Fall in a jar

When my classes read Emerson's "Nature" they have a "Transcendental Musings" assignment to complete. In short, they are to take 15 minutes in nature, no electronics of any kind and no company, and do something that is 1) creative and 2) reflects the Transcendental spirit and 3) Emerson's ideas in the essay.

Frankly, I have had some very stellar submissions -- art, music, poetry, photography, collages, you name it and I have seen and enjoyed it.

But this lovely arrangement took the cake for me. Ms. Jocelyn was inspiring in her use of all natural components. To be honest, I wanted to rip it from her hands and run down the hallway crying, "My Precious!" But, I couldn't be so cruel when I saw how proud she was (rightfully so!) of her project.

Click on the picture to embiggen it. You won't believe all the wonderous things this talented young lady put into her project -- leaves, nest, berries, feathers, weeds, ferns, and even hay. Breathtaking!

I asked her permission to share this with you as it is so completely wonderful! Don't you agree? 

Thank you

Airman John in his blues -- taken by himself.

Isn't he handsome?

Thank you to all our Service People today. And every day. We fail to show you our appreciation as we should, but know that we keep you in our prayers and God's hands every day. Those of you who read my blog regularly know how very proud I am of the Airman. He is my hero, my heart, my treasure, and the only truly good thing I have given this world. I am proud of you, Airman!

The Airman's Creed

I am an American Airman.

I am a warrior.

I have answered my nation’s call.
I am an American Airman.
My mission is to fly, fight, and win.
I am faithful to a proud heritage,
A tradition of honor,
And a legacy of valor.
I am an American Airman,
Guardian of freedom and justice,
My nation’s sword and shield,
Its sentry and avenger.
I defend my country with my life.
I am an American Airman:
Wingman, leader, warrior.
I will never leave an Airman behind,
I will never falter,
And I will not fail.

Woot! Woot!

To Everything There Is A Season

and a time and purpose under heaven.... Ecclesiastes 3:1

November is the time of year that I feel as though I am going into hibernation. The gardens are to bed, cans are filled, the house is closed up, the fire lit, and soup is the meal of choice many nights. We had our first skiff of snow on Saturday, yet today, it is 70-degrees here at the farm. Where is fall? How can I even begin to think of Christmas when it is so warm?

Yet, think of it I must. The Airman will be in Japan next Christmas, so this year we are having the full blown out holiday. I have decided on a 'theme', if you will -- a natural, down-home holiday for our Airman. Roping for the porch has been ordered from my nephews' school which is raising money for a trip. Our farm grown mountain laurel has been appraised and deemed worthy of wreathmaking. And, I have scoped out the creeping cedar at the below-the-mountain farm for the mantel and house. All is in order and ready for gathering. I love it.

Inside the house we shall have at least three trees, all cut from our farm or the below-the-mountain farm. The living room one will be decorated with handmade ornaments, carefully gathered over the years while the upstairs landing will have the Airman's ornaments, purchased for him annually so that when he has a home one day he will have a tree of ornaments to begin homekeeping and family traditions. And, there shall be one other tree, maybe in the dining room or entry way that is filled with nothing more than hearts.

While I know the holiday is six weeks away, it does this heart good to think of how I will show my only child how very much I love him and will miss him.

We have many traditions in our home for each holiday. For the first snowfall we watch "The Snowman" and drink hot chocolate with a candy cane for stirring and lots of marshmallows floating on top. New Year's Eve finds us on the front porch  (usually wrapped in lots of wool) with the Mister blowing "Auld Lang Syne" on his very mellow, quite old, saxophone which echoes through the holler like a solemn harbinger of the bygone year's death. Easter delights us with naturally dyed Easter Eggs hidden by each of us for the others and then delicious hot cross buns to enjoy after the hunt. And, summer solistice brings us a bonfire with roasted vegan hot dogs and marshmallows cooked to perfection on apple sticks from our Virginia Beauty apple tree.

I look forward to each holiday, each tradition, with relish and joy. It gives us roots and brings us comfort as time slips past far too quickly. What holiday tradition do you enjoy most?

It Had To Happen

The power went off on campus this morning. Transformer blew. I was in the midst of showing a Frontline clip about Abraham Lincoln and his discovering faith after his son's death. My class is in an electronic classroom which means that the class is transmitted over TV to other campuses. And, it means that the room was dark as soon as the lights popped off. Of course, the 'security lights' popped right on in a split second so we had a little light. It was still quite eerie.

I jokingly asked the class if they believed maybe the end of times had come and we didn't know about it. We all giggled nervously. Usually these things don't last long, so, doing what English teachers do, I began to lecture, from the book, and from my own knowledge. No PowerPoint, no notes, nothing electronic. Unheard of!

The class concluded a few minutes early, but they had a group assignment to work on, so that was okay with me. I sent them off, with cautions to watch traffic lights and stairs, and then I gathered myself and went back to my office.

The uproar in my office suite was amusing. Fortunately, I teach in a discipline where, frankly, if I have a mouth, I can make it work for me. Sadly, other disciplines are not so fortunate. And, in our age of "newer is better" we no longer have chalkboards or even white boards in the classrooms. Everything, and I mean everything, is electronic -- either data projectors, "Smart Boards", or laptops are all now the usual business in the classroom. Honestly, I thought some professors were going to weep openly!

Just a few years ago I was in the Appalachian State University library working on my master's thesis. The library had converted to all online databases. The old card catalog sat, neglected, in a corner. The power went out and, naturally, the computers went down. Taking my trusty flashlight (yes, I was a Girl Scout), I just slipped over to the card catalog, my dearest library friend, and continued my research. Even some of the younger librarians had never used one. I giggled as I flipped through cards and my trusty "Reader's Guide" and gleaned out bits and pieces that seemed useful. My afternoon was fulfilled while others just moaned.

In these days of so-called "modern technology" I have to wonder if we have outsmarted ourselves. Have we gotten so dependent on the technology in our lives that we cannot function if the Internet is down? What has become of education if we need to have the most modern, the most up-to-date technology in order to teach and inspire our students? Have we lost our focus and foolishly believe that technology alone makes us more effective teachers? Are we training students who will need more, faster, cleaner, easier, and, sadly, more sanitized learning? I fear that 1984 might be more real than I want to accept.

What do you think??

First Day Musings -- Get Your Head Out Of The Sand!

This is what was said to me on Wednesday and I am still trying to get over it. Let me back up.

A colleague asked me what I thought when I watched the election returns on Tuesday night.

"I didn't," I replied. "We have disconnected our TV."

If I had said that shooting annoying students were socially acceptable, I wouldn't have met with the rant that followed.

"You WHAT?? Now, listen, Matty, you have to get your head out of the sand! You can't live your life ignoring the world! You have to pay attention to what is going on in the world! I can't believe this! You turned off your TV?? You didn't watch the returns? You are just like the girl I talked to at Sheetz this morning. She said she didn't vote because it was all in God's hand anyhow! How can anyone be so stupid??"

I leave you to fill in what she had to say about this. Frankly, I get angry thinking about it.

"We don't have our head in the sand. We are very aware of what is going on in our world. We just have alternative means of learning about it...."  However, my attempted response was interrupted by more rant.

I gave up and just let her rave until she left my office door and began another rant with another colleague about my choices and then about Bristol Palin's dancing. Are the two ideas related??? I was and am confused.

So, dear ones, I ask you: Who died and left her in charge? Or, for that matter, anyone in charge of my life and my choices?

Please understand. I am not self-righteous. Frankly, I am far from it. I am puzzled. I know we live a different kind of life. I know that we are moving more and more to removing ourselves from the silliness that often surrounds us. And, I know that we are considered "odd" by our colleagues at work. But, it is our life. And, it is our choices. What is right for us isn't right for others. We are unique snowflakes and should be respected as such. To be completely honest, I am finally living the life I wanted when I was 20; it is my greatest sadness that I have more life behind me than in front of me in which to do it.

We pack our lunches, often vegetarian; we wear older clothes (they are clean, neat, and in good repair); we drive ten year old, paid for, cars; we read good fiction and our Bibles; we like to work with our hands; we live in a century old house that has very little updates; and we love our farm. Our evening entertainment includes stars, watching the fire, and conversation. And, we have a few friends who share our loves. It is a good life.

I guess the whole point of my ramblings today is the lack of acceptance or understanding of others' lifestyles and choices. What one chooses should be of no consequence to others if it doesn't impact them. Please don't judge me on what I do or don't have. We are blessed fully and richly with what we want and need. I don't care if there are people who want a McMansion or drive a new car every year. That is their path. Just please don't tell me who I am based on what you think I am.

My favorite Emerson quote is this:

"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."


Amen.

Give Me The Pickle

Last week I had to attend a customer service training entitled: "Give them the pickle." It is based on Bob Farrell's restaurant experience when a customer complained that he had to pay for a pickle. The outcome was that the customer left and declared never to return if he had to pay for a pickle. Farrell's response: "Give 'em the pickle!" Yes, even in higher education this is apparently the new model. The students are our "customers" and we must dedicate ourselves to serving them better. Right.

Needless to say, I was less than enthusiastic about the event. It required a day of missed classes, extra driving, and a longer day for me -- none of which was appealing. However, in spite of the redundancy of the speaker, the heart of the training was useful. It got me to thinking about how can we "raise the bar" in how we serve others. In short, how can we do more than be average?

Some of the things I have thought about since then are:

Saying "thank you."
Looking a person in the eyes when I greet them.
Having a pleasant tone of voice.
Listening rather than plan my response.
Making someone look better than they are by not passing blame.
Taking responsibility for what I do and doing it better than average.
Being positive in my tasks -- even if it is a task that makes my skin crawl.
Enjoying others rather than dreading them.

Just think. This would not only enhance our work life, but wouldn't they enhance our home life as well?

19th Amendment

Today we get to celebrate our 19th amendment right, ladies. Whatever the party, whatever your beliefs, just do it!