Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday dear Son,
Happy Birthday to you
May you live long with us
May you live long with us
May you live long, may you live long
May you live long with us.
Njech nam zhye stolat
Njech nam zhye stolat
Njech nam zhye stolat Son,
Happy Birthday to you!
I wish I could be there with you and make you eat lots of spice cake. But I will see you for a very nice long vacation in June, and I will spoil you rotten then.
With much love,
Mom
Monday, March 22, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
A timely post
I've been struggling with the thought that what I do is not very important in the grand scheme of things. Academics, especially those going for tenure, are focused on research that is often arcane and narrow. Few of the dozens (hundreds) of papers that are written by a typical academic are ever read or cited by anyone else. We teach courses year after year that aren't earth-shaking or terribly significant. So why bother? Why do this, when there are so many places in the world where there is real need?
Then I read this:
Then I read this:
The University as a Mission Field [Nathan Harden]
I have my own Calcutta, it seems.I attended a talk yesterday at Belmont University (site of the second debate between Obama and McCain). Mary Poplin, professor of education at Claremont Graduate University, spoke about her book Finding Calcutta, which details two months she spent with Mother Teresa in 1996.
Poplin described herself as a former "radical feminist." In midlife, however, she experienced a radical conversion to Christianity, which altered her worldview completely. About a year later she traveled to India while on sabbatical, in order to work with Mother Teresa.
After encountering crushing poverty and destitution in Inida, Poplin struggled with the significance of her academic work back in the U.S. But Mother Teresa told Poplin that she should view her academic career as a private mission field — a place to take a stand for truth. "You can find Calcutta all over the world, if you have the eyes to see," Mother Teresa told her.
There is such a thing as intellectual poverty.
Bills paid, and now I am poor again, lol
Our tax refund came yesterday and it's all gone already. We've been a bit behind on some things because of some unexpected expenses, and the miraculous tax refund has been a God-send in catching up. We have not gotten a tax refund in ages; usually we end up paying $2-3K more than we'd already contributed. Many thanks to Youngest Daughter's huge tuition bills!
Anyway, I am relieved to have these back bills taken care of, even if it does leave me with about $4 for the next two weeks. The cats are getting their yearly checkup, and I was able to buy tickets for Son and I to go to Cancun for my annual professional conference. I'll get reimbursed for some of the airfare, which is good, because that money will have to go to Eldest Daughter's tuition for her grad classes.
So now, since everyone's taxes are done, I can revise Youngest Daughter's FAFSA. Fun, wow.
In some other good news, the provost has agreed to expedited tenure providing my dean is okay with it. I don't anticipate any issues with the Dean. This means that I could be tenured by September 1, and get the $7500 raise that goes with tenure. HURRAY! That would be so nice.
I haven't done any embroidery updates lately. Here's the current state of the fan--I am putting the silver on, slowly. I've finished the grapes for my mother, but I forgot to take a photo. I've started Eldest Daughter's second pillowcase, and gotten a fabulous idea for a gift for Son. Tons of projects, so little time!!
Anyway, I am relieved to have these back bills taken care of, even if it does leave me with about $4 for the next two weeks. The cats are getting their yearly checkup, and I was able to buy tickets for Son and I to go to Cancun for my annual professional conference. I'll get reimbursed for some of the airfare, which is good, because that money will have to go to Eldest Daughter's tuition for her grad classes.
So now, since everyone's taxes are done, I can revise Youngest Daughter's FAFSA. Fun, wow.
In some other good news, the provost has agreed to expedited tenure providing my dean is okay with it. I don't anticipate any issues with the Dean. This means that I could be tenured by September 1, and get the $7500 raise that goes with tenure. HURRAY! That would be so nice.
I haven't done any embroidery updates lately. Here's the current state of the fan--I am putting the silver on, slowly. I've finished the grapes for my mother, but I forgot to take a photo. I've started Eldest Daughter's second pillowcase, and gotten a fabulous idea for a gift for Son. Tons of projects, so little time!!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Kidless again, and student evaluations
Darnit.
Youngest Daughter left this afternoon for her school, as her Spring Break is ending. We had a wonderful week while she was home--going skating, having breakfast together (pancakes!), visiting family. She came with me to UniTown and spent a couple of days with me while I rammed around at work.
Monday I got an envelope in my mailbox that contained my student evaluations from my online class. Only two students filled out the evals, and it was amusing to see the dichotomy in their responses. That class was the worst I had ever had; three of the six either did not turn in their midterms at all, or turned them in three days late. Two of those three dropped the course, but the third refused to do so. None of the four left in the class passed the final, although they did fine on the homework assignments. The student who turned in her midterm three days late is one of those who filled out the evaluations, and she just trashed me on them. So there are two completely opposite responses for each question--one student saying the class was great, I was great, and one student saying everything was awful. One thing I thought was funny--Snowflake Student complained that the only thing she learned from me was that her assignments and tests had to be turned in on time. Well, duh.
At least she learned something.
Youngest Daughter left this afternoon for her school, as her Spring Break is ending. We had a wonderful week while she was home--going skating, having breakfast together (pancakes!), visiting family. She came with me to UniTown and spent a couple of days with me while I rammed around at work.
Monday I got an envelope in my mailbox that contained my student evaluations from my online class. Only two students filled out the evals, and it was amusing to see the dichotomy in their responses. That class was the worst I had ever had; three of the six either did not turn in their midterms at all, or turned them in three days late. Two of those three dropped the course, but the third refused to do so. None of the four left in the class passed the final, although they did fine on the homework assignments. The student who turned in her midterm three days late is one of those who filled out the evaluations, and she just trashed me on them. So there are two completely opposite responses for each question--one student saying the class was great, I was great, and one student saying everything was awful. One thing I thought was funny--Snowflake Student complained that the only thing she learned from me was that her assignments and tests had to be turned in on time. Well, duh.
At least she learned something.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Home again, home again
Got back late last night from a wonderful 10 days of visiting kids. I spent a weekend with Eldest Daughter doing genealogy stuff (FUN!), and then flew to see Son and help him move to his new apartment. But before we dove in to the moving chores, he and I went to see the Dalai Lama.
The local CC had just been approved to offer bachelor's degrees, so they gave their first (honorary, of course) to the Dalai Lama. He talked about not having any "modern education" and being a generally lazy student (his tutor, he said, had two whips--a red one for regular pain and a yellow one for "holy pain"). Then he said that he hoped giving the first bachelor's degree to someone with his lack of modern education would not "begin an inauspicious cycle".They didn't have him properly miked, so we missed a lot--but what we heard was hilarious. When it came time for questions and answers, he pulled a red visor out of his bag and put it on. What a hoot!
Anyway, we moved everything within two days--the first day the weather was not very cooperative, dumping so much water on us that Son's phone got fried. The second day was sunny and cool, perfect for finishing the moving chores. Fortunately, the apartment complex was going to do some major renovations in the apartment, so we did not have to do a super-great cleaning job (of course, we found this out AFTER I had cleaned the oven!).I made lots of cookies and Son spoiled me rotten. It was a wonderful week and I was sorry to have to go home.
Friday I drive down to pick up Youngest Daughter for her spring break--so I will have seen all three kiddies within the past month. That's nice.
The local CC had just been approved to offer bachelor's degrees, so they gave their first (honorary, of course) to the Dalai Lama. He talked about not having any "modern education" and being a generally lazy student (his tutor, he said, had two whips--a red one for regular pain and a yellow one for "holy pain"). Then he said that he hoped giving the first bachelor's degree to someone with his lack of modern education would not "begin an inauspicious cycle".They didn't have him properly miked, so we missed a lot--but what we heard was hilarious. When it came time for questions and answers, he pulled a red visor out of his bag and put it on. What a hoot!
Anyway, we moved everything within two days--the first day the weather was not very cooperative, dumping so much water on us that Son's phone got fried. The second day was sunny and cool, perfect for finishing the moving chores. Fortunately, the apartment complex was going to do some major renovations in the apartment, so we did not have to do a super-great cleaning job (of course, we found this out AFTER I had cleaned the oven!).I made lots of cookies and Son spoiled me rotten. It was a wonderful week and I was sorry to have to go home.
Friday I drive down to pick up Youngest Daughter for her spring break--so I will have seen all three kiddies within the past month. That's nice.
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