Got in my car last night after the LLL lecture in time to hear the entire post-debate discussion on NPR. Elected to watch football when we got home rather than replay the debate. The end of the Steelers/Titans game kept us on the edge of our seats and, thus, we were too exhausted to experience the candidates firsthand and will probably leave it at that. "Morning Edition" played enough tape of the performance to permit us to agree that Martha Raddatz won the debate. Nuff said.
Woke up at 6:30 to the rumbles of thunder. Hung out watching the storm from the vantage of our cozy bed for a while, until the thought of coffee motivated me to emerge. Dan, too. It was the first morning we had to turn on the lights in the music room in order to read the paper.
As usual, lots going on in this tiny town tonight. Two recitals to choose from, not to mention the allure of our own fireside. I think the latter will win out, as the rest of the weekend is absolutely jam packed with music and family/friends. Tomorrow is the first simulcast of the Met Opera Live in HD season, Rossini's "L'Elisir d'Amore." Two of my favorite singers have the leads, Anna Netrebko and Matthew Polenzani. Matthew made his Met debut hours after his child was born. He had been up all night. Then, in the evening, we are having family and friends for dinner. It's the eve of my birthday. Love having company for dinner; will do most of the prep today because of the opera. Sunday, we have a house concert of our local piano trio, The Red Shoe Trio, at my friend, Anita's, so we'll be busy throwing together our culinary contribution and heading out to the gathering. Anita broke her leg in a motorcycle accident last week and so she plans to sit back and enjoy her own party! More power to her!
Last night's Life Long Learning lecture was a panel discussion of the state of public education in America. I was relieved to hear that three of the primary objectives in the latest formulation of goals for these educators are critical thinking, problem solving and collaboration. And not taught as separate intellectual entities, but rather as components of all aspects of learning. The panelists were auspicious members of the profession, including two superintendents and a national consultant. One area not touched was classroom size, which for me is essential to effective learning. I was so lucky to have gone through K-12 in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, where the excellent faculty and small classes have consistently produced more than their share of National Merit Scholarship finalists. Something like 10% of each class. My kids' private high school in Cleveland had the same numbers, but the cost was something else...
In my senior year, I took chemistry. As more of a right-brained student, this was a leap. (I was motivated by my then NSF scholarship-winning boyfriend...) But I did just fine because I wasn't afraid to stop the teacher whenever I got lost or confused. (It helped that he was a patient and kind person.) I couldn't hide: there were about 12 of us in the class, and so I tackled the subject with 100% of my attention. Not my norm in that subject area, I can tell you! I mean, back in BSCS Biology, an experimental curriculum at the time, I produced a lot of poetry inspired by the photos in the text book, but couldn't manage to list the phyla on a test!
Apparently, in contradiction to my experience, there are no studies that prove the advantage of smaller class sizes beyond elementary levels. Bah!
Friday, October 12, 2012
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Campaign Season in Durango -- and Elsewhere
For the record, Michelle Obama's plane flew right over our house on her way out of town. I waved. The plane didn't wiggle its wings in reply, but hey, if they did it for me, they'd have to do it for everyone. Her speech was a success, if you can measure those things. The gym sold out -- well, gave out all the tickets and people waited in line for hours to go through security. Dan had to pull over for her motorcade as she left town. The motorcade took the county roads to the airport, which was kind to the drivers on the highway and conjured up wonderful images of the eight or nine vehicle parade winding along County Road 234 with its doglegs and rural habitat. We listened to the speech on my iPhone, thanks to the Durango Herald, which streamed it live via their website. At one point during the speech, our local NPR affiliate misquoted Michelle in a tweet posted on Facebook, saying that PBO has created 5.2 billion jobs since taking office. One person commented that that would have provided jobs for the entire world...
Tonight is the vice-presidential debate. We'll be DVRing it while we attend Life Long Learning, which, this week, is presenting a panel discussion on the state of public education in America.
In 1992, we sailed our boat south during campaign season. The plan was to cruise Chesapeake Bay in company with two other boats, owned and crewed by close friends. We left Annapolis on the morning of the vice-presidential debate. We sailed to St. Michael's, MD, a charming town devoted to the sea, the blue crab and Old Bay Seasoning. That evening, in a three-boat raft-up, we enjoyed cocktails under a setting sun, Dan's Paella and the debate, which we were able to pull in on our tiny TV, which we mostly used for playing VHS tapes. (It was 1992, remember?) That evening became famous for the JFK anti-analogy of Lloyd Benston, which NPR has been recycling like mad the last two days. The evening became famous for our little group for other reasons. In the wee hours of morn, our 3-boat raft-up dragged a full half-mile across the broad cove before someone awoke and made everyone else aware of our plight! We set an additional anchor in the dark and got back to sleep. In our defense, we had done what we thought was a pretty good job of anchoring our fleet in the first place, but events proved otherwise! Lucky for us, the bottom was smooth and gradual and had Dick not woken up, we more than likely would have reset by virtue of the upwardly sloping bottom and gradually lengthening scope and no one would have been the wiser. Well, the view was entirely different come morning.
Having written the paragraph above and reread it, I realize that I've got my debates confused. 1992 was the debate with Al Gore, Dan Quayle and Ross Perot's running mate, Vice-Admiral James Stockdale. Okay, it's an understandable mistake. That debate was just as embarrassing, if not more so, as the Benston-Quayle debacle of four years earlier. My, how time does fly! Mea culpa.
In any case, I hope that tonight's moderator understands the definition of the word "debate" and that the two combatants will demonstrate intelligence and a reasonable grasp of the facts.
Tonight is the vice-presidential debate. We'll be DVRing it while we attend Life Long Learning, which, this week, is presenting a panel discussion on the state of public education in America.
In 1992, we sailed our boat south during campaign season. The plan was to cruise Chesapeake Bay in company with two other boats, owned and crewed by close friends. We left Annapolis on the morning of the vice-presidential debate. We sailed to St. Michael's, MD, a charming town devoted to the sea, the blue crab and Old Bay Seasoning. That evening, in a three-boat raft-up, we enjoyed cocktails under a setting sun, Dan's Paella and the debate, which we were able to pull in on our tiny TV, which we mostly used for playing VHS tapes. (It was 1992, remember?) That evening became famous for the JFK anti-analogy of Lloyd Benston, which NPR has been recycling like mad the last two days. The evening became famous for our little group for other reasons. In the wee hours of morn, our 3-boat raft-up dragged a full half-mile across the broad cove before someone awoke and made everyone else aware of our plight! We set an additional anchor in the dark and got back to sleep. In our defense, we had done what we thought was a pretty good job of anchoring our fleet in the first place, but events proved otherwise! Lucky for us, the bottom was smooth and gradual and had Dick not woken up, we more than likely would have reset by virtue of the upwardly sloping bottom and gradually lengthening scope and no one would have been the wiser. Well, the view was entirely different come morning.
Having written the paragraph above and reread it, I realize that I've got my debates confused. 1992 was the debate with Al Gore, Dan Quayle and Ross Perot's running mate, Vice-Admiral James Stockdale. Okay, it's an understandable mistake. That debate was just as embarrassing, if not more so, as the Benston-Quayle debacle of four years earlier. My, how time does fly! Mea culpa.
In any case, I hope that tonight's moderator understands the definition of the word "debate" and that the two combatants will demonstrate intelligence and a reasonable grasp of the facts.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Had to google myself to find my blog, it has been so long...but now I've found myself! If only that were true!
While I was in the hot tub, this thought occurred that now seems rather trivial if not utterly stupid, but one of the benefits of taking your house off the market, after not needing to hide your toothbrush every morning, is that it doesn't matter what decrepit piece of clothing resides on top of the built-in but visible laundry basket in the master bedroom closet.
So Michelle Obama is due in Durango this afternoon. While I am all about her husband continuing to undo the travesties of the last administration, I opted out of trying for one of the free tickets. She's expected to speak in the gym at Fort Lewis College around 5 and the organizers are asking people to arrive up to four hours early, parking in remote lots with shuttle busses. All this for an anticipated audience of 3500. Seems extreme. All the usual security requirements set down by the TSA will be in effect, with the addition of the dreaded folding chair to the mix. No water, pepper spray, pointy objects (wonder if that includes pens), etc., ad nauseum. No books, I think I heard on the radio. What are you supposed to do for four hours?
I, on the other hand, will be hanging around out of doors at home watching for her plane. As our house sits on a knoll ten miles north of the airport, it will be fun to watch and wait and maybe get to see a larger-than-normal aircraft arrive. I'll wave and try not to be naked in the hot tub.
While I'm on the subject, I've been avoiding, but with diminishing success, the temptation to like or, heaven forbid, comment on anyone's political posts on Facebook. After several status updates of my own asking people who are theoretically my friends to tone down the rancorous rhetoric earlier in the political season, I've felt obligated to refrain from indulging in the same, even via someone else's post. As we get closer to November, however, I may feel equally obligated to make sure that the wisest pro-PBO pieces get shared as far and wide as possible. It may well become my extreme pleasure to share Anne Lamott and Philip Turner's excellent posts. Philip's blog is called The Great Gray Bridge, www.TheGreatGrayBridge.com. His work is sane and thoughtful, not to mention well written. Anne is an author and speaker who posts regularly on Facebook. ("Like" her to receive her posts.) She is a Christian and a Democrat and her posts are not only smart, but they will make you laugh. I want to be Anne when I grow up.
I mentioned above that we took our house off the market. You'd think we'd have gotten the hint months ago, but we are solid evidence that the recovery in the mid-expensive price range has not yet occurred in Durango. The slow-down was late arriving, so I guess it is reasonable to expect an extension at the other end. We made a bunch of short-lists in the early fall, but no offers came forth. Had a showing as recently as last week, but the long gravel driveway put off those Harley-owning buyers. Be hard to find a house in the county that does not require some exposure to gravel. (Hello, this is Colorado!) Just for the record, our driveway is not a problem in any season. It is intimidating at first, but has turned out to be a non-starter, or non-event, or whichever popular term is most appropriate. It gets enough sun in the winter at key spots to make even the worst conditions manageable. Plus we know a guy who will plow it, imagine that!
Here's hoping the weather predicted for Friday and Saturday actually occurs! We need the moisture and besides, we have a bet that there will be snow in the air at the house by the end of the month! At least before the arrival of grandchild number 4 in early November!!!
While I was in the hot tub, this thought occurred that now seems rather trivial if not utterly stupid, but one of the benefits of taking your house off the market, after not needing to hide your toothbrush every morning, is that it doesn't matter what decrepit piece of clothing resides on top of the built-in but visible laundry basket in the master bedroom closet.
So Michelle Obama is due in Durango this afternoon. While I am all about her husband continuing to undo the travesties of the last administration, I opted out of trying for one of the free tickets. She's expected to speak in the gym at Fort Lewis College around 5 and the organizers are asking people to arrive up to four hours early, parking in remote lots with shuttle busses. All this for an anticipated audience of 3500. Seems extreme. All the usual security requirements set down by the TSA will be in effect, with the addition of the dreaded folding chair to the mix. No water, pepper spray, pointy objects (wonder if that includes pens), etc., ad nauseum. No books, I think I heard on the radio. What are you supposed to do for four hours?
I, on the other hand, will be hanging around out of doors at home watching for her plane. As our house sits on a knoll ten miles north of the airport, it will be fun to watch and wait and maybe get to see a larger-than-normal aircraft arrive. I'll wave and try not to be naked in the hot tub.
While I'm on the subject, I've been avoiding, but with diminishing success, the temptation to like or, heaven forbid, comment on anyone's political posts on Facebook. After several status updates of my own asking people who are theoretically my friends to tone down the rancorous rhetoric earlier in the political season, I've felt obligated to refrain from indulging in the same, even via someone else's post. As we get closer to November, however, I may feel equally obligated to make sure that the wisest pro-PBO pieces get shared as far and wide as possible. It may well become my extreme pleasure to share Anne Lamott and Philip Turner's excellent posts. Philip's blog is called The Great Gray Bridge, www.TheGreatGrayBridge.com. His work is sane and thoughtful, not to mention well written. Anne is an author and speaker who posts regularly on Facebook. ("Like" her to receive her posts.) She is a Christian and a Democrat and her posts are not only smart, but they will make you laugh. I want to be Anne when I grow up.
I mentioned above that we took our house off the market. You'd think we'd have gotten the hint months ago, but we are solid evidence that the recovery in the mid-expensive price range has not yet occurred in Durango. The slow-down was late arriving, so I guess it is reasonable to expect an extension at the other end. We made a bunch of short-lists in the early fall, but no offers came forth. Had a showing as recently as last week, but the long gravel driveway put off those Harley-owning buyers. Be hard to find a house in the county that does not require some exposure to gravel. (Hello, this is Colorado!) Just for the record, our driveway is not a problem in any season. It is intimidating at first, but has turned out to be a non-starter, or non-event, or whichever popular term is most appropriate. It gets enough sun in the winter at key spots to make even the worst conditions manageable. Plus we know a guy who will plow it, imagine that!
Here's hoping the weather predicted for Friday and Saturday actually occurs! We need the moisture and besides, we have a bet that there will be snow in the air at the house by the end of the month! At least before the arrival of grandchild number 4 in early November!!!
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