Haystacks

Yes, we have no bananas.

Bananas are the miracle drug! According to this article they lessen depression, cure PMS, lower blood pressure, remove splinters and warts, soothe ulcers and ease morning sickness and hangovers. Who knew?

Turn the page

Okay, click the page would be more accurate. I've decided to use the Pages feature of Typepad to chart my Mission 101 progress. Check out the sidebar for my list and posts about the completed items. This will allow me to keep a record and keep those interested up to date without constantly referencing Mission 101.

Good idea? Better idea? I'm all ears...

Vocabulary building activism

My little friend Lawson turned me on to this web site. FreeRice.com is a vocabulary building site with a global reach. Chose the correct meaning of such words as carabao, tarmacadam, and slake and 20 grains of rice for each answer will be purchased through the United Nations World Food Program.

The site is funded by banner advertisements which appear at the bottom of the game page. No registration is required. Check it out. Improve your vocabulary and feed the hungry.

(ps:Caraboa=water buffalo, tarmacadam=pavement and slake=quench)

Mission 101

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).
~From Day Zero

This is a great alternative to the New Year's resolution. The time frame of 1001 days allows for much bigger, more in depth goals to be achieved. I am committing to this fascinating journey. I will be building my list over the next few weeks. My start date will be April 1st. That pegs my 1001st  day as December 28, 2010.

Join me?

1. Watch the sunset and sunrise  at least once each season

2. Teach Hayley how to embroider 

3. See Paris again

4. See Phantom of the Opera on stage

5. Learn the basic guitar chords

6. Go whale watching. 

8. Lose 75 lbs

9. Relearn how to do a back bend

10. Write 101 haiku

11. Interview my 102 year old grandfather

12. Learn to knit

13. Get a henna tattoo

14. Make a list of 100 things that make me happy

15. Redecorate my bedroom

16. Learn to make a magnificent dessert

17. Expand my blog readership

18. Exercise at least twice a week for 3 months straight

19. Rid my heart of envy

20. See Paul Simon in concert

21. Celebrate my 50^th Third Day show

22. Master DreamWeaver and Photoshop

23. Learn more about wine

24. Develop my ASL skills

25. Build a snowman

26. Take ballroom dancing lessons

27. Take more pictures

28. Pray more

29. Learn to French braid hair

30. Buy a new wardrobe

31. Get limber

32. Learn origami

33. Go on a mission trip to an Indian reservation

34. Grow my hair long enough to braid

35. Take a yoga class

36. Expand my vinyl collection

37. Become known on a first name basis by the workers at our local used bookstore

38. Clean off my ‘to be read’ shelf by reading

39. Learn shorthand

40. Participate in A Day in the Life on Flickr

41. Write and mail at least one 'thinking of you' card each month

42. Learn how to make out of this world delicious fudge like my mother in law makes

43. Go to Australia to visit Jaci

44. Have bangers and mash on The Emerald Isle

45. Sell something I wrote (NPR doesn't pay)

46. Discover and fall in love with the music of 5 new bands

47. See The Alamo

48. Take an extensive tour of the western US

49. Have dinner prepared for me by my chef brother-in-law at his fancy restaurant

50. Learn conversational Spanish

51. Create a picture book of one of my travels

52. Write a children's book

53. Go on a weekend trip with zero plans and go wherever the road takes us

54. Attend a Shakespearean Festival

55. Take a part in a community theatre play

56. Talk Jason into selling his rare STAR WARS educational film

57. Go to Disney in Orlando

58.  Write it down!

59.  Spend more time with Ali Pope

60. Get over my abnormal phobia of penguins

61. Get over my abnormal phobia of dragonflies

62. Live in the moment

63. Throw a surprise party for Jason

64. Improve my typing speed

65. Learn The National Anthem in ASL

66. Read 5 books for historical/political/social relevance

67. Finish remodeling my house

68. Get away for a luxurious spa weekend 

69. Wear Jamie's Lucky Brand jeans (size 12)

70. Give up soda

71. Reach a $10,000 balance in my savings account

72. Participate in a charity walk

73. Complete NaNoWriMo again

74. Watch an Alfred Hitchcock movie marathon

75. Be debt free

76. Make biscuits and sausage gravy from scratch

77. Learn to identify 10 birds common to my geographic location

78. Be able to recite 50 states and capitals

79. Buy a new set of wedding rings

80. Listen to my entire iTunes library on shuffle w/o skipping

81. Finish all my unfinished embroidery projects (in some form or fashion)

82. Keep a dream journal

83. Take a picture with 10 people I love and write about our relationship

84. Find my theme song

85. Write a book review (no matter how brief) for every book I read

86. Develop regular features for my blog

87. Convince my family to forgo Christmas gifts, giving to a needy family instead

88. Find my signature scent

89. Visit the kangaroo habitat in Georgia

90. Become a better bowler

91. Memorize one chapter of the bible

92. Keep a digital journal of my 40th year, beginning on my 40th birthday and ending on my 41st

93. Blog every day for one month

94. Leave 101 blog comments

95. Learn to say "I love you" in 10 languages

96. Learn to play pool

97. Do a blog post for every item on this list as I complete it

98. Understand baseball

99. Fly a beautiful kite

100. Make a living will

101. Reorganize this lists into categories
 

The Blackboard Jungle

I was honored when a local high school invited me to teach a once a week, one hour class on Sign Language.  I was anxious about working with teenagers.  They can turn on you, you know? With little or no warning, I might add.

I arrived at the school and met the teacher. She gave me some basic information about the kids and the purpose of the classes. The kids poured in with the usual chaotic rush that lends itself to a high school classroom. My introduction, a few polite exchanges and...

"ATTENTION! ALL STUDENTS, ALL FACULTY: LOCK DOWN. REPEAT. WE ARE IN LOCK DOWN."

The loud speaker blared. The people scattered.

What? Wait...what?

We were corralled into a small utility closet sized room. The teacher exchanged a few text messages with colleagues and determined it was a drug raid. We heard the dogs outside our room. One teenager regaled us with a tale of a vicious drug dog's reaction  to people trying to sneak down the hallway during lock down. Trapped in a tiny room with 12 teenagers, I was considering making a run for it.

We settled in; on the floor, atop the washer and dryer, and we had sign class. The kids seemed to enjoy it. They asked good questions, picked up quickly on the hand shapes and laughed at all my jokes. Forty five minutes later there was a knock at the door. A code word was whispered and the drama ended.

I have 8 more classes to go. I can't imagine it could be more exciting than today, but I'm truly looking forward to it.

       

"Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be." ~Abraham Lincoln

Harvard psychology professor and author (Stumbling Upon Happiness), Dan Gilbert examines the human ability to synthesize happiness.

I would love to know your thoughts on this.

Visit the TED blog for more videos and fascinating talks.

17 Syllables for Autumn

Haiku is a poetic form and a type of poetry from the Japanese culture. Haiku combines form, content, and language in a meaningful, yet compact form. Haiku poets, which you will soon be, write about everyday things. Many themes include nature, feelings, or experiences. Usually they use simple words and grammar. The most common form for Haiku is three short lines. The first line usually contains five (5) syllables, the second line seven (7) syllables, and the third line contains five (5) syllables. Haiku doesn't rhyme. A Haiku must "paint" a mental image in the reader's mind. This is the challenge of Haiku - to put the poem's meaning and imagery in the reader's mind in ONLY 17 syllables over just three (3) lines of poetry! 

from: http://volweb.utk.edu/school/bedford/harrisms/haiku.htm

A frail leaf flutters

Awaiting the wind's last thrust

Caught up. "I can fly!"

That's my Haiku. Now it's your turn. The theme, of curse,  is Autumn.

What Teachers Make

I found out yesterday that my kindergarten teacher, Miss Veronica, is still teaching.  Miss Veronica was the ideal kindergarten teacher. She was pretty and smart. She made every kid feel special.  She said something kind and encouraging every day. She taught me to love learning.

A good teacher can alter a child's course in life.

Taylor Mali is a teacher and slam poet. His poem What  Teachers Make is a must see for teachers and those who love them. Check out his performance on YouTube.

(If you are easily offended by language, be advised.)

And to close out Nat'l Poetry Month

I give you one of my favorite poems. It is a divisive little verse. Love it? Hate it?

The Red Wheelbarrow

William Carlos Williams

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.

April is Nat'l Poetry Month III

Not only is he beautiful, he is a gifted artist and poet. This is one of my favorites from Viggo Mortensen.

Last Leg

After driving the first forty miles of the morning
you accused me of ignoring you.
Now I'm waiting for the next volley
but it isn't coming.
I've been thinking for an hour since
and I don't know what you meant.
All you probably wanted was to trade a few words.
I didn't.
My mind has been on road things.
I see that the ocotillo is greening,
the sage looks like new.
Crows everywhere.
Some of the washes are wet
and there's a three-day grass mantle
on the highway shoulder.
Even the cottonwoods show signs
of waking up.
But now that you've accused me
I don't feel like mentioning these things.
Or the roadkills.
Or the Colorado,
which we just crossed
as you bore down on yet another postcard.
Maybe you're right,
maybe this silence is oppressive -
indicating some great underlying disorder.
But the year is just beginning
and this car is running perfect.