anyway, this is getting long, and I did have a point: As I was driving home from my Wednesday class/homework session at 10:30, feeling very stressed, a song came on the radio at just the right moment. I don’t know the artist, but I know Liz will recognize it. The chorus was good advice for me at that moment of stress: “You can’t jump the tracks, we’re like cars on a cable, life’s like an hour glass glued to the table, no one can find the rewind button now, so cradle your head in your hands, and..Breathe, just Breathe, come on breathe….”
I felt better, and life will go on, life will continue to be hectic, but when it gets out of control, take this advice: Just breathe!
If you haven’t heard from me recently, or haven’t seen my most recent posts, I can safely say that life is currently hectic.
Now, please understand, this is not meant to be a gripe session, because most if not all of my HECTIC is done by choice. Sometimes the choice was made a long time ago, and I am just carrying on. Other times, it is a choice based on belief or principle, and it dictates what happens as things come up.
And, as I have told my kids at home and my kids at school, griping about things you have the privilege of changing is not only pointless, it is also really annoying. You know…..If you’re not going to trouble yourself to vote, don’t be the most vocal complainer when you don’t like how things turn out.
Anyway, back to busy. I have been spending an average of 2-3 hours per day away from home, and away from school, while I access the internet to do research and readings for my UALR classes. (AVERAGE) things on the farm have been pretty normal, which means some days go with no glitches, and other days something breaks, and I add hours to my busy-ness. My church responsibilities don’t usually add a lot of time concerns, unless there are training meetings, or temple trips (like last week, which by the way, was a great day), but there are always concerns running around in my head. Trying to stay on top of my needs for Conway is a challenge. I have been assigned to do morning hall duty from 7:30-8, as a trade off for being allowed to leave early to go to UALR. I monitor the north hallway 5 days a week, so that I can leave early on 2. Major downside: I am not allowed to access the internet (even though we have a wifi server, teachers are rarely allowed access), hauling a desk back and forth would take far more time than it is worth, in terms of being able to grade, and it gives me about 4 minutes to get ready for my students, unless I choose to get here by 7 am. Problem with that is it requires me to leave the house by 5:45.
That leaves me with my prep period, and 3 days a week after school. So of course the conflict is, Monday Tuesday and Friday, do I spend the extra hours for Conway schools, or do I use the time to go access the internet at the library, so that I can stay on top of UALR, and still have a few minutes with my family?
That has been the crux of my hectic schedule. Although I am doing it all from this computer, if I am sitting at the school in Conway, I still cannot access the internet. So anything internet related that I do at the high school has to be transferred to this computer. At least this one has pretty much all I need, so my time at wifi hotspots can be as productive as I need to make it. This thing is pretty fast.
As I was driving home the other night, after one of those 3 day periods where nothing seemed to go right, I was feeling really stressed. I had been behind because I had not been able to get out and do homework at all over the weekend. Monday, I had stayed at the library to the last minute, and then met Michelle and the boys at their Scout meeting in Heber Springs. I have signed on as assistant Scoutmaster with troop 200, where the boys are working toward Eagle, since Batesville doesn’t have an active troop. Tuesday, I was working at the Library, and the thunderstorms moving through were not only making me nervous, as the lightning was striking really close, but it also kept knocking out the wifi server. I ended up typing nearly 4 paragraphs on something before I realized that I was no longer online. That was my German Blog for class.
Anyway, this is getting long, and I did have a point: As I was driving home from my Wednesday class/homework session at 10:30, feeling very stressed, a song came on the radio at just the right moment. I don’t know the artist, but I know Liz will recognize it. The chorus was good advice for me at that moment of stress: “You can’t jump the tracks, we’re like cars on a cable, life’s like an hour glass glued to the table, no one can find the rewind button now, so cradle your head in your hands, and..Breathe, just Breathe, come on breathe….”
I felt better, and life will go on, life will continue to be hectic, but when it gets out of control, take this advice: Just breathe!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Variety of things.
I know, I could, and should put at least 3 seconds of thought into the title of these posts, and some times I will, but not today.
Too many things and thoughts going on. School, SCHOOL, farm, Libya, church, farm, School legislation, weekend obligations, braces, missions, etc.
Thoughts on Libya: It is interesting to watch the history of a nation shift, in a matter of weeks. I hope the "opposition forces" as they have been titled, succeed. They have a tough road ahead, though. The military madman at the top still hasn't admitted that "something is happening", at least not in the last report I heard. That was, I admit, 3 days ago, and in the interim, military airstrikes have been part of the fray. I don't know if they were ordered from the very top, or just military commanders doing "their job". I am anxious to see how bad the mess in Libya will affect us here. Oil price speculation is such a driving factor in the price of gas, and the prices on the market have jumped dramatically. I know there are other factors, including the individual stores maintaining a profit margin, but the speculation makes a big difference. Running 1000 per week, every nickel in the average price costs me about $10-$12 extra per month. That wouldn't really be much, if it were only one nickel.
Things on the farm are about normal. We have had a change in ownership, but it shouldn't really affect us much. At least not negatively. As most know, Townsend declared bankruptcy, and a new company has taken over. we'll see how this plays out. Right now, it is just the same: raise birds, maintain systems, and hopefully get some sleep. With my schooling and church responsibilities, it is not unusual to get home at 9 or later, and have some repair to take care of. Michelle is really good about trying not to let little things pile up, so I only have the bigger issues to tackle. That is good. Sometimes, though, a "big job" that should be simple ends up taking hours instead of minutes. Perfect example: A cable on the feed lines broke (corroded), and needed to be fixed. It looked like it should only take 20-30 minutes to splice in a new section to patch the break, but upon closer inspection, the cable passed through enough pulleys that an entirely new length was required.
This would have been no big deal, except it meant that the ladder had to be moved every 4-5 feet of a 20+ ft. span, to free the old broken cable, then back and forth to run the new cable around 2 turnback pulleys. as it was, it only took me about 2 hours to fix, but you get the idea.
Great, the last 4 paragraphs I typed were not saved, because a thundestorm apparently knocked out the wifi server, and I didn't realize it. Anyway, I may try to fill in blanks on another day.
Gotta go!
Too many things and thoughts going on. School, SCHOOL, farm, Libya, church, farm, School legislation, weekend obligations, braces, missions, etc.
Thoughts on Libya: It is interesting to watch the history of a nation shift, in a matter of weeks. I hope the "opposition forces" as they have been titled, succeed. They have a tough road ahead, though. The military madman at the top still hasn't admitted that "something is happening", at least not in the last report I heard. That was, I admit, 3 days ago, and in the interim, military airstrikes have been part of the fray. I don't know if they were ordered from the very top, or just military commanders doing "their job". I am anxious to see how bad the mess in Libya will affect us here. Oil price speculation is such a driving factor in the price of gas, and the prices on the market have jumped dramatically. I know there are other factors, including the individual stores maintaining a profit margin, but the speculation makes a big difference. Running 1000 per week, every nickel in the average price costs me about $10-$12 extra per month. That wouldn't really be much, if it were only one nickel.
Things on the farm are about normal. We have had a change in ownership, but it shouldn't really affect us much. At least not negatively. As most know, Townsend declared bankruptcy, and a new company has taken over. we'll see how this plays out. Right now, it is just the same: raise birds, maintain systems, and hopefully get some sleep. With my schooling and church responsibilities, it is not unusual to get home at 9 or later, and have some repair to take care of. Michelle is really good about trying not to let little things pile up, so I only have the bigger issues to tackle. That is good. Sometimes, though, a "big job" that should be simple ends up taking hours instead of minutes. Perfect example: A cable on the feed lines broke (corroded), and needed to be fixed. It looked like it should only take 20-30 minutes to splice in a new section to patch the break, but upon closer inspection, the cable passed through enough pulleys that an entirely new length was required.
This would have been no big deal, except it meant that the ladder had to be moved every 4-5 feet of a 20+ ft. span, to free the old broken cable, then back and forth to run the new cable around 2 turnback pulleys. as it was, it only took me about 2 hours to fix, but you get the idea.
Great, the last 4 paragraphs I typed were not saved, because a thundestorm apparently knocked out the wifi server, and I didn't realize it. Anyway, I may try to fill in blanks on another day.
Gotta go!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Well, it has been months since the last time I posted anything. I can claim that it has to do with time. Tonight, I am taking time I really don’t have, but I am feeling tapped out, and hope that this will feel therapeutic.
The months since my last post (MAY?) have been busy/crazy, and the slow internet has played in, because it is hard to take time for this, when it is normally 45-60 minutes to get a simple post. Between log-in and waiting for each page to load, it is frequently too much. I might stay up really late, but Benjamin has taken to sleeping in “the den” (formerly Justin’s room). He is such a light sleeper, that I don’t want to stay in here and keep him awake.
While I am talking about kids, let me update those who read the blog for family/friend updates. Ben is doing fairly well health wise. His intestinal problems do make him a light sleeper, so we try to stay out of the room when he is in bed. I do wake him up at 3 am each night, and then we try to sleep hard and fast til daybreak. He is doing well in school, and is growing up so fast. He keeps trying to get me to let him drive. (usually successful)
Driving……..Ian is now legal. He passed his test back in August, just after his birthday, but we finally got him down to get the actual license this past week. He will have to drive with one of us until December, but there is nothing after that to keep him from driving. He needs a bit of practice yet, but …..
Justin is loving his mission. He recently got transferred down below Yuma. He says his apt. is ½ mile from the Mexican border, and the community is almost exclusively Hispanic, so he feels like he is back in Mexico. It is hard to believe that he is past the halfway point! He looks good in the pics he sends, and seems to be keeping his diabetes in control.
Liz is fabulous. She is keeping very busy (like Mom and Dad) with work, school cheerleading, church youth leadership responsibilities, helping on the farm, reading the piles of college recruiting junkmail, etc. She is still playing basketball this year, and she is taking 2 college classes (necessary to meet graduation requirements due to failed scheduling by her HS counselor). She and the other 3 smartest students at school are having to take college classes because the counselor and school administrators put an AP class the same period as one of the classes the students have to have to graduate. Then, they pressured the kids to help meet the school’s legal requirements by taking the AP class. (don’t get me going about ineptitude, I might not stop, and that is not good for me or you) Anyway, she is a very busy young lady, but she is doing well. 18 next month! Wow, that is hard to believe how fast 18 years goes by.
Kaylee is also doing very well. She is nearly out of elementary school. She still loves to dance, and she continues to be in the pageant scene. She has fun dressing up, and usually will perform with a smile. She is doing well in school, and learning to help around the farm a bit more as well. She asks about driving, but the times I offer, she decides she is still not ready.
Michelle’s busy is still the same. She sews for her Branson clients, she is sewing wedding parties and pageant stuff, and her rodeo queen crowd has grown. She has even branched into fancy leather “gowns” and interview/parade suits for national rodeo queen pageants. She still takes care of the farm when I am at school or church stuff, along with being the PTO president for the 5th year. She will step down next year (Kaylee will no longer be in the elementary school), even if no one decides to step up. I tell her 5 years is enough, she can step down with clear conscience, even if she leaves a vacancy.
My sense of busy has grown this year. I am still the Branch President, still teaching in Conway, still working the farm, and because there was not enough to keep me busy, I decided (WE decided) to start my master’s program this year. I had been searching, but couldn’t find a program that was for languages. I found one, and I am enrolled in 6 credit hours. One class meets in Little Rock once a week, so I add that triangle to my drive time. I am running 1000 miles each week. Glad we could swing getting a new car (Kia Rio), so the 100K mile warranty will last almost until my master’s program is complete. The other class is online, and that has eaten more time than everything else.
I tried to get permission to adjust what the school district server allows, so that I could view the numerous videos for my class, and deal with the program and communication issues for this very tech heavy online class. NO LUCK. I couldn’t do the videos at home, with slow download times taking sometimes 60 minutes to load a 1 minute video. (not with as much as 2 hours of videos some weeks.) So I was spending about 3 hours each day at the library in Conway, where I could work online (except for the recorded audio assignments), as long as there were not people waiting to use the computers. Thankfully, a colleague’s ex-husband offered to loan me a small net book computer with fast wifi , so I can now log in at the library no matter who is waiting, and I can even use McDonald’s or other free wifi servers. I still don’t get to be at home, but at least I can do the voice recordings and videos without worrying who’s waiting behind me, and I can work on weekends, by driving over to McDonald’s.
I am still spending about 2-3 hours each day trying to keep up with these 2 classes, so I am constantly on the run it feels. When things go wrong at the chicken houses, I can only pray that things at church go smoothly, and that my homework doesn’t require too much extra time. When Homework is heavy, I pray that the farm doesn’t have things break. School is always school, and I am trying hard to keep my classes moving well, fun and interesting, AND incorporating the research that is part of my course work. A lot of it, I have already been doing, but it has been a fun challenge bringing the new research into my classes. A few times, things just all fell apart together, and then I just try to breath slow and deep.
The months since my last post (MAY?) have been busy/crazy, and the slow internet has played in, because it is hard to take time for this, when it is normally 45-60 minutes to get a simple post. Between log-in and waiting for each page to load, it is frequently too much. I might stay up really late, but Benjamin has taken to sleeping in “the den” (formerly Justin’s room). He is such a light sleeper, that I don’t want to stay in here and keep him awake.
While I am talking about kids, let me update those who read the blog for family/friend updates. Ben is doing fairly well health wise. His intestinal problems do make him a light sleeper, so we try to stay out of the room when he is in bed. I do wake him up at 3 am each night, and then we try to sleep hard and fast til daybreak. He is doing well in school, and is growing up so fast. He keeps trying to get me to let him drive. (usually successful)
Driving……..Ian is now legal. He passed his test back in August, just after his birthday, but we finally got him down to get the actual license this past week. He will have to drive with one of us until December, but there is nothing after that to keep him from driving. He needs a bit of practice yet, but …..
Justin is loving his mission. He recently got transferred down below Yuma. He says his apt. is ½ mile from the Mexican border, and the community is almost exclusively Hispanic, so he feels like he is back in Mexico. It is hard to believe that he is past the halfway point! He looks good in the pics he sends, and seems to be keeping his diabetes in control.
Liz is fabulous. She is keeping very busy (like Mom and Dad) with work, school cheerleading, church youth leadership responsibilities, helping on the farm, reading the piles of college recruiting junkmail, etc. She is still playing basketball this year, and she is taking 2 college classes (necessary to meet graduation requirements due to failed scheduling by her HS counselor). She and the other 3 smartest students at school are having to take college classes because the counselor and school administrators put an AP class the same period as one of the classes the students have to have to graduate. Then, they pressured the kids to help meet the school’s legal requirements by taking the AP class. (don’t get me going about ineptitude, I might not stop, and that is not good for me or you) Anyway, she is a very busy young lady, but she is doing well. 18 next month! Wow, that is hard to believe how fast 18 years goes by.
Kaylee is also doing very well. She is nearly out of elementary school. She still loves to dance, and she continues to be in the pageant scene. She has fun dressing up, and usually will perform with a smile. She is doing well in school, and learning to help around the farm a bit more as well. She asks about driving, but the times I offer, she decides she is still not ready.
Michelle’s busy is still the same. She sews for her Branson clients, she is sewing wedding parties and pageant stuff, and her rodeo queen crowd has grown. She has even branched into fancy leather “gowns” and interview/parade suits for national rodeo queen pageants. She still takes care of the farm when I am at school or church stuff, along with being the PTO president for the 5th year. She will step down next year (Kaylee will no longer be in the elementary school), even if no one decides to step up. I tell her 5 years is enough, she can step down with clear conscience, even if she leaves a vacancy.
My sense of busy has grown this year. I am still the Branch President, still teaching in Conway, still working the farm, and because there was not enough to keep me busy, I decided (WE decided) to start my master’s program this year. I had been searching, but couldn’t find a program that was for languages. I found one, and I am enrolled in 6 credit hours. One class meets in Little Rock once a week, so I add that triangle to my drive time. I am running 1000 miles each week. Glad we could swing getting a new car (Kia Rio), so the 100K mile warranty will last almost until my master’s program is complete. The other class is online, and that has eaten more time than everything else.
I tried to get permission to adjust what the school district server allows, so that I could view the numerous videos for my class, and deal with the program and communication issues for this very tech heavy online class. NO LUCK. I couldn’t do the videos at home, with slow download times taking sometimes 60 minutes to load a 1 minute video. (not with as much as 2 hours of videos some weeks.) So I was spending about 3 hours each day at the library in Conway, where I could work online (except for the recorded audio assignments), as long as there were not people waiting to use the computers. Thankfully, a colleague’s ex-husband offered to loan me a small net book computer with fast wifi , so I can now log in at the library no matter who is waiting, and I can even use McDonald’s or other free wifi servers. I still don’t get to be at home, but at least I can do the voice recordings and videos without worrying who’s waiting behind me, and I can work on weekends, by driving over to McDonald’s.
I am still spending about 2-3 hours each day trying to keep up with these 2 classes, so I am constantly on the run it feels. When things go wrong at the chicken houses, I can only pray that things at church go smoothly, and that my homework doesn’t require too much extra time. When Homework is heavy, I pray that the farm doesn’t have things break. School is always school, and I am trying hard to keep my classes moving well, fun and interesting, AND incorporating the research that is part of my course work. A lot of it, I have already been doing, but it has been a fun challenge bringing the new research into my classes. A few times, things just all fell apart together, and then I just try to breath slow and deep.
Perfekt/Imperfekt in der Klasse
Ich hoffe nur, dass ich einmal im Leben "perfekt werde", auch wenn man später nur im Perfekten (oder Imperfekten) darüber redet.
Das schwere Ding im Deutschunterricht ist es manchmal, mit Verben umzugehen. Für die Schüler, besonders 9. und 10. Klässler, haben viele eine geringere erkenntnis ihrer eigenen Sprache, was die Grammatik betrifft. Es kommt oft vor, dass andere Lehrer (spezifisch Englischlehrer) mir sagen, dass die Schüler, die Deutsch lernen eine bessere Kenntnis der Englischen Grammatik haben, als andere.
Obwohl die Schüler Schwierigkeiten haben, versuche ich alle Verbformen zu lehren. Ich hoffe, auf diese Weise, eine Sprachfähigkeit zu bilden, dass alle moegliche Themen umfasst.
Wie kann ein Schüler das vergangene Wochenende besprechen, wenn er nicht weiß, wie man die Vergangenheit bildet? Oder das Lieblingstheme aller Lehrer in den ersten Tagen nach einer Schülerferien, "Was hast du in deiner Ferien gemacht?".
Ich versuche immer, dieses heikle Theme ein wenig zu mildern, indem ich meinen Schülern einen kleinen Spruch geben. "Wenn du von den Weltkriegen redest, der Krieg war schlimm, und der Hutmacher hatte einen Hut." (When you speak of the world wars, the "war" was bad, and the Hatter had a hat"). Ich weiß, es ist ziemlich bloed, aber dass hilft meinen Schülern anscheinend, die zwei Verbformen "hatte" und "war" im Gedächtnis zu halten. Wir sprechen dann später über das Imperfekt von anderen Verben.
Danach muss ich über Tagen und Wochen die Perfektformen lehren. Ich sehe es oft, dass die Schüler sehr schnell das "ge-- t" von schwachen Verben begreifen, aber was ihnen schwer fällt ist die Wortstellung der zwei Verben im Perfekten. "...habe..................gehabt." Das problem scheint mir Folgendes zu sein. Englisch, besonders amerikanisches Englisch, benutzt immer häufiger das Imperfekt, und da diese Form leichter zu bilden ist, sehen unsere Schüler einen Ausweg, in Bezug auf grammatischen Regeln. Ich habe erfahren, dass ich oftmals das Theme als Englischregel vorstellen muss, bevor ich überhaupt ins deutsche Bereich eintrete.
tja....... Ich kann nicht viel mehr sagen. Die Schüler brauchen unbedingt Vergangenheitsformen zu lernen, und zwar früh in dem Unterricht, aber wir müssen zuerst ein gutes Präsens beherrschen. Oder doch nicht?
Das schwere Ding im Deutschunterricht ist es manchmal, mit Verben umzugehen. Für die Schüler, besonders 9. und 10. Klässler, haben viele eine geringere erkenntnis ihrer eigenen Sprache, was die Grammatik betrifft. Es kommt oft vor, dass andere Lehrer (spezifisch Englischlehrer) mir sagen, dass die Schüler, die Deutsch lernen eine bessere Kenntnis der Englischen Grammatik haben, als andere.
Obwohl die Schüler Schwierigkeiten haben, versuche ich alle Verbformen zu lehren. Ich hoffe, auf diese Weise, eine Sprachfähigkeit zu bilden, dass alle moegliche Themen umfasst.
Wie kann ein Schüler das vergangene Wochenende besprechen, wenn er nicht weiß, wie man die Vergangenheit bildet? Oder das Lieblingstheme aller Lehrer in den ersten Tagen nach einer Schülerferien, "Was hast du in deiner Ferien gemacht?".
Ich versuche immer, dieses heikle Theme ein wenig zu mildern, indem ich meinen Schülern einen kleinen Spruch geben. "Wenn du von den Weltkriegen redest, der Krieg war schlimm, und der Hutmacher hatte einen Hut." (When you speak of the world wars, the "war" was bad, and the Hatter had a hat"). Ich weiß, es ist ziemlich bloed, aber dass hilft meinen Schülern anscheinend, die zwei Verbformen "hatte" und "war" im Gedächtnis zu halten. Wir sprechen dann später über das Imperfekt von anderen Verben.
Danach muss ich über Tagen und Wochen die Perfektformen lehren. Ich sehe es oft, dass die Schüler sehr schnell das "ge-- t" von schwachen Verben begreifen, aber was ihnen schwer fällt ist die Wortstellung der zwei Verben im Perfekten. "...habe..................gehabt." Das problem scheint mir Folgendes zu sein. Englisch, besonders amerikanisches Englisch, benutzt immer häufiger das Imperfekt, und da diese Form leichter zu bilden ist, sehen unsere Schüler einen Ausweg, in Bezug auf grammatischen Regeln. Ich habe erfahren, dass ich oftmals das Theme als Englischregel vorstellen muss, bevor ich überhaupt ins deutsche Bereich eintrete.
tja....... Ich kann nicht viel mehr sagen. Die Schüler brauchen unbedingt Vergangenheitsformen zu lernen, und zwar früh in dem Unterricht, aber wir müssen zuerst ein gutes Präsens beherrschen. Oder doch nicht?
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Hier ist 'was für Deutschsprechende
Der Zweck dieser Seite ist es, eine Bedingung meiner Deutschklasse zu füllen. Ich will auch hiermit ein wenig erklären, aus welchen Gründen ich verschiedenes mache. Alle meine Freunde die Deutsch lesen sind hiermit eingeladen, meine "Hausaufgaben" durchzublättern.
Dr. Wagner, ich weiss, dass der Zweck diese Seite mehr als Unterrichtsunterhaltung dienen soll, and ich werde nachher etwas mehr über diese Themen schreiben. Ich moechte aber einiges über mich schreiben. (Ich habe gerade gemerkt, dass mein Computer nicht das O mit umlaut schreibt. Jedes mal wird die Seite geschlossen. Ich werde "oe" tippen.)
Ich habe jetzt 11 Jahre in Arkansas gelebt. Ich war 5 Jahre bei Bosch "Powertools" angestellt. Dann, nachdem Bosch das Geschäft nach China umgezogen hat, bin ich (wieder) Lehrer geworden. Ich war 8 Jahre Deutschlehrer in Utah. Wir kamen nach Arkansas, um ein Familienbauernhof zu vergrossern. Wir "bauen" Hühner. ("züchten" ist nicht das beste Wort, glaube ich. Wir bekommen die kleinen Küken am ersten Lebenstag, und "erziehen" sie bis nach ungefähr 8-9 Wochen ihr Leben zu Ende kommt.)
Meine Zeit als Deutschlehrer in Conway ist nur ein kleiner Teil meines Lebens. Natürlich verbringe ich viel Zeit auf dem Bauernhof. Ich habe auch 5 Kinder, 3 davon sind mit chronischen Krankheiten "gesegnet". Und, da ich noch nicht genug zu tun habe, bin ich auch "Pfarrer" meiner Kirchengemeinde. (In Batesville).......Ach ja, auch noch Student kann man dazu schreiben.
Das soll keine Trummergeschichte sein, aber ich moechte dass du weisst, warum ich in AATG und AFLTA und andere Vereine nicht eingetreten bin. Als Professorin, weisst du schon eine ganze Menge über mein Gehalt. Meine Kinder "schlucken" eine ordentlich große Menge Pillen und Medikamente. Ich fahre über 1100 Meilen, jede Woche, besonders jetzt wo mein Pfad auch nach Little Rock geht.
Dann, in denn letzten Jahren, wie alle wissen, ist unsere Nationalwirtschaft in Schwierigkeiten. Auf dem Bauernhof bedeutet das, Diesel, Futter, Oel, und alles andere ist an Kosten gestiegen. Leider hat das geheissen, dass für "Extras" kein Geld mehr vorhanden gewesen ist.
Wie gesagt, das soll keine Trummergeschichte sein. Ich und meine Familie haben jede von diesen Entscheidungen vollbewusst getroffen. Ich habe nicht gemeint unfreundlich oder uninterrisiert zu scheinen. Ich habe nur viele andere Sachen zu besorgen, und für das Mitgliedsbeitrag war kein Geld da.
Ich freue mich auf das kommende Jahr, und neue Freundschaften in AATG und AFLTA. Ich werde nicht an allen Tagungen kommen koennen, aber so oft wie moeglich kannst du mich schon erwarten.
Dr. Wagner, ich weiss, dass der Zweck diese Seite mehr als Unterrichtsunterhaltung dienen soll, and ich werde nachher etwas mehr über diese Themen schreiben. Ich moechte aber einiges über mich schreiben. (Ich habe gerade gemerkt, dass mein Computer nicht das O mit umlaut schreibt. Jedes mal wird die Seite geschlossen. Ich werde "oe" tippen.)
Ich habe jetzt 11 Jahre in Arkansas gelebt. Ich war 5 Jahre bei Bosch "Powertools" angestellt. Dann, nachdem Bosch das Geschäft nach China umgezogen hat, bin ich (wieder) Lehrer geworden. Ich war 8 Jahre Deutschlehrer in Utah. Wir kamen nach Arkansas, um ein Familienbauernhof zu vergrossern. Wir "bauen" Hühner. ("züchten" ist nicht das beste Wort, glaube ich. Wir bekommen die kleinen Küken am ersten Lebenstag, und "erziehen" sie bis nach ungefähr 8-9 Wochen ihr Leben zu Ende kommt.)
Meine Zeit als Deutschlehrer in Conway ist nur ein kleiner Teil meines Lebens. Natürlich verbringe ich viel Zeit auf dem Bauernhof. Ich habe auch 5 Kinder, 3 davon sind mit chronischen Krankheiten "gesegnet". Und, da ich noch nicht genug zu tun habe, bin ich auch "Pfarrer" meiner Kirchengemeinde. (In Batesville).......Ach ja, auch noch Student kann man dazu schreiben.
Das soll keine Trummergeschichte sein, aber ich moechte dass du weisst, warum ich in AATG und AFLTA und andere Vereine nicht eingetreten bin. Als Professorin, weisst du schon eine ganze Menge über mein Gehalt. Meine Kinder "schlucken" eine ordentlich große Menge Pillen und Medikamente. Ich fahre über 1100 Meilen, jede Woche, besonders jetzt wo mein Pfad auch nach Little Rock geht.
Dann, in denn letzten Jahren, wie alle wissen, ist unsere Nationalwirtschaft in Schwierigkeiten. Auf dem Bauernhof bedeutet das, Diesel, Futter, Oel, und alles andere ist an Kosten gestiegen. Leider hat das geheissen, dass für "Extras" kein Geld mehr vorhanden gewesen ist.
Wie gesagt, das soll keine Trummergeschichte sein. Ich und meine Familie haben jede von diesen Entscheidungen vollbewusst getroffen. Ich habe nicht gemeint unfreundlich oder uninterrisiert zu scheinen. Ich habe nur viele andere Sachen zu besorgen, und für das Mitgliedsbeitrag war kein Geld da.
Ich freue mich auf das kommende Jahr, und neue Freundschaften in AATG und AFLTA. Ich werde nicht an allen Tagungen kommen koennen, aber so oft wie moeglich kannst du mich schon erwarten.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Still alive and barely kicking
I have been trying for over an hour to paste soe posts. I am running out of batteries and time, so this is just to say that I am still around. I have written 3 or 4 posts, during times when I was not able to do it on this site. My Word docs are not pasting in here, so I will have to come back later and figure out why. Isn't technology grand?
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