Friday, September 30, 2011
Be Still? Who Me?
Last year my cousin Amanda gave me a bracelet that read: Psalm 46:10 - Be still, and know that I am God. (NIV). She will never know how badly I needed this reminder. When I am frustrated or depressed I fidget. I do anything and everything to keep from dealing with what is bothering me. I had had many bad months and I was fidgeting big time. I could not finish anything before I was flitting off to the next project. I don't always wear the bracelet....but I do carry it. This morning on my way to school I saw this reminder on a church sign and smiled. Today is Homecoming Friday....I got up and came in early to do my last day of duty for the year, then had my planning period and am now anxiously awaiting my second block (and I need to say only class) of the day. During this class we will be dismissing for the pep rally....after which they will go home. At 12:00 I will head to the house. This is a fidgety kind of day. I can't get settled. Beginning at 10:00 it has been a constant flow of students being dismissed to let them get ready for the pep-rally....I only have one class today....so education is at a minimum. The parade is at 2 and the social event of Alex City. Businesses actually close to watch it. But...even through all the white noise of the day I reminded myself about what a powerful, yet calming, piece of scripture Psalm 46:10 is! I need to remind myself....that this is a day when I need to relax in the sunshine -- a time to be still; a day to come home easly, spend some quality time with my darling husband and spend some time alone with God. After all he has been sending me quiet subliminal messages for the past few days with His.... "Be still, and know that I am God." "Be still, and know that I am God, Karen!" ""Be still, Karen, and know that I AM God!" The "be still" part sounds very good but it is my hardest feat. It took me just alittle time to be quiet. The big picture here between me and God is that He is in control.....not me. Whew...I don't know about you....but that is very comforting. I am so grateful that God wants to spend time alone with me. Now...my job is to hear what He has to say to me....and be still! Have a wonderful weekend.
The Story of Book Buddy
“Isn’t my book buddy adorable?” Natalie asked.
He was...something else.
I didn’t want to say what I really thought of him. Diseased was the first word that came to mind.
See, in PreK, each kid gets to bring home the Sickly Buddy—er, I mean, the BOOK Buddy overnight. He comes with a small book that you read to your kid and I guess the Book Buddy overlooks it all while spreading a virus.
“I just love him so much,” Natalie said, hugging him to her chest. (If she’s sick within a week, I shouldn’t be surprised.”
“It’s…where are his eyes? When was the last time he brushed his hair?” I asked. (I also wanted to know: where else has he been? Has he been dropped in a toilet before? His fur looked like it had been wet.)
“Silly, he can’t brush his hair. He’s a dog!” Natalie chastised me as though I were Paula Abdul making another one of her off the wall comments. “Here. He loves you.” She plopped him in my lap.
DISEASE!
“Pet him,” Natalie instructed.
I was sitting there, frozen, as though she had deposited a turd on my lap.
“It’s just—” I began.
“PET HIM! You’ll hurt his feelings.”
I gingerly tapped him on the head (at least I thought it was the head part) with one finger.
“He’s sleeping with me,” Natalie said, taking him back.
“He looks like he’s related to Cousin It,” I answered.
“He’s so cute,” Natalie continued.
“Does anyone else feel the urge to Lysol the crap out of him?” I called out. “I don’t even want to know what he smells like.”
Natalie took a sniff. “He smells great! Like sausage.”
Um. Ew.
Anyway, Natalie did sleep with the thing and I’m proud to say it didn’t try to eat her.
But then I worried how she’d give it up. When I told her it was time to take him back to school, she didn’t want to let him go.
“I love him!” she wailed.
“You have other non-diseased toys,” I reminded her.
“He’s cute!”
“He’s...well, I wouldn’t call him cute. Look, how about we take a picture with him so you’ll always remember. Okay?”
Natalie agreed.
“So let’s say goodbye to Germ Buddy—uh, book buddy,” I urged.
Natalie sighed and let him go. “Goodbye. I love you,” she told him.
I think it might be time to get our flu shots…
He was...something else.
I didn’t want to say what I really thought of him. Diseased was the first word that came to mind.
See, in PreK, each kid gets to bring home the Sickly Buddy—er, I mean, the BOOK Buddy overnight. He comes with a small book that you read to your kid and I guess the Book Buddy overlooks it all while spreading a virus.
“I just love him so much,” Natalie said, hugging him to her chest. (If she’s sick within a week, I shouldn’t be surprised.”
“It’s…where are his eyes? When was the last time he brushed his hair?” I asked. (I also wanted to know: where else has he been? Has he been dropped in a toilet before? His fur looked like it had been wet.)
“Silly, he can’t brush his hair. He’s a dog!” Natalie chastised me as though I were Paula Abdul making another one of her off the wall comments. “Here. He loves you.” She plopped him in my lap.
DISEASE!
“Pet him,” Natalie instructed.
I was sitting there, frozen, as though she had deposited a turd on my lap.
“It’s just—” I began.
“PET HIM! You’ll hurt his feelings.”
I gingerly tapped him on the head (at least I thought it was the head part) with one finger.
“He’s sleeping with me,” Natalie said, taking him back.
“He looks like he’s related to Cousin It,” I answered.
“He’s so cute,” Natalie continued.
“Does anyone else feel the urge to Lysol the crap out of him?” I called out. “I don’t even want to know what he smells like.”
Natalie took a sniff. “He smells great! Like sausage.”
Um. Ew.
Anyway, Natalie did sleep with the thing and I’m proud to say it didn’t try to eat her.
But then I worried how she’d give it up. When I told her it was time to take him back to school, she didn’t want to let him go.
“I love him!” she wailed.
“You have other non-diseased toys,” I reminded her.
“He’s cute!”
“He’s...well, I wouldn’t call him cute. Look, how about we take a picture with him so you’ll always remember. Okay?”
Natalie agreed.
“So let’s say goodbye to Germ Buddy—uh, book buddy,” I urged.
Natalie sighed and let him go. “Goodbye. I love you,” she told him.
I think it might be time to get our flu shots…
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Stained Glass Hearts
About the Book: Stained Glass Hearts is written for anyone who have been broken by life, or knows someone who has. Patsy Clairmont is a master storyteller who writes from the standpoint of understanding, having coped with agoraphobia and depression for years prior to her victories of the battle through the power of the Lord. Each lesson throughout the book is of piecing together the brokenness of life to allow the light of Christ’s redeeming power and grace in. The chapters each show the reader how God has the authority to take our broken lives, fragmented and distorted as they are , and fashion a gorgeous piece of artwork, glorious for the eyes to behold. Each chapter is filled with poignant Patsy stories, a special piece of artwork, poetry, music, and scripture.
About the Author: "Patsy comes from an uncommon background. Her years of suffering as a prisoner in her own home, a victim of agoraphobia, have given her a deep appreciation of God's healing power. God has pulled together the emotionally fragmented pieces of her life. From her emotionally troubled background God has combined her humor and her knowledge of His word to remind you that imperfect, "cracked" Christians are God's specialty. Patsy is also the author of the best-selling books "God Uses Cracked Pots", "Normal is Just a Setting on Your Dryer", "Under His Wings", "Sportin' a 'Tude", "Tea with Patsy Clairmont", "It's About Home; Creating a Place to Cherish", "I Love Being a Woman" and "Stepping Stones; A Garden Path", "Mending Your Heart in a Broken World, "The Hat Box", "The Shoe Box", 'I Grew Up Little' and 'Pillow Prayers', 'All Cracked Up', Dancing Bones, Living Lively in the Valley, I Second that Emotion and "Catching Fireflies". She also has written her first book of fiction, "Stardust on My Pillow." Want to know more? Check out her website: http://www.patsyclairmont.com.My Thoughts: I loved this book and knew I would be. I am veteran reader of Patsy Clairmont and have seen her multiple times at Women of Faith Conferences. She is a delight in person and on the page. Her easy, enjoyable, personal style makes her books such great reads. She has an amazing skill of weaving a vivid word tapestry. This book has joined it place of honor on my bookshelf next to my other favorite Patsy Clairmont books. I would give this book five stars and encourage everyone one to read it.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishing Co. as part of their Book Sneeze blogging review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
No More Goggles!
Great news!
I no longer have to sleep with the goggles I was given after I did Lasik.
Let me tell you, sleeping with goggles was not easy. I’d be on my side and the corner would be digging into my cheek. So then I’d move to my back and that got uncomfortable within ten minutes. So I’d shift to my other side and yup, there went the digging in my cheek all over again.
If I didn’t want to be able to, you know, SEE again, I’d have chucked the goggles.
But I kept at it.
On day 3 I asked Tom, “Want to fool around?” while wearing the goggles and he laughed.
(Should I be insulted?)
And now, I can say SO LONG!
(I still need to be careful around my eyes though. The reason why they give you the goggles is so you don’t accidentally poke or rub your eye while sleeping. I don’t think I do this.
At least I hope I don’t.)
I no longer have to sleep with the goggles I was given after I did Lasik.
Let me tell you, sleeping with goggles was not easy. I’d be on my side and the corner would be digging into my cheek. So then I’d move to my back and that got uncomfortable within ten minutes. So I’d shift to my other side and yup, there went the digging in my cheek all over again.
If I didn’t want to be able to, you know, SEE again, I’d have chucked the goggles.
But I kept at it.
On day 3 I asked Tom, “Want to fool around?” while wearing the goggles and he laughed.
(Should I be insulted?)
And now, I can say SO LONG!
(I still need to be careful around my eyes though. The reason why they give you the goggles is so you don’t accidentally poke or rub your eye while sleeping. I don’t think I do this.
At least I hope I don’t.)
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
This Thing Called Lasik, Part Two
**Part One is here**
So where was I?
Oh, right.
Pressure on my eye.
Burning hair smell.
Focus on the green light.
I remember being led into a room and the doctor making a mark on my left eye. My left eye, you see, has astigmatism so he had to mark it in order to correct it. That was odd because my eyes were numb. I saw him coming at me with the pen and that was it.
And then it came time to lay back. My heart was beating like mad and a woman told me she was going to get Tom.
“Now,” another woman said. She leaned over me and smile. “Just look at the green light no matter what.”
She was blurry. I couldn’t make out her face. I hoped that would be the last time I wouldn’t be able to see someone up close.
Tom was able to watch from the window. I saw his form briefly before they started putting all the equipment above me.
I saw the green light they were talking about and stared hard at it. I didn’t want to think about what was going on with my eyes or else I’d panic.
Yes, they held my eye open but you didn’t really notice it since they kept putting artificial tears in. And plus, you know, it was numb.
Yes, the pressure on the eye felt weird. I could hear a robotic voice in the background counting down.
“Fifteen seconds….”
And then a woman would say, “Almost done…”
“Ten seconds….”
“You’re almost there…”
“Five seconds…”
“And you’re done. Just keep focusing on the green light.”
My vision got weird as the doctor moved stuff around in my eye. The green light darted left and then right. I sort of felt like I was in space. Everything was dark, except for the green light.
Before I knew it, my right eye was done.
Then the same thing happened to my left.
“You are done,” I was told.
I felt odd. My eyes didn’t hurt but the relaxers had kicked in so I felt limp. I felt someone grip my arm and lead me out.
“You did great,” the woman said.
Everything was blurry. I knew that would happen. But things were definitely clearer than before. Plus, I had on the unattractive goggles.
“Are you okay?” Tom asked. I could feel him take a hold of me. I peered up at my husband and mumbled something about fudge. I might have told him I wanted some.
We sat down at a table and I was given instructions on how to use the eye drops. And I was told to sleep propped up for the first 24 hours so my eye flap didn’t go out of place. I know. Ew. I didn’t want to sleep propped up for 24 hours. Oh, and the whole eye flap thing.
Then I had to rest for 10 minutes to make sure my eyes weren’t going to rebel. They didn’t, so then I was able to go home.
Let me tell you, when I got home I was still out of it. I know this because when I was explaining how it went, my Mom asked why I was slurring my words.
“I’mnotslurringmyworrddsss,” I replied indignantly. I sounded normal. But I guess to everyone else I was Mel Gibson. (Only I wasn’t yelling or calling people Sugar Tits.)
“Let’s get you to bed,” Tom said carefully, talking to me like I was a mental patient. He brought out the lawn chair that reclined since we do not have a recliner. He settled me down and I looked up at him. He was still a little blurry.
“DoIlooksillyyyy?” I wanted to know. After all, I was in goggles.
“No,” Tom lied. “Get some rest.”
I shut my eyes and promptly fell asleep.
When I came back down, I could see a little better. Tommy kept flicking me looks and asking if I was okay. It turns out I freaked him out when I slurred my words. I’m not like Lindsay Lohan on a daily basis so he wasn’t used to that. He had asked my Mom if I was going to normal the next day.
The good news is, I can see better each day. The bad news is, yes, it still gets blurry on and off and I sometimes have to wear my sunglasses indoors. My eyes are sensitive to light. Now I know how a vampire feels. I stepped out and crossed my fingers while shouting, “Ahhhh! It burns!” (I think I embarrassed my kids when I did that.)
My eyes also get dry to the point where I want to ask other people around me, “Do you feel like clawing your eyes out right now? No? Oh, that’s just me. Better use some eye drops..”
Yup. I’ve become an eye drop expert. I still hate the things, but they help my eyes out so I deal.
Bottom line? I recommend Lasik. Yeah, it’s expensive. But it’s worth it. If you do it, let me know and we can compare stories!
(Seriously, the worst part was no computer for 24 hours. Is that sad?)
(And I guess the burning hair smell was gross, too.)
(Oh, and I didn’t get fudge, but Tom went out and got me a cake:
I swear I took a picture of it complete, but my eyes were weird and I didn’t push the take picture button. Oops. And yes, he’s aware he spelled congrats wrong.)
So where was I?
Oh, right.
Pressure on my eye.
Burning hair smell.
Focus on the green light.
I remember being led into a room and the doctor making a mark on my left eye. My left eye, you see, has astigmatism so he had to mark it in order to correct it. That was odd because my eyes were numb. I saw him coming at me with the pen and that was it.
And then it came time to lay back. My heart was beating like mad and a woman told me she was going to get Tom.
“Now,” another woman said. She leaned over me and smile. “Just look at the green light no matter what.”
She was blurry. I couldn’t make out her face. I hoped that would be the last time I wouldn’t be able to see someone up close.
Tom was able to watch from the window. I saw his form briefly before they started putting all the equipment above me.
I saw the green light they were talking about and stared hard at it. I didn’t want to think about what was going on with my eyes or else I’d panic.
Yes, they held my eye open but you didn’t really notice it since they kept putting artificial tears in. And plus, you know, it was numb.
Yes, the pressure on the eye felt weird. I could hear a robotic voice in the background counting down.
“Fifteen seconds….”
And then a woman would say, “Almost done…”
“Ten seconds….”
“You’re almost there…”
“Five seconds…”
“And you’re done. Just keep focusing on the green light.”
My vision got weird as the doctor moved stuff around in my eye. The green light darted left and then right. I sort of felt like I was in space. Everything was dark, except for the green light.
Before I knew it, my right eye was done.
Then the same thing happened to my left.
“You are done,” I was told.
I felt odd. My eyes didn’t hurt but the relaxers had kicked in so I felt limp. I felt someone grip my arm and lead me out.
“You did great,” the woman said.
Everything was blurry. I knew that would happen. But things were definitely clearer than before. Plus, I had on the unattractive goggles.
“Are you okay?” Tom asked. I could feel him take a hold of me. I peered up at my husband and mumbled something about fudge. I might have told him I wanted some.
We sat down at a table and I was given instructions on how to use the eye drops. And I was told to sleep propped up for the first 24 hours so my eye flap didn’t go out of place. I know. Ew. I didn’t want to sleep propped up for 24 hours. Oh, and the whole eye flap thing.
Then I had to rest for 10 minutes to make sure my eyes weren’t going to rebel. They didn’t, so then I was able to go home.
Let me tell you, when I got home I was still out of it. I know this because when I was explaining how it went, my Mom asked why I was slurring my words.
“I’mnotslurringmyworrddsss,” I replied indignantly. I sounded normal. But I guess to everyone else I was Mel Gibson. (Only I wasn’t yelling or calling people Sugar Tits.)
“Let’s get you to bed,” Tom said carefully, talking to me like I was a mental patient. He brought out the lawn chair that reclined since we do not have a recliner. He settled me down and I looked up at him. He was still a little blurry.
“DoIlooksillyyyy?” I wanted to know. After all, I was in goggles.
“No,” Tom lied. “Get some rest.”
I shut my eyes and promptly fell asleep.
When I came back down, I could see a little better. Tommy kept flicking me looks and asking if I was okay. It turns out I freaked him out when I slurred my words. I’m not like Lindsay Lohan on a daily basis so he wasn’t used to that. He had asked my Mom if I was going to normal the next day.
The good news is, I can see better each day. The bad news is, yes, it still gets blurry on and off and I sometimes have to wear my sunglasses indoors. My eyes are sensitive to light. Now I know how a vampire feels. I stepped out and crossed my fingers while shouting, “Ahhhh! It burns!” (I think I embarrassed my kids when I did that.)
My eyes also get dry to the point where I want to ask other people around me, “Do you feel like clawing your eyes out right now? No? Oh, that’s just me. Better use some eye drops..”
Yup. I’ve become an eye drop expert. I still hate the things, but they help my eyes out so I deal.
Bottom line? I recommend Lasik. Yeah, it’s expensive. But it’s worth it. If you do it, let me know and we can compare stories!
(Seriously, the worst part was no computer for 24 hours. Is that sad?)
(And I guess the burning hair smell was gross, too.)
(Oh, and I didn’t get fudge, but Tom went out and got me a cake:
I swear I took a picture of it complete, but my eyes were weird and I didn’t push the take picture button. Oops. And yes, he’s aware he spelled congrats wrong.)
Wednesday Hodge Podge Vol 46
1. It is officially fall here in North America...I realize not everyone who participates in the Hodgepodge lives in North America but if you do, what's your favorite memory of Summer 2011? If you're not in North America, what's your favorite memory of the season just ending on your side of the world? My favorite memory of Summer 2011 has to be the SMAK trip to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard with Susan, Missi, and Amanda. After 20 months of deaths it was actually fun to go and just play. I can't wait for SMAK 2012. I think we are going whale watching off the coast of Maine somehwhere. All I want to do is set foot in Vermont...then I will have 49 of 50 states under my travel belt.
2. Your favorite nut? You know I mean the edible kind, right? Cashews, Macademia and Pistashios are my favorites and I love them all the same. I became quite fond of Macademias when Mary and I went to Hawaii and visited the Macademia nut farms.
3. What activity puts your sense of balance to the test? I have vertigo so climbing really puts my sense of balance to the test. When I get up....sometimes I can't get down. Once at Crampton Bowl in Montgomery at a football game I went up to their press box to call the band's half-time show...and when I started down realized...it was not going to happen. One of the other Band Booster parents came up and got in front of me and walked me down....it was terrifying to me.
4. How would you describe your sense of humor? I have a good sense of humor....sometimes sarcasm rears its ugly head....but for the most part...I love to laugh. I can't tell jokes though. My students have asked me why I don't do stand up on the side. I tell them it is because I like to eat...and regularly.
5. September 28th is National Ask a Stupid Question Day...what's your stupid question? I don't have one because I believe the only stupid question is one not asked.
6. Roller skates~hula hoop~jump rope...which activity would you most enjoy? Yes, you have to choose. I loved roller skating back in the old days....I remember the first pair of skates with a key that I got. We used to rollerskate in front of Carol's house on the sidewalk and under the carport of Mr. Gunnell when he was not home...... I also loved jumping rope....and watching competitive jump rope....hula hooping, now that was a major challenge for me....I have no hip rhythm.
7. What's your most sentimental possession? I have several of these. I have a necklace that was my grandmothers, a ring holder that was my mother in laws, a door knob (looks like a huge diamond) that was my grandmothers, and a bracelet that was my moms....but my most prized is my grandfathers taterbug mandolin.
8. Insert your own random thought here. Since October is here....I can't resist...what was your most favorite Halloween costume? Back in the day when Halloween was innocent and neighbors gave you homemade goodies (or pennies...I hated that).....Mine was the Beatles....we were in elementary school at Belvedere and we were Beatles fans big time. Were we not cute...and yes...I was an amazon by the time I was in the fourth grade....actually in fifth grade I was one of the tallest in my class. I wore the same size shoe I do now.....and then I suddenly quit growing in the sixth grade and have been 5'5" ever since.
Kathy(far left leaning against the tree) was Paul, I(the tallest one), was John, Carol (khaki pants front), was George, and her little sister Hon (Cathy is her real name was Ringo). Happy Wednesday! Don't forget to check out the other Hodge Podge remarks over at Joyce's.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Modge Podged Pumpkin Project
I have decided that instead of cutting my pumpkin I am going to Modge Podge him. I have got some gorgeous napkins and cannot wait to get started. I modge podge all the time and nothing is sacred. I will attempt to modge podge just about anything. Want to try? Well it is really easy and can turn a plain jane thing into something special. I thought I would share some with you before giving you the directions.
- Like what you see? I hope so because here are the instructions and let me tell you it is so easy. I have done clear plates and platters, frames, a chair, you name it. Instructions
-
- You can modge podge anything....but for this adventure we are using a pumpkin. You can use a real one or artificial one. Next you gather tissue paper, lightweight fabric, napkins, several paintbrushes, and a container of Mod Podge or watered-down white glue. Working on a protected surface, simply tear the tissue into squares or strips and paste them in place. We found that double layers of tissue produced the boldest colors, and a topcoat of Mod Podge gave the finish durability. Let it dry completely and voila! I hope you have fun if you try it. It is a great destresser.
Hey, It's Okay Tuesday!
I got this idea from Glamour magazine. They have a section called Hey, It’s Okay and will list a bunch of things to be okay about. You're welcome to join in and do something like this on your blog. Doesn't have to be on a Tuesday either. If you do it though, make sure you link up!
-----------------
To hate the new Facebook. Bring the old one back, please.
To have not known Jennifer Garner was pregnant again until I flipped through my US Weekly.
To hate when people don't get the concept of personal space.
To love that it’s starting to get to peacoat season. I know I mention how much I love peacoats regularly but I can’t help it.
To still love my pumpkin spice frappuccino (no coffee) from Starbucks. I’m going to be sad when it goes away.
To be glad I don’t have to wear goggles to bed anymore. After Lasik, I had to wear them 4 nights. They weren’t fun.
To not be sure what I’m going to buy with my Gymbucks (what I earned at Gymboree) this time around. I’m not loving the holiday line. Hmm. And Gymboree STILL won’t design a line for boys dedicated to the sport of swimming.
To have found the Pumpkin Pie Poptarts at the grocery store. They were hard to find last year. Clearly, I have a thing for pumpkin.
To still have no clue what Natalie is going to be for Halloween. She’s changing her mind daily.
To continue to go to the gym. I’m still not a fan but I find if I don’t go, Simon Cowell’s voice starts calling me a fat cow in my head. He’s like, “Am-bah, if you skip the gym, your thighs will be extra jiggly and you can skip the pumpkin spice frappuccino you wanted to get lat-ah.”
-----------------
To hate the new Facebook. Bring the old one back, please.
To have not known Jennifer Garner was pregnant again until I flipped through my US Weekly.
To hate when people don't get the concept of personal space.
To love that it’s starting to get to peacoat season. I know I mention how much I love peacoats regularly but I can’t help it.
To still love my pumpkin spice frappuccino (no coffee) from Starbucks. I’m going to be sad when it goes away.
To be glad I don’t have to wear goggles to bed anymore. After Lasik, I had to wear them 4 nights. They weren’t fun.
To not be sure what I’m going to buy with my Gymbucks (what I earned at Gymboree) this time around. I’m not loving the holiday line. Hmm. And Gymboree STILL won’t design a line for boys dedicated to the sport of swimming.
To have found the Pumpkin Pie Poptarts at the grocery store. They were hard to find last year. Clearly, I have a thing for pumpkin.
To still have no clue what Natalie is going to be for Halloween. She’s changing her mind daily.
To continue to go to the gym. I’m still not a fan but I find if I don’t go, Simon Cowell’s voice starts calling me a fat cow in my head. He’s like, “Am-bah, if you skip the gym, your thighs will be extra jiggly and you can skip the pumpkin spice frappuccino you wanted to get lat-ah.”
Monday, September 26, 2011
Great Is Thy Faithfulness, Lord Unto Me
Frank laughs at me when we are riding in the car because a song will come on the radio and I will say...."Oh that is my favorite song!" Five minutes later another song will come on and I will say again, "Oh that is my favorite song!" If someone were to ask him what my favorite song is he would have to say, "all of them!" Well, guess what.....I have a new favorite song/hymn....I heard it sung at women's conference not long ago and the woman who was singing it had just told the most heart wrenching story about her life. I sat quietly....alone....with 25,000 other women listening to her story in words and then in song....and felt God warming my heart and filling me with peace. I came home and got my red hymnal and looked at the words of the song and felt them burning into my memory and when I returned to work on Monday found myself singing the song to myself in the car. I have been really drawn to the song and so I decided to do some research on it. You know, find out the songs story and when I did thought I would share it with you so it can touch your heart like it has mine. The song was written by a man named Thomas Obadiah Chisolm (1866-1960). It seems that Chisolm had a difficult early adult life. His health was so fragile that there were periods of time when he was confined to bed, unable to work. Between bouts of illness he would have to push himself to put in extra hours at various jobs in order to make ends meet. After coming to Christ at age 27, he found great comfort in the Scriptures, and in the fact that God was faithful to be his strength in time of illness and weakness, and to provide his needs. Lamentations 3:22-23 was one of his favorite scriptures: “It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.” While away from home on a missions trip, Thomas often wrote to one of his good friends, William Runyan, a relatively unknown musician. Several poems were exchanged in these letters. Runyan found one of Williams' poems so moving that he decided to compose a musical score to accompany the lyrics. Great is Thy Faithfulness was published in 1923. It appears that for several years ,the hymn got very little recognition, until it was discovered by a Moody Bible Institute professor who loved it so much and requested it sung so often at chapel services, that the song became the unofficial theme song of the college. It was not until 1945 when George Beverly Shea began to sing Great is Thy Faithfulness at the Billy Graham evangelistic crusades, that the hymn was heard around the world. Thomas Chisolm died in 1960 at age 94. During his lifetime, he wrote more than 1,200 poems and hymns. But Great is Thy Faithfulness will always and forever be my all time favorite.
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.
Refrain:Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Refrain
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Refrain
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.
Refrain:Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Refrain
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Refrain
And because of His great faithfulness to me “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 89:1)
This Thing Called Lasik
It's strange what you think about when you're nervous at times.
For me, it was Will Ferrell in Wedding Crashers screaming, "Hey Ma? Can we get some meat loaf?"
I swallowed and squeezed my hands together in my lap. We had just pulled up at Golden Corral for lunch--and no, that's not why I was afraid. I suppose buffet-style meals might frighten some people, but not me. I love them. I totally get my money's worth and load up my plate twice, and then try out each dessert...
But anyway. I digress.
We were at Golden Corral before I got Lasik. I was instructed to eat a good meal before coming in because some of the relaxers they'd be giving me might upset my stomach if it was empty.
I didn't eat as much as I usually do. I picked at my plate and tore apart the delicious roll. Pieces were littered all around my plate and the waitress did a double take when she came to refill my Diet Pepsi. She probably thought I was one of those girls who play with carbs, but don't eat them.
"What if I go blind and never see again?" I asked Tom after the waitress scurried off.
My Mom was at home with the kids so we were alone. This meant he could stay with me and deal with my neurotic questions.
"You won't," Tom assured me.
"But if I do, can you manage the kids on your own? Natalie is sneaky. She'd take my walking stick and hide it," I rambled.
Tom stared at me blankly from over the rim of his cup.
"My walking stick," I repeated. "What I'd use if I were blind. And I'd have to learn Braille and I suck at learning other languages and--"
"You're not going to go blind," Tom cut me off.
I hoped not.
Before I knew it, we were pulling up in front of the ClearSight Lasik Center.
This was it. No turning back.
Hey Ma? Can we get some meat loaf?
I was called back to get a picture of my eyes first. I suppose to make sure they were...I don't know, ready for lasers or something like that. Then I had a glaucoma test, which sucked, because they put numbing drops in my eyes. Have I mentioned I had eye drops? And yes, I get that it's ironic considering when you do Lasik you use A LOT of eyedrops. Still. When she had me tilt back to put the drops in, I squished up my eyes and she was like, "It's okay. Relax." How can I relax when liquid is coming at my eyeball? Still, I managed, and then she swiped something across my eye.
I suppose my eyes passed because then I was given paperwork to fill out. The usual stuff. The whole "you can't sue us if you do go blind. Ha" crap. As I was scribbling out my signature, my glasses slipped down my nose. I pushed them back up with my finger and thought, "Soon I won't have to do this anynore. That might have been the very last time I'll ever have to do that."
Afterwards, I slid over my credit card and tried not to wince when the woman brought back my receipt to sign. Big numbers stared back at me but I reminded myself that this was worth it.
"And here you go," she said, handing me a tiny bowl with a pill in it. "A relaxer."
I pictured the scene in Bridesmaids where Kristen Wigg has taken the pill with booze and is going nuts on the airplane. Would that be me? Would I be dancing around the waiting room screaming, "I'm ready to PARRRRR--TYYYYYY!"
Tom had to remain in the waiting room while I was prepped for Lasik in the back. I sort of wanted to be all dramatic and latch myself onto his leg while yelling, "I won't go without him!" But I knew I had to be brave. I pushed out two children from my hoo haa. I could deal with a little eye stuff. Right?
I had to put on covers over my shoes and a cap over my head. I looked ridiculous. And my relaxer felt like I was kicking in so I sort of wanted to do impressions in the mirror. ("Hi. I'm Amber. Like my ugly cap? Oh gosh, me either, I am sooo not a hat person...") (I know. I'm weird.)
I had to clean my eye with a sterile wipe and then I walked out to a chair where like a billion different eye drops were lined up.
Plus more relaxers.
And pain killers.
If you can't swallow pills, I wouldn't do Lasik.
If eyedrops scare you, I wouldn't do--well, you know, eyedrops scare me and I managed, so you can too. Unless you emit bloodcurdling screams if an eyedrop comes at you in which case you'll distract the doctor which would not be cool.
I lost count of how many eyedrops that went into my eye. 5?
And then I was told to close my eyes so everything could kick in.
"My husband?" I asked.
"He'll be brought back when it's time," I was told.
I drifted on and off. I thought about a life without glasses. How wonderful will it be to go on rides and not have to worry about where I'll put my glasses. (Usually, and I'm embarrassed to admit this, I'd stick them in a...FANNY PACK. I know. I'm hanging my head in shame.)
"Amber?" one of the nurses called out. She sounded far away. It was like I was in another world. A world of no glasses.
"Yeah?"
"Keep your eyes closed. I just wanted to explain some things to you so you'll know what to expect. You'll feel pressure on your eye for 30 seconds when you get in the room. That'll be the worst part of the whole thing, I promise.."
PRESSURE ON MY EYE?!
"You might smell a burning hair scent. Don't panic, that's our equipment..."
A BURNING HAIR SCENT?
"Just stare at the green light the entire time and everything will be okay."
GREEN LIGHT?
Oh, okay. That wasn't so bad.
Still.
Pressure on my eye?
Burning hair smell?
What did I agree to?
"Are you ready?" I was asked.
A part of me wanted to run away screaming with my hands waving over my head. But.
Instead I said, "Yes."
Hey Ma! Can we get some meatloaf?
**To be continued Wednesday since tomorrow is Hey, It's Okay Tuesday**
For me, it was Will Ferrell in Wedding Crashers screaming, "Hey Ma? Can we get some meat loaf?"
I swallowed and squeezed my hands together in my lap. We had just pulled up at Golden Corral for lunch--and no, that's not why I was afraid. I suppose buffet-style meals might frighten some people, but not me. I love them. I totally get my money's worth and load up my plate twice, and then try out each dessert...
But anyway. I digress.
We were at Golden Corral before I got Lasik. I was instructed to eat a good meal before coming in because some of the relaxers they'd be giving me might upset my stomach if it was empty.
I didn't eat as much as I usually do. I picked at my plate and tore apart the delicious roll. Pieces were littered all around my plate and the waitress did a double take when she came to refill my Diet Pepsi. She probably thought I was one of those girls who play with carbs, but don't eat them.
"What if I go blind and never see again?" I asked Tom after the waitress scurried off.
My Mom was at home with the kids so we were alone. This meant he could stay with me and deal with my neurotic questions.
"You won't," Tom assured me.
"But if I do, can you manage the kids on your own? Natalie is sneaky. She'd take my walking stick and hide it," I rambled.
Tom stared at me blankly from over the rim of his cup.
"My walking stick," I repeated. "What I'd use if I were blind. And I'd have to learn Braille and I suck at learning other languages and--"
"You're not going to go blind," Tom cut me off.
I hoped not.
Before I knew it, we were pulling up in front of the ClearSight Lasik Center.
This was it. No turning back.
Hey Ma? Can we get some meat loaf?
I was called back to get a picture of my eyes first. I suppose to make sure they were...I don't know, ready for lasers or something like that. Then I had a glaucoma test, which sucked, because they put numbing drops in my eyes. Have I mentioned I had eye drops? And yes, I get that it's ironic considering when you do Lasik you use A LOT of eyedrops. Still. When she had me tilt back to put the drops in, I squished up my eyes and she was like, "It's okay. Relax." How can I relax when liquid is coming at my eyeball? Still, I managed, and then she swiped something across my eye.
I suppose my eyes passed because then I was given paperwork to fill out. The usual stuff. The whole "you can't sue us if you do go blind. Ha" crap. As I was scribbling out my signature, my glasses slipped down my nose. I pushed them back up with my finger and thought, "Soon I won't have to do this anynore. That might have been the very last time I'll ever have to do that."
Afterwards, I slid over my credit card and tried not to wince when the woman brought back my receipt to sign. Big numbers stared back at me but I reminded myself that this was worth it.
"And here you go," she said, handing me a tiny bowl with a pill in it. "A relaxer."
I pictured the scene in Bridesmaids where Kristen Wigg has taken the pill with booze and is going nuts on the airplane. Would that be me? Would I be dancing around the waiting room screaming, "I'm ready to PARRRRR--TYYYYYY!"
Tom had to remain in the waiting room while I was prepped for Lasik in the back. I sort of wanted to be all dramatic and latch myself onto his leg while yelling, "I won't go without him!" But I knew I had to be brave. I pushed out two children from my hoo haa. I could deal with a little eye stuff. Right?
I had to put on covers over my shoes and a cap over my head. I looked ridiculous. And my relaxer felt like I was kicking in so I sort of wanted to do impressions in the mirror. ("Hi. I'm Amber. Like my ugly cap? Oh gosh, me either, I am sooo not a hat person...") (I know. I'm weird.)
I had to clean my eye with a sterile wipe and then I walked out to a chair where like a billion different eye drops were lined up.
Plus more relaxers.
And pain killers.
If you can't swallow pills, I wouldn't do Lasik.
If eyedrops scare you, I wouldn't do--well, you know, eyedrops scare me and I managed, so you can too. Unless you emit bloodcurdling screams if an eyedrop comes at you in which case you'll distract the doctor which would not be cool.
I lost count of how many eyedrops that went into my eye. 5?
And then I was told to close my eyes so everything could kick in.
"My husband?" I asked.
"He'll be brought back when it's time," I was told.
I drifted on and off. I thought about a life without glasses. How wonderful will it be to go on rides and not have to worry about where I'll put my glasses. (Usually, and I'm embarrassed to admit this, I'd stick them in a...FANNY PACK. I know. I'm hanging my head in shame.)
"Amber?" one of the nurses called out. She sounded far away. It was like I was in another world. A world of no glasses.
"Yeah?"
"Keep your eyes closed. I just wanted to explain some things to you so you'll know what to expect. You'll feel pressure on your eye for 30 seconds when you get in the room. That'll be the worst part of the whole thing, I promise.."
PRESSURE ON MY EYE?!
"You might smell a burning hair scent. Don't panic, that's our equipment..."
A BURNING HAIR SCENT?
"Just stare at the green light the entire time and everything will be okay."
GREEN LIGHT?
Oh, okay. That wasn't so bad.
Still.
Pressure on my eye?
Burning hair smell?
What did I agree to?
"Are you ready?" I was asked.
A part of me wanted to run away screaming with my hands waving over my head. But.
Instead I said, "Yes."
Hey Ma! Can we get some meatloaf?
**To be continued Wednesday since tomorrow is Hey, It's Okay Tuesday**
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Thomas Jefferson's Wife Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson 1748-1782 & Her Half-Sister Sally Hemings 1773-1835
.
It gets a little complicated...
Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson (1748-1782), was Thomas Jefferson's (1743-1826) wife. She was born in Virginia at The Forest, the Charles City County plantation of her father John Wayles (1715-1773) & his 1st wife, Martha Eppes (1721-1748), who died just a week after giving her birth. John Wayles was an attorney, slave trader, business agent for the Bristol-based tobacco exporting firm of Tarell & Jones, & wealthy plantation owner. In 1734, her father John Wayles, born in Lancaster, England, had sailed for the colonies alone at the age of 19, leaving his family in England. Her mother Martha Eppes was a daughter of Francis Eppes of Bermuda Hundred. She had already been widowed once, when John Wayles married her.
As part of her dowry when she married John Wayles, Martha Jefferson’s mother Martha Eppes brought with her a personal slave, Susanna, an African woman who had an 11-year-old mixed-race daughter, Elizabeth Betty Hemings. John Wayles & Martha Eppes' marriage contract provided that Susanna & Betty were to remain the property of Martha Eppes & her heirs forever. The slave Betty Hemings & her children would eventually be inherited by Martha's daughter, Martha Wayles, by then married to Thomas Jefferson.
Martha Jefferson’s father John Wayles married a 2nd time, to Mary Cocke, who had 4 children. After Mary Cocke died, John Wayles married a 3rd time to Elizabeth Lomax Skelton, who died within 11 months & had no children from their union.
After his 3rd wife died in 1761, he took the mulatto slave Elizabeth Betty Hemings (1735-1807) as his concubine & had 6 children with her. Born into slavery, these children were 3/4 European in ancestry, & they were half-siblings to Martha Wayles Jefferson. And those surviving eventually came to live at Monticello as slaves.
Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson had siblings:
From her father & stepmother Mary or Tabitha Cocke Wayles d 1759 - ,
Sarah Wayles (d. infancy),
Elizabeth Wayles-Mrs Richard Eppes (1752-1810),
Tabitha Wayles-Mrs Robert Skipworth (1754-1851),
Anne Wayles-Mrs Henry Skipworth (1756-1852).
From her father & his slave Elizabeth Betty Hemings -
Nance or Nancy Hemings sold from T Jefferson's estate 1827 to Thomas Jefferson Randloph (slave, 1/2-brother 1761-a 1827),
Robert Hemings freed by T Jefferson in 1794 (slave, 1/2-brother 1760-1819 in Richmond, VA),
James Hemings freed by T Jefferson 1776 (slave, 1/2-brother 1765-1801 in Philadelphia, PA),
Thenia Hemings sold to James Monroe 1794 (slave, 1/2-sister 1767-a 1794),
Critta Hemings - Mrs Zachariah Bowles (slave, 1/2-sister 1769-a 1827 perhaps 1850),
Peter Hemings freed in T Jefferson's will (slave, 1/2-brother 1770-1834 in Albemarle, VA),
Sally Hemings (slave, 1/2-sister 1773-1835).
Betty Hemings also had several children born before those from her union with John Wayles. At Wayles death, the Jeffersons inherited her father’s slaves which had come into John Wayles' household with his marriage with her mother Martha Epps, including the Hemings family. The Hemings family members who came to Monticello had privileged positions, They were trained & worked as domestic servants, gardeners, chefs, & highly skilled artisans.
Just like her mother, Martha Wayley Jefferson had been widowed once, when Thomas Jefferson married her. She was married 1st to Bathurst Skelton on 20 November 1766. Their son, John, was born the following year, on 7 November 1767. Bathurst died on 30 September 1768. Although Thomas Jefferson may have begun courting the young widow in December 1770, while she was living again at The Forest with her young son, they did not marry until 1 January 1772, six months after the death of her young son John Skelton on 10 June 1771.
Following their January 1, 1772 wedding, the Jeffersons honeymooned for about 2 weeks at her father's plantation The Forest, before setting out in a two-horse carriage for Monticello. They made the 100-mile trip in a horrible snowstorm. Just 8 miles from their destination, their carriage bogged down in 2–3 feet of snow. The newlyweds had to continue their journey on horseback. The 2 horses which had been pulling the carriage, now carried them. Arriving at Monticello late at night to find no fire, no food, & the slaves asleep, they toasted their new home with a leftover half-bottle of wine & "song and merriment and laughter." The couple settled into a freezing one-room, 20-foot-square brick building, they nicknamed "Honeymoon Cottage." Later known as the South Pavilion, it was to be their home, until Jefferson had completed the main house at Monticello.
Silhouette of Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson
There are no known portraits of Martha Wayles Jefferson, & descriptions of her appearance are scant. The above silhouette is posted on the National First Ladies Library website. I certainly have my doubts that this was done during her lifetime or even shortly thereafter. It is difficult to know what Martha Jefferson looked like, when she was alive.
In his Memoirs of a Monticello Slave, Isaac described Mrs. Jefferson as small & said the younger daughter, Mary, was pretty "like her mother." Unfortunately, no contemporary portrait of Mary Jefferson Epps exists either.
Slave Isaac Jefferson wrote that Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson was small & pretty.
As to her disposition, the Marquis de Chastellux described her as, "A gentle & amiable wife. . ." & her sister's husband, Robert Skipwith, assured Jefferson that she possessed, ". . .the greatest fund of good nature. . .that sprightliness & sensibility which promises to ensure you the greatest happiness mortals are capable of enjoying."
As a young girl Martha probably was educated at home by tutors. As a young woman, she was considered accomplished in music, painting & other refined arts. Hessian officer Jacob Rubsamen who visited Jefferson at Monticello in 1780, noted, "You will find in his house an elegant harpsichord piano forte & some violins. The latter he performs well upon himself, the former his lady touches very skillfully & who, is in all respects a very agreeable sensible & accomplished lady." During their courtship Jefferson had ordered a German clavichord for Martha, then changed his order to a pianoforte, "worthy the acceptance of a lady for whom I intend it."
Thomas Jefferson, Martha Jefferson, Anne Cary Randolph. Memorandum Book, 1768-1769, 1772-1782, 1805-1808. This book had first been used by Jefferson for legal notes & then by his wife, Martha (1748-1782), for her household records & recipes.
During her lifetime Martha Jefferson bore 7 children. Her son John, born during her first marriage, died at the age of 3, in the summer before she married Jefferson. Of the 6 children born during her 10 year marriage with Jefferson, only 2 daughters, Martha & Mary, would live to adulthood. Two daughters (Jane Randolph & Lucy Elizabeth) & an unnamed son died as infants. Her last child, also named Lucy Elizabeth, would die at the age of 2 of whooping cough. Martha herself lived only 4 months after the birth of this last child.
Martha "Patsy" Washington Jefferson Randolph (1772–1836)
Jane Randolph Jefferson (1774–1775)
Unnamed Son Jefferson (b./d. 1777)
Mary "Polly" Jefferson Eppes (1778–1804)
Lucy Elizabeth Jefferson (1780–1781)
Lucy Elizabeth Jefferson (1782–1785)
Before her death in September of 1782, Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson copied the following lines from Laurence Sterne's Tristam Shandy: "Time wastes too fast: every letter I trace tells me with what rapidity life follows my pen. The days & hours of it are flying over our heads like clouds of windy day never to return--more. Every thing presses on..."
One of just 4 documents in Martha's hand known to survive, this incomplete quotation was completed by Jefferson, transforming the passage into a poignant dialogue between husband & wife: "And every time I kiss thy hand to bid adieu, every absence which follows it, are preludes to that eternal separation which we are shortly to make!"
The exact cause of Martha's death is not known; however, a letter from Jefferson to the Marquis de Chastellux would indicate that she never recovered from the birth of her last child. Lucy Elizabeth was born May 8, & Martha died the following September.
Thomas Jefferson to Marquis de Chastellux, November 26, 1782.
Jefferson noted in his account book for September 6, 1782, "My dear wife died this day at 11:45 A.M." In his letter to the Marquis de Chastellux, Jefferson refered to "...the state of dreadful suspense in which I had been kept all the summer & the catastrophe which closed it." He goes on to say, "A single event wiped away all my plans & left me a blank which I had not the spirits to fill up."
Edmund Randolph reported to James Madison in September 1782, that "Mrs Jefferson has at last shaken off her tormenting pains by yielding to them, & has left our friend inconsolable. I ever thought him to rank domestic happiness in the first class of the chief good; but I scarcely supposed, that his grief would be so violent, as to justify the circulating report, of his swooning away, whenever he sees his children."
Jefferson buried his wife in the graveyard at Monticello, & as a part of her epitaph added lines in Greek from Homer's The Iliad. "Εί δέ φανόντων περ καταλήφοντ ειν Αίδαο, Αύτάρ έγω κάκείθι φίλσ μεμνήσομ' έταίρσ." A modern translation reads: Even if I am in Hell, where the dead forget their dead, yet will I even there be mindful of my dear companion. Below the Greek inscription, the tombstone reads: "To the memory of Martha Jefferson, Daughter of John Wayles; Born October 19th, 1748, O.S. Intermarried with Thomas Jefferson January 1st, 1772; Torn from him by death September 6th, 1782: This monument of his love is inscribed."
His wife's death left Jefferson distraught. After the funeral, he withdrew to his room for 3 weeks. Afterward he spent hours riding horseback through the woods on the hill surrounding Monticello. His daughter Martha wrote, "In those melancholy rambles I was his constant companion, a solitary witness to many a violent burst of grief." Half a century later his daughter Martha remembered his sorrow: "the violence of his emotion...to this day I not describe to myself."
Detail of Portrait of Martha "Patsy" Jefferson Randolph (1772-1836) by Thomas Sully (American artist, 1783-1872) c 1836
Not until mid-October, did Jefferson begin to resume a normal life, when he wrote, "emerging from that stupor of mind which had rendered me as dead to the world as was she whose loss occasioned it." In November of 1783, he agreed to serve as commissioner to France, eventually taking his older daughter Martha "Patsy" with him in 1784, and sending for Mary "Polly" later. Accompanying them in France was the family slave Sally Hemings.
Martha "Patsy" Jefferson Randolph (1772-1836) by James Westhall Ford (American artist, (1794-1866)
Sally Hemings was lady’s maid to Jefferson’s daughters, & also worked as a chambermaid & seamstress. She spent 2 years in Paris, after accompanying 9-year-old Mary "Polly" Jefferson across the ocean. According to her son Madison, Sally Hemings began a relationship with Jefferson in Paris, & bore him a number of children. Although she was not freed by the terms of Jefferson's will, she was not among the slaves sold at the 1827 estate auction at Monticello. Jefferson's daughter Martha "Patsy" Jefferson Randolph presumably gave Sally "her time," that is, freed her unofficially, so that she would not be subject to the 1806 Virginia law requiring freed slaves to leave the state within 1 year. Madison Hemings recalled that after Jefferson's death in 1826, he & his brother Eston took their mother to live with them in a rented house down in Charlottesville. Sally Heming would have been about 54 at that time, & she would live nearly a decade more.
The claim that Thomas Jefferson fathered children with his slave Sally Hemings burst into the public arena during Jefferson's 1st term as president, & it is still the subject of discussion & debate. In September 1802, political journalist James T. Callender, a failed office-seeker & former ally of Jefferson, wrote in a Richmond newspaper that Jefferson had for many years "kept, as his concubine, one of his own slaves." "Her name is Sally," Callender claimed that Jefferson had "several children" by her. Public knowledge of even the rumors that Jefferson had parented several slave children became a scandal during his Administration.
In 1873, the Pike County (Ohio) Republican, ran a series entitled, "Life Among the Lowly," Which included a memoir by Madison Hemings, a resident of Ross County, Ohio. Hemings stated that his mother Sally, who was the half-sister of Jefferson's wife, Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson & a slave of Thomas Jefferson, gave birth to 5 children "and Jefferson was the father of them all." Madison Hemings said in 1873, that his mother had been pregnant with Jefferson's child (who, he said, lived "but a short time"), when she returned from France in 1789.
Sally Hemings' children listed in Monticello records are -
Harriet (1795-1797),
Beverly (born 1798),
an unnamed daughter (born 1799; died in infancy),
Harriet (born 1801),
Madison (1805-1877),
Eston (1808-1856).
All 4 of Sally Hemings’s surviving known children became free close to their 21st birthdays. The oldest surviving son Beverly Hemings & his sister Harriet Hemings were allowed to leave Monticello without pursuit & apparently passed into white society. Their descendants have not been located. Their brothers Madison Hemings & Eston Hemings remained at Monticello until after Jefferson's 1826 death; both were freed in his will.
As one DNA study indicates, the widower Jefferson & Martha Wayley Jefferson's half sister Sally Hemings parented at least one, possibly several illegitimate children, after the death of Martha Jefferson. The Thomas Jefferson Foundation states on the Monticello webiste, "TJF and most historians now believe that, years after his wife’s death, Thomas Jefferson was the father of the six children of Sally Hemings mentioned in Jefferson's records, including Beverly, Harriet, Madison, and Eston Hemings."
This article is based on information from the Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia produced by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, based on Gaye Wilson, Monticello Research Report, October 10, 1998. Also see John Kukla, Mr. Jefferson's Women, (New York: Knopf Books, 2007)
.
It gets a little complicated...
Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson (1748-1782), was Thomas Jefferson's (1743-1826) wife. She was born in Virginia at The Forest, the Charles City County plantation of her father John Wayles (1715-1773) & his 1st wife, Martha Eppes (1721-1748), who died just a week after giving her birth. John Wayles was an attorney, slave trader, business agent for the Bristol-based tobacco exporting firm of Tarell & Jones, & wealthy plantation owner. In 1734, her father John Wayles, born in Lancaster, England, had sailed for the colonies alone at the age of 19, leaving his family in England. Her mother Martha Eppes was a daughter of Francis Eppes of Bermuda Hundred. She had already been widowed once, when John Wayles married her.
As part of her dowry when she married John Wayles, Martha Jefferson’s mother Martha Eppes brought with her a personal slave, Susanna, an African woman who had an 11-year-old mixed-race daughter, Elizabeth Betty Hemings. John Wayles & Martha Eppes' marriage contract provided that Susanna & Betty were to remain the property of Martha Eppes & her heirs forever. The slave Betty Hemings & her children would eventually be inherited by Martha's daughter, Martha Wayles, by then married to Thomas Jefferson.
Martha Jefferson’s father John Wayles married a 2nd time, to Mary Cocke, who had 4 children. After Mary Cocke died, John Wayles married a 3rd time to Elizabeth Lomax Skelton, who died within 11 months & had no children from their union.
After his 3rd wife died in 1761, he took the mulatto slave Elizabeth Betty Hemings (1735-1807) as his concubine & had 6 children with her. Born into slavery, these children were 3/4 European in ancestry, & they were half-siblings to Martha Wayles Jefferson. And those surviving eventually came to live at Monticello as slaves.
Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson had siblings:
From her father & stepmother Mary or Tabitha Cocke Wayles d 1759 - ,
Sarah Wayles (d. infancy),
Elizabeth Wayles-Mrs Richard Eppes (1752-1810),
Tabitha Wayles-Mrs Robert Skipworth (1754-1851),
Anne Wayles-Mrs Henry Skipworth (1756-1852).
From her father & his slave Elizabeth Betty Hemings -
Nance or Nancy Hemings sold from T Jefferson's estate 1827 to Thomas Jefferson Randloph (slave, 1/2-brother 1761-a 1827),
Robert Hemings freed by T Jefferson in 1794 (slave, 1/2-brother 1760-1819 in Richmond, VA),
James Hemings freed by T Jefferson 1776 (slave, 1/2-brother 1765-1801 in Philadelphia, PA),
Thenia Hemings sold to James Monroe 1794 (slave, 1/2-sister 1767-a 1794),
Critta Hemings - Mrs Zachariah Bowles (slave, 1/2-sister 1769-a 1827 perhaps 1850),
Peter Hemings freed in T Jefferson's will (slave, 1/2-brother 1770-1834 in Albemarle, VA),
Sally Hemings (slave, 1/2-sister 1773-1835).
Betty Hemings also had several children born before those from her union with John Wayles. At Wayles death, the Jeffersons inherited her father’s slaves which had come into John Wayles' household with his marriage with her mother Martha Epps, including the Hemings family. The Hemings family members who came to Monticello had privileged positions, They were trained & worked as domestic servants, gardeners, chefs, & highly skilled artisans.
Just like her mother, Martha Wayley Jefferson had been widowed once, when Thomas Jefferson married her. She was married 1st to Bathurst Skelton on 20 November 1766. Their son, John, was born the following year, on 7 November 1767. Bathurst died on 30 September 1768. Although Thomas Jefferson may have begun courting the young widow in December 1770, while she was living again at The Forest with her young son, they did not marry until 1 January 1772, six months after the death of her young son John Skelton on 10 June 1771.
Following their January 1, 1772 wedding, the Jeffersons honeymooned for about 2 weeks at her father's plantation The Forest, before setting out in a two-horse carriage for Monticello. They made the 100-mile trip in a horrible snowstorm. Just 8 miles from their destination, their carriage bogged down in 2–3 feet of snow. The newlyweds had to continue their journey on horseback. The 2 horses which had been pulling the carriage, now carried them. Arriving at Monticello late at night to find no fire, no food, & the slaves asleep, they toasted their new home with a leftover half-bottle of wine & "song and merriment and laughter." The couple settled into a freezing one-room, 20-foot-square brick building, they nicknamed "Honeymoon Cottage." Later known as the South Pavilion, it was to be their home, until Jefferson had completed the main house at Monticello.
There are no known portraits of Martha Wayles Jefferson, & descriptions of her appearance are scant. The above silhouette is posted on the National First Ladies Library website. I certainly have my doubts that this was done during her lifetime or even shortly thereafter. It is difficult to know what Martha Jefferson looked like, when she was alive.
In his Memoirs of a Monticello Slave, Isaac described Mrs. Jefferson as small & said the younger daughter, Mary, was pretty "like her mother." Unfortunately, no contemporary portrait of Mary Jefferson Epps exists either.
As to her disposition, the Marquis de Chastellux described her as, "A gentle & amiable wife. . ." & her sister's husband, Robert Skipwith, assured Jefferson that she possessed, ". . .the greatest fund of good nature. . .that sprightliness & sensibility which promises to ensure you the greatest happiness mortals are capable of enjoying."
As a young girl Martha probably was educated at home by tutors. As a young woman, she was considered accomplished in music, painting & other refined arts. Hessian officer Jacob Rubsamen who visited Jefferson at Monticello in 1780, noted, "You will find in his house an elegant harpsichord piano forte & some violins. The latter he performs well upon himself, the former his lady touches very skillfully & who, is in all respects a very agreeable sensible & accomplished lady." During their courtship Jefferson had ordered a German clavichord for Martha, then changed his order to a pianoforte, "worthy the acceptance of a lady for whom I intend it."
During her lifetime Martha Jefferson bore 7 children. Her son John, born during her first marriage, died at the age of 3, in the summer before she married Jefferson. Of the 6 children born during her 10 year marriage with Jefferson, only 2 daughters, Martha & Mary, would live to adulthood. Two daughters (Jane Randolph & Lucy Elizabeth) & an unnamed son died as infants. Her last child, also named Lucy Elizabeth, would die at the age of 2 of whooping cough. Martha herself lived only 4 months after the birth of this last child.
Martha "Patsy" Washington Jefferson Randolph (1772–1836)
Jane Randolph Jefferson (1774–1775)
Unnamed Son Jefferson (b./d. 1777)
Mary "Polly" Jefferson Eppes (1778–1804)
Lucy Elizabeth Jefferson (1780–1781)
Lucy Elizabeth Jefferson (1782–1785)
Before her death in September of 1782, Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson copied the following lines from Laurence Sterne's Tristam Shandy: "Time wastes too fast: every letter I trace tells me with what rapidity life follows my pen. The days & hours of it are flying over our heads like clouds of windy day never to return--more. Every thing presses on..."
One of just 4 documents in Martha's hand known to survive, this incomplete quotation was completed by Jefferson, transforming the passage into a poignant dialogue between husband & wife: "And every time I kiss thy hand to bid adieu, every absence which follows it, are preludes to that eternal separation which we are shortly to make!"
The exact cause of Martha's death is not known; however, a letter from Jefferson to the Marquis de Chastellux would indicate that she never recovered from the birth of her last child. Lucy Elizabeth was born May 8, & Martha died the following September.
Jefferson noted in his account book for September 6, 1782, "My dear wife died this day at 11:45 A.M." In his letter to the Marquis de Chastellux, Jefferson refered to "...the state of dreadful suspense in which I had been kept all the summer & the catastrophe which closed it." He goes on to say, "A single event wiped away all my plans & left me a blank which I had not the spirits to fill up."
Edmund Randolph reported to James Madison in September 1782, that "Mrs Jefferson has at last shaken off her tormenting pains by yielding to them, & has left our friend inconsolable. I ever thought him to rank domestic happiness in the first class of the chief good; but I scarcely supposed, that his grief would be so violent, as to justify the circulating report, of his swooning away, whenever he sees his children."
Jefferson buried his wife in the graveyard at Monticello, & as a part of her epitaph added lines in Greek from Homer's The Iliad. "Εί δέ φανόντων περ καταλήφοντ ειν Αίδαο, Αύτάρ έγω κάκείθι φίλσ μεμνήσομ' έταίρσ." A modern translation reads: Even if I am in Hell, where the dead forget their dead, yet will I even there be mindful of my dear companion. Below the Greek inscription, the tombstone reads: "To the memory of Martha Jefferson, Daughter of John Wayles; Born October 19th, 1748, O.S. Intermarried with Thomas Jefferson January 1st, 1772; Torn from him by death September 6th, 1782: This monument of his love is inscribed."
His wife's death left Jefferson distraught. After the funeral, he withdrew to his room for 3 weeks. Afterward he spent hours riding horseback through the woods on the hill surrounding Monticello. His daughter Martha wrote, "In those melancholy rambles I was his constant companion, a solitary witness to many a violent burst of grief." Half a century later his daughter Martha remembered his sorrow: "the violence of his emotion...to this day I not describe to myself."
Not until mid-October, did Jefferson begin to resume a normal life, when he wrote, "emerging from that stupor of mind which had rendered me as dead to the world as was she whose loss occasioned it." In November of 1783, he agreed to serve as commissioner to France, eventually taking his older daughter Martha "Patsy" with him in 1784, and sending for Mary "Polly" later. Accompanying them in France was the family slave Sally Hemings.
Sally Hemings was lady’s maid to Jefferson’s daughters, & also worked as a chambermaid & seamstress. She spent 2 years in Paris, after accompanying 9-year-old Mary "Polly" Jefferson across the ocean. According to her son Madison, Sally Hemings began a relationship with Jefferson in Paris, & bore him a number of children. Although she was not freed by the terms of Jefferson's will, she was not among the slaves sold at the 1827 estate auction at Monticello. Jefferson's daughter Martha "Patsy" Jefferson Randolph presumably gave Sally "her time," that is, freed her unofficially, so that she would not be subject to the 1806 Virginia law requiring freed slaves to leave the state within 1 year. Madison Hemings recalled that after Jefferson's death in 1826, he & his brother Eston took their mother to live with them in a rented house down in Charlottesville. Sally Heming would have been about 54 at that time, & she would live nearly a decade more.
The claim that Thomas Jefferson fathered children with his slave Sally Hemings burst into the public arena during Jefferson's 1st term as president, & it is still the subject of discussion & debate. In September 1802, political journalist James T. Callender, a failed office-seeker & former ally of Jefferson, wrote in a Richmond newspaper that Jefferson had for many years "kept, as his concubine, one of his own slaves." "Her name is Sally," Callender claimed that Jefferson had "several children" by her. Public knowledge of even the rumors that Jefferson had parented several slave children became a scandal during his Administration.
In 1873, the Pike County (Ohio) Republican, ran a series entitled, "Life Among the Lowly," Which included a memoir by Madison Hemings, a resident of Ross County, Ohio. Hemings stated that his mother Sally, who was the half-sister of Jefferson's wife, Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson & a slave of Thomas Jefferson, gave birth to 5 children "and Jefferson was the father of them all." Madison Hemings said in 1873, that his mother had been pregnant with Jefferson's child (who, he said, lived "but a short time"), when she returned from France in 1789.
Sally Hemings' children listed in Monticello records are -
Harriet (1795-1797),
Beverly (born 1798),
an unnamed daughter (born 1799; died in infancy),
Harriet (born 1801),
Madison (1805-1877),
Eston (1808-1856).
All 4 of Sally Hemings’s surviving known children became free close to their 21st birthdays. The oldest surviving son Beverly Hemings & his sister Harriet Hemings were allowed to leave Monticello without pursuit & apparently passed into white society. Their descendants have not been located. Their brothers Madison Hemings & Eston Hemings remained at Monticello until after Jefferson's 1826 death; both were freed in his will.
As one DNA study indicates, the widower Jefferson & Martha Wayley Jefferson's half sister Sally Hemings parented at least one, possibly several illegitimate children, after the death of Martha Jefferson. The Thomas Jefferson Foundation states on the Monticello webiste, "TJF and most historians now believe that, years after his wife’s death, Thomas Jefferson was the father of the six children of Sally Hemings mentioned in Jefferson's records, including Beverly, Harriet, Madison, and Eston Hemings."
This article is based on information from the Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia produced by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, based on Gaye Wilson, Monticello Research Report, October 10, 1998. Also see John Kukla, Mr. Jefferson's Women, (New York: Knopf Books, 2007)
.
Project 365 - Week 39
Can you believe that we have been doing this for 39 weeks? I can't. It just seems like yesterday I stumbled on Sara's site and began my whirlwind courtship with my camera and the world. Over the past 39 weeks there has been a camera change and a photography class begun. This week you are my photography class guinea pigs. I have learned about AV (A on a Nikon) and TV (S on a Nikon), ISO, depth of field, and so much more than my head is spinning. Now...remember I am a beginner. If you want to see some really good photographs head over to Sara's and look around. You won't be disappointed. You can find an array of everything there.
Sunday, September 18th
I know I promised you a week without pumpkins....so shoot me(get it...shoot me....camera lens...hahaha)...I lied. I am still as fascinated with them as I was in the beginning. The Cinderella is turning orange and is close to being ready to pick.
Monday, September 19th
We are giving graduation exams this week and I displaced today. I did my photography class assignment which was to practice field of depth and using AV in a well lit area....with two coke bottles....but hey I am a teacher and we do apples. I was pretty impressed.....I am only sharing 2 of the 20 actualy pictures I took. Aren't you glad? I knew you would be.
Tuesday, September 20th
Practicing in class with the lady across from me. We were working on lighting and ISO and trying to blur the background. I am tired....and I blurred a little more than just the background....I ended up focusing on the lens of the camera.....LOL....oh well...that is why they call it practice.
Wednesday, September 21st
I thought this was a great church sign since I am taking the photography class.
Thursday, September 22nd
Playing with ISO. The top pumpkin was shot at 400 and the bottom at 800. I was standing in the same spot. I call the bottom picture a pumpkin eclipse. What do you think?
Friday, September 23rd
Reflections of life.
Saturday, September 24th
Still Magnolias in at Steve's Studio getting ready to lay down tracks for our new CD. Amanda and Rebecca are double checking harmonies before it is time to start. I am so exited. Actually that is an understatement. I was so excited that the video I was planning to do during the recording session did not happen because I forgot to turn the thing on. I hope you had a good week and I am wishing you a great next week. It is Homecoming week at our school and every day is a different theme day....so be ready for some cute kid pictures next week. God Bless!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Then Came the Morning
Frank has school this weekend and I would have loved to have gone with him....but this was Amanda's birthday and Rebecca and I were planning to use the weekend to spend time together as Still Magnolias. Last night I got home and finished reading a book I had started earlier in the week. I actually enjoyed the time alone and before I knew it it was nearly midnight. Before going to bed I looked up Heart of the Wood on YouTube so I could practice my part for the studio. While I was there....I found one called Sweet Emmy Lou and loved it (I am a huge Emmylou Harris fan)....but then....I found it....I just could not leave it alone....there was another song by Joey and Rory, To Say Goodbye that captured my attention.....and I listened to it. I should have left it alone. I sat on my couch and sobbed my heart out. I guess at that point I should have just gone on and watched The Notebook and just been totally done in. As I headed down the hall to my bedroom a terrible fog seemed to find its way into my head. All of a sudden the peace I had been enjoying was suffocating me. I realized I was extremely lonely....griefus....it was midnight....it was time to go to bed why was I so dang blasted lonely and I certainly wasn't going to call one of my BFF's at that time of night. Even my sleep was robbed last night by snippet visits by my mom, my dad, my aunt, my brother....they were all there and left me feeling even more sad than before. I woke up this morning with eyes that felt like rain clouds holding rain. What a day this was going to be if I could not get this funk to leave me alone. I got up and went outside....the dog was at the door whining to check out daylight....and when I stepped outside there was God letting me know I was going to get through this.....the sun was gorgeous as it rose in the east.....it was so cleansing....and I felt the peace replacing the funk. I sighed and offered up a meek thanks for the glorious site. You know....that is one of those things I love so about God...even when we don't say anything to him about how we are feeling....He knows and when we least expect it....gives us a reassurance that all is ok. So here I am.....I mean come on....our 1:00 studio time had been changed to 3:00 and I have been enjoying being lazy until time to leave. Actually, I am trying to be calm and not nervous....I don't know why....we have done studio before....but not in a while. I can't wait to celebrate A's birthday and sing with two of my favorite singing partners. Life is good and I am glad that morning follows the darkness. Aren't you?
Friday, September 23, 2011
Happy Birthday Amanda!
Today is my cousin/sister Amanda's birthday. We have been the best of buds since the day she first drew breath. I wish all of you could meet and know her. You would be a blessed person for the experience....I know I am. She is one of those people that I can tell anything and know she will go to her grave with it if I ask her not to say anything. I can cry on her shoulder and she will either hold me or cry with me....while she is holding me. She is my traveling, writing, singing partner and I cannot imagine my life without her in it. She is a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. Even though Amanda is two years younger than me I have always had a special bond with her and kind of lived through her. She has a spirit of adventure....and I have a spirit of less than adventurous. She will try just about anything once. She has parachuted from a perfectly good plane....just to say she could. She has driven at NASCAR speeds....on back country roads....let me tell you she can teach those NASCAR boys a lesson in how to drive. She has an amazing voice and I could listen to her sing for hours on end.....well...actually that is a lie because the minute I hear her sing....I jump in with harmony. For years we have lived a good distance away....and now I am so close I can see her easily....and I love it. Frank is away this weekend and tomorrow, Rebecca, Amanda and I are doing something that is great fun for her birthday....we are going in the studio to lay down tracks. I cannot wait and I could tell when I talked to her earlier in the week that she is just as excited. I think we are planning to cut another whole album of Gospel music. That will be great fun. But...that is a story for another day....today, right now...I want to wish my dear friend/cousin/sister....a very Happy Birthday! I love you girl!
Things that make proud of Amanda!
Graduated from nursing school!
Graduated with her B.S.N from Auburn
One-third of Still Magnolias.
Singer, writer, friend, the best! Happy Birthday!
I'm Getting Lasik Today
So. Today is the day I’m getting Lasik.
I’m not going to lie.
I’m freaked out.
So I decided to make a list of things that freak me out MORE than getting Lasik to help calm me down.
--Anything Mary Kay
--Adults who gush over Twilight
--The woman who looks like a Cheetah. (Seriously, she’s had so much plastic surgery that her face resembles a Cheetah. Or something.)
--Running out of chocolate
--Basically everyone who goes onto The Maury Show—except for the sick kids.
--Not being able to use the computer for 24 hours (seriously, I can’t after Lasik. I wonder if I can call out Facebook statuses for my husband to type but I worry he’ll type something complete different. Like, “Hi, I’m Amber and I’m wearing black goggles on my face because I just got Lasik..” while I’m screaming, “No, write that I made it through Lasik okay! I MADE IT THROUGH LASIK OKAY!”)
I'll see you on the 20/20 side the next time I update.
I hope.
(I'll be updating my Twitter this morning until Lasik and then as soon as I can get online again..)
I’m not going to lie.
I’m freaked out.
So I decided to make a list of things that freak me out MORE than getting Lasik to help calm me down.
--Anything Mary Kay
--Adults who gush over Twilight
--The woman who looks like a Cheetah. (Seriously, she’s had so much plastic surgery that her face resembles a Cheetah. Or something.)
--Running out of chocolate
--Basically everyone who goes onto The Maury Show—except for the sick kids.
--Not being able to use the computer for 24 hours (seriously, I can’t after Lasik. I wonder if I can call out Facebook statuses for my husband to type but I worry he’ll type something complete different. Like, “Hi, I’m Amber and I’m wearing black goggles on my face because I just got Lasik..” while I’m screaming, “No, write that I made it through Lasik okay! I MADE IT THROUGH LASIK OKAY!”)
I'll see you on the 20/20 side the next time I update.
I hope.
(I'll be updating my Twitter this morning until Lasik and then as soon as I can get online again..)
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Stop Cyberbullying!
Words can be so hurtful. I remember when I was a child/preteen/teenager all it took was for someone to write me a note and say...."I don't like you" to send me over the emotional edge. Children want to be accepted so much....and when they are not it is devastating. During my summer vacation, you know the three months I have off each year to do nothing, I attended several workshops on cyberbullying and I have also watched several of those made for television movies on cyberbullying....and to be honest the workshops and the movies all made me quite sick. It is hard for me to understand how any one could be so hurtful to another individual....to the point that the one being bullied might actually take their life. I have to admit I was like an ostrich at first and chose to stick my head in the ground.....until I saw the statistics for our state, our county, my system.....and that just floored me. There was actually a cyberbullying attempt made by a first grader to another first grader via test messages. Number one...what is a first grader doing with a cell phone???? I guess that is why I was absolutely delighted when our school board started something called the ACBOE Parent University and the first workshop they are hosting is about bullying in cyberspace and real time. Since the posting of the workshop I have had countless parents ask me exactly what cyberbullying is and then ask if it really is a problem in our school. My answer to them a resounding, "YES!" and then to tell them that "Cyberbullying" is when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones. It has to be a minor on both sides, or at least have been instigated by a minor against another minor. Once adults become involved, it is plain and simple cyber-harassment or cyberstalking. Adult cyber-harassment or cyberstalking is NEVER called cyberbullying. It takes on the term preditory. Cyberbullying isn't when an adult is trying to lure children into offline meetings, that is called sexual exploitation or luring by a sexual predator. There is a huge difference.....but sometimes when a minor starts a cyberbullying campaign it involves sexual predators who are intrigued by the sexual harassment or even ads posted by the cyberbullying offering up the victim for sex. The methods used are limited only by the child's imagination and access to technology. And the cyberbully one moment may become the victim the next. The kids often change roles, going from victim to bully and back again. For some kids this is a game....much like dungeons and dragons back in the 80's and 90's. It is all in fun.....to them....but then...someone steps over the line and it becomes serious....even deadly. Children have actually killed each other and committed suicide after having been involved in a cyberbullying incident. Cyberbullying is usually not a one time communication, unless it involves a death threat or a credible threat of serious bodily harm. Kids usually know it when they see it, while parents may be more worried about the lewd language used by the kids than the hurtful effect of rude and embarrassing posts. Cyberbullying may rise to the level of a misdemeanor cyberharassment charge, or if the child is young enough may result in the charge of juvenile delinquency. Most of the time the cyberbullying does not go that far, although parents often try and pursue criminal charges. It typically can result in a child losing their ISP or IM accounts as a terms of service violation. And in some cases, if hacking or password and identity theft is involved, can be a serious criminal matter under state and federal law. So what is the schools place in this? They can educate the students and parents on cyberethics and have a good acceptable use policy in place., one with a provision added that allows the school to discipline a student for actions taken off-campus if they threaten another student. If you are a parent....read up on cyberbullying. It is a terrible thing. Watch your child and notice if there is a change in their behavior. I don't know about the rest of you.....I use cyberspace to do my blog....and this practice of cyberbullying makes me sick....I want to stop cyberbullying now...and forever!
Is It Really Simple?
“What’s a simple predicate?” Tommy asked me as he did his homework.
My mind went blank.
For some reason I pictured a unicorn.
“A simple predicate is...is...um...simple...and, a, um...predicate,” I answered.
Tommy stared at me as though I admitted that I was temporarily one of Charlie Sheen’s goddesses.
“Well, you see, it’s...it’s...” I scrambled to grab my phone so I could look it up. How embarrassing! And I call myself a writer. All writers should know what a simple predicate was. How could I have forgotten?
I knew the predicate had something to do with the subject. And…and…
Oh man, I’m not always the best with grammar.
I figured out what a simple predicate was and tried to explain it to Tommy.
“That’s weird,” he said as he wrote down his answer on his paper. He read the next part. “What is a simple subject?”
“Er…a subject that’s…simple…”
“MOM!”
Crap. Back to looking it up on the phone. How could I forget what a simple subject was? It was so...SIMPLE! Right?
I need to get back to school.
It’s embarrassing to become baffled over fourth grade homework.
My mind went blank.
For some reason I pictured a unicorn.
“A simple predicate is...is...um...simple...and, a, um...predicate,” I answered.
Tommy stared at me as though I admitted that I was temporarily one of Charlie Sheen’s goddesses.
“Well, you see, it’s...it’s...” I scrambled to grab my phone so I could look it up. How embarrassing! And I call myself a writer. All writers should know what a simple predicate was. How could I have forgotten?
I knew the predicate had something to do with the subject. And…and…
Oh man, I’m not always the best with grammar.
I figured out what a simple predicate was and tried to explain it to Tommy.
“That’s weird,” he said as he wrote down his answer on his paper. He read the next part. “What is a simple subject?”
“Er…a subject that’s…simple…”
“MOM!”
Crap. Back to looking it up on the phone. How could I forget what a simple subject was? It was so...SIMPLE! Right?
I need to get back to school.
It’s embarrassing to become baffled over fourth grade homework.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Hodge Podge - Vol 45
It is Wednesday, hump day, middle day of the week and I am so glad. This has been the longest week so far. I am glad Joyce provided me with a little fun and Hodge Podge. I look forward to this day every week. Want to join in? Head over to Joyces and get the questions and link up when you are done.
1. Do you like chili? Red or white? Beans or no beans? Spice or no spice? Toppings?
I am a huge chili fan. I like the red kind and the white. I like it with beans or without. I like it in the fall and winter and on hot dogs. I love to put mine on a base of corn chips or cornbread and then top it off with some shredded cheese and a dab of sour crea/plain yogurt. I don't mind SOME spice but my stomach can't take too much.
2. Red-orange-gold...your favorite fall color?
Yes to all of the above. I love all the colors, sights, and smell of fall and love to decorate for fall. My kitchen has red/apple accents, my office is soft golf, I love deep greens, orange, yellow, and burnt orange decorate my dining room. I think fall is one of the prettiest times of the year. I can't wait for a big change in leaves....although I am seeing some hints now.
3. Who did you idolize when you were growing up?
My dad, grandfather, and youth leaders at church. They were my role models and were the shining stars in my life. I feel sorry for kids today with all the idolizing of singers, athletes, etc....where are the REAL idols? The ones who follow Christ's examples.
4. When was the last time you did something 'arts and craftsy'? Share please.
I modged podged some baskets for a giveaway. They were really cute. I am currently working on a bracelet craft and liking it. I will post pictures when I am finished.
5. What's a place that makes you really nervous?
Besides the dentist and doctor...I would have to say haunted houses. I don't like any of them.
6. Horseback riding...yay or nay (neigh?)
I have not done it in years....but when I did ride I loved it. Now I would rather be straddled a trike cruising through the mountains.
7. What's your favorite cliche?
7. What's your favorite cliche?
They are as thick as thieves. As an English teacher I tend to steer away from them.
8. Have you ever done something out of your comfort zone that turned out to be an amazing experience?
April 2009 the group I sing with, Still Magnolias opened for Country Music Hall of Famer, George Jones. I have sung for years before crowds....but when we stepped on that stage...I was totally out of my element. This was a place reserved for professionals...and stars...and I was neither....but once I heard the first stroke of the fiddle....I felt as at home as if I had been there all my life. It was an awesome experience!
Top Ten Reasons Why Getting Lasik Will Rock
I know.
You guys are probably sick of seeing posts about my eyes. I swear, I’ll go back to talking about regular stuff (see: loud kids) soon. But since I’m having Lasik on Friday, these posts help me so I don’t go into a complete panic (see: nervous breakdown.)
I decided to post the Top Ten Reasons Why Getting Lasik Will Rock
10. I’ll be able to see when I first wake up. No more crashing into walls or stubbing my toes on the bed if Natalie wakes up in the middle of the night crying because she swore she saw a clown in the corner of her room.
9. I can wear stylish sunglasses! No more clip ons!
8. No more raindrops on my glasses in wet weather.
7. I won’t have to worry about unruly kids taking my glasses right from my face. My kids know better at this point but other people’s children aren’t always the same and think, “Oh. Something is on that woman’s face. I think I shall play with them.”
6. No more crazy fees for new glasses. My prescription is horrible so it always cost a pretty penny to get new glasses and lenses.
5. I won’t have to worry about glasses ruining a romantic moment. It’s not fun if my glasses get knocked down to the bridge of my nose or become crooked and I have to stop and fix them. Granted, I guess I could just take them off beforehand but one never exactly knows when a romantic moment will always happen.
4. I will no longer have to worry about losing my glasses and then being blind. This has happened before. I set my glasses down and forgot where I put them.
3. I can see in the shower. It’s sad when I drop the soap and I can’t find it. (Insert Navy joke here.)
2. I won’t have to worry about my glasses fogging up when I step inside a building. That’s embarrassing. Especially if I crash into someone. Then it’s like, “Sorry. My glasses fogged up. I wasn’t coming onto you, I swear.” (Unless it was John Krasinski.)
1. NO MORE GLASSES! NO MORE GLASSES! NO MORE GLASSES!
You guys are probably sick of seeing posts about my eyes. I swear, I’ll go back to talking about regular stuff (see: loud kids) soon. But since I’m having Lasik on Friday, these posts help me so I don’t go into a complete panic (see: nervous breakdown.)
I decided to post the Top Ten Reasons Why Getting Lasik Will Rock
10. I’ll be able to see when I first wake up. No more crashing into walls or stubbing my toes on the bed if Natalie wakes up in the middle of the night crying because she swore she saw a clown in the corner of her room.
9. I can wear stylish sunglasses! No more clip ons!
8. No more raindrops on my glasses in wet weather.
7. I won’t have to worry about unruly kids taking my glasses right from my face. My kids know better at this point but other people’s children aren’t always the same and think, “Oh. Something is on that woman’s face. I think I shall play with them.”
6. No more crazy fees for new glasses. My prescription is horrible so it always cost a pretty penny to get new glasses and lenses.
5. I won’t have to worry about glasses ruining a romantic moment. It’s not fun if my glasses get knocked down to the bridge of my nose or become crooked and I have to stop and fix them. Granted, I guess I could just take them off beforehand but one never exactly knows when a romantic moment will always happen.
4. I will no longer have to worry about losing my glasses and then being blind. This has happened before. I set my glasses down and forgot where I put them.
3. I can see in the shower. It’s sad when I drop the soap and I can’t find it. (Insert Navy joke here.)
2. I won’t have to worry about my glasses fogging up when I step inside a building. That’s embarrassing. Especially if I crash into someone. Then it’s like, “Sorry. My glasses fogged up. I wasn’t coming onto you, I swear.” (Unless it was John Krasinski.)
1. NO MORE GLASSES! NO MORE GLASSES! NO MORE GLASSES!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
A 19C Shaker Community Restored in Pleasant Hill, Kentucky
Pleasant Hill, Kentucky, was a Shaker religious community from 1805 through 1910. Shakertown, as it is known by the locals, is about 25 miles southwest of Lexington, in the state's bluegrass region.
By 1800, Mother Ann Lee's (1736-1784) religious movement had already established 11 Shaker communities in New York state & throughout New England. About this time, the community sent 3 Shaker missionaries across the Cumberland Gap & through Ohio to find converts in the west. Shakers practiced celibacy & their numbers would die out without new converts.
The Pleasant Hill community was begun by 44 converts who signed a covenant of mutual support & common property ownership of the 140 acres on which they were living. It did not take long for the community to expand & the property to grow to 4,369 acres.
The Shakers chose a peaceful way of life. They were celibate and believed in equality of race & sex and in freedom from prejudice. A quest for simplicity & perfection is reflected in their fine craftsmanship.
The Shakers were skilled farmers, and over the years they expanded land holdings by acquiring adjacent farms for orchards & fields. The Shakers at Pleasant Hill became known for their excellent livestock & engineering accomplishments. Their location near the Ohio River was ideal for agricultural & economic commerce.
By 1816, they regularly traveled to larger communities to sell their wares: brooms, shoes, preserves, garden seeds, & herbs. The Shakers sold their wares in cities and towns up & down the Ohio & the Mississippi rivers, some at great distances, such as New Orleans.
The Shakers, known for their beautifully simple furniture & architecture, also invented many labor-saving processes to serve their large community. In the early 1830s, they constructed a water tower on a high plot of ground. A horse-drawn pump lifted water into the tower, and from there a system of pipes carried it downhill to kitchens, cellars, & wash houses.
In the wash houses, horse-powered washing machines were built to reduce the enormous chore of laundering the community's clothes & linens.
Music was also an important part of Shaker life, with songs, hymns, & anthems written by both men & women. Their dancing or shaking was the origin of the name Shaker.
The community began to decline with the advent of the Civil War & controversies over slave ownership. The last resident on the property died in 1923. The 14 original buildings of the religious community were restored in the 1960s, & it is now the largest restored Shaker community in America, a National Historic Landmark visited by thousands of tourists annually.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)