Month: May 2011

The Anniversary Waltz

“Tell me I may always dance
The Anniversary Waltz with you.
Tell me this is real romance,
An anniversary dream come true.
Let this be the anthem
To our future years,
To millions of smiles
And a few little tears.
Tell me I may always dance
The Anniversary Waltz with you.”

Quote of the Day

I know that it’s just a TV show, but I’ve always thought that this speech from Richard Gilmore, at the party celebrating his and his wife Emily’s 40th anniversary/vow renewal, (thus the humor of the “second wife” line) is very sweet:

“Thank you. On behalf of myself and my second wife, Emily, I would like to thank you all for coming here to help us celebrate. You are good friends, and we are very, very lucky. Now, in planning our traditional first dance, I gave a lot of thought to the song that would represent the next phase in our marriage. The best phase in our marriage, I believe. I went over all the greats–Bennett, Sinatra, Chuck Berry–and a story popped into my head. Now, most of you know my daughter, Lorelai. When Lorelai was three, she went through a period of having chronic ear infections. It was terrible. Screaming all night long, we couldn’t keep a nanny longer than a week.

And so, it fell to Emily to sit with her all night long. She tried everything to calm her down. Finally, she found a song that seemed to soothe her. It was a popular song on the radio and it soon became Emily’s favorite. Of course, it drove me crazy–some woman complaining about how she wanted to marry a man named Bill. Not exactly Cole Porter. Emily would tease me, saying, ‘If only your name was Bill, then this could be our song.’ Well, Emily, for tonight, and tonight only, my name is Bill, and this is our song. Hit the button, Johnny. Your hand, madam.” Edward Herrmann as Richard Gilmore in Gilmore Girls

Tweet Me in St. Louis

I’d like to say that the reason I went to tonight’s Cardinals game was because I’m such a generous wife, and went with Ryan to support him at a kind of work event–Social Media Night. The truth is, however, that I really wanted to get a t-shirt that says “Tweet Me in St. Louis” on it–plus, who doesn’t love a baseball game?

Social Media night at Busch stadium consisted of three things: 1.) $20 tickets in the Lower Left Field Box; 2.) The previously mentioned free t-shirt; 3.) A pre-game “mixer” with cash bar.

The seats were good. We got really close to a foul ball at one point (and I freaked out!), and it was nice to sit on the lower level for a change. The angle of the seats was a little strange, but once I got used to it, it was good, and we could see all the action on the field just fine. I could have done without the idiots sitting behind us, however–they were clearly not interested in the baseball game at all.

I love the shirt. Yes, I know it’s totally dorky, but I think it’s cute. It was also nice to be able to throw on an extra layer, as by the end of the game, the temperature was in the low 50s (it is still May, right?). Plus, I love a good play on words, and the shirt accomplishes that nicely.

The mixer was lame. For something geared toward people using various forms of “social media,” it didn’t appear that anyone there was interested in being social at all. We pretty much just got our shirts, walked around the area in which the mixer was set up, and left to wander the ballpark.

Which brings me to one of my favorite parts of the evening: We finally got to see one of the All-Star arches from a few years back up close! I’ve wanted to get a look at one, and take a picture, ever since the summer the All-Star game was here…so, since 2009, I guess. We saw them all over town, then, but we either weren’t able to stop, or I didn’t have the camera on me, so I couldn’t get a photo, but while we wandering around a part of Busch Stadium that I don’t think we’ve ever been through before, we found two of them. Mission accomplished!

The other awesome part of the evening? The game’s end. Not that the game was over, but the way it ended–and RBI single to win it in the ninth. Perfect. Fireworks, players celebrating on the field, fans celebrating in the stands, the requisite drum line outside the stadium–just what you hope for at a baseball game.

And the scene outside the stadium was something else. Throngs of happy Cardinals fans, making their way back to cars, train stops, buses, bars…wherever. And the line of buses waiting for passengers! Amazing. Street musicians. Rickshaws. All of the typical post-game sights and sounds you’d expect after a baseball game, with a festive air following a really close couple of innings.

Tonight was the perfect baseball game. But, just like we had a rehearsal the night before our wedding day, this was just the trial-run for tomorrow’s baseball-related events. Details to follow…

The Mystery of the Lost Sock

Yesterday, one of my children, (who shall remain nameless), “lost” a sock while getting dressed. After much looking, the sock was still nowhere to be found, and said child finally just grabbed another sock out of the drawer and put it on.

Notice that the child was not worried about the location of the missing sock. I can’t say I shared that carefree reaction–I lose enough socks to the black hole that is the dryer, without losing more “somewhere.” Plus, it was making me crazy thinking that there was a sock lying around, just waiting to be found and put away. I did look for it, but I couldn’t locate it anywhere, so I finally gave up, too.

The mystery of the sock became apparent at bedtime, however. When the aforementioned child was removing the socks, we discovered that one small foot had two socks on it, one on top of the other. To top it off, another child admitted to having done the same thing in the past, but was quick to add that in that situation, the sock problem was discovered and remedied in short order.

I’m both relieved that the sock has been found, and amused at its location!

Quote of the Day

“I’m not saying what I’m saying. I’m not saying what I’m thinking. In fact, I’m not thinking what I’m thinking. There’s only one thing on my mind right now…I need a drink.” Bruce Boxleitner as Captain John Sheridan on Babylon 5

So Many Books, So Little Time

In revising my long-terms goals for homeschooling, I’ve come to a terrible conclusion: there’s just not enough time to teach all of the things I want the children to learn!

Take science, for example. For the last few years, we’ve done Sonlight science, and I’ve been pretty happy with it. It’s time for a change, though, so for our upcoming third grade year, we’ll be doing Beautiful Feet’s History of Science program. But I also want to use some of My Father’s World’s science in the future (not third grade, thankfully–it’s a repeat of what we did this year, so we’re able to fit in the BF program), and I want to use at least some of the Apologia science that isn’t already scheduled in MFW. But, there are more years worth of science programs that I want to use than I have years left of elementary school to get through. Scary.

Foreign language is another example. Will we have time to study all of the languages I’d like to fit in? Besides Memoria Press’s Latin, I’d like us to get at least a basic grasp of French and German (probably with Rosetta Stone). And then I think maybe we should study Spanish, too. And the children have some ideas of languages they might like to add, including Greek and Italian (I have no idea why). Obviously, we can’t do it all. But how do I maximize our time so that we can learn as much as possible?

Thankfully, the history cycle is pretty straightforward. Every four years, we study the same thing, so I don’t have to worry about us missing any major points in history. I can’t guarantee that we’ll get through all of the extra books I’m hoping to read, however!

Math and language arts are really the only two subjects I don’t have to worry about, because it’s not like you can even try to do two programs at once, and once you find something that works, it doesn’t make any sense to jump around. So that’s a relief right there.

The rest of it, though…well, I’m starting to feel more like a “real” teacher struggling with this dilemma, anyway!

The End of an Era

It has now been exactly one month since ABC announced that it is cancelling two long-standing (over forty years each) soap operas–One Life to Live and All My Children.

This wasn’t a complete shock–or it shouldn’t have been. Guiding Light (which lasted for over 70 years on radio and TV) and As the World Turns have both been cancelled in recent years. And it has been rumored that ABC would cancel one of their soaps sooner rather than later. But to cancel two of them at once, and for neither of the shows cancelled to be General Hospital–well, it left soap fans reeling.

I have to admit, I’m a closet One Life to Live fan. I started watching it when I was on maternity leave following Turkey’s birth over eight years ago. As a matter of fact, I so remember the scene that made me tune in as I was aimlessly channel surfing that I could tell you the exact date I started watching (April 23, 2003–Mitch Lawrence was involved), and I remember well the stories that followed, especially Dorian and Blair gas lighting a temporarily blinded Mitch.

Now, I’m not proud of my soap habit. I know there are better things I can do with my time, although it can be a nice distraction while folding laundry. In my defense, I’ve never been able to watch for extended periods of time, either because I got bored, or I was just too busy. But I’ve always come back, whether it’s after a few months away, or in one instance, over a year. And there’s always been a kind of comfort in knowing how little soaps change over time–anyone who watches soaps knows that one storyline can drag out for months, or even longer! And the characters remain the same, and the places–it’s like a televised version of comfort food!

Which brings me to my real reason for sorrow over the loss of another two soaps, and what is probably the beginning of the end for the genre in general. There’s a history to soap operas that I’m very sad to see go. From their beginning as brief shorts on the radio, to their transition to TV, and eventually to hour-long programs, they’ve been a constant, through wars, and disasters and advancements in technology. Soaps have been a standard of daytime television for so long, it’s hard to imagine what TV looks like without them.

Many (if not all) of these shows are older than I am; some are older than my own mother (or were, at least, before Guiding Light went black). Viewing old clips immediately showcases the change in fashion, hairstyles, and even interior design over the years, not to mention the way camera angles, lighting, and production have changed in TV. They’ve dealt with current events in their own convoluted way, and just looking back at the recaps over the course of decades, it’s obvious what were hot button issues of the times.

There’s also the family aspect. I can’t tell you how many women my age I know that remember watching soaps as a child with their mothers and/or grandmothers. Due to the subject matter, it’s not something I’ve ever shared with my children, which is possibly part of the problem, but there’s something about a show that can unite women across generations that is inspiring. I’ve also heard stories from women my mother’s age who remember everything stopping in their college dorms when a particular show was on, and everyone on the floor would gather to watch. It’s unique the way these kind of shows have drawn women together, and the way they’ve become a part of our pop culture, often without us even realizing it.

Now, in the grand scheme of things, this is hardly a big deal. It’s TV–life will go on. But I’m always sad to see a piece of history lost, even if it’s something as trivial as a soap opera. And no matter what your personal opinion of soap operas is, good, bad or indifferent, it is a part of our history that will simply fade away into distant memory.

Art on the Square

It’s that time of year again–Art on the Square has returned to Belleville, IL!

Art on the Square is the thing Belleville does best every year. On more than one occasion, it’s been named the best Art Fair in the nation–and these accolades coming even with Art on the Square only celebrating its 10th anniversary!

There are always artists to watch and talk to, even on a miserably rainy day like today:

There are favorite booths we look forward to seeing every year, such as this one belonging to photographer John Hartung:

And new favorites like photographer John Scanlan, who had beautiful pictures of various European locations:

The booths containing space and weather photography, (by Scott Johnson and David Mayhew, respectively), also had some beautiful things (can you tell I really like the photographers best?):

We also enjoy seeing local artists, such as Mark Hurd of St. Louis. He had some really awesome prints, including one of Ted Drewes Frozen Custard:

We always look forward to seeking out the creator of the year’s fair poster, in order to get our copy signed. This time, the artist, (who works with watercolors), was Gordon France, and his booth was quite popular:

Of course, there are always booths that are simply fun to look at, like these sculptures by Marina Lee:

And these, by Kevin Trobaugh, proclaimed to be “beautiful,” by Moose (some of them move in the wind):

Art on the Square also boasts a nice children’s area, with hands-on activities, as well as performers to watch. We didn’t get to participate in a lot of the activities, some of which included decorating a mini flower-pot and planting Black-eyed Susan seeds, sand art, and paper hat making, (probably for the best–they would have disintegrated in the rain!), but the children did get to plant some bean seeds and color some pictures. They also enjoyed all of the whimsical decorations adorning the children’s corner!

Saturday morning’s crowd was much smaller than usual, because of the weather, I’m certain. Still, there was a dedicated group of art lovers, umbrellas in hand, enjoying the walk around the square, viewing all of the different types of art, as well as the various food tents and musical performers.

This is definitely one of our family’s favorite traditions–someday, we may even be able to buy something there!

A Lutheran School Success Story

This just summarizes the success of an inner-city Lutheran School in East St. Louis, which is supported by churches of the Southern Illinois District, (including our congregation), and even other churches and schools around the country. The full article details how they’ve managed to succeed, when so many other Lutheran schools with better odds are failing, and what kind of difference they’re making in children’s lives.

“Odds said Unity Lutheran Christian School wouldn’t make it.

It opened in 2003 as other urban faith-based schools were closing. And it took hold in East St. Louis, a place where the two Lutheran churches were barely scraping by, and most parents could not afford private-school tuition.

Nevertheless, a Lutheran mission board wanted to open a school in this struggling city, where the public school system had failed for years. And ever since, Unity Lutheran Christian School has defied the odds, growing from 17 that year in preschool and kindergarten to 150 students this year through seventh grade. Next year, there are plans to add eighth grade. About 20 students are on a waiting list.”

via Lutheran school thrives in E. St. Louis.