The View from Here

My Thanks to Ed Sullivan

Gary and I enjoy watching America’s Got Talent. I know it’s a bit wild and crazy at times. But I love seeing what people will do for fifteen minutes of fame, and the judges really have “discovered” some awesome talent. I put the word discovered in quotes because I’m never certain how much of these shows are scripted, rehearsed, “rigged” or whatever. I don’t want to know. I don’t want to follow the Hoff blog or check the website for weekly updates and back stage gossip. I just want to be entertained for an hour. The singers and dancers and jugglers and magicians are just what I need as a break from crime shows and too much reality. Not so sure about the judges sometimes.  I appreciate that Sharon likes dogs and kids, but I’m not a big fan of hers and can’t stand her husband. David is amusing, but too, too corny. Piers is often a voice of reason, even when it’s a whiny voice. And Nick is a good host, but he’s no Ed Sullivan.

Ed was THE MAN.  And his show brought the talent of the world into our living rooms. The Ed Sullivan Show ( originally The Toast of the Town) wasn’t just entertainment; it was education and cultural evolution. The Ed Sullivan Show was the longest running variety show in TV history. It was on from before I was born (1948) to the year Katrina was born (1971)! Amazing! Ed showcased people we couldn’t wait to hear, along with people we’d never heard of, but would soon be talking about over dinner. Where else could you see Maria Callas, Yul Brenner, Rudolf Nureyev, Henry Fonda, Barbra Streisand, Elvis, Topo Gigio, and The Beatles? Ed tried to think of everyone in his audience, including children and teenagers. He brought over 10,000 acts to the stage. They don’t make shows like that anymore.

People made fun of Ed. His stiffness and lack of stage presence were fodder for comedians. His phrases, such as “really big shew” were imitated by everyone. But I think Ed was brilliant and his show was responsible for exposing me to opera, ballet, Broadway musicals, and the Beatles. Without his show I’m not sure any of those would have been a part of my isolated farm life. After fifty years I can still clearly remember some of the shows and performers I watched as a young child. I’m not sure I’ll remember too many of the acts from America’s Got Talent next week. Thanks Ed!

 

 

Corsets, girdles, and contraptions

I typed an amusing ad for my Caddo blog yesterday: “We have just received, direct from the factory, the latest styles in Summer Corsets for 1902. We have a good straight-front girdle for 38c. Something real nice for 48c. Golden Rule Racket .” (BTW, a racket store was a variety store. It got the name because of displays of stuff that bumped together and made noise, or a “racket”.)

The first thing I noticed about the ad was that they were selling summer corsets. Wearing a corset and the clothing from 1902 couldn’t have been pleasant in our heat. We’re talking about floor-length skirts and layers of cloth. And I thought about some woman scrimping and saving an extra dime for “something real nice”.

Corsets, girdles and other contraptions stayed in vogue for quite a while. My grandmother never left the house without a girdle. I don’t think she knew how to get dressed without one! My mother wore one for many, many years, but finally gave it up when most other women quit wearing them. Of course I wore one in the seventies when I didn’t need it. I was at my lowest weight ever, but wore a girdle for that extra flat look.

Of course one of the reasons for wearing a girdle, or at least a garter belt, was so you could wear hose. Those slippery, twisting things wouldn’t stay in place unless you were trussed up in some contraption. And like most girls, I couldn’t wait until I was old enough to wear them. What a fool! We all celebrated when pantyhose were invented, and then I learned to loathe them too. Haven’t owned a pair in ten years!

If you feel the need to make yourself miserable, you can still buy a 1902 style corset or girdle. You could even wear it with a vintage dress. You can buy almost anything women have ever worn. Some contraptions are made for people who wear vintage clothing for plays and fairs and festivals. Others are made for people who just like to be “compressed”. J As for me, I’ll go put on my slacks, soft cotton shirt, and comfortable shoes and go to work!

 

My Favorite Child

Favorite- “one that is treated or regarded with special favor or liking”

I always knew I was my parents’ favorite child. After all, I was the oldest, smartest, cutest, and most obedient! How could I NOT be all that in a house filled with boys? Even when I just had one baby brother, he didn’t know a thing until I showed it to him. He was always getting into trouble, while I was mostly too afraid to get into trouble. Once I had three brothers it was not even a contest. It was “Mary” and "the boys”. They didn’t even have names! LOL Number four may have later claimed my privileged place as favorite, but only because I was married and gone.

As adults we sometimes forget how desperately some children want to be the “favorite”, the “best” , the one admired above all the rest. They want to be the first in line, the first to get a treat, the one to sit on Mom’s lap, or next to the window, or beside Dad at the table. They want to be chosen first for the baseball team and get the highest grade in math. We may think they do that because they just know they are smarter or stronger or faster or better than anyone else, but the opposite is usually true. The child who isn’t confident and isn’t sure of his abilities often needs that special treatment from someone in authority to reassure him that he is “worthy”.

I honestly never questioned my place in my family, I suppose because I was the oldest and the only girl. I even assumed I was the favorite grandchild! However, my own children, especially my girls, often pondered who my favorite was. I don’t think anyone can truly understand the absurdity of that question until they have more than one child. There is no way to have a “favorite” child when each is such a vital part of your heart and soul! It would be like trying to decide which piece of a puzzle made it complete. If you remove any piece, it destroys the picture!

I think what confuses children is that they don’t understand how unique they truly are. They aren’t clones of us and we may find it easier to get along with or understand the child who has more of our own personality traits. I grew up with boys, so sometimes my “prissy” girls were baffling to me! :) What was the big deal about getting dirty or having a scraped knee? What do you mean you can’t pick up a bug? But sometimes children perceive the ease with which we interact with one child as favoritism toward them, when it is simply the comfort of familiar ground. We may have to work much harder to interact comfortably with a child who takes more risks than we would, or is smarter than we are, or who is louder or quieter. It has nothing to do with love or favor, just interaction.

My students vie for my attention on a daily basis. Their parents ask me numerous questions about favoritism problems at home. I’ve even had some say things like “well, the problem is that she’s the favorite grandchild”. I don’t think there is anything wrong with a child feeling like he or she is the “favorite”, but I do think there is something wrong if we are still using those terms, or seeking that approval as adults. We don’t have to be someone’s favorite to be loved. Do you think God has a favorite among us?

 

Passion Flower

I've felt a little guilty lately about all the things I've been doing instead of working in my garden. It is looking neglected! But apparently my garden doesn't hold a grudge. This morning Gary and I  went downtown and worked on two of the flowerbeds. When we got home this is what was waiting for us!

True Wisdom

One of my students constantly keeps his hands in his pockets- walks that way, runs that way. Frightens me because years ago I had to rush a neighbor’s four-year-old to the emergency room with cuts and scrapes all over his face- he slipped on our gravel drive, and because he had his hands in his pockets, he couldn’t protect his face. Well, I explained all this to my little one the first day of school when I observed this behavior at recess. Told him the same thing yesterday morning at recess. Reminded him at afternoon recess and told him emphatically that his behavior was not safe and I did not want him to get hurt. He looked at me for a second, scrunched up his face, and said, “Well, how about if I walk with one hand in my pocket and I can use the other one if I fall down?”  How can you argue with wisdom like that???

This is the same kid who told me the first day of school that I really needed a trash can in the art center because he really, heavy sigh, didn’t want to walk all the way over to my desk (ten feet) to throw his trash away! I thought he made perfect sense and I had a trash can in that center the next morning.  I think this boy is going to make some major improvements in our classroom this year! J

Children are often wise beyond their years. I’m reminded of the child I had last year who immediately grasped the importance of sign language. I taught my class “thank you”, “please”, and “I love you” during the first few days of school. One little girl finally came up to my desk and said, “I want to know the sign for ‘when is it recess?’” Hey, let’s just get to the important stuff!! LOL

Well, I’m off to school to see what my students teach me today!

The First Day of School...

was wonderful!! We just had a great time and I think this is going to be a good group. Here are a few photos of my room, and if you want to see more you can go to my kindergarten blog.

 

Oh my...

Last night I asked one of my new students if she was looking forward to kindergarten. I got a very blunt “no” in reply. I just smiled and told her I appreciated her honesty. I think she and I will get along just fine! I like “talkers”, especially those who tell me what they think. Talkers can usually adapt their behavior. They can learn to be quiet at certain times as long as they know they can release all those thoughts later! Extremely shy and quiet children are often more difficult to teach because they may never feel comfortable talking in class. Some absolutely dread their turn to be the calendar helper or the letter person for the day. I do what I can to make life easier for them.

I had forgotten, temporarily, how many times I have to write my students names! Yesterday, as I made out name tags, cubby tags, desk tags, handwriting strips, helper apples, birthday charts, transportation lists, attendance rosters, and emergency contact lists I realized why it is relatively easy to memorize sixteen new names. lol  I start out by writing them a hundred times!

My feet were aching and burning by the time I got home last night. Forget fashion! Mrs. Maurer is definitely staying with her comfortable shoes and padded inserts! I don’t have the patience or energy to teach and endure the pain of pinched toes. One of our speakers on Monday also talked about the safety of good shoes with slip-resistant soles. My younger colleagues may opt for cute sandals and high heels, but I left those behind years ago.

I bought a small refrigerator for my classroom. (I know these are random thoughts about the start of my school year, but my mind is still getting used to the transition. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it!) I think it is going to make a huge difference in my day because I will have easy access to cold water! I hate warm water and I never can find the time to go to the kitchen to get ice.  I can also keep juice, fruit, and chocolate!

I’m definitely going to take pictures before the children arrive this morning. I forgot to do that yesterday afternoon. I used a bear theme in my room this year and I’m very happy with it.

I would appreciate your prayers for the rest of the school year. I know that is a big responsibility, but I always feel more confident knowing that friends and family are supporting my efforts. I want this to be a great year for my students! Thanks.

This and That

Here we go! I was awake before the alarm went off. Ready to start the new school year! No children today- just meetings and details.

My daughter, Karen, sent me a CD of the photos she took during vacation, so I'm posting a few here that I thought you might like to see. Still don't have the ones from Taylor's camera or from Katrina's. We ARE a camera-happy family!

Hopefully by tomorrow I will have photos of my finished room. That would be good since tomorrow night is Open House. :)

Picked six cucumbers and a watermelon yesterday- NO tomatoes. I think they have gotten too much rain. Everyone is complaining about their lack of tomatoes.

Hope you have a great day!

Elephants are Expensive!

My friends think they know me so well!! :) Yesterday was our annual BBQ and silent auction to raise money for The Town Restoration Association of Caddo. The chairman of the silent auction added an elephant planter just for me!! Of course I had to out-bid the other woman who wanted it. And of course it cost me more money than I care to admit...but it was for a worthy cause, and the color matches my dining room. It's all good!

BBQ

Off to work at the Buffalo Trail BBQ today! Always good to visit with family and friends during this event. I'm also looking forward to the parade. I love parades! Photos later.

I have a whole list of things I haven't finished this week, but "tomorrow is another day". It will all get done eventually. :) Later...