National Parks on PBS

I've been watching Ken Burns' new documentary series on the National Parks. It's been interesting to see how the history of the parks has evolved through the hard work and determination of some ordinary and extraordinary individuals.

There are 391 units in the National Park Service system that are divided into nine regions. They encompass parks, seashores, historical trails, battlefields, monuments, homes and areas of natural wonder. I've been fascinated by them for a long time. And I've had a very patient family who has allowed me to drag them to several. (Even when they have not really been interested in that particular site.) One day, I'd like to be able to say I've visited all 391 (of course, that number is bound to increase). A quick tally of the cancellation stamps in my National Parks Passport tells me I have about 320 to go.

Earthfotos Exhibit

On Friday evening I had the opportunity to attend the reception for a new Earthfotos photography exhibit. The photos will be on display for the next few weeks, so go by the OSU Center for the Humanities on Jefferson between 8th and 9th streets in Corvallis, or check out Ron's Earthfotos website.

Oktoberfest

Living in southern Oregon I missed so many of the fairs and festivals of my childhood. Yesterday my mother, sister and I headed to Mt. Angel for the Oktoberfest. I really wanted to go this year. Not for the beer, or the music, but for the food. What can I say? I love my heiritage and food, so brats with kraut and onion rings were calling my name. It was worth it. :)

Thank you for Blessings

I consider myself to be a person of faith. Faith that God exists and He hears our prayers. Faith that those prayers come in a variety of shapes, sizes and emotions, and that that is not as important to God as what we have to say.

So...that being said I wanted to shout that my prayers for someone I love a great deal have been answered. After months of waiting for new medical tests and a second opionon this person does not have a cronic, debilitating illness. Thanks to God for hearing our prayers. It is a blessing.

9/11 Remembered

Today was the 8th anniversary of September 11. It's hard to believe it's only been eight years since in some ways it's faded from my memory somewhat. Then tonight the History Channel showed a marathon of 9/11 footage including the documentary "102 Minutes that Changed America." I hadn't seen it before, and it brought back the horror of the whole situation.

I admit that my first recollections of that morning eight years ago fell along the lines of "oh, how interesting." I'm not an AM TV watcher, so I first heard about the attack on the radio. Then came a little more information. But the moment that it really hit me was as I was driving I-5, passing Enchanted Forest when the announcement came that the airports were closed. That was my "whoa!" moment. I was supposed to pick up my sister and a friend at PDX that night. They were flying home from another friend's wedding in Nevada. I called my parents to find out if they had heard from my sister. And I spent the rest of the day teaching in a building that had no cable TV. The internet was overloaded, and information was scarce. The whole day was sort of surreal until I could see the images on TV when I got home.

Work kept my thoughts pretty calm. Once I was home, however, my overactive imagine could run rampant. The wedding guests in Nevada managed to squeeze extra people in cars. My sister got home about 11:00 that night. My immediate family was accounted for, Thank God. But it was days before I heard from friends in LA and DC, who could have either been on one of those planes, or near the Pentagon when that plane hit. And then came the realization that life would be different. And I made a pledge to myself to not live in fear, which I think I've done pretty well.

School Day 6 - Some Thoughts So Far

Today was the sixth day of school, and I'm feeling a bit "off". First, I'm having trouble (at least in my mind) with only working half days. It just feels like I leave the day unfinished by leaving before the kids do. Second, in the last six days we've had three different schedules. It's been a bit nerve-wracking to not feel like the routine is set. Since the schedule affects my classroom less than some of the others, I can only wonder how other teachers are feeling. Finally, I'm putting in some sub hours. I really thought subbing was behind me. Way back when, when I was a sub, I enjoyed the work. It was stimulating on one level and gave me tons of experience. I got to go home at the end of the day without grading or lesson plans to write. It was fun. Now, I'm feeling sort of like I've been demoted. It's not the subbing experience that bothers me; it's the subbing job that does.

Labor Day Weekend - Rain & Eagles

We spent a really wet, soggy weekend at the lake. Don't get me wrong. It was enjoyable, just...wet. That means smokey campfires, squishy mud between the toes, and just hanging out with friends and family. I played numerous games of "Go Fish" and "Blackjack" with my younger niece; celebrated my older niece turning Sweet 16, and listening to wildly outrageous stories by several people.

So, most of the crew packed up Sunday and headed home. We decided to stick it out one more night. The weather cleared a bit and we were entertained watching a pair of bald eagles. It was worth the weather.

Back to School

Today was our first official day back to school. Okay, so I had to work last week, but today was the first "kid day." And it doesn't matter that I've been a teacher for over a decade, first days are always THE FIRST DAY.

Today went really well. Thankfully my students are a older; mostly juniors and seniors. About half of the group is consists of kids I had last year. That can be a blessing or a curse. Today it was a blessing. Of course we've implemented a new curriculum which sort of leveled the playing field a bit. Thankfully most everyone was patient as we sorted our the various technological bugs. The oddest part for me was leaving at lunch time. I'm not used to only working a half day. I'm not sure I like it. It leaves so much undone. I lack closure. On the plus side, leaving at noon means I'm energized. I go to the gym. I clean house. Who knows what else I can accomplish. :)