The Unthinkable

It hung near the corner of the wall, almost inconspicuously. But by the end of the first day, I noticed it. Eighteen inches long and 3/4 of an inch thick, it hung by a thin leather strap. I knew the purpose of this plank of wood. So did everyone else in Miss Bate's 7th grade class.

Not a single 7th grade boy matched the stature of Miss Bate. The only thing close was her girth. She wasn't a pleasant teacher, but the daily, mean-spirited jokes were not nice. I often felt sorry for her. More than once, she caught crude drawings of herself, as they were passed between desks amid snickers. She'd crumple them, walk to her desk, and throw the wad into the wastebasket.

One time this happened, I sat at my desk horrified. I could not believe students could be so cruel. I'd caught a glimpse of the picture. Someone had drawn herwith a pig nose and a line pointing it out, along with warts and other ugly things. My sorrow for her quickly turned to fear when Miss Bate walked to the corner of the room and pulled the plank of wood from its place.

"Jimm," she said in an almost monotone. Walking towards the door of our class she spoke again, "Come with me." Jimmy stood up. He didn't look the least bit afraid. I was petrified for him. My older brother had told me stories of how Miss Bate wound up like a batter, before swinging. The standard practice of getting a swat was outside the door of the classroom. I'm not sure why. In elementary school, kids were swatted at the front of the classroom. Everyone watched. I think it was meant to deter other students from committing the same offenses.

Miss Bate didn't go outside for the sake of privacy. Outside meant that the boys & girls P.E. classes would stop what they were doing, to point & laugh at the student getting swats. That is except for that day. I didn't witness this myself, but my brother happened to be outside playing ball when the incident occurred. He later explained what took place outside of Miss Bates classroom.

Inside the rest of the class sat silent. Waiting. We silently counted the sound of each smack. Sometimes it was once or twice. But if a teacher was very angry 3 or 4 whacks were heard. It seemed a long time before we heard anything. Was that a yelp? We waited. Nothing. Students began looking from one to the other wondering what was going on outside. Ten minutes later, Miss Bate appeared in the doorway, redfaced. She hung her paddle back on the nail & smoothed her hair. She picked up her book and began teaching again.

The story my brother told at dinner that night, I don't think my parents believed. After taking Jimmy outside that day, Miss Bate had him assume the position. All of the bad kids new it. Bend over, grab your ankles. My brother stood up to show what happened next. "She grabbed that paddle with both hands and pulled it back far. Honestly, she looked like she was a batter winding up to bat." He stood holding an imaginary bat or paddle, twisted back as far as he could. He continued, "you know she has holes drilled in that thing so she can swing it faster." I could tell my dad wasn't impressed. He might have even rolled his eyes.

"I could tell she was so mad." Greg continued his very animated story. "And then she swung for all she was worth." Then Greg busted out laughing, practically falling to the floor. My dad was not amused. Greg tried to continue. "You should have seen her. Dad, you would have laughed too. As she was swinging," he positioned himself as a batter again, "as hard as she could, Jimmy jumped out of her way." My brother then spun himself around in a circle imitating what might have happened as Miss Bate missed her target. And then he was on the floor laughing. I think I caught the start of a grin at the corners of dad's mouth. "And then she dragged him to the Principal's office. I heard that Mr. Arredondo gave him 20 swats."

I'm not sure what made me remember this story from 7th grade. But can you imagine anything like this happening in today's classrooms? No, not a student humiliating the teacher, but a teacher administering swats with a wooden board while the student was bent over holding his ankles. This took place just 33 years ago. My how things have changed.

Story In Pictures

The Jetsons

Forty-six years ago, the Jetsons cartoon was created. It was my favorite Saturday Morning Cartoon. This was back-in-the-day when Saturday morning was the only time television aired programming just for kids. My how that has changed.

I loved the ease & technology of the Jetson's lifestyle. A push of a few buttons and presto! Out popped your favorite meal. I couldn't wait until real life caught up to the space-age Jetsons. Zooming around space in auto-piloted crafts, a robotic maid for the household chores, and a telephone which came with a screen so you could actually see the person with whom you were talking. I dreamed about the day.

Surely by the time I was old, like 40 something, I'd be living the life of ease & technology. But I've yet to step onto a conveyer belt with bed hair and emerge seconds later powdered and puffed, fully dressed, perfectly coiffed hair, ready for my homemaking job. With everything automated, what did Jane Jestson do? There's no Rosie around cleaning up after me. (But some of you might enjoy hearing her speak to you from your fancy cars, directing your every move.) And before piping hot food pops out of a box, I have to manually remove it from the freezer and place it in the microwave.

Oh, but I do enjoy space age telephones. In fact, we used ours over the weekend. It's called Skype. Here we are huddled around it.

We chatted with these 2, who are not in outerspace, but15 hours ahead of us on the other side of the world.

24 Hours

Friday was the beginning of Ethan's 24 hour EEG. The Neurology department said he held the record for pulling off wires on his previous ambulatory EEG. That was on Sarabeth's birthday last June.

Ethan has been doing so well, I was very hopeful that this time would go smoother.

It began on a positive note. But as soon as he was wired and wrapped, his countenance changed. He looked so sad.


I tried to post these pics from my phone, but they wouldn't upload. It is probably a good thing. One photo he was crying and I'm glad it didn't load.

Later in the evening, I went home. Hilary & Elisabeth were there to help. They ended up staying quite late, as Ethan began vomitting. That was a bit unnerving. Probably has nothing to do with it, but in December Children's Hospital was cited with food violations by the Health Department. At the time, they claimed no child became sick as a result of these violations. But I have to wonder, since he went in well.

Aside from a possible side illness, the staff at Children's is wonderful. One of the maintenance workers found batteries for Ethan's train set and even changed the batteries for him.

This morning, bright and early, Sarabeth headed up to the hospital to be with Christina and Ethan. Feeling a bit under the weather myself, I feel so blessed to have a large family who supports one another. Michael, who isn't a dog lover, took over the care of Daisy.

I can't imagine life without a large family.

Wednesday

"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing it back to you when you have forgotton the words." Donna Roberts

Ethan Eats

Ethan cracks me up and impresses me every time I see him.

Last night, after sleeping for 2 hours, he came bolting out of the bedroom. Looking dazed and not really awake, he began mumbling. I had no idea what was going on with him. But then I recognized his signing. He was signing "eat."

"Ethan, are you hungry?" He nodded and signed eat. How could I deny him?

He took me by the hand and led me to the refrigerator. Both doors were flung open as he browsed the contents.

"How about a pretzel?" I asked, as I pulled them out of the freezer and tried to shut the doors.

"NO!" He pushed them back open, & pushed the pretzels back in place. He was searching for something. I continued to offer what I thought he'd eat. More emphatic "no's." Finally he pointed. A bag of frozen french fries. Ugh! He didn't really expect me to cook french fries, did he?

"You want french fries???"

It was unmistakable. He signed please, over and over, while nodding his head.

Guess who fried 3 batches of french fries at 9:30 last night? I've never seen a kid eat so many french fries and keep asking for more.

Dear Christopher

Dear Christopher,

It's hard to believe this day has finally arrived. Some didn't believe it would happen, but I was pretty confident it would. And here we are.

There's so much I want to say; how proud I am of you and how excited I am for you & Lauren. You are leaving as newlyweds and will return as a strong family unit.

I sit reflecting the man you've become, but remember the little boy. The almost 2 year old who wanted to be the diaper man, driving a big truck, delivering large sacks of soft, comfortable diapers. The six year old boy who proclaimed he was having 10 children when he grew up. When asked by his dad how he would provide for them, what job he would have, he declared, "I'll be a dad, silly."

You aren't a dad just yet. But you are about to become a teacher to many. For those young boys and girls, you will be a father-figure. You can be a living example of our Heavenly Father. In order to be that father to them, you will need to take the time each and every day with God, allowing Him to fill you with His love, His passion, & His desires. He will renew your strength day-by-day. As you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you will be driving a large truck, loaded with good things. To each child you encounter, you can clothe them with a soft, comfortable garment of love. You can provide something they lack.

Be strong and of good courage. Stand tall as a tree of righteousness, planted beside still waters. And know that I am here to support you, encourage you, and pray for you. I love you son!


(P.S. Anyone want to keep up with Lauren & Christopher in Seoul, you'll find the link in my sidebar: HawsSeoul)

What's Happening

Tomorrow is a big day here and I've been trying not to think about it. Probably the biggest reason I haven't been around. If I don't blog about it, it won't happen. But since I've mentioned it now, I guess it is for real. Christopher & Lauren are leaving for South Korea.

And I'm hoping someone will share pictures from Elisabeth's 22nd birthday, which was Monday.

Where Is The Love?

Last week I announced I wanted to have a week of positive love posts & wanted to do a giveaway to share that love. I was sidetracked. Valentine's Day happened to be my dad's 70th birthday.

I received a text from my sister that they wanted to share funny stories with dad for his birthday. I asked her to clarify. She proceeded to talk about a memory jar she'd made for her mother-in-law's 70th birthday. Memory jars are wonderful gifts. We made one for my inlaws. Someone had the idea to include photos. Guess what I spent a lot of time doing?

While sifting through photographs, I smiled & laughed a lot. But I noticed a feeling of sadness begin to settle into my soul. The pictures caused me to miss my family that lives in Arizona, and what happend to all of those little kids? Time passes so very quickly.

On Friday, Christopher phoned. One of the groomsmen from his wedding, and best friend from high school's mother died. She committed suicide. The day before Valentine's Day. I couldn't help but wonder if this day, set aside for romance and love, contributed in any way to whatever drove her to wanting to end it all. So sad.

And maybe, I am trying hard not to think about Christopher and Lauren leaving next Thursday on their grand adventure. I'm excited for them, but it isn't easy knowing they will be on the other side of the globe. It will be a life-changing experience for sure.


Watching our current government has also shifted my focus.

“In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. From time to time we've been tempted to believe that society has become too complex to be managed by self-rule, that government by an elite group is superior to government for, by, and of the people. Well, if no one among us is capable of governing himself, then who among us has the capacity to govern someone else? All of us together, in and out of government, must bear the burden.”

—Ronald Reagan, First Inaugural Address

Compare that to our current president's idea of government:

“It is only government that can break the vicious cycle.”
-President Obama.

Remind Me Dear Lord

The things that I love
I hold dear to my heart
They are borrowed and
Not mine at all
Jesus only let me use them
To brighten my life
So remind me, remind me dear Lord

Roll back the curtain of memory now and then
Show me where you brought me from and
Where I could have been
Just remember I'm a human and human's forget
So remind me, remind me dear Lord

Nothing good have I done
To deserve God's own Son
I'm not worthy of the scars
In His hands
Yet he chose the road to Calvary
To die in my stead
Why He loved me I can't understand

Roll back the curtain of memory now and then
Show me where you brought me from and
Where i could have been
Just remember I'm a human and human's forget
So remind me, remind me dear Lord

Just remember I'm a human and human's forget
So remind me, remind me dear Lord

(This is an old song that I love. Definitely has the country twang.)

How Appropre!

For those not living in Denver:
Just hours after President Obama signed the Stimulus Bill, the Democratic Congressional Delegation held a Stimulus Celebration & Explanation Party. Attended by mostly democrats, invited by Progress Now Colorado, the event was held at Hamburger Mary's.

For those unfamiliar with Hamburger Mary's, nightly entertainment includes:
"Drag Queen Bingo"-held on Tuesday Nights (which was last night)
"Dream Girls"
"Slut Bingo"
& one of their newest, "Beyond Drag-where fantasy hits the dance floor."

Recently appointed Colorado Senator Michael Bennet, former superintendant of Denver Public Schools, was there to answer questions about the newly signed bill.

Why does this not surprise me? It was quoted by President Obama, "These are the types of every day people we are out to help." Another pet project of the Democrats: promoting the homosexual agenda.

A Letter To President Obama

Dear Mr. President,

Please don't come to my state tomorrow to sign the infamous $787 Billion economic stimulus bill. What happened to your promise of change, reaching out to the other side and becoming more bipartisan? Your excuse was something needed to happen fast, pass this bill in a hurry. But you had no problem waiting a few days in order to make a public granstand by signing it in Denver? It could have been signed quite efficiently in the Oval Office. Come on, Mr. President, where is your integrity?

What will the cost be for you to board Air Force One, fly to Colorado with your entourage to sign a bill that creates an enormous debt for our children & grandchildren? How much money will our city fork out for added security to accomodate this ostentatious stopover of yours?

Please don't bring your pork-filled spending bill here to sign. Mr. President, you made several promises to the American public:

"To make it impossible for congress to sneak pork barrel projects into law."

Really? This bill is riddled with pet pork projects.

You promised to "make government more open & transparent, eliminating meetings where laws are written secretly, out of the public eye."

Seems like much of this bill was written in secret, shutting out Republican lawmakers.

Mr. President, I am trying hard to understand why you feel the need to come to Colorado for this historic event. Back in August, you accepted the Democratic Party's nomination as the first black man to run for president, in Denver. I was hopeful. Quite possibly, as a nation we could finally put race and its prejudices aside and truly become the United States Of America. Your own words were:

"I will restore our moral standing, so that America is once again that last best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, who yearn for a better future."

But Mr. President, in office less than a month, you've already weakened that hope. Not only have you gone back on your promises, but you are about to sign one of the most contoversial pieces of legislation ever. You want to remind us of the historic nature of your nomination in an attempt to make this bill more palatable. Let's create historical & monumental moments to rally the American public together to make this bitter pill easier to swallow. As a Coloradan, I am not fooled by this attempt to sugar coat this massive, devisive legislation. Colorado is home to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. You will sign the bill at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science which sports the largest solar panel source in our state. But what does this do to restore our moral standing for all who are called to freedom who long for peace?

I'm afraid I may find myself at the anti-stimulus rally: Barak Obama You Don't Know Stimulus

A Mother's Love

Christina & Ethan

The best way to give Ethan breathing treatments-while sleeping. He fights it a lot less.

A Week Of Love

I love and hate Valentine's Day. It's been a time of fun, creativity, giving, love & chocolate. The day has brought hurt, disappointment, tears, broken hearts, break-ups & sadness. I've talked to many who would like the holiday banned. Truthfully, I've felt the same way many times. But rather than focus on the negative this year, I'd like to set my heart on the joy of giving.

More to come on this!

Friendship

The Singing Owl at The Owl's Song gave me this Friendship award. Being the month with the Love/Valentine holiday, I thought I'd pass it along. Like Singing Owl, I am amazed at the friendships I've obtained via the internet and blogging. I am thankful for all of them. I'm supposed to give it to 8 other people. Instead, I'm awarding it to all of my blogging friends who are on my blog list. The comments and encouragement from each of you has been amazing. Love you all!

"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

So if you feel so inclined, please grab the button/paragraph, and pass it along. Oh, and please check out the Owl's Song. Plenty of food for thought.

Thunk Thursday

I read labels on food. Ethan can't eat milk or milk protein. It can be tricky, as milk is often hidden in obscure ingredients. I appreciate labels that boldly print CONTAINS: MILK. Sometimes labels are a bit overdone. This one cracked me up.


I suppose if one didn't know it before, they know now. Tilpia is fish. I wonder if the milk jug reads "CONTAINS MILK" after the ingredients.

Growing Old Gracefully-Not Me

Don't get me wrong, Grace is a wonderful thing. Without God's grace, where would I be? It is an amazing gift to receive. Growing older happens whether I believe in it or not. You young people will have to trust me on this one. No matter how thin you are, how fresh and vibrant your skin looks, or how much you work out, your body is headed downhill. Fast. The cool thing about Grace is, your inward person can be renewed daily. The outside? Well, you can do a lot to preserve it, but it is going to age whether you like it or not.

When I was much younger, I loved reading the scriptures of gray hair being a crown of glory. I was actually excited to embrace that crown. My dad has beautiful white hair. As long as I can remember, he has had at least some gray. Even in his twenties. I inherited his curly hair, so why not his white hair? My hair would be glowing!

As I grew closer to the mature age of 40, I changed my mind. When someone mistook me for being Hilary's grandmother, that did it for me. I ditched the white hair for some color. I will continue in my inward renewal, even though my outward self is deteriorating. But why shouldn't my outward appearance reflect what's on the inside? I choose to add as much life and color as possible as long as I'm able. One day, maybe I will be ok with the proverbial crown of glory. For now, I'm keeping it fired up red.

(For anyone interested in my hair saga in pictures, I've posted them here. A friend is nearing 40 and in a quandary as to what to do with her own hair. So I shared my obsession with her.) If you feel dead inside, ask God to ignite the fire.

Super Bowl Menu

Not sure why I am having such a hard time with my superbowl menu. I add items, subract, scrap the whole plan and start over. But now I am stuck One item will adorn our menu no matter what. Brisket. Because even if I wanted to, it wouldn't fit in my freezer to save for a later date. Who buys a 13 pound chunk of meat? I doubt I need anything else on the menu. There is no way we could eat all of that. I don't own a pan large enough to cook it either.

So we are having Beef Brisket Sandwiches. I hope it isn't a huge failure. I'll be posting the rest of the menu and how it turns out on my recipe page. Wish me luck. It's a beast.

My Favorite Season

Summer has always been my favorite month. Think about that for a moment. Yes, someone did say that. (Anyone from Minnesota?)

My inlaws were here for dinner on Sunday, as they always are. Often we sit on the front porch before we eat, and eat our meal on the back deck. I love being outdoors. My father-in-law came in and said, "I don't think I'm going to sit outside. It's too hot!" I had to chuckle. This is the same man who lived in Phoenix for the past 40+ years. I recall visiting him in the summer. In the late afternoons, when I thought it couldn't possibly get any hotter, he'd grab himself a frosty mug of ice cold beer, go outside in the heat, and read the newspaper.

Now for some, this might not seem like a big deal. If that is the case, you've never been to Arizona in the summer. Barefoot in the park? Nobody goes barefoot, except for a visitor to the area who doesn't realize that one step on the hot sidewalk is equivalent to standing in a frying pan while it is heated on the stove. I tell you, Phoenix in the summer is hotter than hot.

For Sarabeth's 1st birthday, we were in Arizona. We planned an outdoor party at my inlaws. With the backyard pool, those who wanted to could cool off. That's another laugh. The water temperature in the pool is easily in the upper 80's, so it isn't terribly cool or refreshing. It's like diving into a deep bath tub sauna. The day of her party, the temperature soared to 119 degrees. But we sweated it out. I can't believe we were out there for hours. The following day, it was 122 degrees. I do believe we could have cooked an egg on the sidewalk had we tried.

So that my friends, it why I love Colorado. My favorite season doesn't encompass 7 months. I appreciate the heat of summer after the snow in winter. Life without change is boring.
(This was written in July, but was never posted. With the stretch of cold weather, I enjoy thoughts of summer.)

What Not To Do

What not to do when it is 3 degrees outside.

1) Forget to check what the temperature before choosing a short-sleeve shirt to wear.

2) Be late for an appointment and leave you hair a little damp and rush outside.

3) Brush snow off the car with a bare hand, then use your wet hand to fasten the metal seat belt. (It was reminiscent of trying to get ice out of the old fashion metal ice cube trays and getting my fingers stuck to the metal.)

4) Try to use the power windows.

5) Rush from the car to your appointment, with plenty of snow underfoot. Sure, the snow down your backside won't melt while you are outside. But just wait until you warm up inside.