Random Thoughts

[do1you9love?]

I am going to be going to a lake for a while with some family. Josh has that huge new RV I showed you last summer. Time for me to put it to good use lol. It sucks that I started my diet though. I am not on a rabbit food type of diet but a change to healthy eating. A lot less cheese...my downfall. I am eating a lot of fruit...which I do not like much. I am doing this for my health not for my weight. I will be packing lots of Greek yogurt instead of sour crème to take with me if I dare eat a baked potato lol. I really wish to increase my walking this year......to a bit of a jog. I gotta be able to outrun the muggers.

Hope you have a great time! It's been a stressful year so far, eh? AND I agree with Nottie, that is an awesome camper!

 

[do1you9love?]

How do you know if you’re doing right by your kids? Will the decisions you make for them ultimately help or hurt them in the future?

Yesterday evening my daughter, who will be starting her sophomore year of college in two weeks, and I had a long talk. She is exceptionally bright and talented but has always been a square peg trying to fit into the round hole of life.

She suffers from a minor disability. Certain noises like chewing, sniffling, heavy breathing or snoring, and such, enrages her. She has gone through professional therapy to help her deal with her challenges. Through the college’s disability department she is provided a dorm room that has a common area, kitchenette and bathroom, but also has separate private bedrooms (Unfortunately the room is $2,000 more per semester than regular dorm rooms). The ability to get a room like this (unique to this college) was one of the top reasons she chose this college over more prestigious others across the nation (including two Ivy League schools) who didn’t have similar accommodations, that recruited and threw six figure scholarships at her. We agreed with her when she chose this college that she probably wouldn’t be able to get though four years in a traditional college housing setting, and because the college was rated high for the two programs she was most interested in... Math and English.

Her doctor informed us that his tests show she is quite gifted and is both right and left brain dominant. I don’t really understand all of it, but supposedly it has something to do with why she excels at both mathematics and creative subjects like art and writing.

Yesterday she received in the mail an invitation to join the most elite organization at her college. Apparently this organization sends the invitation to a handful of sophomores. Those evaluated by the college, the professors, department heads, alumni, and the organization’s committee on students determined to be the ones that have the most potential to make a real difference in the world. Supposedly belonging to this organization almost guarantees one’s success after college through their influence, contacts, alumni and connections. Could a parent be any more proud?

She originally wanted to go to college to become a teacher. She wanted to major in English and minor in art. I convinced her (she says forced) to go for a degree in education, majoring in mathematics and to minor in English, and to take art classes as her free electives. Throughout her high school years her gifted teachers told me if this kid doesn’t peruse a degree in mathematics at college she would be wasting a god given talent. I do admit the fact that the scholarships she was offered were best if she majored in math, and it had a lot to do with my guidance. She resented me for almost a year because she felt I forced her into her college program all because of money.

After her first semester she decided she didn’t want to stay in the education program because if she was going to teach it would be at the post-graduate level and she didn’t need to be in the teaching program to achieve that goal. She changed her major to Math with a minor in biology.

Last night she told me she is very grateful I forced her into majoring in math. She says she really enjoys the challenges of the college math program and her future after college is bright. I was happy to hear that but also saddened because I see her passion for writing and art disappearing. When she was younger she created (for her age) some outstanding short stories, poetry and art. But she never felt they were good enough and threw everything away. She even was published after a teacher sent a class poetry project (without her knowledge) into an organization that puts out a yearly publication of the best high school student poetry across the nation. I used to rummage through her trash can on garbage night and pull out her works. I have a drawer in a file cabinet filled with them, that she doesn’t know about. One day she caught me going threw her trash and said it was an invasion of her privacy and had me promise never to do it again.

I try and convince her to join writing, poetry and art clubs at college to keep the passion alive, but she isn’t that interested in it anymore. I also wanted her to try and go after scholarships for writing that would put some requirements on her, in order to keep her passion for that arts alive, but she didn’t want to. I now wonder if I’m to blame for maligning her creative abilities.

And how I seem to breed a bunch of bleeding heart liberals is beyond me. She informed me she was contacted over the summer from the director of housing (she is friends with his daughter, and whom is a fellow student), and was asked if she would be so kind as to agreeing to room with a student he was unable to find a roommate for. A transgender (biological female), who would be a freshmen this year. The college, parents, and therapists of the student all felt the student needed to have a roommate that would be positive, supportive, understanding, and would help with the unique challenges faced through the freshmen year being away from the comfort level of home. My daughter agreed to room with the student, but was afraid of how we felt about the situation. We were supportive of her decision and said it is not the makeup of a person, but the character of a person that really matters. That we are all unique people and my daughter could probably be a good roommate because she knows what it is like being a square peg in a round hole. Also, my daughter did belong to a diversity club the first semester of her freshmen year that had a focus that semester on transgenders. One thing I did require of my daughter, though, is if she has a problem with the roommate because of my daughter’s medical condition, that she would need to request another roommate... just as she would any other roommate. That she was not to be afraid that others might label her biased or a hater because she didn’t want to room with a transgender. That her own college experience was to take priority over anyone else’s experience. She agreed (hmmm... we’ll see).

And now, because of a clerical error just discovered yesterday, she was not provided her student loan for the costs not provided through her scholarships. It will take weeks to sort the problems out. And I have to come up with an additional $5,000 within a week that I was not prepared for. I got an old Jeep the other week for the two youngest daughters to share for their summer jobs and we were hit with a lot of medical bills over the summer that used up all the discretionary funds. I had taken on a second job to help pay for colleges, but am in-between seasons with the second job and it won’t be for another couple of weeks until I go back. Seems I’ll have to rob Peter (with penalties) in order the pay Paul. Oh well, no one ever said life would be easy. And somehow I will get it done.

Thanks for listening... Father’s random rant over.

DiO, you doing well with your girls.

I am a "middle brained" person, myself. She will be fine, get a satisfying, good job and continue the art passions when they strike her. Good thoughts her way for the roommate experience.

 

[Neesy]

Hope you have a great time! It's been a stressful year so far, eh? AND I agree with Nottie, that is an awesome camper!

I've decided that you can be an honourary Canadian just for today!

Spoiler: okay, eh? (you should be proud!)

p.s. I brought a bottle to share!

 

[do1you9love?]

I've decided that you can be an honourary Canadian just for today!

Spoiler: okay, eh? (you should be proud!)

p.s. I brought a bottle to share!

Aw, thank you Neesy! I have some dear friends in Ontario, just North of Toronto, that taught me well. I will enjoy sharing the whiskey. Virtual whiskey has less calories!

 

[FlakeNoir]

Aw, too pretty to eat! At the school where I teach in Kentucky, the kids aren't allowed to bring in anything homemade. The food item has to be bought at a store and have an ingredient label for kids with allergies.

Thanks Danie. (They didn't think it was too pretty to eat though, I was told it was gone in minutes at afternoon circle time...! )

Home baking is fine here. Our school only ever has between 450-500 students at a time. Everybody's allergies are well documented and the kids themselves and the groups of friends around them all know what they can and can't have. I've seen kids as young as 5 questioning people around the allergy suffers about what they have in their lunches!
We don't have the cafeteria lunch thing here, so children always bring their own lunches or order before school from the corner dairy. (they put their order in at the school office and the corner dairy fills the order at lunch time.)

Oh, FlakeNoir . you did not fail in organized working mum skills. Instead you brought joy to a classroom filled with children/ You brought Spring to a Winter's day. What a beautiful cake!

As Danie said, in the states most schools do not allow home baked good anymore. Has to be store bought, not from the bakery, but wrapped and labeled.

Circle you calendar for next Thursday so you can bake another Daisy Cake. My there be much success for the charity.

Aww thanks for the different perspective, I felt awful yesterday when we took it in... wanted the ground to open up and swallow me, so embarrassed. It worked out as you said though, the kids and his teacher loved it and I got a lovely email of thanks last night from his teacher.
I've just been so busy that I got myself turned around, there are notes and newsletters attached to every kitchen cupboard and calendar right now and I just mixed up days and dates.... what a noob.

That looks so pretty! White, yellow or chocolate cake?

Thanks Deej. The icing is butter icing and the cake is a rich chocolate one. (the recipe is actually called "Dana's Chocolate Cake" )

 

[danie]

Thanks Danie. (They didn't think it was too pretty to eat though, I was told it was gone in minutes at afternoon circle time...! )

Home baking is fine here. Our school only ever has between 450-500 students at a time. Everybody's allergies are well documented and the kids themselves and the groups of friends around them all know what they can and can't have. I've seen kids as young as 5 questioning people around the allergy suffers about what they have in their lunches!
We don't have the cafeteria lunch thing here, so children always bring their own lunches or order before school from the corner dairy. (they put their order in at the school office and the corner dairy fills the order at lunch time.)

Oh, I'm sure it disappeared in minutes for sure. Seriously, though, I love the colors and design.

Your school is actually much larger than mine--we have about 300 students. We do, however, have a cafeteria, so everyone is diligent about our kids' allergies. Most students eat in the cafeteria, but some do bring their lunches. That's nice that they can order from the dairy!

 

[Doc Creed]

Thanks Danie. (They didn't think it was too pretty to eat though, I was told it was gone in minutes at afternoon circle time...! )

Home baking is fine here. Our school only ever has between 450-500 students at a time. Everybody's allergies are well documented and the kids themselves and the groups of friends around them all know what they can and can't have. I've seen kids as young as 5 questioning people around the allergy suffers about what they have in their lunches!
We don't have the cafeteria lunch thing here, so children always bring their own lunches or order before school from the corner dairy. (they put their order in at the school office and the corner dairy fills the order at lunch time.)



Aww thanks for the different perspective, I felt awful yesterday when we took it in... wanted the ground to open up and swallow me, so embarrassed. It worked out as you said though, the kids and his teacher loved it and I got a lovely email of thanks last night from his teacher.
I've just been so busy that I got myself turned around, there are notes and newsletters attached to every kitchen cupboard and calendar right now and I just mixed up days and dates.... what a noob.


Thanks Deej. The icing is butter icing and the cake is a rich chocolate one. (the recipe is actually called "Dana's Chocolate Cake" )

That corner dairy idea is really interesting. Is it a fully functioning dairy? When I was a kid my town was part dairy, part cotton mill and part lime plant. The dairy closed and now a post office, Chinese takeout place and a Publix sit in its place. The air is purer, though, lol. We used to roll up the windows in a hurry on our way home.
Where do you live, if you don't mind my asking.

 

[FlakeNoir]

Oh, I'm sure it disappeared in minutes for sure. Seriously, though, I love the colors and design.

Your school is actually much larger than mine--we have about 300 students. We do, however, have a cafeteria, so everyone is diligent about our kids' allergies. Most students eat in the cafeteria, but some do bring their lunches. That's nice that they can order from the dairy!

Thanks! It was fun working with my little guy making it.

We don't seem to have many students with allergies thankfully, and there haven't been any serious incidences fortunately. I think the kids learn from a very young age to question what they (and others) are eating.

 

[Neesy]

Aw, thank you Neesy! I have some dear friends in Ontario, just North of Toronto, that taught me well. I will enjoy sharing the whiskey. Virtual whiskey has less calories!

Wow - that is my old stompin' ground! (just North of Toronto) - it is a small world

 

[FlakeNoir]

That corner dairy idea is really interesting. Is it a fully functioning dairy? When I was a kid my town was part dairy, part cotton mill and part lime plant. The dairy closed and now a post office, Chinese takeout place and a Publix sit in its place. The air is purer, though, lol. We used to roll up the windows in a hurry on our way home.
Where do you live, if you don't mind my asking.

Oh, I think I might have confused you guys with the word "dairy" (sorry ) This is what we call a corner shop, they just sell grocery items on a much smaller scale than a supermarket.

I live in the lower(ish) part of the North Island of New Zealand.

 

[Neesy]

Oh, I think I might have confused you guys with the word "dairy" (sorry ) This is what we call a corner shop, they just sell grocery items on a much smaller scale than a supermarket.

I live in the lower(ish) part of the North Island of New Zealand.

Nice to have our kiwi back!

 

[FlakeNoir]

Nice to have our kiwi back!

Aww, thanks Neese!

 

[mjs9153]

Love us some Flake!

 

[staropeace]

I am going tomorrow morning. Got to get some goodies this evening at the supermarket. Going to be making my shishkabob for the others with beef tenderloin and chicken breast(for myself) I will be on from time to time though....ain't like I am roughing it lol.

 

[Neesy]

I am going tomorrow morning. Got to get some goodies this evening at the supermarket. Going to be making my shishkabob for the others with beef tenderloin and chicken breast(for myself) I will be on from time to time though....ain't like I am roughing it lol.

Can you post a pic of the approximate size of the RV you will be staying in?

 

[staropeace]

Can you post a pic of the approximate size of the RV you will be staying in?

Here is a pic of it.

 

[Neesy]

Here is a pic of it.

Wow! that is great!


This is our little tent trailer - we have not even taken it out of the back yard in a while - I used to just adore going camping



Hope you have a great time!

 

[staropeace]

Wow! that is great!


This is our little tent trailer - we have not even taken it out of the back yard in a while - I used to just adore going camping

View attachment 17061

Hope you have a great time!

You need to get camping lol. Nothing like sitting around a campfire......with a few scary stories thrown in for excitement.

 

[Neesy]

Out of the blue - I have a question - we have a carving done in black soapstone from Baker Lake by an artist named Salomonie Pootoogook

One of the wings has broken off and I am trying to fix it but nothing seems to be working. Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[Doc Creed]

Out of the blue - I have a question - we have a carving done in black soapstone from Baker Lake by an artist named Salomonie Pootoogook

One of the wings has broken off and I am trying to fix it but nothing seems to be working. Does anyone have any ideas?