My son Patrick named it "Charlie"...not sure why? It is awfully hard to have things go, but I am appreciative for it's
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Last day for our Seminar group of 10 teachers meeting "officially together. Wish it went throughout the summer. It was just not enough time to complete everything we wished to accomplish. This is Joe C with our youngest classmate, "Pepper," his daughter. Great story! He gave her the nickname when he first saw her in an ultrasound. The doctor told him she was the "Size of a pepper." So fun! So Adorable! Pictoral Timeline lesson by our group- above "Fellow" Melissa - with the 1st painting she has every done on canvas -for a group project we are working on. (I will show them separately then all connected on another post. All of them are so breathtakingly creative!) All of this and a good- bye party for friend and mentor Dave Renz who is in charge of us at Northwestern. He will be missed, but we celebrated him at SEMINARTonight was the last class for Storytelling. By far...the BEST CLASS I have ever taken with the BEST TEACHER I have ever met. It was not so much what he taught, but who he was and how he treated EVERY student in class as if they were his favorite. One thing I am now certain of, the teacher does make all the difference in the world. Thank you RIves for impacting my life. This is literally a web we made with string,starting with Rives and continuing to each one of us. When our turn, we were to share a memory or learning experience we had gotten from the class. When we were done, my good friend Luke was chosen to look at the web from a different angle! (Below) I love what a cool idea that was!!! "That's awesome...Mary, this class would not have been the same without you!"
Adieu (I don't like the word "goodbye) to 2 people in my life both on the same day and at the same time!. My daughter Molly left on a flight to Ireland to begin her study abroad program in statistics at Trinity College in Dublin. She will be earning her 'green belt" in stats- whatever that is? - and interning at a business in Dublin. She will be traveling and exploring other countries on weekends. At the very same moment, my Arts & Tech Team and close friends celebrated our colleague, Carol, our beloved Consumer Tech teacher for 34 years. She is the gorgeous blonde bottom left in this picture from 1981. (She still looks the same!...I am the one with the "big hair.") We toasted her and wish her well in adventures to come! I am sure she will be traveling and exploring other countries on the weekends! ADIEU TIMES 2There is only one thing unsavory about Florida and/or all tropical paradises for that matter...No- See-Ums... Icky. These little pests are out in the early morning and late afternoon and their presence drives people indoors. The insect bites may not seem alarming, but here it is...a whole week later and the wounds are growing in intensity and popping up where I did not know they had bit! This is what people look like in suits to prevent the bites from this nasty insect the size of the end of a pin. I have returned from Florida, but I am still BUGGEDGreat day spent with daughter, Molly, deciding to take the train downtown Chicago to visit the Art Institute. We were going to take the 9:30 train from Vernon Hills, but decide on a later 11:30 train & not to rush. Coincidence again...I think not! Who should we run into but our good friend Paula G who just happened to also be taking the later train to work...which by chance was right across the street to the Art Institute. She would walk with us and catch us up on her family and vice-versa. She also gave us a free pass to the Art Institute! Too many coincidences!! We bade her farewell and continued out journey. What's this? Blackhawk helmets on the lions. Sweet! Went straight to the Impressionist area...my FAVORITE! On to the Modern Art wing, viewed the Chagall stained glass, Depression Era works by Thomas Hart Benton (No relation), Grant Wood and Diego Rivera and then another remarkable coincidence... a special exhibition on Ireland- where Molly is happen to be off to for an internship this coming Monday! Blown away!! It was if it were a special gift just for her! Then stopped at a little restaurant called "Pockets" to share a calzone and tuna salad and then back home to on the train from the ART INSTITUTEMy good friend and fellow "fellow", Luke, mentioned that he calls a busy days ="in many rooms." He and his wife made this saying up when they were in Europe and were sight seeing in many different places...they were in many rooms!" I LOVE that saying, so I told him I was stealing it. So today, I was in "many rooms." Including those at home, the store, lunch with friends Becky and Mary, in my car driving to class, at Seminar, bathroom, car again, the restaurant the Celtic Knot in downtown Evanston, then back to campus to visit the Block Museum of Art and the special exhibit; The Last Supper: 600 Plates Illustrating Final Meals of U.S. Death Row Inmates" by artist Julie Green, who has spent 15 years hand painting them. Shown together they sent an incredibly compelling and powerful message. Then off to the remarkable Senior Recital Josh Thompson- a class member of Storytelling. He played his French Horn for 2 straight hours!! The best I have ever heard. Following his graduation from Northwestern, he is off to Yale for his Masters. He is phenomenal. Reception afterwards in anther room- Jimmy John's and pie! Car ride home at 10:30 - 11:00 & last room to finally sleep. A day of filled with MANY ROOMSA word of advice, "Never return when flying home from another state on the same day you have a class and a presentation due." Seems simple enough. I thought I was catching a 10:40 A.M. flight home from Florida to get in to O'Hare at 12:35 Chicago time. Nonsense! Of course the flight was delayed... by 2 hours!! Also, when I found out what time I was due at O'Hare, I forgot about the time change and asked my daughter to pick me actually an hour later. She assured me that I would have plenty of time, so I caught my breath, finished the presentation and wording and thought if I left at 4:30 getting to Evanston by 6:15, no problem. BIG problem. Now sure why, but traffic that time of day was horrendous and I walked in just as class was beginning. Almost 2 hours to go 20 miles??? Remember- deep breaths! Now I know why I always leave a couple hours early to get a parking place and study! Class was wonderful and I was soon put at ease. We worked on a slide presentation called a PechaKucha, which is (Japanese for “chitchat”). It was invented by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham (of Klein Dytham Architecture) as a result of architects talking too much- the same reason teachers should only use this method …they go on and on. (Ask any student who loves to get teachers off track.) The 20 images shown for 20 seconds, with auto-advancing images is a precise way of staging something you wish to say. I will be using PechaKucha to present artists to my students in my classes from now on. I will also be using it for Open House Presentations to parents. They too are bombarded with speech after speech during the lengthy, momtonous evening. What better way to introduce/expound on their child’s class and the learning which will take place during the school year? My Pecha Kucha involved the story of the artist Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) I tried to find images that simultaneously illustrated the web of his life with that of his friend Emily Floge (1872-1952) in Vienna Austria, How their lives affected & influenced each other’s “art” is one of the stories. Another involves the stories behind each of the paintings Klimt composed. “The Tree of Life”, influenced by his father, the engraver of gold & his mother, the one who brought the world of music into his life. Then there was the “Portrait of Adele Bloch/Bauer” or better known as “The Woman in Gold”, commissioned by her wealthy, sugar magnate husband.The stolen painting found after WWII and returned to the country of Austria. Then the battle for the painting begun. In the final slide, I wished to show how life is so very coincidental and how one small incident can change the world. Adolf Hitler taking the very same entrance exam to the Vienna School of Art, only to be rejected the same exact year Klimt was painting the portrait of “The Woman in Gold.” To think they were both walking the same streets at the same time. Staggering. The presentation though, was slightly RUSHEDMonday came with lots of adventures to experience and inspiration to acquire in the form of photos and videos. I thought this was a remarkable occurrence, but my husband said it happens all of the time. While fishing, he caught a fish but as he was reeling it in, a shark came and took a GIANT bite out of him! Now that's a "bad day!" Group of dolphins called "a pod" or sometimes "a school". If over 200 of them they are called a "super pod!" Shimmering water looks like diamonds sparkling! I can watch this over and over again. FUNDAY MONDAYYes indeed. Forgot to mention in the last blog, I was in New Jersey only because the flight I was on had a stop over in Atlantic City, NJ. Otherwise, I would have never known how beautiful that state was. I did arrive at my destination about 2,5 hours later, Pine Island, FL. My husband picked me up looking rested and tan and drove me to get something to eat at the diner close by "our warmer home in the winter." No sooner thanI was served my fish taco, when I heard the horn honk from a passing boat. It was my son & new daughter-in-law (first time I have seen that word in print!) drive up in the boat!! So wonderful to see them since they live up in St. Paul, Minnesota. Below are a few pictures of our adventures with them. Patrick "channel surfing"PATrick & annaLARRY FLFancy way to say"New Jersey!!" ...on route to Florida? Not sure why...but an adventure and another eye opener for me. I expected all of New Jersey to look like this: But instead ... ...it was full of trees, green grass... ...and pristine beaches. Go figure? ... I have to get out from under my rock and visit other sites in the USA like NJI would love to share the views from different angles of the campus on my journey to class today. Amazing buildings, views and scenery at NW. View walking along Sheridan Road to classes Stead Hall Inside the School of Communication offices Rocks along Lake Michigan painted by NW students!! SPECTACULARToday is my lucky day to meet with Ann who is giving me a tour of campus! Earlier in my blog, I wrote of the coincidence of meeting Ann on campus...and it didn't happen just once but twice! I met her by chance coming out of her campus job at the theatre as I was heading to the bookstore. We met today at Starbucks at the Norris Center...it is upstairs and I did not even know it! She "filled me in" on all things collegiate. We are like minded in so many ways. How can she be so mature at such a young age? Then offto dinner at a Tapas restaurant in downtown Evanston. A first for me.! I LOVE the concept of "sharing a meal" Spanish style. Bacon wrapped dates and crab with avocado. Delish! And I got a mural idea from the restaurant wall. Ann will be visiting Africa as soon as the trimester is over, to journey on an adventure of a lifetime. Please pray for the safe travels of ANN 2.0Memorable day at Hawthorn. So many friends and colleagues are retiring this year and today = a party honoring them. Quality people, each and every one of them and touching so many lives of children. I was thrilled to be asked to sit at a table with Carol Richardson, our dedicated Consumer Education teacher who has taught for 35 years... and has the most DIFFICULT TEACHING JOB in the District. Imagine... 6 kitchens of 25 adolescents cooking all at the same time??!!! That does not even take into account the grocery shopping for 50 people almost daily, and the clean-up!! YIKES. I cannot even cook for 2!!!! She is one of the most organized people I know. I will miss her. :-( Carol is the gorgeous one in the middle in blue. Judy, Debbie & Jeanne were our right arms back in the day when we were afforded aides in our classrooms. We will all remain close friends forever. :-) I am also very sad to have my close friend, Becky Hill retire as well. We have been "lunch pals" for eons and have watched our families grow from little ones- into having families of their own. There are no words to say how much she will me missed. Below are the paintings that I have been working on over the past few weeks which were gifts for them- painted from the bottom of my heart. I hope they enjoy them as much as I did working on them.
Today, Seminar Class was at one of our professor's back yard in Evanston. We had a barbeque and feast..."one of the best seminars I’ve ever had the privilege to participate in. Rozy and Madeline did a superb job of orchestrating a rich conversation about Finnish Lessons 2.0, helping us tease out the points that mattered most to us individually and as a group. It was richer conversation because of the way they framed it." Penny Lundquist It was a the best ever OUTDOOR CLASSAnticipated today! I am getting to see one of my students Nic D. at the Drury Lane Theatre production of Billy Elliot. ...and HE IS BILLY ELLIOT!!! I knew in 6th grade what a special student he was...always "marching to his own drummer" and that "glint" of something magical about him. "The search required a young actor who brought incredible raw talent, but needed to be cultivated to stand up to the impossible task of performing the role of a boy whose dance ability leaves one breathless." Chicago Tribune http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/reviews/ct-billy-elliot-review-20150417-column.html Above is the review of the musical from the Chicago Tribune - it is playing until June 8th, 2015. GO SEE IT! So proud of Nic, got a signed Play Bill in the lobby afterwards and gave him a giant hug. HE IS BILLY ELLIOTTEarly to rise today... 3:45 A.M. to get to Midway airport by 5:00 A.M. to get to Northwestern by 8:30. Only issue, I got there at 5:45 which meant 3 hours of study time, reading and paperwork in the car. Best part, got a PRIME PARKING SPOT. Rare. This glorious picture is the Alice Millar Chapel on campus, where the new Golden Apple Fellows were introduced. The stained glass windows were glorious...like being in Heaven. After lunch, my storytelling professor, Rives Collins was the main speaker of the ceremony. He told an AMAZING story about 5 year old "Trisha" who could not wait to learn how to read. Sadly, found she had difficulty doing so, but DID love to draw. She was labeled stupid by those around her but had one teacher who believed in her. She turned out to be the famous storyteller and illustrator Patricia Polacco. Below is the book Rives retold the story from: GLORIOUSLook out...incoming! Our youngest has graduated from college today. Where did the time go??? Remembering it was just yesterday dropping her off at her dorm, feeling the sadness of parting and not wanting to stop hugging goodbye. "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." (Gotta love Ferris Bueller!) Statistics Major, Business & Religious Studies Minors "Counting on" a job after summer study abroad in Ireland. Looks like she is not the only one that has to move on from here... As parents, we also now must make plans for the future, for we too have GRADUATEDSpent the day oil painting and finally completed it. No can't show it yet... I will next Friday. Spent the day acrylic painting and finally completed it. No can't show it yet.. I will next Friday. Spent the day starting another acrylic painting, didn't complete it, I will tomorrow...AND again, I will show it next Friday! Great day, just PAINTINGSeminar today was led by Golden Apple Teacher Mark Larson, who introduced us to Dr. Tim Dohrer who is the Director of the Master of Science in Education Program at Northwestern. It was a very productive and colorful conversation discussing the issues of teachers in today's world, especially the eduction classes being offered at college campus's... or I should say the lack of. Northwestern's yearly tuition cost is now almost $50,000 a year and it's education program for teachers is dwindling. Are there students and parents out there who would spend that much money and have their children study in order to become lowly teachers? How did this noble profession earn it's poor reputation? Is not teaching and learning the basis of our country's existence and future? We were given a documentary DVD to view, called "TEACH" (below in you tube form.) If you have 35 minutes, please watch! Afterwards, we were invited to view a new documentary, "The Road To Teach." just released this March and shown at the McCormick/Tribune auditorium. The video was shown to students at Northwestern enrolled in it's education program. Three college students pursuing possible teaching careers, travel the United States in 30 days, maneuvering a large van. They begin their journey in California and end up in Washington D.C. Along the way, they make stops at a variety of schools and meet many different teachers ranging from preschool to high school (including alternative forms of education). They ask poignant questions and are given frank answers. The students are unique and personable and I enjoyed watching their journey and loved each of the stories. Again, please read about their exciting adventure! TEACHThe cool way to say "Lake geneva"Today was a "field trip" to one of our favorite spots on the planet about 40 miles north of Vernon Hills. Yes, it was about 50 degrees and these girls were in bikinis out on their pier. Brrr!!! ...but the swan was not cold swimming in the chilly water. Many piers were not installed, set up on shore during the winter/spring months, making them an obstacle course! There is a 21 mile "path" around the picturesque lake and below are some of the "trails" you may encounter while walking the lake. Each path is unique in it's own way. One must prepare for stumbling blocks along their journey around the shores of LGLearned a great new game in Storytelling to use with students that is quick, fun and QUIET, teaching them to pay attention using ONLY their eyes. Directions: Class stand in a circle, starting with one chosen person, they glance at each person as you go around the circle and choose one person as "it" with a longer stare. That person raises their hand when chosen. They continue the game by doing the same - just like tag, except no chasing, running and it is perfectly silent. Great fun! EYE TAGFirst time driving downtown Chicago in a very long time, in order to meet friends at the Haymarket Restaurant where THE MOTH StorySLAM was held. We were under the impression "professional storytelling" would occur. Wrong! This venue was an open-mic storytelling competition, which is held twice a month in Chicago, open to anyone with a five-minute story to share on the night’s theme which was "SAVED." When the doors open, storyteller hopefuls put their names in The Moth “hat”. A half hour later, names are picked, and one by one, storytellers took to the stage. The ten featured stories are scored by teams of judges selected from the audience from 0-10. After hearing a story about a volunteer who traveled to South America to teach needy girls who did not want his help, followed by stories of abuse, abortion, suicide, illness, unteachable children who hurt others, etc., my husband and I were the ones who needed to be "SAVED"... from THE MOTH"When a Grandparent passes away, a library burns to the ground."
A "three alarm fire" occurred on May 4, 2015. May you rest in peace, Dad. |
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August 2015
AuthorI have been given the amazing gift/opportunity to attend courses at Northwestern University and become reenergized in creating my own art. |