Bad Beagle

My sweet, little, cuddly beagle is a bad boy. Chance, who usually walks around like a puppy-version of Eeyore (from Winnie the Pooh) gets all excited when strange dogs are around. He starts off by yelling in his hound dog voice, and then the hair along his spine stands straight up. Finally, he goes in for the attack. Of course, he doesn't really attack - he just shows his teeth and acts scary.

Today, the neighbors walked by with their dog, Brittany the Brittany (original name, huh?), and all of a sudden I hear Chance go into attack mode. I didn't get all bent out of shape, though. Usually, he just runs up and down the yard, staying inside of the invisible fence. Unfortunately, today, he tore out of the yard and started chasing Brittany (and her owners) around in circles. By the time I got out to the road, the neighbors had chased away Chance and were trying to console Brittany. How embarrassing! I was a little mortified, but I apologized profusely, and thankfully, nobody was hurt.

So, being the good doggie Mom that I am, and because Brittany the Brittany was a little shook up, I took it upon myself to put together some treats for her. I wrapped them up, and wrote a little apology note (To Brittany, From Chance), and stuck the package in the neighbors mailbox. When I told Jeff what I did, he laughed for about half an hour, telling me how "gay" I am. Hmmpf. I thought it was a nice gesture for Chance to make for scaring the bejeezus out of the poor dog.

It's Like a Cooking a Show!!

Tonight, I had my first real dinner party in my new kitchen. Have I mentioned how beautiful the new kitchen is? Jeff just got the under-cabinet trim and most of the kick-space trim finished, and boy is it sharp. Anyway, I love it. Someday, my blog will be full of before and after kitchen photos.

Jeff, Hannah and Corey, Jen, and Julie, Casey and Lindsey were the victims for my first ever dinner party in the new kitchen. I decided on an Italian-style meal because of all the things that could be prepared ahead of time, and made lasagna, a lovely salad, and stuffed mushrooms. BiLo made some great Italian bread which we paired with DaVinci EVOO and rosemary-mix dipping spice. Hannah provided a chocolate-almond cake, frosted festively, in green icing. I hate to toot my own horn, but everything turned out great. The food was satisfying and the conversation was full of laughs. We also oohed and aahed at the beautiful new baby, as we all took turns holding and hugging her. Julie and Casey seem so happy, and Lindsey has to be one of the most content babies I've ever met.

Oh, and I got a great compliment from Corey. He and Hannah were the first to arrive, and shortly after they sat down in the kitchen, I pulled out the stuffed mushrooms. Corey looked around at all of the food and said, "I feel like I'm on one of those cooking shows!" I said, "Thank You!!"

Wow, must have been a combination of all the good smells, a hungry belly and a beautiful kitchen - all prerequisites for gourmet television.

Where Are My Cookie Cutters?

Oh, yeah. Dad borrowed them to make Christmas-shaped smoked cheese last year. What a nut! Good thing Paula attached a star-shaped cutter to Candide by Voltaire...or else I would be making heart-shaped Christmas cookies. Tis the season!

A White Christmas Tree

Usually, I am very intent on have a real, live, Christmas Tree. However, with all of the extra work we have this December with getting the floor down, I've decided to forgo the real tree for one year. Luckily, I was able to find myself a bargain last January. While I was perusing wonderful (please sense the sarcasm) Wal-Mart, I found myself a 6 ft, pre-lit, white artificial tree for $7.00. That is not a misprint, people. Not realizing that I would even need an artificial tree this year, I purchased the $7.00 beauty (more sarcasm), because I wasn't able to pass up the good deal.

Now that I have the tree up and decorated, I am second-guessing my decision to pass up the real tree. In the end, however, like our admirable president (final bit of sarcasm), George Bush, I am going to stay the course. So, when you visit the Eckert household this Christmas, please be prepared to Oooh and Ahhh at a stunning, white, artificial tree.

You've Been MOONED

Okay, so maybe I shouldn't be all that thankful for my wit!

This is actually just Hallie trying to get to the bird's nest that is under the porch. She is such a nut case, but she's my little nut case and I love her.

Being Thankful

Well, I've been a bit cranky lately, which is why it has taken me over a week to write my "I'm thankful for post..." I'm not sure why I've been cranky, but who knows, sometimes you just have to be cranky. So, for the past cranky week I've been feeling sorry for myself because of Mom, and I just couldn't think of anything for which to be thankful.

Now that I'm in my usual jovial mood, I'm going to start my thanks with my Mom. How lucky was I to have such an amazing person for a mother? And, I had her for almost 24 years. There are tons of kids who lose parents much earlier. Of course, there are also lots of people who don't understand what I'm talking about because they're in their 50's or 60's and still have both parents. These people should be writing blogs about how lucky they feel! I'm a little off track...back to Mom. First of all, she always knew how to make you feel better. Mom wasn't somebody who said a whole lot, but when she did say something she made her words worth the effort. I don't think there are kids out there who were more loved than Richie and me, and that has helped the both of so much! She and Dad taught us how to love, which is one of the best gifts they could have given us.

Second, Mom taught us how to be practical and level-headed, although I didn't necessarily inherit or learn everything she could have taught me. This was by no means her fault...I don't think I have all of the necessary genes I need to practical and level-headed all of the time.

Third, and this is going to be last point even though there are tons of others. Mom knew how to laugh and when she did, it was most infectious. I keep remembering the time she called me at work in Philly to tell me that Paula actually cut the cord off of the electric hedger while trimming Grandma's bushes. She could barely get the words out, because she was laughing so hard. I think her last comment was something about always wondering what would happen if you did that.

This is getting to be a wordy post...I'll keep the rest of my thanks short and sweet. I'm certainly thankful for the rest of my living family, including in-laws and soon-to-be in-laws (Nicole and her family), for Jeff, Hallie, Chance, Oz, and Brady, for my intelligence and wit (Ha Ha), for my job that I enjoy, for my good health, for all of my great female friends, and for having the ability to write this blog and enjoy readers' comments.

On that note, I would love to hear some of the things for which you are thankful.

Better in Firefox

Just so everyone knows, my blog is best viewed in Firefox, not Internet Explorer. Firefox can be downloaded as part of the Google Pack, and is actually more functional and provides better security than IE.

First Day (Hour) of Rifle Season

I'm totally blogging out of order here, because I intend to write all about what I'm thankful for this year, but some things are important to post immediately. So, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Jeff got this 8-point buck just a little after 7 am on Monday morning. He was hunting with his brother, Mark, in an undisclosed area (of course) in Pennsylvania. This is Jeffy's first big one, and he is just thrilled. (And, I'm thrilled for him, however, when we get the bill from the taxidermist, I may not be so thrilled.)

Did You Know?

According to the Harvard Business Review, coffee is the world's second-most widely consumed commodity, after oil.

Sleeping with Jeffy

Okay, at first glance, you might think my title is a little risqué, but seriously, do you think I’d talk about sex on my very public blog?

To get to my point…I used to be a morning person! I would wake up one or two minutes before my alarm went off, and never have to hear that annoying beep, beep, beep. Now, I’ve seemingly morphed into someone who likes to sleep in late (JEFF). The problem with this is that I still can’t stay up much later than 10pm! I think that Jeff has an easier time with mornings that I do. I’m not blaming this entirely on him, either. Do you know how hard it is to get out of bed when you have two warm, furry, live teddy bears cuddled up next to you?

On that note, Chancer Boy and Hallie are not morning dogs. Chance lets out a little, “do we have to get up?” groan every morning when the alarm goes off. And, I have to beg Hallie to get out of bed to go outside. Oh, the days of our lives…

Dad's Big Gobbler

If you want the whole story, you'll have to talk to Walter, but this is the biggest gobbler he's ever gotten. I think he may have had a little help from Brady! Isn't my Daddy handsome?

2006 – Year of Many Babies

I failed to mention all the babies that were born over the past several months, so I’ll name them now, in order of their births…

Harlan Antonio Martin to my very good friends, Rachael and Brian
Hayes William Campbell to my best friend from college, Jill and her husband Tom (whom I also love, because he loves Jill)
Lindsey Ann Lundy to Julie, my first and oldest friend, and her husband Casey
Cianna Marie Stager to Jeff’s sister, Jill, and her husband Thaddeus…Cianna is my 6th niece/nephew!
Brayden Gunnar Fox to Adam and Kristy, friends of the family

Last Book, Next Book

Okay, our last read was called My Antonia, by Willa Cather. I enjoyed it, but quite honestly, I don't have all that much to say. I'm glad I read it, but wouldn't necessarily call it a 'meat and potatoes' book, nor would I want to read it again. However, this was an excellent choice for a book club...one of the things I've noticed over the course of the last year is that many of the books we read were not something I would have picked up. I'm also sure that had some of the books not been "required," I would not have continued past the first chapter. That being said, I'm glad that read almost every book on our Year One List. I have to say almost, because Moby Dick was a complete waste of my time. I'm very sure that there are many people out there (somewhere...) that disagree, but this is my blog and I'll post what I want.

Our next book discussion will be centered around The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. So far, I'm loving it, but more on that when I'm finished with it.

Thought of the Day

I like this one...


It is important to recognize the power of our emotions--and to take
responsibility for them by creating a light and positive atmosphere around
ourselves. This attitude of joy that we create helps alleviate states of
hopelessness, loneliness, and despair. Our relationships with others thus
naturally improve, and little by little the whole of society becomes more
positive and balanced. - Tarthang Tulku

The Spa, Shopping and Good Friends

Thank goodness for girls! Hannah, Jen and I just spent a great weekend in Erie. We shopped until we were out of money, ate until we were stuffed, and finished off the weekend at the Coventina Day Spa, where we indulged in massages and pedicures. We also enjoyed some good drinks, read in bed, and laughed until our cheeks hurt. I think that every woman should attempt to nurture her relationships with female companions. So often, I hear women bashing other women. What a shame! We really should all band together so that we have the energy and sense of humor to put up with the men in our lives!

Book Club - Year One

Pudd’nhead Wilson by Mark Twain
Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewynn
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
Dear Zoe by Philip Beard
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
Three Weeks with My Brother by Nicolas and Micah Sparks
A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
The Dive from Clausen’s Pier by Ann Packer
Tao Te Ching by Anonymous
Night by Elie Wiesel
Conversations with the Fat Girl by Liza Palmer
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand

Terrorist by John Updike

State College, Stallions, and The Booger

It’s been six or seven years since Mom, Paula, Danielle and I first saw the Lipizzaner Stallions. At the time, I was living in State College and Mom suggested that the four of us attend the show at the Jordan Center. This time, it was Paula’s suggestion to go to the show, and because The Booger now lives in State College, it made for a great idea. Anyway, instead of describing yesterday’s show, I’m going to take advantage of their website…http://www.lipizzaner.com/ [I will add that I think anyone would enjoy seeing the stallions in action.]

Much more importantly, I’d like to write about The Booger. First of all, anybody whose name is prefixed by “The,” must be pretty important. Of course, Danielle deserves this prefix to her nickname, and she is absolutely, one of the most important people in my life. And, I’m very thankful that after a tough year of two (very similar) personalities clashing, The Booger and I have turned a corner and are back on our well-beaten path of friendship and sisterhood.

Danielle is maturing every day, and I think that she is thriving in State College. Her courses are challenging, she’s meeting new people, tolerating difficult roommates, and juggling a long-distance relationship all at once. She has once again found the humor in life (thank goodness – Paula and I didn’t do so well with humorless Booger), and we laughed a lot yesterday. Laughter is definitely something that we enjoy doing together, and just writing about this makes me think of Mom’s infectious laugh. Oh, how I wish she were still here to laugh with us.

Anyway, Danielle has some tough choices ahead of her, but I think she is in the right mind to make great decisions. She understands what’s important in life and knows when to seek advice. All that being said, I think she’ll excel in whatever path she chooses.

A Book Review

“Terrorist” by John Updike was Hannah’s pick for Book Club, and I have to say that after a shaky beginning, it turned out to be a great read for me. Being Updike’s newest novel, he appropriately chooses to weave his story around a very hot topic. The main character in the book, Ahmad, is a young impressionable American with an Egyptian father and an Irish-American mother. Although the first eleven years of his life were absent of any religious teachings, he chooses to embrace Islam and spends the next six years studying the Koran with a very questionable character. Because Ahmad is young and pliable, the imam is able to impress upon him a very fundamentalist view of their religion, and in doing so, develops in the boy, a hatred for all “unbelievers.” So, not to ruin the book for any possible readers (probably just Susanne), I won’t divulge any more of the details, I will however, discuss the main theme in the book and how it relates to my ideas about life.

First of all, I think the development of Ahmad’s beliefs and his subsequent actions are probably a fairly accurate depiction of how terrorists go about breeding young men and women who commit acts of horror in the name of God. Other than religion, there is little else in this world that has the ability to evoke enough passion in humans to cause them to kill masses of people they have never met. This is, at least as far as I’m concerned, the main problem with organized religion. If you can get someone to believe in an omnipresent and omnipotent creator, and instill in them a passion about this creator, then you probably can get them to do just about anything. The lack of logic and reason in “believing,” allows the “believer” to make the jump, based on faith, to whatever his or her motives require.

I do recognize, however, that most of the time organized religion uses the faith of its “believers” to promote for the good of humanity. But, faith-based religions are not the only way to teach ethics, nor do I think it’s the best way. Logic and reason lead to most of the same conclusions, without instilling a faith-based passion that can be absolutely devastating to society.

Okay, I’m probably digressing…

Anyway, this being my first John Updike, I have to say that I’m impressed and interested in reading more. Like Paula says, this was a “meat and potatoes” book, one that makes you think about life and all of its complicated complications!

Youth Pheasant Hunt

Today was Hallie's day to shine, and that she did. We met up with Robbie, Denny and Curtis early this morning, and by 8:05 am Hallie had pointed 5 or 6 birds with Curtis bagging two of them. All of us had a fun time together...there's nothing like hanging with the Wilsons'. Oh, the little Chancer Boy did okay for a gun-shy beagle. He loves being with Hal Bears, but just hates those guns!

We also attended the Pheasants Forever Youth Hunt, where we were paired up with a 14 year old boy named Nick. The hunting here was a bit more difficult, but we did track down some birds. Unfortunately, Nick wasn't able to connect. He did have fun, and ended up winning the gun raffle, so it was a great day for him, too.

The usual characters were present at the festivities, and I have to say that I look forward to this event every year. The only bad part of the day was Hallie's small, but yucky-looking injury. A 1 inch section of the skin on her leg was cut through to the muscle. We used some Super Glue to bond it back together, but we'll keep a close eye on it for the next few days. This may require a trip to Dr. Moore's office.

Dad and Rich are at the races tonight with Psycho Bob and various other characters. I'm sure they're having a good time! Jeffy and the rest of Six Pak are playing (in front of a packed crowd, I'm sure) at the Legion. I'm sitting home nursing two very tired puppies, and loving every minute of my relaxing Saturday night at home.

Oh - we're reading "The Terrorist," by John Updike. It's slow-going so far...but I'm sticking with it.

Julie P's Wedding

Julie Pfeufer is now Mrs. Troy (not TJ, mind you) Sober. She was married in a Methodist church in the North Shore area of Pittsburgh, on Saturday, September 30, 2006. Right now, the couple is honeymooning in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, at some luxurious resort, I'm sure. I'm very jealous, as I don't think our Key West Thanksgiving is going to happen. Anyway, the reception was held at the LeMont on Mount Washington, overlooking downtown Pittsburgh - the view was amazing and the food and drinks were plentiful.

Julie was absolutely stunning! I can honestly say that she was glowing. Troy was dapper in his tux, and even shed a few tears during the ceremony. I think they're lucky to have found each other, and I hope they'll be as happy as Jeff and me.

Another Insightful Quote

I think that Mom just inherently felt this...

People will forget what you said,
people will forget what you did,
but people will never forget how
you made them feel.

(Quoted by Maya Angelou - Found by me in Reader's Digest)

Something Marilyn Said

So, for those non-existent readers who don't know who Marilyn is...she's my mother-in-law.

Anyway, today, Troy Taylor married Becki Schneider. The ceremony was lovely, and as I usually do at weddings, I cried. I don't know why this happens, I don't consider myself an overly-emotional person, but I guess shedding happy tears is a good thing, so I won't wonder about myself too much. Getting back to Marilyn...

Right before the ceremony was about to start, she turned to me and said, "Jeff seems really happy. I just want to thank you for that." First of all, what a nice thing to say! I am so lucky to have such a loving mother-in-law. Second, while I do believe Jeff is happy, I also believe that people are, for the most part, in a steady-state of happiness. While I think that this fluctuates for short periods during especially difficult, or especially joyful times, I think that eventually you equalize to your innate state of happy (or sad, for that matter). So, while I'm glad that Jeffy is happy, because I'm very happy, too, I think that Marilyn, being that is was she who raised him, probably has more to do with his being a happy person, than I do.

All that being said, and taking into account something Henry Winkler said, ["Assumptions are the termites of relationships"], I will still continue to work on the relationship so not to assume that our marriage will live infinitely on without further compromise, commitment, giving, laughter and loving.

Darien Lake Bust….Continued

Well, as someone related to me mentioned…

We did have one good night of camping at Darien Lake, and it all started out with a small wager (in case I haven’t mentioned this, my family likes to gamble). The group decided to take bets on what time the park ranger rent-a-cops would come a-knocking at our campsites. This usually happens sometime shortly after “quiet-time” starts. Anyway, everyone picked a time, and threw a couple of bucks in the pot. When it got close to the cluster of times that everyone chose, the group started to get a little rowdy.

Now, at this point in my story, I have to admit, that I couldn’t bring myself to join in the game. Can’t we have fun without causing stress to our fellow campers (not to mention the rent-a-pigs)??? Oh, well…apparently I’m too old to be camping with a bunch of mid-twenty-somethings. Oh NO! Does this make me in my late twenties??

Back to the story…

It seems that the person who really wanted to win this not-so-big pot of money was the Markie Boy. He actually succeeded in catching the roaming rangers attention, and they did come over to ask him to quiet down, but this was just the beginning. [I’m not actually sure who ended up winning the money.] He then proceeded in his quest to becoming the most annoying drunk ever. I’m probably exaggerating here, but it makes my story so much better. Mark continued to yell at the top of his lungs, wrestle with Goober, who wanted nothing to do with him, and chastise people who were going to bed. Finally, after just about everyone was in his or her tents/campers trying sleep, Mark turns his radio on full-blast.

After several people shouted at him to turn the volume down, he suggested that if they cannot sleep through the noise, then they are not tired enough to be in bed. The next thing I know, Richie and Mark are having a cell phone conversation. Unfortunately, I could only hear one side of the discussion, and this is what Rich said, “Oh, I know you don’t mean that buddy, I’ll just see you in the morning.” He was so sweet towards raving, mad Markie Boy! I giggled in my tent until I finally fell asleep.

Kitchen Update and Other Facts of Life

This week, we continued work on our remodeling project by tearing out the carpet and particle board subfloor in the hallway. We also began laying the new plywood subfloor that will suffice as an excellent anchor for our 3/4" oak floor. Needless to say, any time you have to do demolition, you end up with an absolute mess. Until we started this project (back in January), I didn't have an appreciation for how messy things could get. Layer upon layer of dust saturated the house for weeks after we actually finished the demolition portion of the job. Anyway, I'll be glad when it's all over.

Dad arrived home safely from Las Vegas. He came home with less money than he went with, but he had a great time, and that's what matters. He also indulged in the Rio Seafood buffet, which makes me very jealous! We're trying to plan a Thanskgiving holiday to Key West, Florida....I hope it actually happens.

Darien Lake Bust

Our plans for a fun-filled three night camping trip over Labor Day weekend to Darien Lake were cut very short by a weakening, but still strong enough to ruin a weekend Hurricane named Ernesto. He made his way up the coast into PA and NY sometime Saturday morning. We woke up in our tent (on a comfy air mattress) to the sounds of rain pelting tent canvas and wind flapping the protective tarp. This continued all day and sent us headed for home two days early.

However, the trip wasn't a total loss. Jeff got to shop at Guitar Center in Buffalo and purchased a new electric guitar. This was his bargaining chip when installing our new kitchen. Maybe I should have waited until he was completely finished before letting him buy the guitar?

Fighting for Peace

I found this quote in the midst of a bunch of other quotes in an e-mail forward. I find it particularly insightful.

"Fighting for Peace is Like Screwing for Virginity"

I love it!

Book Club

Last night we finally discussed Lolita. Of course, with four different minds, we had four totally different takes on the books. Jen was so repulsed that she didn’t finish it…I think this is probably because she has to deal with kids that do get sexually abused. Hannah found the book to be beautifully written, especially when considering the subject matter. Paula was completely engrossed from start to finish…she said this was a “meat and potatoes” book and that we should read more of these.

I found the book to be (using Jen’s remark) “repulsive yet intriguing”. I’m the only one who found the book funny. Humbert’s dry view of the world had me laughing on several occasions. I think you have to get past the subject matter and totally engross yourself in the prose. Who could have thought that a book written from a sexual predator’s perspective could be so poetically written? One of the things we didn’t discuss, and I’m wondering how the others felt, is that I think Humbert was able to evoke some empathy from me. He was so totally and completely in love with Delores, and Delores being the child that she was could never possibly feel the same way. His descriptions of her were so detailed, erotic, substantiating…wow, I almost have to wish that Jeff had the ability to put into words, (the way Humbert did) his love for me. (Okay, so that isn’t happening anytime soon!)

Anyway, next book is Seabiscuit. I’ll write more when I find something worthy to write about.

Missing Mom

I'm sure Mom will end up being a re-occurring theme in my blog...but that's to be expected. You see, when I'm tired, I miss Mom. When I'm cranky, I miss Mom. When I'm having fun, I think of Mom and wonder how much fun I could be having if she were still here. It's really never-ending. Anyway, I found her obituary in the archives of the Daily Press online, and want to post it here.

From The Daily Press, April 14, 2003:

Kathleen M. Wilson

Kathleen M. "Kathy" Wilson, 50, of 244 Kylers Corners Road, Kersey, and formerly of St. Marys, died unexpectedly Friday, April 11 at Presbyterian University Hospital, Pittsburgh.She was born July 15, 1952 in St. Marys, daughter of Margaret "Peg" Cooney Krellner of St. Marys and the late Joseph W. Krellner. On June 29, 1973 in Queen of the World Church, she married Walter C. Wilson, who survives.

Mrs. Wilson was a member of St. Boniface Church, and was a graduate of Elk County Christian High School. She enjoyed the outdoors, fishing, hunting, wood working and auto body work.

In addition to her husband and mother, she is survived by a daughter, Jamie Wilson and her fiance, Jeff Eckert, of St. Marys; a son, Richie Wilson of Kersey; three brothers, Ted Krellner of Emporium, Justin Krellner of Coudersport, and Brian Krellner of St. Marys; five sisters, Sandra (Mrs. Frank) Metzler, Evelyn (Mrs. Charles "Bud") Krug, Patricia (Mrs. Carl) Pfeufer, all of St. Marys, Susanne (Mrs. Col. Bill) Astley of Plattsmouth, NE, and Paula (Mrs. Dan) Micale of Kersey; and her sister Paula's children, whom she helped raise, Russ, Mark and Danielle Micale; and several nieces and nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial for Kathleen M. "Kathy" Wilson will be celebrated Tuesday at 11 a.m. at St. Boniface Catholic Church, with the Rev. John A. Kuzilla, pastor, as celebrant. Burial will be in St. Marys Catholic Cemetery.Visitation will be at the Lynch-Green Funeral Home tonight from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m.

LOL funny

It certainly takes all kinds to make the world go 'round. Today, as I was leaving my office for lunch, there was a twenty-something guy with two small boys standing on our lobby stairs. He had a bandana on his head and several tattoos, which I was able to see because he wasn't wearing a shirt. He asked me how I was doing, and told him I was doing fine. I really wanted to know what he was doing there, but I thought I'd mind my own business.

When I got back from lunch (chocolate sundae from DQ), he was gone. Luckily, one of my co-workers filled me in. As in any large, busy manufacturing facility we have contractors in and out of the plant all the time. This particular fellow was here to interview for a job with one of these contractors. WOW! This strikes me as hilarious. Maybe I'll go to my next interview without pants.

What we've been saying all along...

From All Things Considered on NPR:

"Public schools perform favorably with private schools when students' income and socio-economic status are taken into account, according to a new report from the U.S. Education Department. The findings counter a popularly held notion, that private schools outperform public schools.

But the report has generated controversy due to what some call its overly low-key release, on a Friday evening. That spurred critics to charge that the Bush administration, long a supporter of private alternatives to public schools, was playing politics by burying data it doesn't like.
Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings calls her critics' charges ridiculous, saying the administration strongly supports public education. But, she says, the administration also believes parents should have choices."

The executive summary of the report is a nice read.

Love, Lust and NASCAR

So, I was probably the only fan reading Lolita at Watkins Glen on Sunday. And, actually, I’m not necessarily a fan of racing, but I am a fan of reading! However, my first NASCAR experience was quite fun…we (Rich, Nicole, Dad, Jeff and me) made the trek to the track on Sunday to watch one of NASCAR’s few road races. The crowd’s excitement was contagious, the smells of barbeque were tempting, and the alcohol-induced carefree spirit of the fans made for a great day. Although I still don’t have a favorite racer and certainly don’t know the ins and outs of the sport, I do have a new appreciation and understanding of why the country is so race crazy.

As I mentioned, I did get to read a bit of Lolita on Sunday, and I’m still quite intrigued. I no longer think I’m reading about your run-of-the-mill pedophile, but I don’t (yet?) quite think it’s a love story. I think that Humbert definitely has lustful feelings towards Lo, but love?? We’ll see.

Hallie on the Boat

I love this picture of Hallie! She's such a beauty. Anyway, I'll have to post some pics of Chance as soon as I can. (He's pretty cute, too.)

Basketball and Lolita

We played the first round of summer league playoffs tonight and won by about 30 points. It was a fun game, but I'm feeling down instead of my usual post-game high. Weird.

Anyway, I'm fifty or sixty pages into "Lolita" by Vladimir Nabokov for book club. What a strangely intriguing experience. You can't help but wonder what the guy (a pedophile??) is going to say or do next, and your mind is telling you that you don't want to know, but your curiosity is killing you and you really can't wait to find out. One of the short blurbs on the back cover of the book says, "The only convincing love story of the century"...or something along those lines. Maybe I'm not far enough into the story, or maybe I'm just confused, but I'm pretty sure that Humbert Humbert is writing the story from jail...I hope it all comes together for me. I'm glad the book club hasn't seen any of the Lolita-based films. The fresh perspective should make for an interesting discussion.

Blogger Addiction?

Okay, so maybe it's a little early to be addicted, but I find myself thinking of this blog all the time. Thoughts like, "Oh, I should put something about this in my blog," are continually running through my head.

It's just soooo cool. I love the idea of documenting for myself (and the blogging world) the things that are important to me. I've never consistently kept a diary, but this one is just so easy and cool-looking. I suppose I'll eventually tell people about my blog, so that I can enjoy their comments, but for now, I'm just going to keep it to myself.

Smelling the Roses

If there's one thing that I learned from Dad, it's to always stop and smell the roses. This is the sort of thing I don't always remember to do. So, when I'm with Dad, I really have to work to slow down and enjoy whatever it is I'm doing. Last night's trip to the fair was a prime example of Dad showing his family (Rich, Nicole, Jeff and Me) how to 'smell the roses.' Although, at the fair, it's all about smelling the cows, pigs and goats. Along with the smelling, we did some eating, and Dad talked to at least 4 different exhibitioners about their various trades. He also made sure to lure most of the salesmen into trying to selling him something that he knows he'll never buy.

As a family, we're very lucky that we enjoy each other's company, and the only thing robbing us of a perfect night out, was Mom not being here to enjoy it with us.

"Peace Takes Courage, Too"

“Peace Takes Courage, Too.”

I heard an interesting story on NPR today. Somewhere in the middle of all the Terror that is the Middle East, there is someone holding a peace camp for young girls. Jewish Israelis and Arab Pakistanis are brought together under the premise of peace and are supporting each other as members of humanity. It’s nice to know that there are people who can see past the differences of race and religion. These young girls are spending time getting to know each other and probably figuring out that most people have the same basic hopes and dreams. It’s too bad that so many in the world do not see the value in a t-shirt that says, “Peace Takes Courage, Too.” [This tee was worn by one of the girls at the peace camp, and described by the NPR correspondent.] Did I mention that I love NPR?

Brand New Blog

Okay, so why on earth do I need a blog? I guess the answer to that question is much more complicated than even I realize, but I’ll try to explain. Fortunately, I happen to live in a blue state. Unfortunately, I live in a very red section of that state. Here in rural Pennsylvania, the conservatives are conservatives and the liberals are few and far between. Anyway, sometimes being in the minority really, really stinks. So, I often deal by writing for a few minutes to calm my type-A brain. Believe, when you live in a place like this you are continually forced to bite your tongue so as not to lose your job.

So, that’s the first reason – politics – a pretty common reason to have a blog.

Reason number two – I talk about my dogs way too much, which can’t be good for my career. I figure I’ll use my brand new blog to tell all the dog stories I want. Maybe not a completely common reason, but certainly perfectly acceptable in bloggerville.

Third Reason – Doesn’t everybody have a blog these days?