Played Paddleball

No, not me. I didn't play paddleball. I had the honor of being on a committee to select 20 high school seniors to receive $200 scholarships. There scholarships in various categories - and the number of applications varied, so sometimes the decision was easy, sometimes difficult.

But I learned a few things.

1) If you have the opportunity to fill out a scholarship application - even if the scholarship is a small one - take it. Three students won scholarships because they were the only applicant in their category.

2) Well-rounded is good. The kids who had a variety of activities and jobs really shone through as being active and interesting. Sometimes there would be an application filled with events and honors - but they all had to do with one thing, for example dance competitions. And that's great, but I found myself wondering "does this student do anything else?"

3) Don't be afraid to sell yourself. Some of these kids took what would be a simple or minor activity and made it sound pretty stellar. More power to them for being able to present themselves in a positive way.

4) If you have been doing biological research on a molecular level and are creating new organisms (and you're still in high school) chances are you'll win lots of scholarships.

5) If all you've done in your four years of high school is "play paddleball", maybe it's better not to bother filling out the application at all. (Which goes against "thing I learned number 1", but still...). Honestly, we had one application where the only things filled in were that the student had made the honor roll (these are Gifted and Talented scholarships, so honor roll is pretty much expected) and was in the paddleball club where his/her (identities were shielded from us) responsibility was to "play paddleball."

I don't believe in stressing my kids out with dozens of activities, but I do hope that by the time senior year of high school rolls around they have more to put on an application than "played paddleball."

And to apply that to a greater life lesson. If you were filling out an application right now - would there be more than one thing on it? Has life outside of high school continued to be well-rounded? Or do you just "play paddleball"?

Tuesday's Proverb

He who confers benefits will be amply enriched, and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. (Proverbs 11:25)

Bragging on the Kids

The past few months my kids have garnered a few honors that make me mighty proud, and I feel like bragging about them a little.

1) My daughter was chosen to represent her grade at school at the Young Writer's Night.

2) My son's art work was chosen to represent his school at the Young Artist's Night.

(These are both events in our town).

3) My son was nominated to attend a Young Scholar program over the summer.

4) My daughter is receiving a Mayor's Youth Volunteer Award.

I'm very proud of both of them!

Tuesday's Proverb

One man is lavish yet grows still richer; another is too sparing, yet is the poorer. (Proverbs 11:24)

Poetry Friday - Tessa in Wonderland, Part 5

Once again it's Poetry Friday and I have yet another installment of my daughter's original poem Tessa in Wonderland. The first four parts can be found here, here, here and here.

Tessa in Wonderland

by KRM

Part V

Horatio’s paws balled around

The reins,

“Spade? Under the rule of…

of…”

He couldn’t say it.

Queen Heart.

Queen Heart.

“Queen Heart,”

There. I’d said it.

Horatio’s furry face twisted

Into a grimace

“The only Province

Unclaimed

Is Diamonds…

Diamonds who actually

Likes Heart,

But is unwilling to give in.

They’re willing to fight, though.”

He hissed.

“Is there anything

We can do?” I asked

“Sell these Carrots in town,”

Horatio said.

“And then go home.”

There’s nothing we could do.

Carrots sold,

And we rumbled

Down an empty road to

Horatio’s home.

It was almost peaceful,

And I leaned against the

Rabbit as he drove along,

Silently, yet tensed.

A scream

Pierced the lazy twilight.

“NO!

DON’T LET THEM!

NEVER!”

And then…all was silent.

Horatio handed me the reins,

A look of horror on his furry face.

“That was my

father’s voice,”

He whispered,

And got out of the

Cart.

“Straight down the lane,”

He told me.

“I’ll be faster on foot,”

And he darted away.

I stared at the reins,

And gently urged the animals

On.

When we reached the house,

It had been ransacked.

“My father,”

Horatio whimpered,

Coming out

And helping me out of the cart

“I can’t find him.”

The Poetry Friday Round-Up is at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. Check it out.

Poetry Friday - Tessa in Wonderland, Part 4

Once again it's Poetry Friday and I have yet another installment of my daughter's original poem Tessa in Wonderland. The first three parts can be found here, here and here.

Tessa in Wonderland

by KRM

Part iv

Spadedeck.

It’s wonderful

Hustle-bustle of city rhythms

The Frogs selling chocolate covered

Worms and Flies,

Giant Butterfly Messengers

Zooming around,

The thieves,

Patrolling the streets,

Asking for things,

The little shops

With amazing displays in

Their windows

The town square and

Clock Tower

The Theaters and

The restaurants

And the Castle

Looming in the distance.

Horatio drove right by,

Pointing

Landmarks out

Telling me who

To avoid

As if I’d need to know.

The rabbit brought me

To his house

And told me that I could

Stay there till

I figured out how

To get home.

I told him I wouldn’t be

There long, then.

Spadedeck.

The card soldiers

Marching in,

The Megaphone bird

Proclaiming that

Her Majesty, Monarch

Of the Heartlands,

Queen Heart,

Had officially won

The cold war

Against her sister Province,

Spades,

And had conquered.

The only Province

Unconquered

Was New Club.

The war was

Almost over

Tyranny,

Complete dictatorship,

Was now

The unfortunate

Future.

The Poetry Friday round-up can be found at Paper Tigers. Go, check it out!

Tuesday's Proverb

The desire of the just ends only in good; the expectation of the wicked is wrath. (Proverbs 11:23)

Poetry Friday - Tessa in Wonderland, Part 3

Tim Burton may have his vision of Alice in Wonderland, but my daughter has her own. And in time for Poetry Friday here is part three of her original poem: Tessa in Wonderland.

Tessa in Wonderland

by KRM

Part III

“Spades?”

I said.

“As in the shovel?

Or the card?”

The rabbit had helped me into

His cart,

And I was sitting next to him.

It was weird,

He was as big as I was.

“As in the Province.”

The rabbit said.

“By the way,

I’m Horatio,”

“And I’m Tessa,”

I said,

Tucking

A strand of loose

Hair behind my

Ear.

“Where are we going?”

I asked.

“To my home.

It’s

In the outskirts of

Spadedeck,

Capital

Of the Spade Province.”

I nodded solemnly,

Looking down

At my sneakers.

I wished

That mom knew

Where I was

So that she

Could come get me,

Or that I hadn’t

Left my phone at home.

I wished

I knew

What would happen

Next.

Parts I and II of her poem are here and here.

The Poetry Friday round-up can be found at Some Novel Ideas. Go check it out!

Great Contest for Writers and Readers

To share her joy at her big news with as many people as possible, Beth Revis is having a contest with two prizes. One for writers and one for readers. Go check out her blog and enter to win some awesome prizes.

But if They Don't Buy it, There will be Less Revenue

I was listening to the radio this morning and the politicians in NY discuss the importance of a tax on sugared beverages. Basically a soda tax.

It was put forward that NY needed the money this tax would generate. And if this tax wasn't passed then that multi-million (or maybe billion - I wasn't listening that closely) gap would have to be made up another way. So it was imperative for the financial health of the state that this tax be approved.

But these same politicians seemed to have a secondary reason why it was so important to pass this tax. People are fat. And getting fatter. And soda isn't good for them. So a tax will help to keep them from drinking as much soda. It will make them healthier and thinner and the world will be a better place full of rainbows and unicorns (okay, I added that last bit.)

Now, is it just me, or is there a problem with this model? If you desperately need the money, but your tax is going to alter behavior so that not as much of the product is sold - won't that eat into the proposed tax revenue?

Good thing I'm not a politician or an economist. I think my head would explode!

Tuesday's Proverb

Like a golden ring in a swine's snout is a beautiful woman with a rebellious disposition. (Proverbs 11:22)

The Storm is Passing - Five Things on a Monday

And I don't mean that in a figurative sense. The storm that pounded the Northeast this weekend is now just cloudy skies and light rain. But I figure I can come up with five things to say about it on a Monday morning (and that will keep me from railing against losing an hour of sleep this weekend.)

1) There are a lot of trees down near us, but none hit our house. A neighbor's garage does have a large tree lying across the top of it though.

2) We did not lose power. Though areas of our neighborhood did. The most we lost was for about a minute and then we simply figured it was easier not to reset the clocks until later when we had to reset them for DST anyway.

3) The sump pump almost always went on when needed. Yes, the rug in the basement is soaked. Yes there were times the pump didn't go on. But for the most part it worked - and the electricity staying on was a big help there.

4) The pounding hail and thunder on Sunday morning helped wake up our sleepy daughter in time for church. :)

5) Boiling drinking water is a pain in the neck. Just saying. But if that's the worst of our inconveniences I guess we're doing pretty good.

Tuesday's Proverb

Truly the evil man shall not go unpunished, but those who are just shall escape. (Proverbs 11:21)

Tuesday's Proverb

The depraved in heart are an abomination to the LORD, but those who walk blamelessly are his delight. (Proverbs 11:20)

Poetry Friday - Tessa in Wonderland, Part 2

This snowy Friday, I bring you the second in a continuing series by my 13-year-old daughter.

Tessa in Wonderland

by KRM

Part II
When I awoke, I immediately knew
It was NOT a
Dream.
The headache
I’d acquired from my
Run-in with the tree
Was real enough
The scrapes on my knees
Were real
I pinched my arm
And felt it,
This was no dream.

I propped myself up
Watching a cart or two
Filled with
Human-sized frogs
Card people
Walruses and
Things like that
Pass by.
Wondering if
Maybe they noticed me.
I never realized
That they were trying hard
Not
To.

“What is this place?”
I asked passersby
Who ignored me
Completely
Like the others.
I kept asking
Until a
Chocolate-colored
Rabbit
Slowed his mules,
Reigns held tightly in
His brown paws,
One ear was flopped
Over his right eye
And it twitched slightly.
“Where am I?”
I asked.
He stared at me.
“You’re an otherworlder?” He said
In awe

“I guess.” I said,
Rubbing my scraped knees
“Well, Otherworlder
This is
The Spade Province
Of
Wonderland.”

MsMac is hosting the Poetry Friday Round-up over at Check it Out. So go and check it out!

Thursday Thoughts

It's snowing here.

Again.

But there have definitely been some bright spots in my week.

The sump pump not working as expected and causing a couple inches of water in the basement was not one of them.

But seeing my son's face as he got the bright-yellow 21-speed mountain bike he's been wishing for as a 10th birthday present was definitely one of them.

(I would post a picture of my son with his bicycle, but it appears my camera decided it wasn't necessary to save those pictures. Hmph.)

Another bright spot was the review I discovered yesterday at Not Enough Bookshelves. Go ahead and read the whole thing. My favorite line was:

You know when you've had a rough day and you just want to curl up on the sofa and devour a whole bar of chocolate, but you can't because of that pesky diet? Well, When Mike Kissed Emma, is the perfect alternative.

On the writing front, with one book ready to send out in the hopes of finding it a publishing home, I've started revisions on another story. This one is a time-travel Civil War story and should be a lot of fun to really dig into.

Lent has gotten off to a good start here - though birthday celebrations during Lent are always a challenge. Unfortunately with a birthday at the end of February my son will be celebrating during Lent more often than not.

And as a final thought, I leave you with a picture of my 10-year-old.

Tuesday's Proverb

Virtue directs toward life, but he who pursues evil does so to his death. (Proverbs: 11:19)

Poetry Friday - Tessa in Wonderland, Part 1

Knowing that I like to showcase her poems on Poetry Friday, my 13-year-old daughter has written me a series of poems specifically for Poetry Friday. Here is the first one.

Tessa in Wonderland

by KRM

Part I
I remember falling
Out of that tree’s
Strong arms,
The ground crumbling
Beneath me
As I fell into that
Sinkhole.
At least, that’s what I thought
It was at the time
Everyone
Told me that I had
Had a bad dream
But I knew it was anything but
A dream.

I fell through the hole
Yelling as loud as I could
Limbs flailing,
Then I hit the ground,
And I continued to yell
As I rolled
Down a hill,
Scraping my knees
Ripping my grass-stained overalls
My tumble only stopped
When a huge oak tree,
Ironically the same kind that I had
Fallen out of
Stopped my journey
After that
It was only
Darkness

Wonderland was a scary place
No one trusted the other
Rabbits talked
Flowers sang
Trees indulged in meaningful conversation
A girl from the otherworld,
Like me,
Is regarded like a freak
Because we hardly ever make it down there.
Wonderlanders had their own
Troubles,
It was surprising I made it out
Alive.

TO BE CONTINUED.....

The Poetry Friday Round-Up this week is by Irene Latham at Live. Love. Explore.

These Forty Days

I saw this video in a few different places and thought I'd share it too, for Ash Wednesday.

Tuesday's Proverb

The wicked man makes empty profits, but he who sows virtue has a sure reward. (Proverbs: 11:18)