The View from Here

Trusting in God

Psalms 65:9

You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly.

The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it.

You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops.

You crown the year with your bounty and your carts overflow with abundance.

The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness.

The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing. 

Pet Peeve

I may step on some toes this morning, so go find your steel-toed shoes.

Each year I have at least four students who are constant, daily, habitual, “that’s just who I am, so get over it” behavior problems. It’s just the law of averages.

I deal with behavior problems. All of us in education deal with behavior problems.

What I sometimes find challenging is the reaction of parents to their child’s behavior problems.  

I report behavior problems to parents. I expect them to talk to their child about behaving appropriately in school. However, in most instances I do NOT expect them to be able to solve the problem. The child has to solve the problem. That being said, my least favorite parental response to a behavior problem is,

“He/she doesn’t do that at home!”

Well, of course he doesn’t! And I mean that sincerely. School is a different environment with different expectations.

At home your child probably doesn’t have an audience of peers quite willing to participate in misbehavior, applaud it, or laugh at it!

At home your child probably isn’t expected to listen intently, follow directions, and complete a task.

At home your child probably isn’t competing for attention with fifteen to twenty other children.

At home your child probably isn’t expected to be quiet and stay in one place for ten minutes.

At home your child probably isn’t expected to keep his hands off other children.

At home your child may be allowed to wash his hands three times and use extra soap and wipe off all the counters.

At home your child may be allowed to blow food across the table and put tortillas on his head and eat with his fingers.

At home your child may be allowed to run across the room and sit on the tables and color on the floor.

At home your child may be allowed to crawl under the bathroom sink.

At home your child may be allowed to yell out anything that occurs to him at any time of the day.

But in school things must be a little different. Some behaviors have to be modified. Other behaviors must be saved for home.

Most children figure that out for themselves.

 

Our Government at Work

Last night Gary and I went to the city council meeting so he could present an item of business that will be published in detail later. I’ve attended many city council meetings over the years and had the opportunity to observe a variety of men and women performing their duties at the local level of government. We are privileged to live in a country where we can sit in a public forum and hear a discussion of local issues, and yet I would guess by the turnout last night that most people don’t care to claim that freedom. In the past ten years I’ve yet to see more than twenty people attend a city council meeting. Only the most controversial issues, usually concerning a water rate increase or a new traffic ordinance, draw any audience at all. I am as guilty as the next person of not attending unless I have a personal stake in something on the agenda.

Last night one of the items on the agenda was a new city hall. I’m sure this will be a surprise to most residents. There will soon be discussions of the who and why and how of it at the local DQ and other gossip mills. There will be some citizens who are outraged that they weren’t informed or consulted about it. There will be others asking if they can help in any way. Both groups should have been at the meeting and perhaps two or three earlier ones. However, I suspect the general response of most folks will simply be, “Oh, look. City Hall has moved.” Such is life in America.

When we feel we are wronged in some way we tend to take the attitude of “You can’t fight City Hall!” But we need to remember that we have the right to participate in the process of city government if we choose to do so.

(These are more photos of the continued progress of the pavilion project.) 

Preparing for Winter

No I am not crazy. Yes, I know it is not even fall yet. But yesterday as I watched the critters enjoying the yard I remembered some of the things I regretted last winter. So I am passing these thoughts on to you because we will all get involved in the “holidays” soon and will forget our little friends until it is late and cold and dark.

1. Many birds die each winter from dehydration, not starvation, so be sure you have a water source for them. It doesn’t necessarily need to be heated, but you should be able to change the water daily. Because one of my bird baths is sort of “out there”, I’m adding another one closer to the house.
2. Being snowed in might prevent me from buying bird seed, so I plan to buy a couple of extra bags in November. One will be black oil sunflower seeds because that is a favorite with most birds. I will also buy a bag of “deer corn”, but not for the deer.
3. Birds feed at different levels so some of your feeders should be high and some should be low. I have one area of ground where I throw seed for the doves because they eat directly off the dirt. Take an inventory of your feeders and make sure you are prepared for the extra birds that will need winter feeding.
4. Before winter I need to buy suet feeders. I only have one, but like to hang at least three for the winter. Birds need this extra fuel during the cold months. Make your own or watch for sales and stock up.
5. Make sure you are ready to brave the elements to care for your feeders and supplies. I buy a supply of cheap gloves.  I make sure the tools I need for breaking ice, removing snow, and cleaning feeders are on the back porch, not inside the storage shed outside.

My pre-winter task for this week is to repair one of my birdbaths. It has a hairline crack in it and I certainly don’t want it to get worse. Then I plan to create a new one closer to the house. I have decided to make one rather than buy one. Stay tuned…

Birds

Well, these aren't as good as the photos from yesterday, but it is still so great to have new visitors. 

September

Wishing everyone a glorious September- my mother’s favorite month!  It may be 100 degrees, but I know fall is just around the corner.  

We started off the month yesterday with a little shopping and visiting. I purchased a Christmas present and some ornaments. Yes, Hobby Lobby time! Where else can you shop for at least three different holidays on the same day in the same store??

We had lunch with Robert and his friend. Always good to see them and to discuss movies and politics with Robert.  Ate at a new Chinese buffet in Denison and we were pleased by the offerings, but I can’t honestly say that the taste was any different than any other Chinese buffet. I’ve gotten to the point of “if you’ve eaten at one…” I mean, seriously, what can they do that is really different?

Stopped at Walmart to buy batteries for the television remote and filters for the aquarium. I really must photograph Henry soon because he is outgrowing his aquarium. How big can a plecostomus eventually get? Two feet! So I may eventually need to give him to someone with a small garden pond.

I managed to complete a couple of chores that I’ve been postponing. As soon as we have a week of 80 degrees I will begin major changes in the garden.

I’ve been noticing more critters out and about. I’ve already spotted a few fall butterflies. The blue heron has returned to the pond.  There are more varieties of birds at the feeders each day. And early this morning when I did NOT have the camera handy, two coyotes came to visit and get a drink from the pond!

September…so happy to see you!

Gardening 101

 

 

Advice from a very, busy, sometimes lazy gardener:

As I watered plants this morning and completed a little cleaning chore that has nagged at me for two months, I realized that I have not been a good gardener this year. Between injuries, vacation, heat, drought, and other excuses, my garden has suffered from unprecedented neglect. And it has survived. With the exception of a handful of plants, two of which were already unhealthy, my perennials have survived. The worst result of my neglect is that weeds and grass have overtaken some areas. And that really isn’t the worst thing that could happen to a garden at the end of the summer. I’ll deal with the weeds and grass when the weather cools off. I’ll move some perennials around, and I’ll plant a few seeds and bulbs. The garden will forgive me for this year and we will renew our relationship in the spring.

In the meantime I decided to offer you some wisdom gleaned from years of making every mistake in the book!

1. Keep it simple. This applies in two ways. First, if a plant has more requirements than “full sun, don’t forget to water”, I’m not taking it home. Anything that says “moist” or “shade” has at best a 30% chance of survival in my yard. And if I know from research that it requires frequent fertilizing, heavy pruning, and spraying for chronic pests, it has to be pretty darned special to warrant that much effort. If you have wondered before why I don’t grow roses, now you know. Keeping it simple also applies to planning out the landscape. I would rather have two or three reliable plants in massive repeated plantings than have eight or ten different specimen plants with different growing requirements.
2. Welcome leftovers from other gardeners. If someone says “this plant just spreads too much, too fast” I put a big smile on my face and offer to take some off their hands. Anything that is aggressive and determined to reproduce in this area is a blessing to me. And that includes a few, such as obedient plant, that are downright unwelcome in other areas.
3. Plant flowering shrubs. I have found flowering shrubs to be tougher and more winter hardy than many perennials. There are so many sizes, shapes, colors, and types from which to choose! Love buddleias, spireas, and privets.
4. Go native! Nothing will work as well in your yard as a plant that is already thriving ON ITS OWN in your area.  Any flower that can bloom in the middle of an open field or deep in the woods without any care is bound to be bigger and brighter and more beautiful in your yard, with just a little care. And you do have to be careful not to fertilize or overwater them! Most regions have suppliers for native seeds and plants.
5. Know when to give up. There is a small spot in one of my flower beds where nothing will grow. Trust me, NOTHING. I’ve tried plants, seeds, bulbs. Something always happens to whatever I plant there. It is like the Bermuda Triangle of dirt. So I gave up and put a small statue on the spot. There are plants I’ve tried to grow in my yard and just can’t; either the growing conditions are just not right, or I’m not the right gardener. So I don’t buy those plants, even if they are pretty.
6. Buy bulbs and tubers and rhizomes. I’ve always had good luck with anything that goes under the soil and does its own thing at its own time. Daffodils, tulips, daylilies, cannas, and irises require only a bit of effort when first planted. I hardly ever lift, store, or separate!
7. Buy four. When you are buying something new and you aren’t sure how it will survive in your garden plant it in four different locations. I seldom buy anything that is expensive, so this works for me. I put new plants in four different locations and by the next year I know which location is best.  If the others are still alive I move them. If not, I decide whether I want to buy more to add to the one that is doing well.
8. Be fearless! If you are buying inexpensive plants or getting them free from friends or planting seeds, then don’t be afraid to do something new each year. Move them to new locations and experiment with new groupings. If something does particularly well then you can let it expand until you have enough to create new beds or share with others!
9. Welcome a few weeds. They are still plants. Some of them even bloom. And they might be dinner for something beneficial. Get to know your local weeds so you understand which ones need to be yanked out immediately and which ones can be tolerated if you get busy.
10. Remember to enjoy! Gardening should never just be about the work. If you are not taking time to “smell the roses” then you either expect too much perfection or your garden is too big for you.