Showdown at the OK Coral

Showdown at the O.K. Coral

Well, its official, the teacher strike is over; what a mess!  This has been a trip for over a  year now.  The teachers announced at this time last year that there would be a strike if negotiation was not commenced.  They even said it would be on the first day of school.  We have only lived here 15 months, but I heard them say that then, I remembered it, I knew it was an important part of the horizon of planning, but obviously many on our education board did not.  They seemed aghast, surprised at the audacity that the teacher’s union would even think about action, about strike.

And the truth of the matter was, no one was listening to anyone.  Both sides failed in their very public adventure of  ”rightness”.  Everyone kept their own agenda, own concerns, disregarding anyone and everyone.

The adults in this matter may have had the power, but they failed in the deepest level of education – they all abandoned the children.  Its so frustrating to sit and watch grown adults and management facilities fail at the most important lesson taught to children – how to communicate.  There is a combination of pressure and release with compromise.  Concession when wrong is influential.  Trust and follow-through are critical to nurturing trust and follow-though.  Power is a privilege and brings obligation and responsibility.

I did send my children to school for day 1 and 2, in good faith that the substitutes and security and planning measures were enforced to the best care for the children.  Police investigation and background checks proved that this was naïve and foolish.  The background checks that were used in hiring were unbelievably lax, not wide in scope, and certainly not complying with the typical check which is used for the educational system.  After 8 firings and 18 releases of this temporary workforce on day 2 because of terrible indiscretion, my children did not return to school.  And would not return until I had my pre-scheduled teacher in each of their four classrooms.

I drew a line in the sand.  

And as I stood back from that line, I noticed my hands were shaking and slightly sweaty.  “What have I done?  This has the potential of lasting until Christmas.”  I was not on strike, I was not going without my salary or any union supplement; I was not arguing with a brick wall the way each side was; I didn’t present a full-fledged home schooling proposal and curriculum for my four.  Yet still I was nervous.

I was nervous because my children truly enjoy school, and mom drawing a line in the sand was taking away an order and process to their world.  Mom got hot and now they had to pay.  And the explanation given to them needed to be fairly vague – the indiscretions which led to the uproar for many parents was the criminally sexual and stalking nature.  “There are people in the world who don’t protect kids the same way I do,” were my words to my 6 year old.  But my nearly 12 year old reads the paper, he knows the real thing.  And I asked him please not talk about it with the young ones, not at dinner, just with the parents.  (He felt so encouraged to be considered “an adult” in this matter)  Someone else’s careless decisions had placed our precious treasures in dangers path, and provided a structured place and time to fuel that danger.  

There are many things I need to teach my children, and I only have a short time to be able to do it, but this type of knowledge carries a darkness with it, and it pains me to know they will be aware of it someday.  The depth of sin which is present in this world is powerful – it claims many people and rules their hearts.  It is a reality of our society, it is present in my town.  But why does it have to be knowledge kids get in elementary school?

In Jessieland, where all things are rosy and positive, caring, generous and compassionate, they would never need to encounter it.  But we don’t live in Jessieland (to my dismay) and I need to be walking with them, hand in hand, through the darkness, and steps at a time defining that darkness.

I pray a blessing on them each day as they leave for school, “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace.”  Number 6:25  Be with them every step of their day, Lord.

Walking through a dirty world in white, not avoiding the dirt but knowing that God has sealed us with a “scotch guard” to stains the dirt could make – praise God for His son Jesus and His redeeming sacrifice.

For the Record

For the Record

Quotations and words of wisdom from this weekend

“I wouldn’t want to be a worm on this hook.”  Kiley, at the fishing spot
“Does the tooth fairy come when you are camping?”  Kate with a tooth hanging by a thread
“Your hair looks so pretty in the sunset, mom”  Nathan ( a future romantic)
“If you slip in the showerhouse on the wet floor, you could sue the owners.”  Tyler (future lawyer)
“You attend OSU for a few years, but you play in the band for life.”  OSU Marching Band alumni, 90 years old, preparing to march in Sept. 2 game
“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion “Your God reigns.”  Isaiah 52:7
“Do you really need cheese in a grilled cheese sandwich?”  Caleb at campfire
“You can tell a lot about a person by examining their ipod playlist.  Who they are, happy, sad, aggravated, mad, carefree…its all there.”  Jessie examining ipod
“Boys are all so weird!”  Erica from How to Eat Fried Worms
“No doubt about it, that’s a water moccasin.  Fishing is done, right now.”  Jim at Indian                                                             Lake
“The only things you need in a tool box are a hammer, a Philips screwdriver, a flat head screwdriver, WD40 and duct tape.  Everything that’s broken will get fixed or hid by all these things.  What more could you need?”  Ron at campsite
“Do people really arrange marriages for girls at age 10??  Abby, age 9
“Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these?  He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls them each by name.  Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.”  Isaiah 40:26
“Strong men take care of themselves.  Stronger men take care of others.”  Ben, the father bull from Barnyard
“Who is Ernesto and why is everyone mad at him?”  Abby, with rainslicker and umbrella
“Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, dead at 44 from a deep sea accident with adult sting ray during filming.”  All Irwins around the world mourn at his passing.
“Jesus bids us shine with a clear pure light, like a little candle burning in the night;  in the world is darkness, so we must shine you in your small corner and I in mine.”  Red songbook #841
“I never fall asleep in these kinds of chairs…they are too uncomfortable for snoozing…zzzzzzz”  Dave at campfire
“We are free to be at peace with ourselves and others, and also with nature.”  Thomas Merton
“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth, love one another deeply.  I Peter 1:22
“I underestimated the amount I would change just because I loved someone so much.”  Tammy on marriage
Have you not seen?  Have you not heard?  The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary and His understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”  Isaiah 40:28-29

Wishing you a day full of joy

In the Fire

One of the things I miss most about a PA house we lived in was the ability to have a fire circle. It had started being a mistake, a children's pool which stayed too long in one place and the grass beneath burned out, wouldn't grow back. (My fault) So instead of a glaring mistake, we chose a glaring solution - a fire circle. 20 cinderblocks and we had perfection - our own firecircle. We were able to burn everyday without permit, and frequently when one of us got home before the other, one thoughtful chore was to prepare the ring for the evening fire. Some in the winter (not many) mostly in the other 3 seasons, but joy remembered then. Sitting in the evening with neighbors, children, or as a chance for couple time for the two of us, this fire circle touched on something in common for us - not that we are pyromaniacs, but we enjoy a good controlled burn. N. taught himself to ride a 2 wheeler bike by firelight. A. sang her first solo, T. crafted his story-teller imagination. K. learned the art of marshmallow toasting. Setting it up to last as long as needed - a 4 hour fire is constructed differently than a 1 hour fire.
This year our summer camping has included several fires, and I'm chopping wood today for this weekend. Burn, baby, burn.

"God reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells within Him." Daniel 2:22

"Weren't there three men that werre tied up and threw into the fire?" " Yes," the reply. "Look I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the forth looks like a son of the gods."
Daniel 3:24-25

In the Fire

“Another log?” A simple request.
“Yes, thank you. You’re the best!”
The fire grows and radiates heat,
Claiming this new fuel, providing retreat.
Burning for hours, it fends off the dark -
The cold, the unseen, undefined and stark
Maintaining glowing coals with their light and heat.
Closer to the fire we sit, safe, complete.

But within that fire, the action is great
In the fire, the movement changes its rate.
The fire is alive, pulsing with power,
Consuming the wood there, intent to devour
“Watch out, be careful, protect yourself there;
Keep your distance, even farther, always beware.”
Too close to the fire will be a mistake
Stay away, error brings pain, it won’t be fake.”

God is still in the fire

Life is messy – quite messy no doubt,
Hearts looking for cover, a simple way out
Of the mess of the problems bad choices have brought.
Out of the conflicts, the wrongness of thought.
“It feels all consuming, it’s hot inside here,
To confront, to correct – the problems are too near!
I must get away, I’m not needed for this!”
The knots are too tight – I just want to reminisce.”

God is still in the fire

Reminisce of a simpler time, long ago.
Protection was there, it was easy and slow.
I could think my own thoughts, no interruptions there.
All things were good, and right and fair.
People meant what they said, they said what they meant.
Trust was given, received, returned – it was cement.
Life was easy, small problems, simple solutions
Avoiding the realm of pain and confusion.

God is still in the fire

But God doesn’t stay away from the knots tightly bound,
He challenges me to step into this fire, look around.
“These knots, they’re not yours, but untie them we may.
They need our attention, yours and Mine, walk this way.
Walk in white, be pure as I call you to be.
Love me with undivided heart, you will see
That I AM in the fire, even now,
I do not abandon a conflict, I vow
To make things right, I AM here, plain to see
And I call you and move you to work patiently.

I AM still in the fire.

The power to confront, and still dignity give –
God is still in the fire.
The power to correct, a right way to live –
God is still in the fire.
“What are you gonna do about it?” God says earnestly -
“Come here, step into the fire with Me.
Set your mind on things above-
Let your conduct be worthy of Christ’s love –
You’re not alone in here, we are hand in glove.
I AM still in the fire.”

Many Hands Make Light Work

Many Hands Make Light Work

When I keep the tv on I usually enjoy a cooking channel, or PBS with greats such as Julia Child. Always some new task to be able to learn – different ways to slice a mango, how to make an angel food cake, techniques for a chewy cookie, best parings for meat and vegetables. I love it! (And if that makes me a dweeb, then I’m guilty as charged) I’m a foodie! But there is one show which just makes me sit down with my calculator and compute. $40.00 a day with Rachel Ray. Her objective is to show how affordable international travel can be, how a person can spend a measly $40.00 a day and have beautiful, filling, exquisite, gourmet banquet of food from so many parts of the world.
“$40.00 a day, my foot…I can feed my family of 6 breakfast, lunch and dinner with a bedtime snack for less than $15. That’s’ the show I want – Budget Gourmet – stretch that dollar and make it last; have your dinner , healthy and fast.”

I’ve enjoyed cooking since I was a young girl, and when I got to 7th grade, I became the dinner person for the house. Home from school, homework and dinner – my brother got other chores. Sometimes we’d have a good meal, sometimes it was more done than it should be, sometimes underdone and needed more expert attention – it was truly Culinary Chemistry. But I developed a regular list of menus, things we liked, tried and true meals to rely upon. Spaghetti and meatballs, eggs over easy and hashbrowns, baked chicken and rice, stuffed peppers. Since my brother was diabetic, there were specific ways to prepare the food, things to avoid, eliminate, other things to help include to make dinner satisfying and healthy.

When I’d have dinner at a friend’s house, I found myself swapping recipes with their mom and dad. At a large gathering, I’d be talking with the caterer, “How did you do this? Mine always gets lumpy, yours is perfect.” Me and grandmas of all shapes and sizes were like peas in a pod, talking and sharing about the preparation of food. My cookbook is a hodge podge of family, friends, neighbors, aunts, uncles, grandparents. There are regional delicacies we make and we have though we don’t live near there anymore _ pierogies – and holiday staples which help us celebrate and remember – latkes – and standards which are comforting – shepherd’s pie. (that’s for dinner tonight.)

I make an awesome cheesecake (and regretfully I have a figure that shows it! I have been perfecting more eggplant terrines and vegetable casseroles and the kids are enjoying a larger variety of veggies, more than their standards of broccoli/corn/carrots/green beans/cauliflower. ) The day I can persuade them to eat a tomato I will be proclaiming the veggie cheer with the loudest of voices! Every meal has a salad, without question, just no ‘maters on the plate. Oh well, high hopes for better days.

Here are some pictures of kitchen help…yeah the kids cook with me. T.A.N. K. all have their jobs and stations. No one is jumping up and down with enthusiasm for the dishwashing job while we are cooking, but its essential to a working kitchen – I just may need that pot again! K. is not qualified for the paring knife yet, but someday soon. She is an awesome potato peeler/carrot scrubber/salad maker. And the minimal mess they could make is clean-up-able in less than four minutes (Except for N. and his cake batter-helicopter impression. I was cleaning that off the ceiling the next day even.) They’ve been developing the pancake flip, the eggshell separation, the brulee of crème brulee (our favorite dessert), the dynamics of meringue, the variety of stir fry, the layers of lasagna, the differences between sauté and braising – its so exciting!. And they love the food they make!

Now I just need to help A. with her coffee preparation, and give her some more tips about keeping the grounds out of the brew.
Dinner’s cooking and my mouth is watering, so gotta go!

Sweetness

“Mom, I’m 42.” The voice was not familiar to me, but the information set off the alarm bells as if it was said straight to me. An afternoon away had provided our family with a chance to swim in Lake Erie at a sand beach (not easy to find in Northwest OH, most of the beaches are pebble or just plain rocks. Rough on the tender toes!) His voice, and message, caught my attention immediately. To the seat directly next to us, this mom reached into her cooler and delivered the necessary elements – juice and crackers. A diabetic child in the family…I could relate.
Earlier in the morning, Ty’s glucose level had been in the 40s as well. Everything gets put on hold and delayed as we attend to it. Quite low, he needs something sweet and something with protein. Ty has been a Type I diabetic since kindergarten and his diagnoses felt like a door got slammed on our fingers, but it was also a door opening. It opened a door to an incredible level of family health.
Now they don’t eat as many vegetables as I want them to, and they desire more twinkies than I’m going to allow, but I am pleased with my kid’s acclimation with fruit and veggies and that they’ll even let me put them on their pizza!
Our afternoon with this new friend found a chance to speak to someone “who knows” without explanation – the all night anxiety because of a accidental double injection and hourly blood checks, the rapid weight loss and unexplained weight gain which happens with insulin, the expense which happens at the grocery store when “fun food” may be more affordable but nutritionally catastrophic to a diabetic, the family adjustment which happens with feeding everyone on a diabetic diet, the penalty of an inaccurate injection, the vocabulary of ‘capillaries’ ‘A1C’ and ‘DKN’.
And we were each having our preparation session for when our diabetic boys returned to school next week. We know how sweet of disposition the boys can have, but it’s the sweetness of their blood which can drive any school official bananas! There’s so much to get ready, and truthfully, I don’t want to see them go. I know there are some who identify with me – I love getting my kids back with me for the summer. Sure it’s a hassle of time, energy and patience (let alone cleanliness and order) and any work I get accomplished comes with interruptions, but it’s a joy to me to have my children with me. Especially when it comes to helping Ty manage his diabetes. The food he eats, the exercise he gets, I know all of it. When school starts, it will be a nurse and teachers who help keep an eye of all these details, and they are responsible for so many more young ones as well.
January saw a realm of freedom for my son with the beginning of use of an insulin pump, and he has loved it since day 1. It has provided him an opportunity of discretion and control he has craved, and permitted for time fluctuations for meals and insulin delivery. It also saw an element of expertise and power for him – none of the school nurses or teachers or front office workers had ever seen or dealt with a pump before. Ty was the expert, they took their cues from him. Yesterday’s orientation has only bolstered his confidence with the new procedures he will encounter at his middle school. I love that they are excited about school and the learning environment waiting for them there.
Now, if I could only keep him from growing out of his shoes we’ll be in business. (The boy is now a ½ size larger than mine and isn’t a teenager yet. HELP)