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1968: That was the Year that Was

11/24/2014

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As I've gotten older, I've managed to delude myself that that isn't really happening. I see a stranger on the street who is probably in their early seventies and think--without judgement, mind you--there's a pretty old person. Or I see an obituary for someone in the same age bracket and think, well they are pretty old. It's those age blinders that allow us to think when we turn 21 that we are at the height of sophistication and wisdom; or in our thirties that we still look eighteen; or in our fifties that we don't look a day over forty.

Every once in a while, though, an event grabs me by the throat and shakes some reality into me. It's not a horrible shock; I don't mind getting older. It's just that I forget that I am.

So yesterday, one of my sisters turned 60. That occasioned a number of jokes from her relatives and friends. But it reminded me that she was in eighth grade when I began teaching eighth grade--fortunately for her, not in the same town. What that means is that my first class of eighth graders is turning sixty also this year. They are retiring or thinking about it soon. I can't handle this.

What were they like in 1968? What was school like then? My knee jerk reaction is that nothing has changed much. See what I mean about delusion? That was 46 years ago. And 46 years before that was 1922. Would I have said things hadn't changed much in that time? Of course not.

First of all think about the year. Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy had been assassinated earlier in the year. The Democratic Convention in Chicago that summer brought out the police and dogs. Vietnam was heating up. These kids had been five years old when JFK was assassinated and they remembered it. There was no cable TV or video games so most of them at least occasionally saw a news broadcast. And, of course, news broadcasts in those days didn't cover celebrities or human interest stories. Newspapers and magazines did but there was enough going on in the world to fill a nightly half-hour show. Apparently not so any more.

To use technology in those days, one ordered a film from the area education agency, reserved the AV room in advance, marched the kiddies down there and hoped that the film didn't break or, as happened to me once, the reel didn't jump off the projector and roll to the front of the room between the chairs.

Mini-skirts were in and that was important because female teachers and students were not allowed to wear pants unless the temperature dropped below -10. I wore heels everyday---not extremely high ones but heels nonetheless. Woman teachers were paid less than men. It wasn't a question of equal pay for equal work. Men were expected to work at extracurricular events for their extra pay but women couldn't opt in and men couldn't opt out.

But they were a good class. I often gave thanks that they weren't out to drive me from the field of education my first year. I guess after all this time, they deserve to retire.

And maybe I need to take a closer look in the mirror.
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What I Like about Winter

11/17/2014

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Please don't start throwing things. I am as happy to see spring each year as the next person. But I think Winter gets a bum rap sometimes.

In the first place, it's like the argument for not hating Mondays. If you do, you are hating 1/7 of your life. Only with Winter, it's hating 1/4 of your life.

I am very sad when we empty and close up the camper. It is with regret that I wash and store the cushions from our deck and patio. I love gardening and having fresh tomatoes, herbs and flowers. There are even a few of my summer clothes that I miss once I put them in the attic. So what do I like about Winter?

For one thing, even though I love gardening, a three-month respite is always nice. It's a chance to make new resolutions  about weeding and peruse the catalogs for new varieties to try.

And I love sweats, sweaters, sweatshirts, warm quilts and afghans, and fleece-lined slippers. Plus, there are certain comfort foods that we only have in the winter: soups, most stews, pot pies. We love homemade soup with a little fresh bread. Even some desserts are wintery to me. Baked apples with vanilla sauce and bread pudding. Yum.

But mainly Winter is catch-up time. The cold temperatures and early dark force us inside for a longer time. It is a chance to catch up on my stack of books to read and movies to watch. It's a good time to bring scrapbooks up to date. This winter I need to finish granddaughter Jessi's scrapbook since she will be graduating in the spring. I have a kit for a pieced table runner that I need to put together and quilt for Christmas. And of course, there's always writing. It's easier when there is no temptation to go sit outside.

I should add that I am not averse to complaining when snow threatens an event or the safety of the participants as it did Saturday for our local self-publishing workshop at our library. That wasn't necessary--the snow could have held off a few more hours. But we had a nice turn-out and it went well. And it was cozy in the library.


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Down the Rabbit Hole

11/14/2014

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It's been sort of an Alice in Wonderland week and will culminate tomorrow with a free Self-Publishing Workshop and book sale at our local library. Months of preparation has gone into this by the library staff and myself, and eight other writers from SE Iowa and Illinois have graciously agreed to donate their time and expertise to share the ins and outs of self-publishing with all. The panels include a wide variety of genres and personalities and one or two might turn into the Mad Tea Party. It's hard to say. And at 3:00, all of the participants will be selling and signing their books so stop by for some unique Christmas gifts.

A special bonus for me is that I will meet Elaine Orr, a writer from Springfield, Illinois. We have corresponded ever since our books were paired by Amazon as a combination buy. Elaine writes a fun cozy mystery series that takes place on the Jersey shore, the Jolie Gentil series, and has also published non-fiction.

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Meanwhile, I've been in meeting hell and trying to do some catch-up between books. I've reorganized this website and added a signup button for an email list. I intend to use it send out occasional announcements about my new books and special offerings--like once a month or less. So if you are interested in receiving that information, please go to the home page to sign up.

I have also put together a video trailer for my new book--sort of a time travel travel trailer trailer, you might say. I could call it T5. Check it out, too.

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So for now, I think I'm late....

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    Some random thoughts about writing, camping, and eating.

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