Pledge of Allegiance Bill Not Appropriate SB223


In my state we have part time legislators. They meet for 45 days a year. Thank heavens!  I’m astonished at the amount of damage these well-meaning duly elected folk do each year. One—only ONE—of their latest ridiculousnesses is a bill being put Read more

There Is No Help For This


There Is No Help For This How many times in life do we feel like this?  No help. No hope. Well, today that message made me laugh almost until tears came. I was sifting through a large stack of printouts wishing and hoping Read more

War Horse - 3 Hankie Movie


First, you must know I am a horse freak. I have been known to say that a true horse freak will want to ride, anytime, anywhere, any horse: young, old, green broke, stuffed, even plastic. I voraciously read horse books growing up. Read more

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Pledge of Allegiance Bill Not Appropriate SB223

Posted on February 25, 2012 by admin in Life, Patriotism, Teaching and Education, Uncategorized | 1 Comment
The Star Spangled Baner

Flag over Ft. McHenry

In my state we have part time legislators. They meet for 45 days a year. Thank heavens!  I’m astonished at the amount of damage these well-meaning duly elected folk do each year.

One—only ONE—of their latest ridiculousnesses is a bill being put forward by Senator Aaron Osmond. SB 223.

Oh, it’s fairly innocuous. Here’s the link: http://le.utah.gov/~2012/bills/sbillint/sb0223.pdf

The bill wants: all students to say the pledge K-12 every day in the morning. Led by a student in the classroom.

His goal is NOT to allow it to be said over the intercom but in individual classrooms. Because, he believes that this will improve student patriotism.

Sigh!

I teach US History at a jr. high. A public charter school. And, I think it fairly safe to say that you would have to look hard and long at the junior high level to find a class where patriotism and an appreciation for this country is taken more seriously than mine.

We say the Pledge every day in my class–because it’s the right thing to do. My students sing patriotic songs. We do memorizations: Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address and more.

Every day a student acts as a Sgt. at Arms to teach leading these songs/pledge/memorizations because it teaches leadership and confidence.

In my class students learn about Citizenship. In fact, we have a Citizenship Night every May where the entire 8th grade (130 students) sing, do choral readings, give speeches, read essays about our country. It’s  AMAZING!

I also teach US Government and Citizenship at a charter High School. Also, following the same pattern, we sing, we say the Pledge and memorize things from Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, John F. Kennedy, Edmund Burke etc.

Having said that, I truly believe that the Pledge bill is WRONG. And here is why.

1. I do not believe the government should dip so far into our classrooms and lives to say how schools must say the pledge together/individually/as classes/student led or not student led etc. when they say it.

At our junior high every Monday each advisory (1st class) says the Pledge together. And yet, students come to my class and have said–as recently as yesterday–that in my class it’s different. That in my class they stand with respect and say it with respect and mean it with respect. And yet, in their advisories they say it. But not respectfully.

This is because my expectations are set. They stand on two feet, they look at the flag and don’t fiddle with a pencil or their hair or scratch…because in my class it’s that important.

2. Therefore, requiring students to merely say it every day and have a student lead it (one who may not take it seriously) is NOT going to teach them the appreciation nor respect for our country. It is far more important to teach them HOW to say it—and forcing teachers especially at the secondary level to try and “teach” about flag etiquette is not going to do it.

The thought of a music teacher, or science teacher or coach or even a history teacher who really doesn’t care about the Pledge and being forced to have their students say the Pledge and “teach” about it, is not going improve the citizenship of youth.

3. Lastly, what is the punishment for not compliance? What happens if a teacher wants to lead the Pledge one day? Will they be fired? Reprimanded? Will they start monitoring classes and testing people on the sincerity of their delivery?

This is just another law by a well-meaning busy-body.

Please, do not meddle in the classrooms more than is happening. Show my students that government is all about sharing ideas and learning and changing opinions for the benefit of all and STOP THIS bill.

I teach my students about how difficult it is to get an amendment to the Constitution passed because we can’t merely erase it. Perhaps
my state legislators need to consider this message before passing more bills which are a waste of our time and taxpayers money.

Unless saying the Pledge is done in such a way as to teach and inspire our youth–many of whom couldn’t care less– they will not get the message. They will not do it respectfully. It will be simply rote. They will not care, which is hurtful to them as citizens and as our future leaders.

There Is No Help For This

Posted on February 5, 2012 by admin in Humor, Life, Mishaps, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

There Is No Help For This

How many times in life do we feel like this?  No help. No hope.

Well, today that message made me laugh almost until tears came. I was sifting through a large stack of printouts wishing and hoping that mine were in there so I wouldn’t have to walk all the way back to my classroom and hit “print” again, when I set the stack on top of the laser printer.  I suppose I must have bumped a button just so because, when I lifted the stack the flashing message screen caught my eye.  And there, was my message: There Is No Help For This.

“Why thank you,” I thought, with first a chuckle, then a guffaw. Glad to know. No help. No hope.

Hey, at least it was polite enough to give me a heads up.

So whoever is creating those forever annoying error messages on phones, computers, video games, televisions, tablets, etc. This consumer felt her burden lightened to know—there is no help for this.

Therefore, I shall simply endeavor to carry on the best I can.

War Horse – 3 Hankie Movie

Posted on January 16, 2012 by admin in Movies, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

First, you must know I am a horse freak. I have been known to say that a true horse freak will want to ride, anytime, anywhere, any horse:
young, old, green broke, stuffed, even plastic. I voraciously read horse books growing up. Wrote horse stories. Longed for a horse of my own. Dreamed of a horse of my own. Breathed for a horse of my own.

Get it?

So a couple of years ago when the book War Horse came out, I thought, ah ha! It’s a book that is the perfect storm for me. My love of horses. My special appreciation of WWI (I wrote my master’s thesis on a battle in WWI and EVERY year on Veteran’s Day I spend the day teaching my students about WWI). My desire to put quality historical novels in my classroom.

I hated it.

Maybe it’s “novel envy” because I like the middle-grade novel I wrote about WWI (I’ve turned down two small publishers so it’s not available.)

But…I didn’t like the voice. I didn’t like the writing. I didn’t like the “Lassie Come Home” story. I mean seriously…a boy loves a horse, his drunk dad buys it, the boy trains it, loves it some more, the war comes the dad sells it to the Army, the horse meets person after person who can see how remarkable this horse is, the boy joins the Army and he heads out to find the horse???

It just didn’t agree with me. And man, I wanted to love it.

Then I went to see the play in London. Yep, a play where people move puppets. Life-sized puppets of horses. And again, I wanted to LOVE it.

The production I adored! (GO SEE IT!) It’s magnificently done. Breath-taking, artful, clever, innovative, brilliant! But at the heart of the problem was that I hated the story.

Well, a gathering of history teachers went to see War Horse over the weekend. I barely managed to drag myself into the theater. Steven Spielberg can make movies. With a weak plot, he wove a heart-touching, beautiful tale with incredible music that needed three hankies (I only shared one with my daughter in case I needed another J.)

Best of all, he made a movie which will open the messages and horrors of WWI in a way that will inspire people to find out more. For years to come history teachers and literature teachers will have a tool to interest even the most reluctant reader to give Joey and Albert’s story a try.

So rarely, I think the movie is better than the book, but with War Horse this is definitely the case.

A Chosen Day

Posted on December 23, 2011 by admin in Adoption, Life | 2 Comments


The first thing out of people’s mouths when they find out I am an adopted baby is: have you thought about looking for your birth parents?

Yesterday was my Chosen Day. It’s the anniversary of the day that my parents were able to go to the adoption agency and pick up their third baby. After adopting two, they were told they were no longer eligible to receive any more. So when out of the blue, the phone call came to come on December 22nd and get another baby—a girl—they were thrilled.

To she whose heartbeat I heard for my first nine months, who made the difficult choice to give me a chance at birth, who walked away, I say…you made the right choice.

You gave me parents who have loved me from the very first moment. Who helped me dream dreams. Who supported me through thick and thin. Who even now could not love me more than they already do.

To whoever gave me my curly hair, my blue, blue eyes, my rosy cheeks, my lefthandedness, my short square frame, my singing voice and my theatrical flair, I say…you made the right choice.

I have travelled to four continents, studied five languages (I’m not good at any of them, but I’ve certainly studied them), lived in four countries, written nine books. I play the violin, love the stage, understand history and have been told I have even inspired a young person or two. I breathe to see mountains, have a tremendous sense of direction, can sew when needed, will stare at the clouds for hours and hanker after action adventure movies. I am a mother, a daughter, a sister and a friend. More importantly I have a solid sense of right and wrong. A spiritual belief that carries me through life’s trials and a conviction that all men and women are children of an Eternal Father who loves them. And I say…you made the right choice.

Adoption isn’t about abandonment. It’s about courage and honor and understanding that mistakes can be turned into something amazing. It’s about thinking more for the life that’s just starting than the life where choices have already been made. It’s about starting new. Starting fresh. And letting go.

To you who made an assumingly heart-wrenching decision that November day and so doing made this annual December 22nd celebration possible, I say…if the choice were placed before you once more, I would hope that you would make the same—right—choice.

A Nose By Any Other Name

Posted on December 21, 2011 by admin in Life, Mishaps | 2 Comments

Just before school started I was diagnosed with a basal cell carcinoma. Simply put: skin cancer.

It began as a tiny almost reverse zit. A hole that just appeared, first as a whitehead then just didn’t get better. When it started getting  bigger, I, in turn, started to worry. A quick, semi-painful visit to a dermatologist informed me I was facing a basal cell carcinoma. These don’t kill you, but as it turned out, it was cancerous.

A week later, I was scheduled with a skin oncologist (who knew there was skin cancer doctors) who would remove it.

I never should’ve gone alone.

Three hours later, my nose was rebuilt. Turns out it wasn’t small. It wasn’t shallow. It had flattened out under my skin. It was wider than a nickel. That’s massive when you’re talking about the side of your nose!

I had a bi-fold flap done to rebuild my nose. Many stitches. LOTS of pain deadening and now…my face is different.

Just this week I had my third lasering. That means putting on small heavy metal goggles, squeezing my eyes shut and feeling like a rubberband or a bee or something hot/bright and stinging smacked my nose. This time he also used steroids.  When your doctor tells  that he’s sorry but these shots are the most painful he gives, you know you’re in trouble…just saying.

I think what caught me by surprise is the emotional ache. I’ve never been very happy with my wild curly hair. My chubby shape and my short frame, but I’ve always liked my nose. Now, it’s gone.

He says the lump on my nose will slow fade, but he made that one nostril rather triangular (I prefer to call it dragon shaped). And it’s weird that my nose which I’ve known all my life, now acts differently. It drips at the oddest times and things seem to smell different as well.

I feel like I’ve had to go through a period of mourning—while knowing I have a 50% chance of having another one somewhere–so alert I’ve been. Alert I shall be. Besides, at least it didn’t eat my whole face…which it could have.

I’m the queen of sunscreen. I’m so fair that I’ve been careful most of my life and certainly in the last twenty years. But it’s not enough.

When I asked what I could’ve done differently, he simply laughed and said, “Have different parents?”

Truthfully, a rather peculiar thing to say to an adopted child. But that…as they say…is comment for another day.

A Topsy Turvy Last Few Months

Posted on December 21, 2011 by admin in Life, Mishaps, Teaching and Education, Uncategorized, Writing | Leave a comment

Ever feel like you’re running as fast as you can but it doesn’t make a difference, you’re not moving? Yep. That’s been my last several months. I’ve been doing my submarine. Ah-ooogah! Dive, dive! But hopefully, things will calm down just a bit.

Resting at Pacific Beach, WA

Posted on July 29, 2011 by admin in Life, Travel, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

The Piney Point – Pacific Beach

 

Pacific Beach

There is something about the sea. It’s so vast. So continually pounding. So changing and yet so the same.

I took the girls on a road trip. Knowing Medium is of an age that she needs convincing, I played the Twilight card. After leaving here, we’re heading to Forks. 

The Bedroom – Sand Dollar Inn Penthouse

Bizarrely, I actually found myself in a philosophical discussion about Bella and Edward and Jacob. What I hope Medium got out of it, is that when a guy makes you happy that’s WAY better than pining for a different guy all the time.

The tiny inn where we’re staying The Sand Dollar Inn is in Pacific Beach, WA. Now, why this is significant is because as I was trying to find good deals to stretch my meager dollar and yet give us the best “sea experience” we could, I stumbled on this little place thinking it was actually very near Ocean Shores. Which, as it turns out is the most typical touristy place you can imagine.

Not Pacific Beach. It’s TINY! Quiet, peaceful and breathtakingly beautiful.

Last night a gray rolled in. Sort of a fog. Sort of a cloud cover. Sort of just darkness.  It closed in while we were eating dinner and it brought with it a mystery shrouding the town.

We are staying in the room they’ve designated as the Penthouse. It’s the top floor of three stories. It’s more of a suite than any dumb old hotel room in Ocean Shores for more money and I can’t believe we found it.

The walls are simply windows where from every spot in the place (except the one you wouldn’t want) you can see the sea. The sea with long empty beach. The sea with a piney point across the way. The sea with pelicans, osprey, gulls buzzing all around.

It’s beautifully decorated. Impeccably clean. Cheerfully run and if you are looking for a soul resting, battery-charging, napping, strolling, kite flying, wind-washing your cares away time, come to Pacific Beach. You won’t be sorry.

Making a Difference: One Grain at a time

Posted on July 20, 2011 by admin in Life, Teaching and Education, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

How Can I Make a Difference?

I’d like to think I’m a fairly concerned citizen.

I hope for world peace. I want better education for the children of the world. I want leaders in local, state, and national position who are caring, honest, hard-working, believe in the standards of freedom of my country, and I worry about poverty, crime and hunger. Most of all, I’d like to shape my students into concerned active citizens as well.

I’ve just stumbled on the coolest, easiest, rather fun way to help make a difference with the food shortage. And it’s not mailing leftovers to Africa. It’s called: freerice.com. It’s part of the United Nations World Food Project and for every question (think game) you answer, they will donate 10 grains of rice.

Sounds a little silly, right? That’s it? I answer a question and they donate?

Who cares! If they’re willing to do it, let’s start playing!

Here are their goals:

FreeRice has two goals:

  • Provide education to everyone for free.
  • Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free.

They have several different types of academic questions: English vocab AND English grammar (I know TONS of people who need this!), foreign languages, math, science, geography. They start out easy but have up to 60 levels of difficulty.

I’m going to recommend to ALL my teaching friends to get their students involved. I’m even going to get my own students involved.

So, I’d like to invite you to join my group: Mrs Olds One Grain at a Time

Then I’d like you to tell your friends, your family, your online followers, your acquaintances, your neighbors. I’d love to see this go B-I-G!

Sign up, join my group and start playing!

Let’s make a difference….one grain at a time!

freerice.com

Not so Flash Fiction

Posted on July 16, 2011 by admin in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

First, my apologies to Ali Cross and her flash fiction group.  I was stuck in meetings and airports where I could not get a decent connection on the internet.  So… here then is my not so flash fiction…

It was the 4th of July. The sky blazed a spine tingling azure. The sun hung with triumph at the peak of its zenith. Unexpected snow still clung to the mountain peaks. And those steep slopes held a deep emerald unfamiliar for this time of year.

My life seemed perfect.

Perfect until the wide red and white speckled, squirming creature moved toward me with determination once more. Rising from the cavern where it had disappeared a few moments before.

“MMMMM,” I heard far too close for comfort.

I tried to shrink myself, to pull away, but despite my efforts I had little evidence except the little pink trails working their way down my tan lower exterior.

Darn.

If only…if only…

Nooooo! That thick thing came closer, closer. I braced for it.

“Mmmmm,” repeated the voice. “Peppermint Ice Cream! My Favorite!”

140 words

Small Miracles

Posted on July 8, 2011 by admin in Life, Travel, Writing | 9 Comments

I’ve been working on (and off) a research project for just about a year. It’s a WWII remembrance involving Normandy.  (Not ready to fully explain it here.)  But time and time again as I have been searching for the families of the men who I am researching, I have been amazed at how open the families have been, how incredibly lucky I have been and how important technology has been in my pursuit of knowledge.

Today I found the family of the 14th man. 14 out of 15!

This young man is listed from the wrong state. Now I have undeniable proof. He did not receive any medals which he should’ve….the least of which was a purple heart. And now that the family knows this, they can apply with the information I’ve uncovered and get this young man the recognition and remembrance he deserves.

It’s a miracle. A root-tootin’, rip-snortin’, bash your knee, good old fashioned miracle.  And quite frankly, I’m humbled to have been along for the ride.

My new contact told me I should be a detective.  Nah. I’ll stay just the way I am.

A historian. And proud of it.

Now let’s hope I can find that 15th family and write a remembrance worthy of these 15.  That may take a miracle too.

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