Vacuum Cleaner Salesmen, et. al

In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy says "Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need."

Yesterday a man came to the door and after I got Max locked up I let him in. He wanted to clean my carpet. Normally I don't give these guys the time of day but - Bailey had been peeing on the corner of my grandmother's desk and there was a spot on the carpet.

I purchased a throw rug with vinyl backing on it to put under it but had not done anything about it as I needed to clean up the carpet. I had some Urine Be Gone (what a name for a product) but frankly that really did not do much.

So I let him in. A few minutes later he brought in a young man carrying a Kirby vacuum and I spent the next couple of hours watching him run the vacuum over the floor. He used little disks to show me how much dirt (a lot) it was getting up and proceeded to lay them out. Once he got into the floor it picked up so much hair that I was really impressed.

Then he attached a foam cleaner for the carpet and proceeded to work on the spot and generally went over the entire front room. While the spot did not come out completely, it was greatly reduced and I put the throw rug down and so far (fingers crossed) Bailey has not done anything there. The throw rug is thee same color as the carpet so it is not really noticeable. I figure if he does something there I can just pull up the rug and launder it.

I felt like I was playing "Deal or No Deal" as he would call up his manager and each time the price came down. He went from $1700 to $1000. My sles resistance was on high however and as much as I might have liked to have one I just spent a bundle on the new computer and am traveling to Texas in June so I did not feel like taking something else on.

I am going to put another picture on here. This is one of Charlie and me right after we were obligated in AMD. I know Charlie does not really like to have his picture posted on here but this is one of the best (recent) pictures taken of me and I want to share. Notice the smaller waist. I am down to one notch left on my belt. I had my suit pants taken in and all of my pants were to large so I have had to purchase new ones. I get awfully tired of yogurt, Slimfast and not much for supper it is working. I wonder if I can get down to the 38 inch waist I had in the late 60's? It would be fun. Be Happy - Hugs, j

Hugs

I used to have a student named Phil. He was a talented young man and drew me an incredible picture of Batman. I had it for years and wish I still had it. Phil was a neat kid but one of the things I remember about him was when I would run into him when he was a High School student at Ames High. No matter who was around he would walk up to me and give me a great big hug. It was kind of neat that this boy thought enough of me to give me a hug in the High School hallway.

Teachers used to get hugs all the time from students and I think that the teachers in the lower grades still do get them. Unfortunately our society has evolved so that it is no longer appropriate for there to be hugging in the school.

The pictures above show a couple who were buried hugging It is an incredible story.

Hugging even has its own day. but then everything seems to have its own day anymore.

Hugs are not necessarily just found among people. My dog, Bailey, loves to climb up on my lap and put one paw on each side of my neck and give me a hug. You can see the polar bears hugging above.

Hugging is necessary for health. You can read about it at the Hugs for health site.

There is a little woman from India called the Hugging Saint. It is kind of a neat story.

We all hug our kids, That is important for their health and well being. The physical contact expresses love and caring and communicates our humanness. It is not easy for men to hug each other except for moments of euphoria after a winning game and then you see them hugging all over the place. I should have said men in the United States because in other societies it is natural.

My sister claims to be a Tree Hugger. That is another good thing. You can learn how to hug a tree here. It is most interesting that its category is Holistic Healing.

I had another former student who signs his e-mails Hugs. He understands the importance of hugging. You can see that I found a lot on the internet about hugging. One of my favorite sites is here. but my favorite thing I found is the Free Hugs Campaign video which you can also read about on Wikipedia.

So go out and Hug someone. It will brighten their day and yours. Spread the love. I want to thank everyone who ever gave me a hug. I did not realize just how important it was to everything. HUGS to you all. j

OK, I give in.

. My friends have given me a lot of grief about quitting blogging so even though someone told me I was nuts for blogging I do enjoy it and will continue. My sister said if I quit I had to send her e-mails and as long as I have to do that I may as well blog. My friend Maryjane also sent me an e-mail and told me I didn't have the right not to blog. You can see Larry and Taner's comments after the last post and I was glad to get the comments. So I shall continue.

I used to always tell my students not to let one negative stop you from doing something you enjoyed so I won't. Besides he may have just been giving me a bad time (Some people do that)



I love you all and thanks for helping me through my "blue funk" I shall try to do better. Be Happy! Hugs to all. j

The Sixties

Take a look at this link. Relive the Sixties.

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

I had forgotten about
Dandelions, Dutchmen’s britches,
and daffodils
Dogtooth violets, May apples, tulips
and of course, lilacs.

Watching a film near the end of winter
I caught a glimpse of spring to come.

And now my soul sings as nature
Re-awakens from a long winter’s sleep
And brightens the world again.

Just for me!



I love May, I love the flowers that come up. The scented air. The colors and promise of summer and being able to open up the house and let fresh air in.

May Day is celebrated in the schools with baskets of goodies and at one time with May poles. World wide it is celebrated as a workers day. As a worker all my life I have to say that I really appreciate the National Education Association and the Iowa State Education Association and the Ames Education Association. I like what they have done for me and continue to do for me.

I am about to finish up many years of service on the Uniserv unit Board I will be leaving on May 9. It was time for someone else to step up and take over. The Uniserv Unit is the arm of the Education Association that delivers the service to the local association and also works to protect the teachers from unfair administrators.
Actually most administrators aren't unfair but I have known a few. My second principal at Linn-Mar schools was one such. I said I would have transferred out of that school after working for him if I had not already made plans to leave.

The Association has always been there for teachers. When I first started out teaching the salary was set by the district and nothing we could do would matter. The administration was in charge and they held all of the power. As a matter of fact they belonged to the Association and insisted that we join and for the most part they ran the organization.

That changed. Over the last 40 years collective bargaining came in and the teachers finally had a say at the table and it was not just about the money. It was also about working conditions. We were able to negotiate such things as a duty free lunch period. And beginning and ending times for the day (Although most of us arrived before the contract time and left after when we finished (and took work home)). The Association had their expert at the table for all negotiations and ours (Stan Burke) is especially good.

When we needed help with the way we were treated by some of the administrators the Association was there to help us file a grievance to negotiate the conditions under which we worked. I am very grateful for what they have done for me and as I said yesterday I am still getting the discounts they have offered.

I am a past secretary of the Linn-Mar Education Association when I worked there. I was active in the Ames Education Association serving as a representative for many years and as president. I was also president of the Uniserv Unit. I was a delegate to the Iowa State Education Association Delegate Assembly and the National Education Association Representative Assembly. I have met hundreds of teachers and people whom I would not have met if not for my participation in these organizations. I have enjoyed them and wish them well.

It may be of interest to note that one of the driving forces in organizing the Iowa State Education Association as well as all of the Masonic Bodies in Iowa was T. S. Parvin. You can read more about him at one of my earlier posts.

You can probably tell I didn't do much today. It was a beautiful day and the temperature was just wonderful. Be Happy! You deserve it! j

Happy May Day!

Here is your basket. Have a beautiful Day!