A Milestone

What Cancer Can't Do
- Author unknown

Cancer is so limited.

It cannot cripple love.

It cannot shatter hope.

It cannot corrode faith.

It cannot eat away peace.

It cannot destroy confidence.

It cannot shut out memories.

It cannot silence courage.

It cannot quench the spirit.

I have always considered myself to be a very healthy person. Other than allergies and the occasional headache I had never really been sick. All of that changed on July 25th, 2005 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had to make some choices about my life that I wasn’t prepared to make but I did decide that I was going to have a positive attitude regarding this whole situation. Cancer can mean a death sentence but I made it a life sentence. Even if my days were numbered, I was going to enjoy them to the best of my ability. To me, cancer was a temporary roadblock on this path called life but there were times when I stumbled.


My goal was to be a ray of sunshine for everyone not a black cloud of doom. See, I knew my friends were worried about me but I wanted to ease their pain. By being positive, I let them know that I was fine. I am not sure they would have been there for me as much had I been whiny, with the “poor me” attitude.


What have I learned from this experience? Several things! Without my faith in God and the support of family and friends, I might not have done so well. I have also learned that I am not in control of what happens in my life. The real power is in the ability to control your reactions.


Life throws us many curves. How you respond to them is the difference. Attitude shapes your life ~ positive or negative. I did not choose to have cancer; I did choose to have a positive outlook on life.


Today marks one year as a cancer survivor. All treatments have been completed and the tests have come back negative. Yes, I have a teeny nagging ~ what if it returns? I will cross that bridge when that time comes. In the meantime, life moves on, one day at a time.


“Deo gratias.”



~butterfly angel~

It's Your Turn.........

Age of Aquarius


“We the people of earth, in order to build a more perfect union... demand truth, global responsibility, and real freedom for all who live here.”



What does this statement mean to you?



~butterfly angel~

Is it already over??

Time flies or in old Latin, ‘tempus fugit’!!!!


Back-to-school sales are in full force which is the harbinger of the new school year. Didn’t I just finish packing away my stuff, emptying out the files and saying adios to the 2005-2006 school year?


I am ready in some ways and not so ready in others. After recharging the brain cells with new techniques and the AVID program, I can’t wait to try them out with the new group of students. Personally I was unable to do all the “fun stuff” that I had planned. Family has a way of tapping your reserves and I would like to think that they would do the same for me if the tables were turned. Still might head down to the Texas coast before August 7th.


My colleagues will be surprised that I FINALLY have an automobile with working a/c ~ now I can offer to carpool for lunch during the required in-service training. Buddies won’t die of heat exhaustion; they might expire from extreme boredom!


I will be the department chair for Social Studies on my campus. The members of my department do not play well with others so much so that not even the administration wants to come to our meetings. Ouch, how are we to be role models for our students if we can’t be professional? I haven’t quite figured out how to corral this group into a cohesive unit. Any suggestions?


“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one.” - Mr. Spock




~butterfly angel~

Timeless

Desiderada




Go placidly amid the noise and haste,and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble, it's a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

~butterfly angel~

SO YOU THINK YOU KNOW EVERYTHING? Part 3

Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks; otherwise it will digest itself.

A "jiffy" is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.

A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.

A snail can sleep for three years. (I know some people that could do this too.)

Al Capone's business card said he was a used furniture dealer.

Almonds are a member of the peach family.

An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.

Babies are born without kneecaps. They don't appear until the child reaches 2 to 6 years of age.

Butterflies taste with their feet.

Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds. Dogs only have about 10.


Now you know everything!


~butterfly angel~

SO YOU THINK YOU KNOW EVERYTHING? Part 2

A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds. (Some days that's about what my memory span is)

February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.

In the last 4,000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.

If the population of China walked past you, in single file, the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction.

If you are an average American, in your whole life, you will spend an average of 6 months waiting at red lights.

Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.

On a Canadian two dollar bill, the flag flying over the Parliament building is an American flag.

Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite!

Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.

The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing.

The cruise liner, QE2, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.

The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket. (Good thing he did that)

The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid.

There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.

There are more chickens than people in the world.

There's no Betty Rubble in the “Flintstones Chewables” vitamins.

Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.

Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance

Women blink nearly twice as much as men.

SO YOU THINK YOU KNOW EVERYTHING? Part 1

"Stewardesses" is the longest word typed with only the left hand and "lollipop" with your right. (Bet you tried this out mentally, didn't you?)

It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.

Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable. (I'll bet you're going to check this out.)

No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple.

*** "Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt". (Are you doubting this?)

Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.

The sentence: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter of the alphabet. (Now, you KNOW you're going to try this out for accuracy, right?)

The words 'racecar,' 'kayak' and 'level' are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left (palindromes). (Yep, I knew you were going to "do" this one.)

There are only four words in the English language which end in "dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous. (You're not doubting this, are you?)

There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: "abstemious" and "facetious." (Yes, admit it, you are going to say: a e i o u)

TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard. (All you typists are going to test this out)

All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the $5 bill.

A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.

A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.

A crocodile cannot stick out its tongue. (But who really cares?)

A dragonfly has a life span of 24 hours.

Reflections

“Summer time and the living is easy” or so the song says. Vacation for teachers has been whittled down to a precious few weeks. If you are the type of teacher who wants to improve your skills, summer time means professional development. These workshops can be one day or a couple of weeks.

I have just returned from the capital city ~ Austin, where I attended an AVID conference. The acronym stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination. The program is designed to help students take more rigorous classes in middle and high school with the final goal of attending a four- year university or college and graduating. The targeted students for this project is to reach those that have somewhat decent grades, first in their family to graduate from high school, low socio-economic background and other criteria. AVID teaches students organizational skills, acts as a mentor and gives support to ensure success for the student. We heard from real students who have been in the program or are still in it. The stories they shared, the obstacles they overcame brought tears to the eyes of many attendees. “Failure is not an option” was expressed several times over the five day conference.

Each campus that adopts AVID also has a site team that helps the coordinator of the program. All of our teachers will be using the Cornell Notes within their classrooms so that all students can benefit even if they are not in the program. Our campus is an inner city school with a 99% Hispanic population that is about 87% at risk. In plain English this means that too few of our students will graduate much less attend college. I attended this seminar because I feel with the correct motivation our students will acquire the skills and achieve their goals.

Adopting a new program on campus implies more work but in the long run it will pay off. I am anticipating the new academic year ~ the fires have been stoked.


~butterfly angel~


-p.s. I enjoyed being able to walk wherever I needed to go. The Convention Center and the hotel were within two blocks of each other. Along the Colorado River there is a walking/bike/jogging path for all to use. It was so easy to be motivated to exercise and it wasn’t a chore. Another plus, the entire city is wireless, so no need to pay for internet access. I plan to return for a non-business vacation ~ hopefully soon.

~b.a.~

Independence Day or Happy Birthday, America!

On July 4th, 1776, a group of brave men signed the Declaration of Independence, saying that the English colonies were no longer under the tyranny of George III. What does this mean in 2006, two hundred thirty years later?

Tuesday will be a day off from work for some, and mega sales at the malls. There will be the requisite barbecues with the all-American hotdogs, hamburgers, soda pop, beer and maybe even “mom’s apple pie.” Fire works displays put on by various organizations, concerts such as the “Pops Goes the Fourth” televised for those who can’t be in New England. Do we really appreciate what we are able to celebrate here in the U.S.A.?

We Americans must stop and reflect on what we have as a nation. Our forefathers were not perfect but they stood for what they felt was right. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness ~ a dream that the whole world would like to pursue.

Enjoy your holiday!


~butterfly angel~