What a chain of events!  I guess the moral of the story is, if you loan somebody your EPIRB, be sure to tell your family!

Love Columbine 

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Anne, that is AMAZING!  The power of technology is just astonishingly Beautiful when you look at it that way!

My parents both have epirbs and so do all their sailing friends, no doubt.  Can I have your permission to copy and send this to my Mom?  She and my Dad would so appreciate everything about your story! 

Now that I am here...Good Friends are Something Beautiful 

---

Helen




I'm goin' Straight to Hell-On-Wheels!

Helen,

Anything I've posted here you can use. Tell Mom and Dad I said Hi.

Anne

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And when the winds of change begin to blow,
I'll whisper, "You're my lighthouse" in case you didn't know.

Sons of Maxwell

visit my website!:
Anne's Philly Phan Site at http://www.gbsfanatic.com

HeraldTalia:

I got a letter today. Telling me to be present, next Friday, at 9am, for an exam that could lead me to an interview and possibly a job as an environmental technician. My present job contract ends in December. This one would be a permanent job. I've been living off contracts for the last 3 years. This would be such a relief.

*dashes off to study sampling procedures and statistical analysis*

 

Wow, how cool is that?!!  Good luck, HT!!

I've had something beautiful happening for about 6 weeks now, which is why I haven't been here very often lately - my mom is visiting from the east coast.  For those who don't know, we just lost my dad in October, and Mom's been alone most of the time since.  I brought her here to visit and she's had so much fun!!  Mom is the epitome of the sweet little old grandma, plump and jolly with not a mean bone in her body.  Unfortunately, she doesn't get around well - at only 74, she can barely walk, and the walking she does is painful.  But she presses forward, walking as much as she can and without complaining. 

Anyway, we've done some fun things - she got so see my daughter play hockey in person for the first time EVER, and yesterday she saw my son graduate from his small, very orthodox Catholic high school.  Mom's not Catholic, but Dad was an ultra-conservative orthodox Catholic (as am I and so are my kids), and she wept for how happy she knew it would have made my Dad to see it! 

And to add to the mix, another totally unexpected beautiful thing happened yesterday - my son replaced his usual arrogance with humility and graceful gratitude yesterday.  He's a typical arrogant 18-year-old boy (redundant terms, I know), and to see him totally humbled by the events of the day bolstered my faith that he just might make it in this world after all - a little humility can take a man a very long way!!

---

Jo

What a wonderful post to read, Jo. Have fun with your Mom.

Anne

---

And when the winds of change begin to blow,
I'll whisper, "You're my lighthouse" in case you didn't know.

Sons of Maxwell

visit my website!:
Anne's Philly Phan Site at http://www.gbsfanatic.com

My Something Beautiful is Music. Brian from Little Kids Rock (LKR) came to visit us on Wednesday to check on the program and meet the kids. My non-musician students were well-behaved during the visit and my kids wanted to play songs for him - "Ordinary Day," the Barras "Row, Row, Row" (some words changed) and the Little Kids Rock Anthem which they performed with much gusto. I couldn't believe the tempo of Ordinary Day - they usually beg me not to play it at tempo, but they sped it up to tempo after the first verse. LOL! Brain also taught them a more complicated solo piece than I could muster. I was thankful for his tutelage and the kids drank it up greedily. I had three kids who picked it up right away and took off. We mentioned that Nyeemah had written a song to include in the contest LKR was having and we played that too!

On Friday, both Nyeemah and Justin submitted entries for the contest. Nyeemah wrote a song called "Recess Love" with accompaniment from Rashad and Justin, and our volunteer whom she asked to play violin on it. Justin's was a guitar-picking instrumental called Sea Breeze! I cannot believe what these kids are capable of! I would never have thought any of them could do this in other years I've taught guitar. I am humbled as I was 55 years of age before I wrote my own song. Wow. Just wow.

Anne

---

And when the winds of change begin to blow,
I'll whisper, "You're my lighthouse" in case you didn't know.

Sons of Maxwell

visit my website!:
Anne's Philly Phan Site at http://www.gbsfanatic.com

WOW!  Those kids have TALENT.  Makes you wonder how much more musical talent is hanging out under bushel baskets out there.

Love, Columbine 

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Columbine:

WOW!  Those kids have TALENT.  Makes you wonder how much more musical talent is hanging out under bushel baskets out there.

Love, Columbine 

Just another reason why music is so important in schools. I make an effort to include it in all my teaching because otherwise they don't get the opportunities they deserve. We always perform 3-4 times during the year. In fact, we were recently asked to provide musical accompaniment for the Mural Arts Show next week. Cool! After the first performance, they were actually stoked to play again!

I know that music can make a difference in their lives. J. has big-time anger management problems, but NEVER in guitar class. E. is in Spec Ed but managed to write our first song this year. You never know, you just never know. Plus, guitar is an instrument with very little cost in upkeep and so portable for kids who move frequently. And it helps that ToysRus has a fairly cheap guitar for sale that the parents can buy for birthday or Christmas. I tell the parents it'll cost them less that an xBox or Wii or PSP, and their kids will use it for a long time. So far, that approach seems to have worked this year. About half my kids have been gifted with their own guitars. So they can continue to come next year for LIttle Kids Rock lessons. Woohoo!

Anne

---

And when the winds of change begin to blow,
I'll whisper, "You're my lighthouse" in case you didn't know.

Sons of Maxwell

visit my website!:
Anne's Philly Phan Site at http://www.gbsfanatic.com

-I'm so glad you got to spend time with your Mom Jo-Enjoy!! -Anne-You are so right-Music is so important and what it can do for kids is amazing.I am not surprised you include it,from you I would be shocked if you didn't!! -My something beautiful was my daughter-My husband has been in the hospital for the last two weeks and I was trying to stay there,juggle work, and home and the animals etc and really burning out.My daughter just showed up out of the blue from 4 hours away to just take care of all the little details and so I wouldn't have to worry about the dogs(I have one who's petrified of thunderstorms!!She ran to the store and did all the little mudane things, and even washed my car!!Thank you,Thank you!!

---

Summer Mis


"For those who know,no explaination is necessary-For those who don't,no explaination is possible"

I'll have to agree with you there Misty. She is definitely wonderful. I hope things are calming down and looking up.

Anne

---

And when the winds of change begin to blow,
I'll whisper, "You're my lighthouse" in case you didn't know.

Sons of Maxwell

visit my website!:
Anne's Philly Phan Site at http://www.gbsfanatic.com

Thanks Anne-things are looking up but not over-He is home but still on IV antibiotics for the next 4-6 weeks and there is a possibility his Aortic Valve was compromised-we're not sure yet. I'm just hoping for the best-keep us in you're prayers and I hope to see you again soon!!

---

Summer Mis


"For those who know,no explaination is necessary-For those who don't,no explaination is possible"

Family is Something Beautiful today. With Marcus living on the Wet Coast, we only get to see him once a year. This time he brought his girlfriend Tabatha and her daughter, Madeline. We enjoyed the best day at the Ridley Creek Sttate Park with them and the extended family. I had all four of my kids in the same place at the same time for the first time in 2 years. My Mom, Vic's Dad, my brother Tom, Vic's sister Lisa and brother Len, and various cousins had a wonderful time at the park.  It was so nice seeing everyone happy, getting along. Especially nice was watching Marcus be the 'dad' for Madeline. OMG, he should have 6 kids! He is so gentle and understanding trying to cope with a 4 year old in full tantrum mode. I guess he learned something as the oldest kid.

Anne

---

And when the winds of change begin to blow,
I'll whisper, "You're my lighthouse" in case you didn't know.

Sons of Maxwell

visit my website!:
Anne's Philly Phan Site at http://www.gbsfanatic.com

today i have 2 somethings beautiful. one is my friend jason. i was having a rough week and it was the week before final exams. anyways i was on msn talking to himand he offered to let me join his biking group! normally i bike by myself and i rarley if do any filming. but now with jason's filming skill and my biking skills i'll be in his next dvd!!! oh this is sooooo cool. secondly i was hanging out by my friends locker and i saw this guy that looked like some one i knew. i said hi howzit going and it turned out not. but the upside is that he is the ceo of a new energey drink company up here i the yukon called northern choices. anyway making a long story short he offered me a job and if i was good enough for him he would also sponsor me and my friends for our biking!

 

 that really made my week. i hope the luck continues!
 

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shredding to hell and back again!! ;0

Quick play the lottery !!

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"Some government bastard now takes it from me"... E.McCann

"Politicians don't care for whats yours or what's mine" - E.McCann

"Music is sound organized for the purpose of decorating time"...Frank Zappa

"If life was fair Elvis would be alive and all the impersonators would be dead"...Johnny Carson

Thirty-seven years ago today, I married my loving husband, known on this board as either BJMoose or Cap'n Vic. We are still in love. I played hooky today and we went down the shore, took a cruise on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry, walked the boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey. It was great! Something beautiful indeed!

Anne

---

And when the winds of change begin to blow,
I'll whisper, "You're my lighthouse" in case you didn't know.

Sons of Maxwell

visit my website!:
Anne's Philly Phan Site at http://www.gbsfanatic.com