Education in America

There has been much controversy about the quality of education in America versus the quality of other countries.  I decided to do some research on the subject.  Here is what I found:

American students test lower than:
Japan
France
Germany
Switzerland

American students test higher than:
Japan
France
Germany
Switzerland

The quality of American education is lower than:
Japan
France
Germany
Switzerland

The quality of American education is higher than:
Japan
France
Germany
Switzerland

American students are less prepared for college than:
Japan
France
Germany
Switzerland

American students are more prepared for college than:
Japan
France
Germany
Switzerland

If you're confused--so am I.  It all depended on who wrote the article (some I could not determine the author). 

Today we will begin a series examining and comparing the education of these countries and maybe a few more.  I will be giving you facts only.  I will save my opinion until the end.  I don't know that we will determine if the quality is better or worse, but maybe we will learn something for ourselves. 

Hang on--it may be a bumpy ride!

Memorial to Life, Faith, Hope & Love

Today Harbor Hospice held a memorial service to honor and celebrate the lives of all the patients served by Harbor Hospice in the last five years.  It was hosted by Wesley United Methodist Church with lunch served afterwards.

The theme of the service was Faith, Hope & Love.  It was a moving service with beautiful special music, lovely poems, and heart-tugging testimonials.   The staff members of Harbor Hospice spoke, each thanking the family members for being a blessing to them.  

The names of patients who have passed away in the last five years were displayed on the wall.  It was a comfort to know that our loved ones have not been forgotten by the people who cared for them during their last days on earth. 

As  my stepfather was facing the end of his life here,  I watched as the staff from Harbor House cared for him.  I was not surprised by the level of care they gave him.  What was astounding was the level of care they gave the family.  Countless caregivers came to my mother's house and provided needed medical attention.  None of them left the house without giving my mother a hug.  Some even prayed with her before leaving. 

Harbor Hospice House is more than a care facility for the patient in the later stages of life.  It is a care facility for families saying goodbye to a loved one.  My mother was so blessed by their support that she began volunteering at the facility.  One of her duties is to phone those who have lost loved ones and offer support.  The support continues after the loved one has passed on.  Although my mother gives support to others, she still receives phone calls offering her support.

I am thankful that Harbor Hospice was there for our family and would recommend it to anyone facing the possibility of saying goodbye to a loved one.  Thank you, Harbor Hospice.

Footloose in Port Neches

I had the privilege of attending the performance of Footloose by Port Neches Groves High School last night.  These talented teenagers were able to tell a wonderful story while they sang and danced beautifully.  If you are thinking this was a group of teenagers singing to canned music, wrong.  They were accompanied by the PNG orchestra that filled the auditorium with sound.

These young people are destined to be stars.  Maybe not in theater, but people with this much talent are successful at whatever they endeavor to accomplish in life.  We are blessed to have this talent in our community.

Together these gifted teenagers told the story of a young man from Chicago who moved to Beaumont, a closed-minded, conservative town with a dictatorial pastor.  After a tragic accident four years ago, the pastor convinced the town council to outlaw dancing.  The new teenager in town determines to change the ruling. 

You won't find better entertainment this side of Houston.  You won't find a better amateur performance anywhere.  The group will perform tonight and Saturday night at 7:30.  Tickets are $5:00 and can be purchased at the door.  Refreshments are available for your entertainment enjoyment.  Please go out and support these future stars.

Stuffed Chicken

You know you have done something well when your adult child asks how you did it.  This happened last night when I cooked a dish I have cooked several times.  Apparently not when my daughter was home.  After the meal, she asked for the recipe.  I told her how to cook it.  Later she came back into the living room and asked again.  This morning before going to work, she clarified the instructions.  I thought it was a wonderful dish, now I KNOW it is.  My child asked for directions three times.  If it is that good, I'll share it with others.

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Chicken Chicken Breasts

You will need:
plump, boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 per person)
1 slice of bacon per chicken breasts
cream cheese
asparagus (or green beans)
olive oil
salt
pepper

Butterfly the chicken breasts.  Slice cream cheese into about 1/4 inch slices.  Put 1 slice in the fold of the butterflied chicken breasts.  Place 3 or 4 asparagus or green beans in the fold.  Spray with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roll chicken breasts, cream cheese, and asparagus into a "roll".  Wrap one piece of bacon around each roll.  Secure with a skewer.  Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with slt and pepper. 

Bake at 400 degrees 30-45 minutes depending on thickness of chicken breasts.

I hope you enjoy this recipe.  If you modify it, please share with us.

Internet Woes

This morning I was writing a children's book and wanted to reference something from McDonald's menu, so I did an internet search.  I googled McDonald's Menu.  1,890,000 results appeared.  I clicked on the first one Food: McDonalds.com where the description read: view the complete McDonald's menu.  Isn't that what I wanted?  A pop-up window with many links for McDonald's appeared.  I clicked on the first link.  Another pop-up window appeared with just as many links for McDonald's.  I clicked on the first link.  Another pop-up window appeared with just as many links for McDonald's.

I went through no less than 5 pop-up windows and never found the complete menu.  I just kept getting pop-up windows.  As I am writing this, I attempted again.  I googled McDonald's menu.  1,890,000 (actual number) results appeared.  I clicked on the first one.  Immediately a picture of McDonald's menu appeared on my screen.

I did exactly the same thing 4 hours apart and received completely different results.  Gotta love technology.

Finally Our Priorities Are Straight

For months now, the news reports have been consumed with the state of the economy and health reform known as Obamacare.  Commentators have debated: Will Obama be reelected or not?  We have been inundated with information on international issues such as Foreign Policy, Homeland Security, Free Trade, energy and oil.  We have been overwhelmed with information about gun control, crime, drugs and civil rights.  There is an abundance of information about government reform, Social Security reform, and poverty.  There has been enough discussion on education reform, families and buyouts to sink a ship.  It is a wonder we can sleep at night with all the controversy filling our heads.

But today when I opened my homepage, I saw a story that put my heart at peace and let me know that America still knows what is truly important.  Apparently sometime between the morning and evening of January 19, President Obama's gray hair turned black.  The headlines asked Is Obama Trying to Turn Back the Clock?  The side by side photos are available on the web for you to judge for yourself.

That is right.  Forget about our soldiers who are dying in foreign countries.  Forget about starving children.  Forget about elderly people who cannot afford medication.  Forget about families who are losing their homes.  Forget about the executive with a college degree begging for a day-labor job.  Forget about all those trifling issues.  Take time out of your busy day to ponder this life-sustaining question: Did Obama dye his hair to cover up the gray? 

The headlines ask: Did Obama Dye His Hair?

I ask:  Who Cares?

Rival Mini Food Chopper

It is not often that I will endorse a product, but this one is worth it.  About a week ago, my husband bought some pimento cheese for a dish.  We were not overly pleased with the taste.  I decided to try making my own.  I did my research and found a recipe that I thought we would like.  One problem.  It required a food processor.  I don't own a food processor, so I used my high speed blender.  It worked okay, but not great.  It took a long time and I had to stop the blender several times to stir the mixture.  The consistency was still not as creamy as my husband wanted.

Yesterday I found a mini food chopper made by Rival at Wal-mart.  I decided to give it a try even though it does not claim to be a food processor.  It was less than $10.00 so what did I have to loose.  I brought it with me to the lake-house.  Using the same recipe, I tried making the pimento cheese for lunch.   It whipped up the mixture in less than one minute.  The consistency is creamy like my husband likes.  I was very pleased with the results.

I like to keep homemade soup in the freezer at the lake-house for quick meals without a lot of cooking.  I had planned to spend the weekend making soups and freezing them.  This little food chopper cut my work in half.  It is absolutely the best $10.00 tool I own. 

Children or Adult Book?

As I wrote my first book Don't Forget Daddy, I thought I was writing a book for children.  Dealing with an issue in story format is called bibliotherapy and is very effective.  Being a special education teacher, my heart is with helping children overcome problems they face everyday.  Therefore, I set out to write a book about a little girl who must accept a new step-father.  As with all of my books, it was bathed in prayer. 

I have been surprised at how many adults have written asking to read the book because they faced the same issue as a child.  It seems that hurts in childhood become scars in adulthood. 

If you dealt with the problem as a child, I hope you will not dismiss this book as "for children only".  It is my prayer that God uses each one of my books to be a blessing to those who need it and a testimony to Him.

Not My Day

I was visiting Central Market in Houston on Monday when I saw something that looked like cupcakes in the vegetable deli section.  Since that made no sense, I looked closer and discovered that it was individual potato souffles.  Beautiful!  I thought I can make those.  Today was the day I had determined to make them.

I woke up with a migraine and wanted to lie in bed.  The rest of the day went like this:

• Forced myself to get up and go to a scheduled beauty shop appointment.
• Stopped to get a spare key from my mother.
• Cut a friend's hair
• Stopped at Dollar General for supplies
• With errands run, back home to relax
• Thought this is ridiculous.  Cook the potato souffles for your family
• Cooked potatoes
• Mixed souffles
• Filled muffin cups
• Began piping decorative design on top.  Beautiful.
• Not enough potato mixture to complete designs on all souffles.
• Cook more potatoes
• Mash extra potatoes
• Complete piping decorative design on individual souffles
• Open oven door to place muffin pan in and bake souffles
• Oven door hits muffin pan, knocks it out of my hand
• Muffin pan lands upside down on floor
• Scrape souffle off floor
• Mop floor
• Go back to recliner where I wanted to stay in the first place.

And you think you had a bad day.

One Big Pet Peeve

Scenario 1: Okay, you are in the check-out line.  You are in a hurry.  The person in front of you is emptying their cart onto the counter, but they can only use one hand because they are on the phone.  The cashier greets the person.  They don’t answer because they are on the phone.  After emptying their cart, they attempt to retrieve their debit or credit card—with one hand because they are on the phone. The cashier tells them the total.  They don’t answer because they are on the phone. They swipe their card—with one hand because they are on the phone.  They try to type in their pin—with one hand because they are on the phone.  They try to gather up their wallet, purse, card, and change from the cashier—with one hand because they are on the phone.  They load their bagged groceries in their cart—with one hand because they are on the phone.  They push their cart away from the counter—with one hand because they are on the phone.

Scenario 2:  You are in the very busy parking lot of a major chain.  A woman pushes her card toward her car as her two small children run along beside her.  The woman talks on the phone.  Her small son runs toward the car which is no less than 100 feet away.  The woman talks on the phone. She is completely oblivious to the idea that her son is running away from her and possibly toward danger.

Scenario 3: You are in the grocery store contemplating needed items.  Someone walks up behind you loudly talking on the phone.  You decide to go to the next aisle.  They follow you.  You go to another aisle.  They follow you.  You cautiously give them the “Pleeeaase” look.  They don’t notice.  You go to another aisle.  They follow you.  You are forced to listen to their one-sided conversation through the entire store.

Now please understand, I love my cell phone.  It is one of the greatest inventions known to mankind.  I have no problems with phones in the store for a purpose.  I have no problem with the man I saw reading labels to his wife on the phone to determine if what he holds is the needed item.  I have no problem with business associates who call to make a quick appointment.  I am NOT talking about taking care of business.  I am talking about idle chit-chat that could be conducted out of the ear-shot of complete strangers.

Have we become so self-centered that we believe everyone is obligated to listen to our conversations whether they want to or not?  Or that we have the right to hold up a line of other shoppers so we can continue our conversation and check-out at a leisure pace?  Or that we are willing to risk the lives of our small children so we can continue a conversation?

I am saying we need to put everything in perspective.  We need to get our priorities right.  Let’s reestablish common courtesy.

Safe in Our Father's Arms

While visiting friends, my husband was talking to the man with our 2 year-old son standing behind him.  Suddenly a big dog came walking up and our son let out a blood-curdling scream.  While still talking, his daddy turned and picked him up.  Safe in the arms of his father, our son stretched his arm over his daddy’s shoulders, made a smacking sound with his mouth and said, “’Mon, dog.”

I watched as my small son transformed from being deathly afraid of the “enemy” to being confident enough to confront him.  The only difference being he was in the protective arms of his father.  As I witnessed this scene, it reminded me of the way we should be in our Heavenly Father’s arms.  We should be terrified of the enemy when we are on our own, but completely confident when we are being protected by God.  With His help, we should fear no enemy.  When I am worried about something, no matter how large, I try to remind myself—my God is bigger than that.

Take comfort, knowing that no matter what you face today—your God is bigger than that.

My Books Published

I have long wanted to write a book.   Of course with a career and family, there wasn't time.  A year and a half ago after an emotionally difficult time, the Lord pressed upon my heart to begin writing a book about the difficult times in my life and lessons learned from them.  At the same time, I worked on children's books.  Two of my books are ready to be released later in the spring.  They are not available at bookstores yet, but can be ordered through Tate Publishing.  I am planning some pre-release parties in 4-6 weeks.  The books will be available from me at that time.

Journey to Fulfillment chronicles the painful events in my life and how those events shaped my thoughts, convictions, and personality.  In the book I help the reader examine scarring events in his or her life and what influence those experiences had on the person he or she is today.  This book has been bathed in prayer while being written and since being submitted.  It is the prayer of my husband and myself that this book will be a blessing to all who read it.  The official release date of Journey to Fulfillment is June 21 and will be available at bookstores and websites at that time.

Don't Forget Daddy is a children's book about a little girl who is facing accepting a step-father after the death of her own daddy.  The book shows how her mother and Robert, the future step-father, help her work through her feelings of missing her daddy and becoming emotionally comfortable with the idea of a step-father.  The official release date of Don't Forget Daddy is April 5 and will be available at bookstores and websites on that date.

Information on the pre-release parties will be available in a week or so.  I hope you will be able to join me at one of them and help me celebrate the blessings God has given me.  Meanwhile, please pray that God uses my books to be a blessing to others. 

New Excuse to Eat Dessert

I have been given the opportunity to write for the Examiner, an online newspaper.  My assignment is to review Beaumont Desserts.  I will be required to eat rich, decadent desserts in Beaumont area restaurants and then inform the public of the quality. 

I know, I know.  You are now feeling the urge to pray for me because of my heavy burden.  It is a hard job, but one I am willing to accept to serve the public.  I probably won't enjoy putting those rich creamy confections or velvety chocolates in my mouth; but I am willing to do my part to enhance the lives of others.  Therefore, I will accept this challenge and pick up my fork for the betterment of men and women in the Golden Triangle.

My first review is Applebee's Dessert Shooters and can be found at on the Examiner under Entertainment, Food & Drink, Restaurants.  If you have a favorite dessert at an area restaurant that you would like to see reviewed, please let me know. 

Reading to Children

Reading to children can be fun, boring, monotonous, or downright excruciating depending on what the adult puts into the reading.  If the adult has a good time with the book, so with the child.  Don't be afraid to be silly.  Act out the story, especially if reading orally is difficult.  It is not important the child see that the adult knows all the words.  It is important that the child connect with the story and the adult.  The best way to do that is to paraphrase or act out the story.  The child will have a blast, enjoy the story, and have a long lasting memory of a special bond between himself and a significant adult.

Reading to children is very important for several reasons.

• It demonstrates the importance of reading.
• It helps develop language skills.
• It gives information on a variety of subjects.
• It promotes family relationships.
• It improves reading comprehension.

The American Library Association provides a list of reading material to help parents know where to begin.  There are also inexpensive Reading Clubs for children that provide new books on a regular basis.  V Tech makes an electronic reader for children with bright colored pictures.

V.Reader Animated E-Book System - Pink by V Tech

 

It doesn't matter how well you read or what you read to your child.  Just read and have a fun.

The Drunk and the Rodeo Queen

As a teenager, our oldest son raised and sold pigs.  One Saturday morning we received a phone call from a man requesting to buy 2 piglets.  He arrived at the house about noon driving a late model pickup accessorized with a covered bed.  As he and his female companion got out of the pickup, it was clear that we were in for an experience to remember. 

They were both in their late fifties and from the lines on their faces had lived a hard life.  The female wore way too much makeup and jeans so tight there wasn't room for wrinkles.  They both wore cowboy boots and western attire.  It was obvious that they had either started celebrating Saturday night early that morning or were still celebrating Friday night. 

While they accompanied us to the pig pen, he never cracked a smile and she laughed continually.  The man, our son, and I went into the pig pen to catch two piglets.  Now little piglets are cute, but they run really fast and squeal very loudly when being chased.  As the pursuit began, a contest of pigs and humans attempting to outwit each other ensued.  The goal was to catch two of the ten piglets, not specific piglets.  Humans reached to grab piglets.  Piglets squirmed out of reach and ran.  Humans ran to catch piglets.  Piglets cut back and ran the opposite direction.  Humans attempted to corner piglets.  Piglets wiggled out of grasp. 

During the entire escapade, the female companion stood on the gate laughing.  Occasionally, the man would stop and ask, "Are you sure you want piglets?"  She always replied, "Yes.  They are so cute."  Eventually the goal was achieved and two piglets were captured.  Our son and the man each carried one piglet to the pickup.  Both piglets were placed in the bed of the truck and the bed cover closed.  The female companion said, "Nooo, I want to hold one."  The man replied, "No! You are not holding a pig in my truck." 

As we watched the pickup disappear down the road, our son said, "Mom, I sure would like to be there when they sober up and discover there are two pigs in the back of their truck."  That night at dinner, he said, "Dad, let me tell you about the drunk and the rodeo queen."  Then he proceeded to tell the story.  It was much funnier sitting at the kitchen table than it was when we were running around that pig pen.

Unbusiness-like Business

This past week, CBS Sunday Morning News reported on a very unbusiness-like concept at the restaurant chain called Panera Bread Bakery-Cafe.  I researched the company and discovered that in two of their stores, prices are not set by management.  Instead, customers are asked to make a donation.  Suggested amounts are displayed, but not enforced. 

The company wanted to help the communities during this economic downturn.  They banked on the character of their customers and created Panera Cares.  Customers are asked to pay whatever they can; which in turn, allows the bakery to serve the less fortunate.  The company said they wanted to make sure everyone got a meal whether they could afford it or not.  Skeptics said it would not work.  It made no business sense and the stores would go broke.  They said people would not donate the suggested amount, but less more. 

In the seven months since the first store opened, it has become financially stable.  The manager reported that they are able to pay for supplies, rent, and labor with no problem.  Approximately 60% of customers donate the suggested amount, 20% pay more, and 20% pay less.  One customer who was interviewed reported that she was working part-time.  Most of the time she paid the suggested amount, but occasionally needed to pay less to be able to feed her children.

I think this is a wonderful concept.  We all make donations to help others.  Our family receives approximately three phone calls a week asking for donations.  You know the drill.  They act like they are your best friend and then ask if they can count on you for the $35 or $45 amount.  As if there were no other options.  It would be much easier to donate a dollar or two every time I ate out.  The donations would add up quickly for a restaurant that serves several hundred customers a day.  I also like the idea of trusting our fellow man to do the right thing.  I think that used to be called "On Your Honor".  I am proud, but not surprised, to see that Americans still have honor.

Why Write About Your Life?

I remember listening to my grandmother tell stories about growing up.  My dad told us stories about things that he did and what life was like for him as a child--mostly about walking to and from school barefoot in the snow, uphill both ways (in Houston, Texas).  My husband remembers running in to see his grandmother and asking her to tell him a story about his dad growing up.  Although entertaining and often embellished, these were history lessons. 

When I became a teacher, I was amazed to learn that my students had not had the same experience.  I first discovered this while teaching First Grade.  I was trying to make a point and said something like "It's like when your grandmother tells you stories about when she was growing up."  The blank stares that came back to me were a surprise.  I asked if anyone had listened to their grandmothers, grandfathers, mothers, or dads tell about what life was like when they were growing up.  Not one child raised his hand.

Appalled by the loss of history, I created what I called "Living History Day".  All the first grade teachers invited retired people in the community to the school on a particular day.   As I was preparing my class for the visit I said, "Now they did not have electricity then."  One student asked, "Then how did they play their Nintendo games?"  That took a great deal of explaining.  When the day arrived, we assigned 4 or 5 students to each visitor and they listened to stories about growing up during the 1920s and 1930s.

When I began teaching 5th grade, I wanted to do a similar project that was age appropriate.  I assigned the students a special project which included interviewing one Senior citizen and writing a report on the interview.  Ohhhh, did I hear complaints, moans, and groans!  On the day the reports were due; several students had not even begun the assignment.  But those that had were very glad they had taken the opportunity to learn from an elder.  After class one student said to me, "I sure was mad at you when you gave us this assignment, but now I'm glad because I learned so much and it was fun."

Your loved ones want to know what life was like when you were growing up.  You are Living History.  I encourage you to take the time to record significant events in your life.  If you don't want to write them, take time to tell your children or grandchildren.  Tell them often so they don't forget.  In this day of technology, there are many options for recording your history.  Don't let your history die.  Tell someone today.

Picture Trends

Looking at profile photographs on the social networks is very interesting.  The profile pictures tell what is important to the individual or their emotional make-up.  There was a time when everyone smiled in pictures.  No one wanted a picture of themselves in anything less than a toothpaste commercial smile.  The purpose of a picture is to present your best features for everyone to remember.  Lately I am noticing more and more young people with profile pictures expressing displeasure, repulsion, or genuine sadness. 

Are we raising a group of adolescents who are so disturbed about their lives that they show it even in their facial features for all the world to see?  Why would they want anyone to remember them with their tongues sticking out or with their mouths open so wide you can see their back teeth? 

There was a time when American people had pride in themselves.  Now we want to see if we can look more rediculous than the other person.  We rejoice when we are remembered because of a picture that, at one time, would have been embarrassing.  We laugh when friends post pictures that make us look stupid.  We buy tabloids showing pictures of stars that must make their mothers cringe. 

I say let's get back to beautiful, classy portraits that make us look like we wish we looked.

Improving Reading Skills

It is human nature to avoid doing any difficult task. People who struggle with reading avoid reading. The only way to improve reading is to read.  There is a poster hung in many classrooms that reads:

10 Ways to Improve Reading

• Read
• Read
• Read
• Read
• Read
• Read
• Read
• Read
• Read
• Read

When confronted with this dilemma many parents set aside several minutes a night to read with the student.  Together parent and child toil over pronunciation of words and comprehension of the passage.  It becomes laborious and soon both begin to dread the sessions.  Here are some suggestions to ease the stress while improving reading.

• Mute the television and use Closed Caption for 5 minutes of a favorite show.  If the child watches the show consistently, he or she will know most of the words used by the characters. After 5 minutes turn the volume up and enjoy the show as usual.
• Have the child read simple directions for recipes while the parent cooks. Even if the parent knows the necessary steps, the reading practice and bonding experience will be beneficial for both.  Simple instructions are on the back of boxes such as macaroni and cheese, Jello, instant mashed potatoes, and canned soup.
• While traveling in a car, play a game such as recognizing road and business signs.  Keep track of how many points the child receives.  Try setting a goal and increasing it daily. 
• Writing is an excellent way to improve reading skills.  Staple several pages of white paper together and encourage the child to create his or her own books, complete with illustrations.
• Ask the child to write the grocery list and then read it back to the parent while in the store.
• Ask the child to write phone messages for family members, even if he or she did not take the call.
• Video games can be very helpful in improving reading skills.  Require the child to read the instructions before being allowed to play.  Most games have words or phrases that pop up during the game.  Require the child to read them before continuing with the game.

Reading is a necessary life skill.  In this day of advanced technology, we cannot allow illiteracy to continue.  We must use inventive ways to engage struggling students in the reading process for his or her own sake

Planting Potatoes

Let me begin by assuring the reader that this is a true story.  I am not talented enough to create this tale.  The account was told to me by Craig's grandmother and goes something like this. 

A couple had lived most of their young lives in a northern city.  Upon retirement they decided to move to Texas for better weather.  They also elected to try country living.  Shortly after arriving in the rural area, they hired Craig, a local college student, to do odd jobs around the house.  One of Craig's jobs was to till and plant a small vegetable garden.

One afternoon when Craig arrived at the couple's house, the woman informed him that her "not very intelligent husband" had decided to plant potatoes that morning.  She then instructed Craig to replant the potatoes.  When Craig questioned why he needed to replant potatoes that had already been planted, she said "My husband planted them upside down.  I want you to dig each one up and turn it over so that the potatoes will grow on top of the ground."

Craig did as instructed.  Although he did not enjoy the assignment, many people have enjoyed listening to the tale.

Privacy Issues

I currently hold both medical and financial power of attorney for a relative.  Often when I answer my phone, I hear silence followed by a computer request to speak to the relative.  Of course the name is always mispronounced.  Occasionally I receive a real live person calling.  The entertaining conversation goes something like this:

"May I speak to (name mangled)?"

"I'm sorry she doesn't live here.  May I help you?"

"Please give me a number where I can reach her."

"She lives in a nursing home.  I hold power of attorney.  May I help you?"

"Please fax me a copy of the power of attorney so that I can talk to you."

"Who are you?"

"I cannot answer your questions until I receive proof of power of attorney.  Let me give you the number."

"What is it you need?"

"I really need proof of power of attorney before I can talk to you."

"I need to know what you want before I fax any information to you."

"I need you to fax the information to me before I can talk to you about this."

Now I understand that companies must be careful in maintaining privacy for their clients, but do they really expect someone to fax personal information to an unknown entity, in an unknown location for unknown purposes?  What fool would fax legal documents to an 800 number without knowing the reason?

One caller woke me up on a Saturday morning and after learning that I held power of attorney said,  "Fax me the document to 1-800.... and then I will answer your questions."  So I replied,  "Sure.  You sit right there and wait for it.  Don't go anywhere until you receive it."  I thought, I wonder how long this idiot will sit at the fax machine?  I hope he wets his pants waiting for my fax." 

These callers act as if they are entitled to know all of our business and we, the public, work on a "need to know basis" and we only need to know their fax number.  Personally I have never and will never fax a legal document to anyone who cannot give me some assurance as to where it is going, who will view it, and for what purpose it will be used.  I have a right to my privacy too.

Early Morning Information

After waking about 3:00 a.m. and unable to return to sleep, I turned on the television where I was informed just how mundane my life is.  However, I was offered several products to improve my sad, boring life and save me immeasurable amounts of time. 

First I was offered three rods which when assembled would add twelve feet of space to my closet.  Not only could they be used to hang clothes, but accessories such as purses and belts. These remarkable rods could also be used as a clothes line, guaranteed to cut drying time in half.  It is unclear who is going to time the process. During the entire demonstration, the host of the shopping network repeatedly exclaimed, "Oh my gosh" and "How wonderful" as well as "That's remarkable".  I thought, I could not be a host of a shopping network because I could never marvel over three pieces of stainless steel for thirty minutes.

After that, I was offered a plastic bowl with a lid that, when pushed down with much force, would chop all my fruits, vegetables, boiled eggs and cooked chicken. There were two hosts for this demonstration.  They took turns showing the other what the bowl with the guillotine lid could do.  With each presentation the other host expressed astonishment over the capabilities of the tool.  Completely unsuspecting customers in a grocery store could not contain their enthusiasm when they tried the gadget.  They proclaimed this implement as "the best time saving device ever".

I was then offered a white powder to sprinkle on my food which was guaranteed to make me eat less and lose weight.  The powder is specially formulated to fool my brain into believing that I am full and in turn I will stop eating.  If I only ate when I was hungry, I wouldn't need to lose weight.  If I didn't need to lose weight, I wouldn't need the powder.  If I eat even when I am not hungry, how is the powder going to help me?

Lastly I was offered a plastic big foot with scrub brushes on the inside.  This latest wonder would scrub my feet in the shower and remove dry skin while being safe because I would not have to stand on one foot to wash the other.  Instructions were not given as how to put one foot in the widget without lifting it off the floor.  This offer came with a second foot cleaner free "just pay separate shipping and handling".-- I did that one time.  I ordered something for $9.99 plus $4.95 shipping and handling.  The offer for the second one free popped up on the computer.  Suddenly my bill was $69.99.  Being the master mathematician that I am, I quickly determined that I could log off the computer, log back on and order a second item cheaper than getting a "second one free". 

Each of these products had some merit and I considered ordering them.  I watched as the simple items transformed the lives of the people who used them and the elation of each person over the change.  If one product made them that happy, what would four life changing elements do for them?  The image of breathalyzers, drug analysis, and possible psychiatric evaluation came to mind.  Ultimately I determined to retain my dull, boring, sad, but stable life.

And you thought there was nothing useful on television!

"An Angel Until Age 13"

During my many years as an educator, I have heard statements like:

• My child was an angel until she turned 13 years old.
• He wasn't a problem at all until he started running with the wrong crowd.
• She never gave me a minute's trouble until she started attending that school.
• He was a perfect child until he started doing drugs.

Each time I heard a similar statement I would think, No, we saw the problem when he was 3 years old.  or We tried to tell you in elementary school there was a problem. 

Many of these parents have focused on obedience of the child.  Did the child ultimately complete the task assigned?  Did the child eventually comply with the request?  I will admit that these questions are important, but not the end all, be all.  Far more important is the attitude with which the child complied with the request.  Obedience may be the sail driving the boat, but attitude is the wind pushing the sail and determining the final destination.

Children are molded or programed early in life.  What we as parents create in our children, comes back to haunt us in their teenage years.  Children have the ability to melt our hearts.  Teenagers have the ability to break them.

A child who completes the requested task while displaying a disrespectful face to the parent is likely to encounter some pretty unpleasant situations as a teenager.  A child who uses disrespectful language or name calling toward a parent will attempt the same strategy toward other authorities as a teenager.  As parents we have the advantage of remembering the child when he or she was cute.  The administrator or law enforcement officer does not have that luxury.

Respectful attitudes and sweet spirits are far more important than completion of a task.