It's Time To Say Goodbye....

It's time to say goodbye to autumn.....  Remember how we anticipated its cooler weather, colorful leaves, and hazeless blue skies.  Well, today is the last day of November.  Tomorrow starts the holiday season that December brings.

Before we part ways for another year, let's take a last look at the spirit of autumn.  For Thanksgiving our family gathered at Jamie's in Dallas.  Instead of shopping on Black Friday, we went to the Dallas Arboretum. Here are some pictures of their Pumpkin Village.

 

 

 

The last days of autumn also mean bottling the wine we started in September. 

 

 

 

 

The time of the falling leaves has come again. Once more in our morning walk we tread upon carpets of gold and crimson, of brown and bronze, woven by the winds or the rains out of these delicate textures while we slept.
      How beautifully the leaves grow old! How full of light and color are their last days! There are exceptions, of course. The leaves of most of the fruit-trees fade and wither and fall ingloriously. They bequeath their heritage of color to their fruit. Upon it they lavish the hues which other trees lavish upon their leaves....
      But in October what a feast to the eye our woods and groves present! The whole body of the air seems enriched by their calm, slow radiance. They are giving back the light they have been absorbing from the sun all summer.
                                                          ~John Burroughs, "The Falling Leaves," Under the Maples


Magnificent Autumn! He comes not like a pilgrim, clad in russet weeds. He comes not like a hermit, clad in gray. But he comes like a warrior, with the stain of blood upon his brazen mail. His crimson scarf is rent.... The wind.... wafts to us the odor of forest leaves, that hang wilted on the dripping branches, or drop into the stream. Their gorgeous tints are gone, as if the autumnal rains had washed them out. Orange, yellow, and scarlet, all are changed to one melancholy russet hue.... There is a melancholy and continual roar in the tops of the tall pines.... It is the funeral anthem of the dying year.
                                                              ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Carole, Honey (our Mom), Jamie, me, and Tom (our Dad)

                                                                                   Love ya'll, Shelli

Happy Thanksgiving!!

 

 

Thanksgiving

 

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food,

For love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

                                                     Happy Thanksgiving,

                                                                Carole and Shelli

I Love Lucy!

www.popscreen.com

 

I love Lucy...

 

But not as much as Fred and Ethel

SO

 that's what we decided to name our new puppies.

 

www.sitcomsonline.com

 

They're already chewing the porch rockers

SO

 life really is going to be a sitcom with them around!

 

 

SO long, Shelli

It's A Girl !!!.........and A Boy !!!

James and I have been planning on getting puppies for quite some time.  Our original plan was to get them in the spring when we got our baby chicks, but sometimes fate has her own time frame.

When James goes for his walk, he carries dog treats in his pocket for all the neighborhood dogs. They all know it and walk up behind him nudging his hand for their share.  Along the way he stops at Taco's fence to give him a treat as well, but this morning Taco wasn't in the fence - ten little puppies were!

The emaciated mama dog had been abandoned with her puppies and then rescued by Taco's parents.  They shared the story with James and he came home to tell me.  We hopped in the truck and were there in no time flat.  We chose a mottled, brown little girl  and a solid, black little boy.

The remainder of the afternoon consisted of dog prepping. We cleaned out and rearranged our hot house/lawnmower building for them to sleep in, made a supply run to Tractor Supply, and built them a crate. 

Now there is only one bad thing about this turn of events.  Ella and Carson have been planning on coming to Ruston for the new puppy/biddie weekend this spring.  I can't bare to disappoint them so I'm just thinking that these puppies will need to be a part of our Thanksgiving festivities!!!! They'll probably love turkey and dressing!

                                                                                 

      My little dog — a heartbeat at my feet. ~Edith Wharton

 

                                                       Love ya'll, Shelli

Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire!!

OK, let's begin this post with a qualifier.  In the long career of a teacher, there are thousands of great students and parents.  Interacting with these hardworking, well behaved kids and their sensible, cooperative parents help a teacher maintain her sanity.  And when the OBCs get together we reminisce about them with conversations that sounds like this...

     "Ya'll remember Tameka; she was the sweetest girl"
     "Yeah, she graduated from LSU and lives in Lafayette.  I loved her mama too.
       Remember how she helped us every year with the Christmas Bingo?"

or

     "I ran into Charles the other day. Ya'll remember when he stole those Snickers?!!  Well
      he is a gastroenterologist in Baton Rouge and has six children!!"
     "Bless his heart!  He turned out to be one of my favorites."


BUT, it is often the not so well behaved students and their not so well behaved parents that become the stuff of legends......

The first year I taught in south Louisiana, I was hired to teach English/Language Arts even though most of my experience was in Math and Science.  I was quite nervous about this, but determined I could do the job.  At the end of the first grading period it was time for Parent Teacher Conferences.

Jake was a ringtailed tooter (North Louisiana term for child who misbehaves). He was a possede' (Cajun term for a mischievous child). And he had a "D" in my class.  I introduced myself to his parents and started the conference with as many nice comments as I could muster and then began to talk about his grade.  Immediately, his mama launched into her offensive!!!

In her frontal assault, she told me that Jake had never had trouble in English.  In, fact, he was always on the Honor Roll so there must be something wrong with my teaching. She "heard that I was really a math teacher."

She out flanked me by saying that Jake was usually a very well behaved, studious child and that my lack of classroom discipline must be the cause of his "playing".

And in the decisive attack on my rear guard, she finished with, "Jay says none of the kids like you; you can't even pronounce their names!"

I was DEMORALIZED!!! I quietly closed the door behind her and sat down at my desk.  As I sat there thinking about how I was going to convince my husband to quit his new job and move back to North Louisiana, my door slowly opened and Sherry, Polly, Margaret, and Lillabet (the founding fathers of the OBCs) came in with big smiles on their faces and twinkles in their eyes.

     "We saw Mrs. Arcineaux leave your room.......how did it go?"

     "Oh, ya'll, it was awful!  I thought I was doing OK teaching English, but I'm not.....not if 
       an Honor Roll student has a "D" in my class."

There was a moment's hesitation...... then they burst into laughter!!!! "Oh, bebe, come with us",  and they took me down to the office where the children's permanent records were kept. Sherry pulled Jay's file and opened it up for me to read.

Honor Roll, my foot!!!!! Jake had failed English almost every year!!  In fact, a "D" on the first report card was an improvement for him!!! His conduct record was even worse - he was a serial offender; constantly in the office for all manner of infractions!!!

     "How could she sit there and I lie to my face?!", I asked.

     "Boo, she has always lied to take up for her son; that's why he is the way he is."

I learned several lessons that day.  One was to have more confidence in myself and the other was how important the support of friends, especially new friends, can be.

  Au revoir mon ami,

  Shelli

The antidote for fifty enemies is one friend.

 ~Aristotle

Lost In Translation

After teaching many years in north Louisiana, we moved to Lafayette where I was hired at Coteau Elementary to teach sixth grade and where I would later become an OBC.

 It is amazing how in one state there can exist such a chasm of cultural differences; not the least of which is language.  I remember seeing a sign out in front of a crawfish restaurant whose slogan read "You Call - We Boil" and thinking, 'I don't get it, it doesn't rhyme...' only later to realize that when my Cajun friends read the slogan, it totally rhymed!

 The language barrier became more evident when school started and I called roll on the first day. I had left behind north Louisiana Johnsons, Williams, and  Risers for south Louisiana Babineauxs, Cheramies, and Viators.  Students with the last name Trahan, which in West Monroe rhymed with "tray man", now rhymed with the bray of a donkey, "tro haw'.  And to make matters worse, my new school served a Laotian community with the last names Phongvonsa, Vongphakdy, and Chanthavong!  Needless to say,  my mispronunciations were a steady source of entertainment for my students.

On Parent/Teacher Conference Day I realized that the language barrier could cause more of a problem than I realized.  One of my Laotian students, Bane, had really been slacking.  He was smart and very capable but for some unknown reason had just stopped trying.  I was looking forward to discussing this with his parents.  When they arrived for their conference, Bane and his two sisters came with them. (I was struck by how beautiful his little sisters were!)  Bane explained that his parents might struggle with the language barrier and that he had come along to serve as a translator. Hmmm, I thought, this could be problematic, but he had always been honest and trustworthy so we just forged ahead.

Smiling, I started the conference with all the positive comments I had to make about Bane, he proudly translated, and his parents smiled and nodded.  Next I launched into my concerns, Bane translated, and his parents smiled and nodded.......... the look on their faces never changing............  Something was not right.....
                                             I looked at Bane.......
                                                                            he smiled at me...........
                                                                                                               hmmm....................

I started again, but this time I replaced my smile with an ugly frown, creased my brow, and squinted my eyes ominously.  Shaking my head, I said, "Not working hard! Not working hard!" 

Bane"s eyes widened, but to his credit he never dropped his smile.  He started to "translate", but it was too late; his dad had caught on!  He jumped up spilling a long diatribe in Laotian and although I didn't understand a word of it, the look on his face left no doubt that the gig was up and Bane was in hot water!!!

Feeling confident that I would be seeing an improvement in Bane's behavior, I wanted to try to lighten the mood and move to a more positive topic. Thinking that a compliment might do the trick, I said, "You have such beautiful daughters!" Bane translated and his father, pointing to the girls, replied, "This one, yes, but this one not so much."  I was HORRIFIED!!!! That poor little girl!!!  But then I noticed that the girls were smiling brightly, totally unfazed by what to me was a calloused comment, but to them was probably just a frank reply.  Cultural differences........

We shook hands and they left. I plopped down heavily in my chair - worn out from my impromptu theatrical performance - and pondered how much I had to learn.

Laos coat of Arms

Let us have but one end in view, the welfare of humanity; and let us put aside all selfishness in consideration of language, nationality, or religion. ~John Comenius, 17th century philosopher

                                                                                                             Love ya'll, Shelli

Snickers

Sherry and Polly taught fifth grade together for many, many years.  They always had some of the highest test scores in the school not just because they were excellent teachers, but because their students adored them.  The kids adored them for many reasons - they were extremely knowledgeable in their subject areas, used effective teaching methods, loved the kids in return, and were tough as nails.  The latter attribute is paramount for success in the classroom.  A teacher who cannot be conned or manipulated, and who maintains just accountability for all students in their class gains the loyalty of the meeker, well-behaved kids and the respect of the bolder, shall we say, not so well-behaved kids.  The great thing about Sherry and Polly was that they were tough as nails but with loving, kind (if not slightly mischevious) hearts.......

Each year they told the students that they were sisters, which they weren't, and that if a student misbehaved in their "sister's" class, it would break their hearts.  There you go! Ingeneous! First-day- of-school message sent.....think twice before taking on two teachers at once.

One day Polly brought a bag of snack size Snickers bars to use as rewards in her classroom.  After her last class before lunch left the room, she noticed that someone had stolen the bag of candy. She asked around and found out who had taken the candy, but hated to accuse the child based on hearsay.  Knowing that the student would be in Sherry's class after lunch, she went to the teacher's lounge and hatched a plan with her "sister".

After lunch, Sherry started class as usual only to be interrupted by Polly who was visibly upset!  Polly apologized for interrupting, but said she needed to talk to Sherry about an urgent problem. Standing in front of the class and "whispering" in voices loud enough to be heard by everyone, their conversation went like this.....

     "Sherry, I'm so worried! You know that bag of candy I found in my classroom yesterday?"

     "Oh, yeah, the one that you forgot in your filing cabinet over the summer, and it was rotten
       and full of worms?!!"

     "Yeah! I forgot to throw it away and just left it sitting on my desk and somebody stole it!"

     "Oh no, Polly!!!!! Do you think they ate any of it?!!!!"

     "If they did they are going to need to go to the doctor!!! I don't know what's going to happen
       to them!"

     "Well, there's nothing we can do.....let's just hope for the best!"

Sherry kept an eye on the "suspect" and all these years later can have the whole group of OBCs doubled over in laughter describing the look on his face as he obviously grew more and more concerned while the class period dragged on.  When the bell finally rang, he rushed up to ask if he could go to the office and use the phone to call his mom because "he wasn't feeling very well".

 Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theater. ~Gail Godwin

                                                                           Love ya'll, Shelli

OBC

www.masonic-lodge-of-education.com

I am a card carrying member of the OBC. I can’t tell you what the letters OBC stand for, or as they say in the movies, I’d have to kill you…..

We are a group of teachers who taught together for many years. We are like the Free Masons, united by our craft and full of secrets and rituals - secrets about dealing with clueless, overprotective parents and rituals that mesmerized unruly students into submissive learning. 

 Although most of us are retired now, we still assemble and relive the adventures of our days together in a little school house...
                                                    in the middle of the sugarcane fields...
                                                                                of moss-draped south Louisiana……..

 

"In the Louisiana Education System

 the community is represented by two separate,

yet equally important groups.

The students who attend school

And

 the teachers who teach them.

These are their stories…."

 

To be continued…….

Generosity

 

Yesterday's post contained the Contentment prayer, the last word of which is generosity. 

Generosity is  the habit of giving without expecting anything in return.  It can involve offering time, assets, or talents to aid someone in need.  Leo Rosten said, "The purpose of life is not to be happy- but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you have lived at all."  But when you read on the Internet of all the amazing people doing amazing "change the world" things, it can be overwhelming! Edward Hale said, "I am only one, but I am one. I can not do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do." 

 

Luckily, our family has a generosity role model, the DeRoussel family.  My sister Jamie and her husband, Dave, are the most conscientious givers and doers I know and have taught their children to be like minded.  Here's what I mean....

Jamie and Dave participate in the Bed Start program through their church.  This program takes unwanted donated furniture (especially beds) and delivers it to families in need.  Volunteers arrive at the church on Saturday mornings and spend the day loading trucks and making deliveries. Participating in this program has given Dave and their son, Carson, some really good father/son time. 

http://crumc.org/missions/

 

Jamie is a volunteer with Meals On Wheels. At their website they explain their purpose.

The Meals On Wheels Association of America is the oldest and largest membership organization supporting the national network of more than 5,000 Senior Nutrition Programs that operate in all 50 states and U.S. territories. The tireless work of these programs – supported by a dedicated army of 2 million volunteers – delivers a nutritious meal, a warm smile and a safety check that helps keep 2.5 million seniors healthy, safe and living independently in their own homes each year. 

 Jamie has been delivering meals for three years and has developed warm relationships with her meal recipients. Jamie brings such a ray of sunshine to our own family that I can just imagine how much she brings to her Meals On Wheels friends.

http://www.mowaa.org/

 

Jamie and her daughter, Ella, belong to National Charity League.  NCL's mission is to foster mother-daughter relationships in a philanthropic organization committed to community service, leadership development, and cultural experiences. Ella is the VP of Philanthropy, a position she is well equipped for due to her own charitable program, "First Friday Food".

http://www.nationalcharityleague.org

 First Friday Food was a program Ella started in her subdivision to support the local food bank. Ella delivered First Friday bags to each home and asked them to donate nonperishable food items.  The families had all month to gather their donations and then placed the bags on their porches the first Friday of the month.  Ella gathered the bags and took the donated food to the food bank.

 

 The DeRoussels are probably involved with other charitable programs and I just don't know about them.  That's another great thing about them, they don't boast about what they do, they just lead by example - an example we are so lucky to have!

Love ya'll, Shelli

 

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not. ~Dr. Seuss

 

 

 

Contentment

Our wonderful Sunday School teacher gave this to us a few weeks ago.....

Contentment Prayer

Lord, help me to be grateful for what I have,

to remember that I don't need most of what I want,

and that joy is found in simplicity and generosity.

Brrrrr!!!!

It is reallllly cold up here in North Louisiana this week, unusually cold for November!!!  This is way more like January weather and it is a little discombobulating.  Even some of my garden plants are confused.  I kid you not, this picture was taken this morning!! I have no idea why this one day lily is blooming when none of the others around it felt so moved, but, hey, to each his own.

 

Other things seem more in keeping with the season.  My neighbor grows several varieties of  persimmon trees and they are "behaving" correctly for this time of year.  It is a fall tradition to round the corner and find that he has left us a sack of them on the back porch.

 

 

 

I'll make him some persimmon bread today. (I think he likes my persimmon bread because being a Methodist, I can use whiskey in the recipe, whereas being a Baptist, he can't.)

 

I've been doing fall gardening lessons with the Garden Girls at Ruston Junior High.  They are nineteen fun seventh and eighth graders who take a mini gardening class during their ib4e elective period.  My good friend, Susan, is their teacher and I'm trying to help her out.  Our first lesson was "What Do You Do with That Pumpkin After Halloween?"  We roasted seeds and sampled pumpkin bread.  Yesterday's lesson was "You'll Get Out You Winter Coat, But What Happens To Plants In Cold Weather?"  We completed a Venn Diagram and then made kale chips.

 

 

 

Last weekend we enjoyed a fun, fall family event - my niece's confirmation into the Methodist Church.

 

 

Well, I hope you enjoy this unusual cold spell....maybe make a big pot of gumbo, put the electric blankets on the beds, and rev up the fireplace for the first time this year.

                                                                      Stay warm,  Shelli

Besides the Autumn poets sing
A few prosaic days
A little this side of the snow
And that side of the Haze...
Grant me, Oh Lord, a sunny mind—
Thy windy will to bear!
~Emily Dickinson

 

[T]here is a harmony
In autumn, and a luster in its sky...
~Percy Bysshe Shelley

Help Is On The Way

Do you need help in your yard?

Are your roses scraggly with yellow leaves?

Are your weeds out of control?

Do you want to put in a new flower bed, but have no idea what plants to put in it?

Are some of your trees "sick", but you don't know how to save them?

Are you interested in raising chickens, but don't know how to begin?

Do you want to start a vegetable garden, but don't know where to put it?

 

Well......

 

Help is on the way!!!!

 

That's right, with one phone call a knight in shining armor will arrive at your house and answer all your questions!!!!

 

Who, you ask?

 

Why you local Ag extension agent, of course. 

 Just look up the number for the AgCenter in your parish and make an appointment.  Visiting parish residents and doling out information and advice is part of their job and they are happy to be of service. They will walk through your yard with you answering all of your questions.

 

 

Make the call - you'll be glad you did!!

Love ya'll, Shelli

Enough!!

Our church has started a four week church-wide study based on the book below.  I am very excited about this study and the mind shift it hopes to ignite.

Here's how the website goodreads summarizes the book:


 

See a Problem?

We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Enough by Adam Hamilton.

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Preview — Enough by Adam Hamilton

  

Enough: Discovering Joy Through Simplicity and Generosity

by Adam Hamilton

Enough: Discovering Joy Throu

Money has great power in our lives. Used wisely, it is one key to accomplishing our goals, providing for our needs, and fulfilling our life purpose. In recent years, many of us ignored the wisdom of the past when it came to managing and spending our money. Credit card debt soared, savings rates plummeted, and our home equity became something to be tapped into and spent rat Money has great power in our lives. Used wisely, it is one key to accomplishing our goals, providing for our needs, and fulfilling our life purpose. In recent years, many of us ignored the wisdom of the past when it came to managing and spending our money. Credit card debt soared, savings rates plummeted, and our home equity became something to be tapped into and spent rather than a source of security in retirement. We felt an insatiable desire for more. And we found ourselves spending tomorrow s money today in order to have what we hoped would satisfy. The result of all of this was not greater happiness and satisfaction, but greater stress and anxiety.

Enough is an invitation to rediscover the Bible s wisdom when it comes to prudent financial practices. In these pages are found the keys to experiencing contentment, overcoming fear, and discovering joy through simplicity and generosity. This book could change your life, by changing your relationship with money.

We Americans love our stuff. We re living in a fast-paced, me-first, instant-gratification world, and it' s finally catching up to us. Debt is out of control, homes are in foreclosure ... even banks are going out of business. What the world needs today is the message of contentment and simplicity, and that s exactly what Pastor Adam Hamilton delivers in Enough. Dave Ramsey, New York Times Best-Selling Author and Nationally Syndicated Radio Talk Show Host:

Once again, Adam Hamilton is leading the church; Enough is enough was once a Wesleyan watchword. Adam breathes new life into the Wesleyan commitment to simplicity. Amid a culture of greed and conspicuous consumption Adam calls us to a biblically based, evangelical joy of having the faith to say enough is enough.

The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life’s plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you. ~Mother Teresa

I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again. ~William Penn

The Home Orchard

Imagine.......

 

fresh blueberry muffins with a sparkling glass of pomegranate juice.....

 

figs wrapped in pancetta on the grill and a cool glass of muscadine wine....

 

 

 

 

warm pecan pie with a cold mug of persimmon beer....

hot, crunchy apple crisp and a tall glass of lemonade....

 

pear tart....blackberry cobbler....peach pie....apricot bread....

 

Now imagine that it all came from your home orchard!!!

 

 

 

Charlie Graham, Associate Professor with the LSU AgCenter, spoke to our Master Gardener class about fruit and nut production.  Here are some of my notes:

 

1. Most fruit trees like a soil pH of around 6.3.  Blueberries like very acid soil with a pH between 4.9 and 5.3.

 

2.  Fruit crops perform best in full sun.

 

3. Good drainage is a must.

 

4. Most fruit plants have a chilling requirement. This is the number of hours when the temperature is between 32 degrees and 45 degrees Fahrenheit.  You must know the average chilling hours for your area and the crop you plan on growing. (see website at bottom of post)

 

5. Consider pollination!   Some fruit crops are self-fruitful.  This means you can plant just one of them. Examples include figs, peaches, blackberries, strawberries, bunch grapes, persimmon, pomegranate, and citrus.  But some fruit require pollination from another plant, so you must have two or more varieties. Examples include blueberries, apples, pecans, female muscadine grapes, plums, black walnut, and pears.

 

6. Don't buy fruit trees from Walmart, Lowes, or Home Depot.  Many trees are incorrectly labeled and aren't the best variety for our location.  Buy from local nurseries or order from reputable catalogs. (When ordering from catalogs, be specific about the size of the tree you want.  Also order early in the fall before they run out of the popular varieties.)

 

7. Lemons and limes are the most cold sensitive citrus fruits.  Satsumas and kumquats are the least cold sensitive. Here in north Louisiana, all citrus must be grown in pots that can be taken inside during hard freezes. **As a rule of thumb, an unheated garage is about five degrees warmer than outside.

 

8. Blackberries make a great hedge. 

 

9. How long until the first harvest??   apples..................... 3-5 years

                                                             fig...........................2 years

                                                             blackberries............1-2 years

                                                             blueberries..............2 years

                                                             muscadine grapes....2 years

                                                             pear..........................5 years

   peach.......................3 years

                                                             pecan.......................5-6 years

                                                             persimmon...............3 years

                                                             pomegranate.............3 years

                                                             black walnut.............8 years

 

10. When buying apple trees, make sure they have been grafted onto root stock that is fire blight resistant such as Geneva 16, M.4, Bud.490, or MM11.

 

For everything you could ever want to know about the home orchard go to

 

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/

 

 

 Happy Growing,

Shelli