Pear Sauce and other Ramblings...

So I'm eating what I guess would be called pear sauce being how it is exactly like apple sauce except, ya know, that one thing. I'm not gonna lie, it's pretty delicious. I love old ladies who can their own fruits and vegetables and make their own jams and then give them to my family, it makes me happy :).

Today is such a good day. It's been awhile since I've been able to sleep in on a Saturday. Last night I went to Inferno, which is a concert/youth service hosted by this church in Auburn Hills. It was pretty sweet. There were a couple of thousand people there, the bands were awesome... ok, well most of them were. lol. They had musicians coming from the ceiling?? and the pyrotechnics were wicked. Afterward they rented out the Gameworks in Great Lakes Crossing, for which I didn't have high expectations; however, I was pleasantly surprised. All in all the evening was a smashing success and my boyfriend looks dashing in a bow tie :). So I got home at five and I slept until two. I'm still in my pajamas and am watching the Michigan-Michigan State game with my brother. Today is a good day.

My house smells like cider and cinnamon...DANG! Our secondary defense SUCKS! Ummm my dog is eating green beans? Yeah. Bizarre. Erin Andrews is pretty. I'm getting slightly depressed watching this game. Why is high-def so loud??

It's a lazy Saturday afternoon and I have nothing to write about. I'm just sort of saying whatever comes into my head. Stream of consciousness. Yeah. I like that. I want to read a book, but I'm watching football instead. Cinnamon donuts sound nice. Donuts and cider. By the way has anyone tried the caramel apple cider from Starbucks? I haven't. It sounds good. I love fall and football and bonfires.

Has anyone read Dr. Seuss recently? I loved him when I was a child and I reread a ton of his books this summer. It was under the auspice of reading to children, but truth be told I was a little nostalgic and was reading them as much for myself as I was for the kids. lol. As a child, I never realized the messages behind his stories. They really are quite profound. I have determined to read Dr. Seuss to my children, plus everyone needs a little nonsense in their lives :).


Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.

OH!
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don' t
Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.

You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both you elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...

...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a sting of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO!
That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. there are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't.
Because, sometimes, they won't.

I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike
and I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.

You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3 / 4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!

Advocacy Project

As I was conducting research for this project, the numbers I found were absolutely astounding. Detroit public high schools have a graduation rate of less than 25 percent and the educational system is 400 million dollars in debt. While these numbers are staggering and the truths they proclaim are a tragedy, the situation in our great metropolitan area is not irresolvable. What I have found within my research and my own personal experience is that ordinary, everyday people are rallying against this tragedy and are working to solve this problem. I am encouraged to see that non-profit organizations are mobilizing and are committed to seeing these issues resolved.


Non-profit organizations operate under the ideology that ordinary citizens can combat and remedy the problems we face in society. Groups like City Year, ACCESS (the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services), Pro-Literacy for Detroit, churches, and various other religious organizations, are stepping up to the plate and are working to resolve this educational crisis.
Schools are limited in what they can accomplish in terms of developing extra-curricular activities and after-school programs. There are simply not enough funds to ensure that every child receive the individual attention that they may need. Programs that supplement education are not developed because school districts can barely secure enough funding to keep schools functioning at minimal levels. Many schools cannot meet federal requirements and the standards set by the No Child Left Behind Act.


NPOs are stepping up and are working to alleviate such pressures. Because non-profits receive private funding, they have the means to create literacy programs and to provide educational assistance and to develop community enrichment projects. Many are doing just that and the positive results we have seen from such organizations are undeniable.


I would encourage every student to get involved in their communities some way, some how. Volunteering is a great way to affect change within society and many organizations lack personnel. Holocaust Survivor, Elane Norych, once stated:
“We are not expected to solve the world's problems with one grand deed. Quite the opposite, the sages instruct that we improve the world through the practice of decency in our daily behavior. Many people performing many small kind and decent acts on an everyday basis adds up to improvement on a global scale. Changing the world is within the reach of every one of us. Once we understand our capabilities, we cannot avoid our responsibilities."


This is by far one of my most favorite quotes and I am a firm believer in philosophy. Changing the world is within the grasp of each and every one of us. Each and every one of us has the capacity to make a difference. Whether it be tutoring a child who struggles with multiplication, volunteering at a soup kitchen, or taking a kid out for ice cream, every single person has the ability to change a life for the better. Let us therefore resolve to change the world act by act, deed by deed, and day by day. Once we understand our capabilities we cannot ignore our responsibilities.