Thanksgiving Skeet

I didn't get any pictures at Thanksgiving except for a few while shooting skeet. That has really become a tradition for the Bailes holiday at Steve's house. Yesterday nobody was doing very well. Usually the "patriarchs" (Mike and Steve) have a friendly competition where both of them manage to get about 95% of the clays, but yesterday neither they nor anyone else got more than two or three out of a round of ten or so. Oh well - it was still fun to watch.

Here are Andrew, Mike, as well as Elizabeth and Hudson.
Mike and Dad behind the shooter. This year they had an electric one, which is much easier to operate. But, it also might have been throwing the clays differently, which might have contributed to the lower percentages of shooting.

And yours truly with my lovely niece Catherine!

9th Graders and Kindergarteners

As any reader of this blog knows, 7th period physical science keeps me hopping. Maybe you'd have had to be here for this one, but it was cute.

My room is fine most of the day with these cooler temperatures, but when the last period group gets there, right after PE, they are hot. Rather than change the setting on the thermostat back and forth from heat to cool, I just open the window - a large, swing-out window not really meant for that purpose - and let in some of the nice, cool, outside air. The downside is that we hear everything of the kindergarteners at play.

Friday afternoon my students were taking an elements quiz - long and involved - when we heard a kindergartener belt out loudly, "Oh, say can you see, By the dawn's early light!" It provided some welcome comic relief.

Another Moment in the Trenches

Another moment with 9th grade science: I'm explaining about metals, that they can be rolled into thin sheets and pulled into wires, and they are good conductors of heat and electricity. I said "Now you've probably heard about people who break into air conditioning units to steal copper wire. Why do you think that there is copper wire in air conditioning units?"

"To get money!"

Happy Birthday!

Twenty two years ago this evening, at 7:35, a baby boy made his appearance into this world. He decided to make things interesting by backing out, but I'll spare my internet readers the details of that event.

He spent the rest of the evening looking around at his dad, his mom, and anything and anyone else. He didn't sleep much. He was afraid he might miss out on something. He hasn't changed.

He has blessed our lives for twenty-two years. Much love and happy birthday to our son Andrew!

p.s. Andrew - sorry I got the birthday menu wrong. I'll fix the deer steak when you come home for Thanksgiving if you'll settle for sausage lasagna tonight.

My Daughter's Art Work

She says this still needs a lot of work. I think it looks pretty good!!!

The Treasure Chest

My friend Kathy from church, a lovely young mother who blogs at Dandelion Dust, put up this post recently. She had had to take her young daughters with her to the funeral of the young man at our church as she could not find a sitter. They took it all in wide-eyed as you can imagine. As the undertakers were closing up the casket, the five-year-old pulled her mother's head close to her own and whispered "They're closing up the treasure chest."

Out of the mouths of babes--

Political Independents

I voraciously read as much as possible having to do with the election. Guess it's in my K. genes.

I'm very glad the independents are breaking toward the Republicans this cycle - but have to wonder, How can someone with real moorings truly be an "independent" who might go either way? The two political philosophies are such polar opposites. It would seem that someone who has no problem switching from party to party from election to election must not have much basic grounding in core beliefs. To be pro-Obama in 2008 and anti-Obama in 2010 - or any other combination - independents must not look deeply or believe deeply. If they did they would be consistently on one side or the other.

In Honor of Tuesday's Upcoming Election

A major research institution (MRI) has recently announced the discovery of the heaviest chemical element yet known to science. The new element has been tentatively named Governmentium.

Governmentium has 1 neutron, 12 assistant neutrons, 75 deputy neutrons, and 224 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312. These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.

Since governmentium has no electrons, it is inert. However, it can be detected as it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A minute amount of governmentium causes one reaction to take over four days to complete when it would normally take less than a second.

Governmentium has a normal half-life of three years; it does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places. In fact, governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause some morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.

This characteristic of moron-promotion leads some scientists to speculate that governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a certain quantity in concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as Critical Morass.

Coincidences? No -

The family whose son passed away a week ago tonight has three children older than the young man who died. One is married, with twin sons, and lives in town.

The oldest son has been away in college/med school for quite a few years. He just happens to be in town for two months, as, of all the places he could be doing rotations for his med school, he is doing them here in town at our hospital, and he's been living at home. The other person doing the same rotations just happened to have hours off where he was available to work for this man during the past week.

The daughter is teaching with us this year. She's been in China for the past eight years but felt very strongly that she was to come home this year instead. She didn't know why but she obeyed God's leading in her life.

Many family members came from Pennsylvania. Someone that knew someone that the family knew had a lake house that was available - don't know exactly how large, but with many bedrooms and bathrooms. The entire family from out of town was able to stay at this house instead of being farmed out to various people or renting motel rooms - also, on Sunday afternoon, they were all able to go out to the lake to spend time at this neutral location, which was very refreshing after the many sad hours spent in their home during the previous days.

Amazing how all those "coincidences" happened to come together for this family that has trusted in God for many years!

Memory of a Play

The young man in all these photos is Joseph. He went to be with the Lord on Wednesday night, after collapsing on the track at a nearby high school. He was in the school play last year - the last one I directed, Meet Me In St. Louis. It was his first year, even though he was a senior, but he did a fine job. He played "John," the suitor of "Rose" who was the oldest sister in the play. "Rose" (her real name is Cathy) had to get very angry with "John," and actually slap him near the end of Act I. We practiced a fake slap (Andrew was a big help with learning how to do that) because Cathy couldn't bring herself to slap Joseph. I still remember with fondness how Joseph would say to her, "It's OK. I understand. I don't mind if you slap me."

Many memories like this will come to the forefront in the coming weeks.

"Rose" having to slap "John"

The last lines of the play, where everything is solved, and "Rose" and "John" are leaving for the World's Fair as "Grandpa" tells them goodbye.

Near the end of the play (I can't get the last two pictures to swap places) - "Rose" and "John" on the left.

Many people are affected in many ways by this sad event. But those of us who worked with Joseph in the play last year have our own set of memories.