Globals is Almost Here!

 Hello All,
 I have been busy with lots of things this Spring, including preparing to take two teams to Destination ImagiNation (DI) Globals Finals 2012! The kids have been excited all along. For awhile all I could think about was all the paperwork and fundraising it was going to take to get them there. But today, DI HQ posted the general performance times for teams, and I got the excitement bug! Also, a former student who was on a DI team might join us. So I'm stoked about that possibility too.
 I already have the pins ready, and a special surprise for the girls, regarding their pins as well. We provide them with towels to keep their pins on. This helps keep them in one place, from getting lost, and from getting scratched up. This year, I did some sewing to make them just a little bit better for them. They are certainly one of a kind, and I think the girls will be impressed and excited to get their pin towels. I don't want to ruin their surprise, but I will say I did some work to make sure they won't their pin backs won't get lost either this year. Which is a common problem.

These are a couple photos from last year. The top photos is from opening ceremonies, which you can watch live on the www.idodi.org website!
This photo is the IA Affiliate Director (AD). The MN AD was unable to join us last year due to illness, and in support of her struggle, all the ADs wore pink feather boas. The kilt is just a bonus, cause he's a great guy!
 Globals is May 23-26th this year. So we'll be on a plane bright and early May 22nd. We'll make lots of new friends and see lots of old friends too-like the Fair Pin Traders (Hi Nina!). I think the girls are excited about the whole trip, but are most excited about pin trading. We've not had any team member we've taken to Globals not fall in love with pin trading. They get to meet lots of creative people, and get neat pins in the process. I think we might need a support group, as some of us are truly addicted.
 Well, that's all for now. I'll have to take photos so you can see my handiwork on the pin towels soon.
I hope Spring is beautiful wherever it finds you!

Good Times Fishing

A couple weeks ago we got together with some friends to "fish." Which meant the two people in the group who have fishing licenses lost neon, cheese flavored, marshmallows into the lake, while the rest of us gave them a hard time about it.

We also had lots of good conversation.

The top photos is the view of the lake the school sits on, from a different dock, of course.

 This is Keely, she's a sweet, gentle, loving dog. Even when she licks me, cause she knows I don't like it. She was vaguely interested in the cheese flavored marshmallows, but only when the lid was on the container. ;-)

My hubby was there, as well as some other friends. We just chilled, caught zero fish, and had a good time together.

More Willa Cather

Since I last posted I have finished reading Willa Cather's "Song of the Lark." I choose to read the book because I had heard from some students it was enjoyable, but also because a girl I once knew is named after the main character, Thea.
 "Song of the Lark," was not anything like what I was expecting. Having read a few book by Cather already, all of which were focused on plains life in the Midwest, it was a change of pace to read about a child growing up in the dessert of the Southwest.

Thea, the main character, was also quite different than what I have come to expect of the heroines in Cather's stories. She is still a strong women, in her own right, but she is also tenuous and somewhat timid in many ways.

 Thea's journey toward becoming a musician plays out before you eyes. I found myself rooting for her from the very start. And along the way I got great insight into her quiet nature and the manner in which she comes down much too hard on herself. While not narrated by Thea or any one character, Thea gives us much insight into her personal struggles with herself and others.
 I think what captured me most were the people around Thea who just knew she was meant for great things, they could see it in her and urged her to follow her dreams and be her best, often giving of themselves to her better herself.
Ultimately I think "Song of the Lark," tells the story of Thea coming to grips with being Thea and then pushing herself above even that to succeed in an industry that was very fickle, while she herself valued talent instead of novelty, an opposition she felt her audience was not entirely in favor of.
 I very much enjoyed "Song of the Lark," though I must admit it was more work to read than I'm used to when I read for enjoyment, as most of Cather's books tend to be. I would recommend "Song of the Lark." It's not a quick read, but it is very intriguing and rewarding.