A few weeks ago, we were sitting in our garage doing school (with the door open - a little shade while enjoying the nice weather) when we saw a hummingbird dart across the doorway. We haven't seen many of them around here, but decided then and there that we needed to set up a hummingbird feeder to attract these delightful creatures.
A few days later we picked up not one but two feeders (they're very inexpensive) at the hardware store along with a book on attracting hummingbirds (I'm sure it's probably the wrong time of year for, this, but we'll just give it another try in the spring). This new book along with our DK Eyewitness Handbook: Birds of the World have been favorites around here lately - particularly with the three year old. She keeps asking to look for the "Honey Bird Feeder". When you ask her to show you the "Honey Bird Feeder", she carefully pours over the Bird Handbook until she finds the male Great Frigatebird, which inflate their red throat sacs during breeding.
Friday, September 30, 2005
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Me and My Ducklings
Cross-posted to Love2learn Blog
Yesterday morning we decided to spend the afternoon at Old World Wisconsin. Things being what they are in busy homeschool families, it took several hours before everyone was done with their "essentials" (Math, Music, Latin and Religion - not necessarily in that order) and we finally left the house just after lunch. Halfway there, it started to rain (I did have an idea this might happen and a backup plan in mind before we left), so we decided to head to The Elegant Farmer - a country market we like to visit in the fall to get apple "seconds" for applesauce and pies. The children loved this adventure of driving through the countryside listening to Lyrical Life Science while the baby slept. It doesn't hurt that our best stereo system by far is the one in the car.
We've been so busy the last few years that we don't take these "adventures" nearly as much as we used to. Special field trips like this can be such great family time together.
There's not a lot to the farmer's market. The orchards are beautiful, but apple picking is only available on weekends (and we have some trees in the backyard to pick ourselves - more worm-eaten than these, though) and it was raining besides.
The place was delightfully uncrowded. Sometimes I think the beauty of these excursions is to spend some unhurried time together. They all rode on the huge wooden rocking horses and walked around and around on the hay bales before we entered the market. Their favorite part of this trip is the caramel apples. They picked out their apples (five different kinds to choose from) and were served by a nice lady who prepared them (on a stick or sliced) as they desired and even cut up a plain apple for my toddler. After I paid for these (she threw in the plain apple for free) and the children each had their paper bowl with their treat, the four older ones followed me and the double stroller around the store in a line from youngest to oldest. It was the funniest thing and far more duck-like than this was.
Funny how the simplest things can be so delightful. We were there for only a few hours, but it was something that all the children loved (ages 12 down to 1) and even the 12 year old enjoyed being one of the children for once. :)
We're not very consistent about saying the Rosary together as a family, but long car-rides are a good opportunity. On the way home, I started in, not sure if everyone in the back of the car (we have two middle seats out at present) would be able to hear. To my surprise the three oldest each begged to lead a decade and then my 12 year old offered to lead the final decade in Latin (they know the Our Father and Hail Mary in Latin, but I had to help out on the Glory Be which I was only able to remember once I started singing it).
Now this idea brought me back to an article I read in high school in my sister's copy of A Treasury of Catholic Digest: Favorite Stories of Fifty Years published by Ignatius Press. (I spent a lot of time during my homeschool years in my sister's apartment upstairs from Ignatius Press in San Francisco - this sort of thing, to me, was one of the real beauties of homeschooling in high school). A few years ago, I picked up this book myself from the Clearance section on the IP website. The article is entitled "Saying the Rosary in Tongues" by Robert Anderson (from the October 1982 issue of Catholic Digest).
The author had made the habit of praying a decade each in Latin, Spanish, Italian, French and German. This was a way for him to remember where he left off when he got interrupted in the middle of his prayers.
But I think - what an interesting idea for children! My children are already interested in different languages and different countries in the world. They might also consider offering those decades for those who speak that language. It might inspire some research into the missions, etc.
Here is the Latin for the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be (might be best to continue the other prayers in English since we don't repeat them so often):
Pater noster, qui es in coelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum; adveniat regnum tuum; fiat voluntas tua, sicut in coelo et in terra; panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis nodie; et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris; et ne nos inducas in tentationem. Sed libera nos a malo. Amen.
Ave Maria, gratia plena; Dominus tecum; benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto, sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Here are some links to prayers of the Rosary in other languages:
Rosary Prayers in Numerous Languages
The Our Father in over 1000 languages
The Hail Mary in over 150 languages
Yesterday morning we decided to spend the afternoon at Old World Wisconsin. Things being what they are in busy homeschool families, it took several hours before everyone was done with their "essentials" (Math, Music, Latin and Religion - not necessarily in that order
We've been so busy the last few years that we don't take these "adventures" nearly as much as we used to. Special field trips like this can be such great family time together.
There's not a lot to the farmer's market. The orchards are beautiful, but apple picking is only available on weekends (and we have some trees in the backyard to pick ourselves - more worm-eaten than these, though) and it was raining besides.
The place was delightfully uncrowded. Sometimes I think the beauty of these excursions is to spend some unhurried time together. They all rode on the huge wooden rocking horses and walked around and around on the hay bales before we entered the market. Their favorite part of this trip is the caramel apples. They picked out their apples (five different kinds to choose from) and were served by a nice lady who prepared them (on a stick or sliced) as they desired and even cut up a plain apple for my toddler. After I paid for these (she threw in the plain apple for free) and the children each had their paper bowl with their treat, the four older ones followed me and the double stroller around the store in a line from youngest to oldest. It was the funniest thing and far more duck-like than this was.
Funny how the simplest things can be so delightful. We were there for only a few hours, but it was something that all the children loved (ages 12 down to 1) and even the 12 year old enjoyed being one of the children for once. :)
We're not very consistent about saying the Rosary together as a family, but long car-rides are a good opportunity. On the way home, I started in, not sure if everyone in the back of the car (we have two middle seats out at present) would be able to hear. To my surprise the three oldest each begged to lead a decade and then my 12 year old offered to lead the final decade in Latin (they know the Our Father and Hail Mary in Latin, but I had to help out on the Glory Be which I was only able to remember once I started singing it).
Now this idea brought me back to an article I read in high school in my sister's copy of A Treasury of Catholic Digest: Favorite Stories of Fifty Years published by Ignatius Press. (I spent a lot of time during my homeschool years in my sister's apartment upstairs from Ignatius Press in San Francisco - this sort of thing, to me, was one of the real beauties of homeschooling in high school). A few years ago, I picked up this book myself from the Clearance section on the IP website. The article is entitled "Saying the Rosary in Tongues" by Robert Anderson (from the October 1982 issue of Catholic Digest).
The author had made the habit of praying a decade each in Latin, Spanish, Italian, French and German. This was a way for him to remember where he left off when he got interrupted in the middle of his prayers.
But I think - what an interesting idea for children! My children are already interested in different languages and different countries in the world. They might also consider offering those decades for those who speak that language. It might inspire some research into the missions, etc.
Here is the Latin for the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be (might be best to continue the other prayers in English since we don't repeat them so often):
Pater noster, qui es in coelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum; adveniat regnum tuum; fiat voluntas tua, sicut in coelo et in terra; panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis nodie; et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris; et ne nos inducas in tentationem. Sed libera nos a malo. Amen.
Ave Maria, gratia plena; Dominus tecum; benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto, sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Here are some links to prayers of the Rosary in other languages:
Rosary Prayers in Numerous Languages
The Our Father in over 1000 languages
The Hail Mary in over 150 languages
Math in the Evening
Cross-posted to Love2learn Blog
I've always wanted to make school plans that accomodated the children (especially the older ones) working with their Dad on Math in the evenings. It has happened here and there, but never really stuck... until now.
This year Ria (age 12) is studying Jacob's "A Human Endeavor" for 7th grade Math. There are three sets of problems for each lesson and the third set is tougher than the rest. I told her that she had to do the first two sets every day, but could do the third sets with her Dad at night whenever it worked out.Well, lo and behold, she's been reminding her Dad at night (around 7:30 or 8:00) to work on it nearly every evening for this first week of school. It turns out that she also likes to do her math early (meaning, getting it done the night before it has to be done so she can sleep in a little later the next morning) This has been such a joy to watch them working on Math together.
Well, these things don't always last (and I've always found that I have to leave enough wiggle room in our schedule or it all falls apart). But this habit is growing in a most delightful direction. The second or third night of this routine, my 5 1/2 year old (who is doing 1st grade Math) pulled out her book and worked through a bunch of pages on Daddy's lap while he was helping Ria.
Every night since then, all four school-age kids have participated in this night-time Math routine - voluntarily, and they seem to be enjoying it! Sometimes my favorite things about school are the ones that I never dreamed of planning. :)
I've always wanted to make school plans that accomodated the children (especially the older ones) working with their Dad on Math in the evenings. It has happened here and there, but never really stuck... until now.
This year Ria (age 12) is studying Jacob's "A Human Endeavor" for 7th grade Math. There are three sets of problems for each lesson and the third set is tougher than the rest. I told her that she had to do the first two sets every day, but could do the third sets with her Dad at night whenever it worked out.Well, lo and behold, she's been reminding her Dad at night (around 7:30 or 8:00) to work on it nearly every evening for this first week of school. It turns out that she also likes to do her math early (meaning, getting it done the night before it has to be done so she can sleep in a little later the next morning) This has been such a joy to watch them working on Math together.
Well, these things don't always last (and I've always found that I have to leave enough wiggle room in our schedule or it all falls apart). But this habit is growing in a most delightful direction. The second or third night of this routine, my 5 1/2 year old (who is doing 1st grade Math) pulled out her book and worked through a bunch of pages on Daddy's lap while he was helping Ria.
Every night since then, all four school-age kids have participated in this night-time Math routine - voluntarily, and they seem to be enjoying it! Sometimes my favorite things about school are the ones that I never dreamed of planning. :)
Monday, September 26, 2005
Much Ado About Shakespeare
We had a Shakespeare reading at our house yesterday afternoon. About 25 of us (ages 10 through adult, including a blind relative with her parts in Braille) read Much Ado About Nothing followed by a spaghetti dinner/potluck. We sure had a blast.
Usually John and I pawn the big parts off to others in the group, but we had a smaller group than usual (this is our fourth Shakespeare reading over the course of the last year or so), so we did Benedick and Beatrice. What fun! (And I had just enough breaks to the manage the food in the kitchen.)
It's amazing how much Shakespeare comes to life in this informal setting (with a wide variety of reading talents). My ten year old son and his cousin of the same age enjoyed listening to the entire play (and had small parts to read themselves). They certainly are made to be read aloud rather than to oneself.
Using the handy-dandy medium of e-mail, it's an easy party to plan and I assign parts ahead of time so that they can be read-through beforehand. It's easy to print up copies of the play from the web (we cut and paste into Word and then each family member highlights their own parts and prints their own copy). Try it some time. Great experience and a lot of fun.
By the way, I should credit some of my tutors from Thomas Aquinas College, who hosted Shakespeare readings for students on occasion, for sparking the idea in the first place. For those, we weren't assigned parts, people would just grab a part and run with it.
Usually John and I pawn the big parts off to others in the group, but we had a smaller group than usual (this is our fourth Shakespeare reading over the course of the last year or so), so we did Benedick and Beatrice. What fun! (And I had just enough breaks to the manage the food in the kitchen.)
It's amazing how much Shakespeare comes to life in this informal setting (with a wide variety of reading talents). My ten year old son and his cousin of the same age enjoyed listening to the entire play (and had small parts to read themselves). They certainly are made to be read aloud rather than to oneself.
Using the handy-dandy medium of e-mail, it's an easy party to plan and I assign parts ahead of time so that they can be read-through beforehand. It's easy to print up copies of the play from the web (we cut and paste into Word and then each family member highlights their own parts and prints their own copy). Try it some time. Great experience and a lot of fun.
By the way, I should credit some of my tutors from Thomas Aquinas College, who hosted Shakespeare readings for students on occasion, for sparking the idea in the first place. For those, we weren't assigned parts, people would just grab a part and run with it.
Superlatively Unsuperlative
What else but Shakespeare...
As I mentioned here, we had a reading of Much Ado About Nothing yesterday afternoon (great fun, highly recommended form of entertainment!).
When asked by leading man Claudio to compliment Claudio's love, Benedick (ever the sharp-witted one) replies:
Why, i' faith, methinks she's too low for a high praise, too brown for a fair praise, and too little for a great praise, only this commendation I can afford her, that were she other than she is, she were unhandsome, and being no other but as she is, I do not like her.
Something about this quote has always tickled my fancy and it frequently pops into my head in terms of analyzing books. Nobody can write even on the topic of mediocrity quite like Shakespeare. :)
As I mentioned here, we had a reading of Much Ado About Nothing yesterday afternoon (great fun, highly recommended form of entertainment!).
When asked by leading man Claudio to compliment Claudio's love, Benedick (ever the sharp-witted one) replies:
Why, i' faith, methinks she's too low for a high praise, too brown for a fair praise, and too little for a great praise, only this commendation I can afford her, that were she other than she is, she were unhandsome, and being no other but as she is, I do not like her.
Something about this quote has always tickled my fancy and it frequently pops into my head in terms of analyzing books. Nobody can write even on the topic of mediocrity quite like Shakespeare. :)
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Please Pray for a Great Priest
I used to attend the monthly (from May through October) Fatima pilgrimages at Our Lady of Peace Church in Santa Clara, California, from the time I was little enough to dress up as one of the angels in the procession. The long-time pastor of Our Lady of Peace, whose sermons and voice I will remember for the rest of my life, was Monsignor John Sweeny - one of a number of very holy priests who influenced my life early on. Please keep him in your prayers as he likely has only a few months more to live. Here is a little bit about him and his parish...
http://www.sffaith.com/ed/news/1201news.htm
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/599420/posts
http://www.ad2000.com.au/articles/2003/apr2003p13_1295.html
http://www.rc.net/sanjose/shrnolp/aboutsa.htm
The Joys and Sorrows of Motherhood
I'm an optimist. It doesn't mean that I'm happy all the time, but I tend to have the ability to reflect on the big picture when life really stinks and get myself out of ruts by stepping back and enjoying what is good about my family and my life. Overall, I think this is a good thing. It is this "big picture" that I most enjoy sharing with others through my websites and blogs.
Sometimes I think I end up projecting to others a life of perfect, even-rolling days, great cooperation and behavior from my children and a happy-go-lucky lifestyle. I even, at times, feel judged as not being able to understand others' scenarios or - even worse - people feel judged just because of who I am.
I see that a lot of moms judge themselves rather harshly and assume that their problems are unusual, or greater than anyone else's - not even counting the extra burdens, stresses, etc. of dealing with homeschooling and a large family. In some ways, this seems better than arrogance or over-confidence, which can be destructive in their own ways. I have found that it's rather safe to assume that everyone out there is struggling. A lot of times life stinks and the world beats you further when you're down. Everyone has "skeletons in their closet" or at least embarassing problems that stress them out and/or depress them - the sort they don't think they can share with anyone.
When it comes to homeschooling, quite of bit of experience and research with various educational theories, situations and outcomes has been really helpful in establishing my goals as a home educator. Getting a few years of actual homeschooling under my belt has further developed my overall confidence in what we do and how things are going. Still, it's amazing how fragile the human psyche is. One day I'll be seeing, quite logically, that things are plugging along well and that we're getting done what we need to do on the whole. Again, I see that the big picture is in the right place. It's amazing how suddenly one event can shatter that whole "bubble" and put me in a worried state again. I guess it's part of the human condition that we can never rest content with our life here on earth.
I've always been amazed at how helpful it is to find friends who are willing to listen and share problems with you. I think it might also be a truth about women that:
Sometimes I think I end up projecting to others a life of perfect, even-rolling days, great cooperation and behavior from my children and a happy-go-lucky lifestyle. I even, at times, feel judged as not being able to understand others' scenarios or - even worse - people feel judged just because of who I am.
I see that a lot of moms judge themselves rather harshly and assume that their problems are unusual, or greater than anyone else's - not even counting the extra burdens, stresses, etc. of dealing with homeschooling and a large family. In some ways, this seems better than arrogance or over-confidence, which can be destructive in their own ways. I have found that it's rather safe to assume that everyone out there is struggling. A lot of times life stinks and the world beats you further when you're down. Everyone has "skeletons in their closet" or at least embarassing problems that stress them out and/or depress them - the sort they don't think they can share with anyone.
When it comes to homeschooling, quite of bit of experience and research with various educational theories, situations and outcomes has been really helpful in establishing my goals as a home educator. Getting a few years of actual homeschooling under my belt has further developed my overall confidence in what we do and how things are going. Still, it's amazing how fragile the human psyche is. One day I'll be seeing, quite logically, that things are plugging along well and that we're getting done what we need to do on the whole. Again, I see that the big picture is in the right place. It's amazing how suddenly one event can shatter that whole "bubble" and put me in a worried state again. I guess it's part of the human condition that we can never rest content with our life here on earth.
I've always been amazed at how helpful it is to find friends who are willing to listen and share problems with you. I think it might also be a truth about women that:
- we need to talk our problems out with other women
- we need to know that we are not completely weird in our problems or our reactions to them
- we need sympathy and not just problem-solving-strategies in order to get through our problems
- (not to mention spiritual assistance)
In the end, while an optimist, I think I'm also very sensitive to what other people think of me. This is an unnecessary, illogical failing on my part in some ways, but something I overcome partly just by being aware of it.
I find that most of my greatest stresses come not from what happens within my home (and I have God, good parents and good upbringing to thank for that in part!!!) but by the pressures and expectations that come from the outside world and the problems of others that I want to help solve.
While I have a tendency to try to cushion others from experiencing pain - sometimes by not revealing things that bother me or sharing my sorrows with them, in the end I have found that part of the human experience is relieving each other's burdens by sharing them and comforting each other.
I guess in the end, I'm trying to say that I sympathize more with other families' sorrows and sufferings than might appear from the positive parts of life that I enjoy sharing with others.
Friday, September 23, 2005
Swimming With Scapulars
Swimming with Scapulars: True Confessions of a Young Catholic by Matthew Lickona (2005, Loyola Press) is an intensely personal account of the struggles of the author to apply his faith, which he deeply believes in, to the circumstances of growing up up in the modern world.
I found the account surprisingly compelling; I don't think it's because the author and I share the same alma mater. It's more that he's willing to let us get inside some of his deepest doubts, fears, frustrations, where we find a sympathy for our common imperfections and a sense of humanity that gives the book a flavor entirely other than a book on theology or even a conversion story.
The story is all the more endearing and compelling because of the experiences of the author's life that connect him with troubles and realities and even sensibilities of the modern world; his appreciation for fine foods, wine and alternative rock; his limited interaction with an abusive priest, his struggles to not judge others without abandoning his convictions.
Part of the beauty of the book for me was a reminder that applying our Catholic faith to our lives doesn't turn us all into religious clones. The faith and the teachings of the Church are far more subtle and supple than that.
I found the account surprisingly compelling; I don't think it's because the author and I share the same alma mater. It's more that he's willing to let us get inside some of his deepest doubts, fears, frustrations, where we find a sympathy for our common imperfections and a sense of humanity that gives the book a flavor entirely other than a book on theology or even a conversion story.
The story is all the more endearing and compelling because of the experiences of the author's life that connect him with troubles and realities and even sensibilities of the modern world; his appreciation for fine foods, wine and alternative rock; his limited interaction with an abusive priest, his struggles to not judge others without abandoning his convictions.
Part of the beauty of the book for me was a reminder that applying our Catholic faith to our lives doesn't turn us all into religious clones. The faith and the teachings of the Church are far more subtle and supple than that.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
"This is not a partisan issue."
Very pleased to see critical responses from across the political spectrum to the Supreme Court's eminent domain ruling Kelo vs. New London...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,169926,00.html
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,169926,00.html
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
That Small Catholic Homeschool World
I just found out yesterday that Danielle Bean, author of My Cup of Tea: Musings of a Catholic Mom, is the sister of one of my roommates from Thomas Aquinas College.
And she likes the Blue Angels. :)
And she likes the Blue Angels. :)
Monday, September 12, 2005
What Big Business Does Well
Government might have something to learn from the Business sector in disaster relief:
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110007238
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110007238
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Ah, the Joys of Parenting ...
and listening to your daughters practice the same songs at the piano over and over again.
My husband says, "It's not so much that we heard them before they were famous - we heard them before they were GOOD." :)
My husband says, "It's not so much that we heard them before they were famous - we heard them before they were GOOD." :)
Monday, September 05, 2005
On Inner Cities and Natural Disasters
I think one of the things that made Hurricane Katrina unique was its impact on a major city - complete with inner city, poverty stricken neighborhoods. I heard that the last time a major city was completely evacuated in the U.S. was during the civil war. People are shocked and saddened that such chaos and devastation can occur in our country today. It's not just the natural disaster, of course, but the response problems from those who should be helping and the additional havoc wrought by some of the victims.
But in a way, how can we be so shocked at this when we allow inner cities to be the way they are? One of the ironic things about this whole disaster is that it might turn out to be a long-term way out for some of the victims of both the hurricane and the inner cities. Some of these souls in major cities have never been outside the city limits. They may have never even visited the seashore that would be a short drive for most. Imagine your life like that. Wouldn't evacuation orders seem like something from a different world even if you had the means to go somewhere else?
Next time around, we of course need a plan to evacuate inner city and needy people BEFORE a storm hits. I have seen pictures of hundreds of flooded school buses in New Orleans that were clearly never put into use when they were most needed.
I'd like to see a real forum after the mess is cleaned up to coordinate future responses to major disaters. It's awful to see people like Anne Rice claiming that no one cared about what happened in New Orleans because that is baloney (tempted to use a less polite term, though). Everyone wants to help. I drove around our Midwestern town Saturday and saw a number of lemonade stands run by children and teens to raise money for the Hurricane. I went to a church rummage sale that was planning to truck remaining clothing down to the hurricane victims and were also collecting cash donations to help out (ladies were even negotiating prices based on donating the difference to the hurricane victims!!). There are thousands and thousands of people on every level of society trying to do things to help out. There is no lack of generosity, compassion and concern on the whole. What is needed is better coordination and greater cooperation and creativity between various organizations. If we could get together a team comprised of members of government, business, charity organizations and the media, I think the results COULD be amazing.
Another thing, though, would be to gather ideas and information over time from the displaced victims of the hurricane - particularly those who lived in the inner cities. Perhaps some what we learn from them could be used to help solve the problems, or at least alleviate them where possible, for those trapped in the often chaotic and tragic circumstances of inner-city 21st century American life.
But in a way, how can we be so shocked at this when we allow inner cities to be the way they are? One of the ironic things about this whole disaster is that it might turn out to be a long-term way out for some of the victims of both the hurricane and the inner cities. Some of these souls in major cities have never been outside the city limits. They may have never even visited the seashore that would be a short drive for most. Imagine your life like that. Wouldn't evacuation orders seem like something from a different world even if you had the means to go somewhere else?
Next time around, we of course need a plan to evacuate inner city and needy people BEFORE a storm hits. I have seen pictures of hundreds of flooded school buses in New Orleans that were clearly never put into use when they were most needed.
I'd like to see a real forum after the mess is cleaned up to coordinate future responses to major disaters. It's awful to see people like Anne Rice claiming that no one cared about what happened in New Orleans because that is baloney (tempted to use a less polite term, though). Everyone wants to help. I drove around our Midwestern town Saturday and saw a number of lemonade stands run by children and teens to raise money for the Hurricane. I went to a church rummage sale that was planning to truck remaining clothing down to the hurricane victims and were also collecting cash donations to help out (ladies were even negotiating prices based on donating the difference to the hurricane victims!!). There are thousands and thousands of people on every level of society trying to do things to help out. There is no lack of generosity, compassion and concern on the whole. What is needed is better coordination and greater cooperation and creativity between various organizations. If we could get together a team comprised of members of government, business, charity organizations and the media, I think the results COULD be amazing.
Another thing, though, would be to gather ideas and information over time from the displaced victims of the hurricane - particularly those who lived in the inner cities. Perhaps some what we learn from them could be used to help solve the problems, or at least alleviate them where possible, for those trapped in the often chaotic and tragic circumstances of inner-city 21st century American life.
Saturday, September 03, 2005
Friday, September 02, 2005
Hurricane Katrina
Like many families, I suppose, we've been following news reports on the suffering along the Gulf Coast. It's hard not to get caught up in the whole thing, keep going back to the T.V. and the Internet hoping to hear some good news, etc. (That "better news" seems to finally be starting to happen today). The stories have been so heartbreaking and sometimes it's the little things that get you - a little boy having to leave his dog in New Orleans to travel by bus to Houston. I was glad to hear Bush's very straightforward speech this morning - praising those who were trying their best, but cutting to the chase that the "results were unacceptable." I'm sure that, like many famous disasters of the past (the Titanic especially comes to mind) there will be significant hearings and changes made in the way we respond to disasters.
I was delighted to hear of some of the creativity being used to create solutions for some of the myriad of problems created by the shutting down of an entire large city. Premature babies were successfully flown out to hospitals around the nation. They worked to reunite parents with the babies as soon as they could, but the priorities and organization were quite successful. University students in the hard-hit areas have been accepted at colleges and universities throughout the country - with a great deal of flexibility, substantially reduced tuition. etc. There were a LOT of problems, but some things went incredibly well for such a short period of time.
You always wish you could do SOMETHING to help when something terrible happens. So last night I ran to Walmart with some of my kids. We decided to pick out some toiletries and other goodies for the victims of the hurricane. I had a friend traveling to the Houston area who was collecting donations. The kids enjoyed picking out toothpaste, soap, baby wipes, socks, etc. I think it was a good process for them to go through - imagine what it's like in that situation, think of how important these basic things would be that we take for granted, be creative about nice things to send and how to stretch the budget as far as we could. We organized the materials into large clear zip-lock bags to prevent them from getting lost in the shuffle - a bag of blankets, a bag of toiletries, a bag of baby items, etc.
The next day I started worrying about whether it was such a good idea to buy "stuff." It is true that organizations work better with money (saves shipping costs for one thing!), but I had wanted to do something more tangible in my children's eyes. I thought my friend might get over-swamped with stuff and that these items might never reach those they were intended to help. I even thought about going back and returning everything.
We had a homeschool planning meeting at our house this afternoon and several families had decided to pool stuff to send down south with our friend. On the way here, one of the ladies happened to drive past a large truck parked in town, open in back and filled with water bottles and bags of clothes. She stopped and asked if we could add our stuff to the pile and the driver was more than willing. We met the deadline and, bing, the stuff is on its way.
The kids were SO thrilled to know that it was heading in the right direction and might help make a few people happy, or at least more comfortable. Next time I suppose it would be wiser to buy things for the local food pantry and send money for the far-away stuff, but this time it worked out really well.
Related Links:
Regarding Tsunamis and Humility
Hurricane Katrina Assistance for Homeschoolers
Seton Home Study Fund for Hurricane Victims
Homeschool Foundation Hurricane Response
Sell Items for Hurricane Relief
American Red Cross
Catholic Charities USA
I was delighted to hear of some of the creativity being used to create solutions for some of the myriad of problems created by the shutting down of an entire large city. Premature babies were successfully flown out to hospitals around the nation. They worked to reunite parents with the babies as soon as they could, but the priorities and organization were quite successful. University students in the hard-hit areas have been accepted at colleges and universities throughout the country - with a great deal of flexibility, substantially reduced tuition. etc. There were a LOT of problems, but some things went incredibly well for such a short period of time.
You always wish you could do SOMETHING to help when something terrible happens. So last night I ran to Walmart with some of my kids. We decided to pick out some toiletries and other goodies for the victims of the hurricane. I had a friend traveling to the Houston area who was collecting donations. The kids enjoyed picking out toothpaste, soap, baby wipes, socks, etc. I think it was a good process for them to go through - imagine what it's like in that situation, think of how important these basic things would be that we take for granted, be creative about nice things to send and how to stretch the budget as far as we could. We organized the materials into large clear zip-lock bags to prevent them from getting lost in the shuffle - a bag of blankets, a bag of toiletries, a bag of baby items, etc.
The next day I started worrying about whether it was such a good idea to buy "stuff." It is true that organizations work better with money (saves shipping costs for one thing!), but I had wanted to do something more tangible in my children's eyes. I thought my friend might get over-swamped with stuff and that these items might never reach those they were intended to help. I even thought about going back and returning everything.
We had a homeschool planning meeting at our house this afternoon and several families had decided to pool stuff to send down south with our friend. On the way here, one of the ladies happened to drive past a large truck parked in town, open in back and filled with water bottles and bags of clothes. She stopped and asked if we could add our stuff to the pile and the driver was more than willing. We met the deadline and, bing, the stuff is on its way.
The kids were SO thrilled to know that it was heading in the right direction and might help make a few people happy, or at least more comfortable. Next time I suppose it would be wiser to buy things for the local food pantry and send money for the far-away stuff, but this time it worked out really well.
Related Links:
Regarding Tsunamis and Humility
Hurricane Katrina Assistance for Homeschoolers
Seton Home Study Fund for Hurricane Victims
Homeschool Foundation Hurricane Response
Sell Items for Hurricane Relief
American Red Cross
Catholic Charities USA
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