ChristyB in TN
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Posts posted by ChristyB in TN
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I love it! Now you HAVE to use that name. I think it is beautiful! My mom hated my son's names. Honestly, they are Luke and Samuel. :001_huh: recently, she told them she liked their names now and that they had grown on her. That was nice....
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I am praying for you and hoping for a better outcome. I am a CASA, make sure he/she knows your feelings. Some judges really listen to us! :grouphug:
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I second Madison, WI. We would move there in a second if we could move our business, too. I love it there.
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Ok, you're doing what the school nurse and school social worker and high school clubs and civic organizations do in our community. They have a drop off location at each school bldg for used clothing, books, and games, as well as contacts with the church thrift shops. One nurse coordinates the backpack pgm for the entire district. The teachers' association members buy clothing for holiday gifts for needy students. A holiday gift drive is done at each school bldg, coordinated by the PTA. A holiday food drive is done by a civic organization...centralized drop off at each school, picked up and sorted and distributed by high school students on a given day, publicized in advance.
There is no issue with sports or band as we have no fees for those. The public librarian stocks multiple copies of summer reading novels so students don't have to buy them. Band lessons are given in school, as a group lesson, every single year as a part of band class. Boosters usually provide sports equipment to Free & Reduced Lunch students. Boosters raise money for maintenance of the band equipment and any fees and expenses for the band students competitions.
Tutoring is provided free at the school, including bus transport home. Also a certified math teacher is on duty every study hall every period, with the sole task of helping anyone that wants math help. The afterschool tutoring is provided by every teacher - either set office hours or by appt -- and the NHS members.
Coat drives here are coordinated w/the community by the high school They set out drop boxes at the high school, then the high school clubs sort & distribute to the community at the fire house on a designated day that is published in advance. The nurses give coats out during the school day..anyone without a coat is sent to the nurse before heading out to recess.
Good luck to you in getting it started in your area. Once you get the pathways set, people look for it and keep contributing time and goods.
Oh, thank you. I want it to be a great path. :)
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I have to feel that what is being done is truly worth the time, energy, and money that is being put in.
If the work makes people "feel good" but doesn't actually accomplish much I won't gt involved. Think "Cost/Benefit Analysis". It may be blasphemous - but I think the walks for cancer and heart disease are a real waste of time and money for example .....
I also see far too many small organizations trying to do the same thing without coordinating with one another, which seems like a real waste of resources.
Clear straightforward goals, excellent organization, fiscal responsibility - all very important.
Oh, boy do I agree. I want to see the costs, too.
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Ok and thinking about your project specifically, I have to say this is so incredibly challenging. I live in an area where there are a lot of obstacles and issues for people that make success in school difficult. There are tons of organizations, projects, etc. to address this issue. Yet there still remains a lot of apathy. And I think sometimes it comes down to the fact that not all people value education to the same extent. So then what? KWIM?
I guess I have addressed the issue by homeschooling my kids. And I know, that's selfish and it's not fixing the problem. I just feel like there is nothing I am going to do to change anyone's mind so I can't say that I even feel like trying. As I type this I realize how awful that sounds, but yeah that's really where I am at if I'm being brutally honest.
No, I agree with you. I am fixing my little problem by homeschooling mine, too. I just needed to do something about everyone else's. The problem is that once you get started it is hard to know where to start. My dear friend who started it with me works in the schools and we decided to START with the basics: books, money for tutoring, money for extracurriculars, shoes that fit, coats and backpacks, etc. We have a big homeless population all of the sudden, too. Lots of apathy, too. However, it is a good community, we just have to keep them interested.
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Oh, thank you all so much for your responses. I am writing all of them down and will USE them. Wanna see our page? Please feel free to start one just like it in your community. :D When you come up with more suggestions, feel free to message me! We need all of them.
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I agree that this is important. I actually make spreadsheets like this for a couple of different organizations. I have jobs that take a daily commitment of time and jobs that are once a year for a couple of hours. You cannot count on people to constantly ask what you need. You must make your specific needs known. Approach people and ask them to do a specific job.
What is it you need? People? Supplies? Ideas? Meeting spaces? You have to make your needs known. Wanting to have the best educated kids around is a noble goal, but it doesn't tell me *anything* about what you are trying to do. People are willing to help when they are asked to do something specific or when they can meet an immediate need.
What are your *specific* ideas and what do you need to make those ideas come to fruition? Do you know?
Maybe you want to make sure all kids have access to books in their home. How are you going to facilitate that? Book drives for kids? A bookmobile? How is the community already involved? Does the local school and/or library already have a program you can piggyback on?
Maybe you want kids to have tutoring. What qualifications must the tutors have? Where are they meeting kids? Are there liability issues there? Is your group carrying insurance? Again, are there other local programs that you could connect with?
Oh, we have it all mapped out and have an organized and fantastic operation going. I actually have teamed up with the local agencies, a few churches and the people from the school system who handle the Title One program, backpack program, homeless families, etc. We meet regularly and have a good system. Our problem was that we wanted to remove the obstacles. We have furnished a stove for a single mom with kids in the school, shoes for families, lots of food, a little furniture, etc. The schools were having problems meeting particular needs and legally couldn't go to the churches with pantries, clothes closets, etc for help. But I can because I don't work for either one. My program is a middle man, a recruiter and a clearing house. It is working. We got our Facebook page idea from the successful one in Joplin. It is just so interesting how cyclical the support is. We are inundated and now...nothing. It is very frustrating but we can do it.
I loooooove the spreadsheet idea! I'm doing it!
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I got up early and worked a little, had coffee with my husband and talked about the day. Made a smoothie and wrote a blog post to clear my head and woke my son up. Went next door to jump start my sweet neighbor's car, more coffee to get warm again. Heading to my office to help move the office to our new "campus." I mostly work from home now but seeing the new campus makes us all so happy and inspired! Going to try and get a run in this afternoon and thinking about making some soup. I plan to finish up a book I am reading tonight!
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I am working so hard on a project in my community. The level of involvement is so sporadic and my team is gobsmacked trying to come up with a way to motivate. What makes you want to jump in and help? Is it a mood or a need? We want to meet the needs of families in our community to remove all obstacles for having the most well educated and successful kids in the world. A noble undertaking, I know, but it is a fantastic opportunity to get everyone working together to solve little problems. So far we've solved a lot. However, we are struggling for involvement suddenly. Help? What are your triggers?
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Today I am so grateful the election is over and we can all go on about our business. I have a bunch of things going on and at the top of my list is my goal to read as many books as possible. Have you all recovered from your post election hangover and are you ready to talk books?
I finished The End Of Your Life Book Club last week (wrote about it on my blog ;) ) and it was wonderful. Now I am finishing up Armstrong's Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life and am listening to Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. Both are wonderful and I am happy I purchased them. Your turn!
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I bookmarked your blog so I can go back and read more when I have more time and am not so tired. If I can figure out how to put it on my own blog, I will. (I did it with a few but that was a long time ago.)
Donna, I am having to figure it all out, too.
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Yes, I am in Tn. And we have to show ID. I understand the concerns and can completely see that it is a problem. I hope it is solved by lots of people helping those without ID get transportation and the documentation necessary to get ID My state made it as easy as possible to obtain but I think it is up to the rest of us to make sure it is free, easy and everyone has it. I promise to do my part. :D
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I can fit an unbelieveable quantity of dishes in the dishwasher (and still have them all come out clean!). My family is both proud and amazed; they often call me in to rescue them with my superior talent.
Hahahahaha! That's awesome.
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I added you to my favorites list. I love to read blogs.
I added you, too! Cute kids (and dog) you have there! Yummy looking cake, too! :D
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Growing up I sang a lot and thought I was good. I moved to Nashville and learned I am not very talented. We have people here working the scrubbiest of bars who will blow the doors off of anyone on the radio. Now I sing alone in the car. :D
I can pick up anything with my toes, they are very flexible.
I write fantastic term papers.
I am a lot of fun at a party.
I have good ideas and am a champion brainstormer.
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Thank you! I needed that.
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This is our main entree on Thanksgiving. We substitute vegan Daiya cheese and vegan cream cheese. It is awesome. I love to sprinkle extra fennel on top. Yum.
Mushroom, Cheese, and Vegetable Strudel
Serves 12
Whole-wheat phyllo dough lends a wholesome, nutty taste and golden color to the finished strudel. Veganizing this recipe is a snap too—simply substitute vegan cream cheese and vegan Cheddar cheese.
Filling
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (1½ cups)
1 medium red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
2 tsp. dried thyme
1 lb. white mushrooms, sliced (5 cups)
2 10-oz. bags baby spinach
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 14-oz. pkg. firm tofu, drained
8 oz. Neufchâtel cheese, softened
1 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese (4 oz.)
Strudel
¼ cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 lb. whole-wheat phyllo dough, thawed
½ tsp. poppy, sesame, or fennel seeds, optional
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 18- x 13-inch baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. To make Filling: Heat oil in pot over medium heat. Sauté onion, bell pepper, garlic, and thyme in oil 10 minutes. Add mushrooms, and cook 10 minutes, or until wilted. Stir in spinach and nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until spinach has wilted, stirring occasionally. Drain, and cool in bowl.
3. Purée tofu, Neufchâtel cheese, and Cheddar cheese in food processor until smooth. Stir into mushroom mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
4. To make Strudel: Heat oil, garlic, and thyme in small pot over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Cool.
5. Cover bottom of prepared baking pan with 2 phyllo sheets, allowing sheets to overlap each other and hang off sides. Brush with garlic oil. Place 2 more phyllo sheets on top, and brush with garlic oil. Repeat 4 times, until you have a 6-layer bottom crust.
6. Spread Filling in crust, leaving 3-inch edge all around. Brush edges with garlic oil. Fold sides of phyllo over filling. Cover filling with 2-sheet layer of phyllo (4 sheets total), overlapping sheets in center. Brush with garlic oil. Repeat layering 2 sheets at a time until you have 4 layers (16 sheets phyllo total), brushing every second sheet with garlic oil. Tuck under edges. Sprinkle top with seeds, if desired. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until golden. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting into slices.
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Liam Bronson
Ryan Alexander
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When I was young someone I love told me that there are winners and losers and there is nothing you can do about it. He said that some people are just going to be losers and make the wrong decisions no matter what. I have burned inside my whole life trying to disprove this...or just find something to disprove it. I think it may be true. I think we all lose and make bad decisions and that doesn't define us but there are just some people who cannot win or take the correct path no matter what they have been taught. Change is not always a choice.
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I posted the recipe below for our vegan strudel we have adopted as our main Thanksgiving food! For the last few years we have walked over to a car dealership in our neighborhood and we all run the Turkey Trot 5k which benefits the animal shelter here. It is a blast and Karma the Dog runs it with us! Then we come home and get lunch on the table. We always have friends who seem to be: in the middle of a divorce and need a neutral place for the kids, alone because of family issues, new in town and want to join us, etc so we usually have a crowd of family and the friends seem to be different every year. It is fantastic.
This year, my parents have disowned me for political reasons so we are hosting a bash. We will run our Turkey Trot. My oldest two are coming in from college! We are hosting a lunch for Thanksgiving and have opened it up to some folks who may or may not be legally in our country, a couple of families without permanent homes, and a whole gaggle of friends without a Thanksgiving tradition at all. We are so excited! We are cooking turkeys and hams for the carnivores. We will have corn casseroles, green beans with mushroom soup and fried onions on top, mashed potatoes with almond milk so the vegans can have it, too, my own sweet potato casserole recipe from a crazy old Southern Living Cookbook which I have successfully transformed into a vegan recipe, vegan hummingbird cake, apple pie, pecan pie, and whatever else we can drum up. I have never been so excited and so sad. I miss my parents but am hopeful....
Mushroom, Cheese, and Vegetable Strudel
Serves 12
Whole-wheat phyllo dough lends a wholesome, nutty taste and golden color to the finished strudel. Veganizing this recipe is a snap too—simply substitute vegan cream cheese and vegan Cheddar cheese.
Filling
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (1½ cups)
1 medium red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
2 tsp. dried thyme
1 lb. white mushrooms, sliced (5 cups)
2 10-oz. bags baby spinach
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 14-oz. pkg. firm tofu, drained
8 oz. Neufchâtel cheese, softened
1 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese (4 oz.)
Strudel
¼ cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 lb. whole-wheat phyllo dough, thawed
½ tsp. poppy, sesame, or fennel seeds, optional
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 18- x 13-inch baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. To make Filling: Heat oil in pot over medium heat. Sauté onion, bell pepper, garlic, and thyme in oil 10 minutes. Add mushrooms, and cook 10 minutes, or until wilted. Stir in spinach and nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until spinach has wilted, stirring occasionally. Drain, and cool in bowl.
3. Purée tofu, Neufchâtel cheese, and Cheddar cheese in food processor until smooth. Stir into mushroom mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
4. To make Strudel: Heat oil, garlic, and thyme in small pot over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Cool.
5. Cover bottom of prepared baking pan with 2 phyllo sheets, allowing sheets to overlap each other and hang off sides. Brush with garlic oil. Place 2 more phyllo sheets on top, and brush with garlic oil. Repeat 4 times, until you have a 6-layer bottom crust.
6. Spread Filling in crust, leaving 3-inch edge all around. Brush edges with garlic oil. Fold sides of phyllo over filling. Cover filling with 2-sheet layer of phyllo (4 sheets total), overlapping sheets in center. Brush with garlic oil. Repeat layering 2 sheets at a time until you have 4 layers (16 sheets phyllo total), brushing every second sheet with garlic oil. Tuck under edges. Sprinkle top with seeds, if desired. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until golden. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting into slices.
November/December 2008 p.72
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Oh, gosh, I tried to gently tell her that I respect her views but we just couldn't go along with this that and the other. She screamed and hung up the phone. She won't take my kids' calls either. Sad. I used to try to keep up with all of it just so I could know what they were thinking but I stopped. It is too depressing. I am going to send them a written invitation to the Thanksgiving we are having for some people with no place to go and hope they see it in their heart to come and at least help out. Maybe they will speak to us again...
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My parents haven't spoken to us in 2 months now because we won't listen to it. This has been an unbelievably hurtful cycle and I can't wait for it to be over. My mother thinks she is the most well informed person of anyone she knows because she reads all of those emails. She thinks Snopes is the devil.
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It seems like the rule applying to the situation would be included in 'etiquette 301' or higher. I don't think all is lost or the world is going to hell in the etiquette handbasket because you would have to be Emily Post to know this one. I don't think they meant to offend or rush you. :)
How to explain babies who go to certain people and not others.
in General Education Discussion Board
Posted
My best friend has a 1 year old who will come to me but not the elderly woman who lives next door to her and is around her all the time. I think it has to do with natural rhythm and stress. The woman is so sweet but is just a little ball of stress and her veins in her neck are always popped out. The baby is a sweet little relaxed child and simply does not like the stress and never has! I wonder if babies are naturally tuned in to all of that.