I'm drowning in it! If it isn't junk mail, then it is mail I must attend to. Where oh where are the cute Halloween cards bought to mail to grandchildren? Purchased ahead of time, and oh so thoughtfully, yet they carelessly ended up with the paper! I have computer paper--blank and used on one side, now "scratch" paper. I have paper of different weights and colors for publicity. I have more paper of more colors and more weights for scrapbooking. Then there are the pictures and the stickers and... and... and... when it comes to scrapbooking paper! Then there are scripts. "sides" [partial scripts for those who are in only one or two scenes] costume charts and pattern papers.
Papers which come home from school occasionally find me.
Then there are magazines [made of--you guessed it Paper! Oh, and books! ]
A number of years ago in our school district in VA it was claimed that we were to become a paperless society. If that is so, why do I need the printer so very much?
Some days I would really like P to be for entirely something else...Pageant [produces copious amounts of paper] Plants [recipes for green tomatoes after the freeze were printed out on --Paper!] planes [one of our family traditions on Thanksgiving was the making of Paper airplanes...] Popsicles [they come in Paper--very sticky...] Pumpkins...had to dig out the James Whitcomb Riley poem: "The frost is on the punkin..."but the poem was on Paper! It is everywhere!
Help! In this brave new world of a paperless society, I'm drowning in... Paper!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Sunday, October 14, 2007
O is for Orders
There are a few different kinds of orders I must explain. As a child growing up Catholic, "Holy Orders" meant becoming a priest, as in "receiving Holy Orders" and was one of the seven Sacraments [the only one I never received, I might add [unless you don't count matrimony, as I was not married as a Catholic] and never could. But I had friends and family who did receive Holy Orders. And it made lots of sense to me because I was also an Air Force brat! In the military, Orders refers first to a duty assignment [as in "he received Orders for Canute AFB"]
Then, of course there are the everyday sort of "orders" given by parents or other persons in authority. Obedience to those orders are directly in line with respect for the giver by the receiver. I think that parents must give orders, and children must learn to obey, but all parent's requests should not be couched as orders, for then a child never learns how to decide correctly for himself. Soldiers must obey orders--usually without question, but American soldiers have always held the right to think for themselves, and to disobey a direct order if believed to be a bad order.
As a director, I must give orders at times, [tho I prefer to make requests] as final decisions must be made by someone who is then held accountable for those orders--just like in the military, or the family.
Sometimes it is nice to know that you are not the person responsible for the orders or for the consequences, for they do go hand in hand...[I love seeing school trips--and thinking, ha! I'm not in charge!]
I guess I've gone full circle in my thinking, for I think that commandments are "Holy Orders." Our Heavenly Father has given us relatively few...but if we follow them, we can reach safety and peace. I always think of the Johnstown Flood of Pennsylvania. I read of a boy whose Prussian Father always gave orders expecting instantaneous obedience. During the flood the two of them were on their roof awaiting rescue. When a boat came, there was room for only one, and the waters were so strong, they could not get very close to the house--nor stay in the area very long. At one point the boy, dimly understanding what was happening, received an order from his father. "Jump" was the order. Without hesitation, the boy followed his father's commamd. and was caught into the rescue boat. I don't recall that the father was saved. But he saved his son, who knew how to take an order. I think of this when I think of the many commandments given us by our Heavely Father. And I ask...Do I close my eyes and jump whenever He commands? I would like to say yes, but it would be a lie. I must learn to trust Him implicitly, close my eyes and jump at His orders. I pray we may all do so. It is hard to always be 100% sure of Holy Orders, but I keep trying.
Then, of course there are the everyday sort of "orders" given by parents or other persons in authority. Obedience to those orders are directly in line with respect for the giver by the receiver. I think that parents must give orders, and children must learn to obey, but all parent's requests should not be couched as orders, for then a child never learns how to decide correctly for himself. Soldiers must obey orders--usually without question, but American soldiers have always held the right to think for themselves, and to disobey a direct order if believed to be a bad order.
As a director, I must give orders at times, [tho I prefer to make requests] as final decisions must be made by someone who is then held accountable for those orders--just like in the military, or the family.
Sometimes it is nice to know that you are not the person responsible for the orders or for the consequences, for they do go hand in hand...[I love seeing school trips--and thinking, ha! I'm not in charge!]
I guess I've gone full circle in my thinking, for I think that commandments are "Holy Orders." Our Heavenly Father has given us relatively few...but if we follow them, we can reach safety and peace. I always think of the Johnstown Flood of Pennsylvania. I read of a boy whose Prussian Father always gave orders expecting instantaneous obedience. During the flood the two of them were on their roof awaiting rescue. When a boat came, there was room for only one, and the waters were so strong, they could not get very close to the house--nor stay in the area very long. At one point the boy, dimly understanding what was happening, received an order from his father. "Jump" was the order. Without hesitation, the boy followed his father's commamd. and was caught into the rescue boat. I don't recall that the father was saved. But he saved his son, who knew how to take an order. I think of this when I think of the many commandments given us by our Heavely Father. And I ask...Do I close my eyes and jump whenever He commands? I would like to say yes, but it would be a lie. I must learn to trust Him implicitly, close my eyes and jump at His orders. I pray we may all do so. It is hard to always be 100% sure of Holy Orders, but I keep trying.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Wednesday and Thankfulness
1] I've been really sick all week. A lousy way for my daughter and grandsons' visit to begin. But, it could have been so much worse! Lura brought a light case of IT with her. The boys went throught IT quickly. Richard hasn't caught IT, nor has Grandpa. I'm beginning to get over IT. And I am so very very thankful!
2] I love my new chiropracter. His goal is not the normal, "Let's get you off the cane." But rather: "Use the cane, fall over less." Unfortunately, I was not using my cane when I went out to push a solar lamp down into the flower bed. No, I fell--on my lovely [well at least they were]
flowers. But my neighbor heard my cry for help, and came over and helped me up. My back hurts, but it could be from sleeping sitting up just as much as from falling down! But at least I was taken care of!
3] Good friends who share their joys [Sarah had her baby! I just finished talking to her...] and sorrows [The good news is that it probably wasn't a heart attack, but...] and share in mine [my daughter this, my son that, my grandchild this and that!!!]
All in all, life is pretty good where I'm sitting right now!
2] I love my new chiropracter. His goal is not the normal, "Let's get you off the cane." But rather: "Use the cane, fall over less." Unfortunately, I was not using my cane when I went out to push a solar lamp down into the flower bed. No, I fell--on my lovely [well at least they were]
flowers. But my neighbor heard my cry for help, and came over and helped me up. My back hurts, but it could be from sleeping sitting up just as much as from falling down! But at least I was taken care of!
3] Good friends who share their joys [Sarah had her baby! I just finished talking to her...] and sorrows [The good news is that it probably wasn't a heart attack, but...] and share in mine [my daughter this, my son that, my grandchild this and that!!!]
All in all, life is pretty good where I'm sitting right now!
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
N is for . . . NUMBERS!
I hate 'em! When I was younger, they would dance all over my page, so I ended up with the neatest arithmetic papers ever--I needed to have a huge margin above , below, and on both sides of each problem! Somehow, I suffered though all the higher math I needed for college. Then when I returned to school after a decade of absence, things had changed...more math [and I thought I had done with it!] Somehow or other, when I took my CBEST [CA teacher's exams] I actually pulled off an "above average"!
I even taught math...first grade level! That is about all I can handle.
But...I love the show Numbers. The mathematical talk and equations confuse me, but I find the whole idea a fascinating one. Guess some of my Dad's love of math rubbed off despite my best efforts to avoid numbers for life!
Time to go count some sheep!
I even taught math...first grade level! That is about all I can handle.
But...I love the show Numbers. The mathematical talk and equations confuse me, but I find the whole idea a fascinating one. Guess some of my Dad's love of math rubbed off despite my best efforts to avoid numbers for life!
Time to go count some sheep!
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