November Gratitude Mosaics - E for Education

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November 5

How timely that our newspaper has a front page article with some pretty bleak statistics about the poverty and trauma experienced by children in Kentucky on the day that I would be writing a post on how grateful I am for the education and lifelong learning experiences that I have had all these years.  According to the front page article, half of the state's children live in poverty.  Sixty years ago I would have been one of those statistics.  Thankfully, through education I was able to escape that life of poverty and build a very satisfying, economically secure, and sometimes exciting life.

My love of learning began at Mullins Elementary in eastern Kentucky.  I was thrilled to learn how to read and be able to check out a book every week from the school library.  And then there were making "pigtails (cursive "e")and other letters of the alphabet.  Early on I also discovered that I liked to write and by the time I was in high school a few teachers praised my writing and encouraged me to do more.  When I looked through the Mullins High School annual, my picture wasn't in any clubs or after school activities.  I did win the English award from the senior graduating class and was voted girl "most likely to succeed" from the senior class.  That probably means I was an original nerd!

By the time senior year came around I was determined to continue my education despite having no money.  And thanks to encouraging teachers and student loans, I was able to move away from home and enroll in college.  I earned undergraduate degrees in English and home economics and a master's degree in American literature from Morehead State University.  Those were heady times and I loved everything about student life.  And, to this day, I feel like education is like an insurance policy, or a survival tool that can't be taken away from you.  Even after I started working, I still wanted more education.  I became interested teaching adult basic education and volunteer leadership  development and earned further credentials in these areas.

 

After graduating from college where I earned a secondary teaching certificate, education was still the focus of my work.  As you can see below, I've ranged around:  middle and high school English and reading teacher, Peace Corps volunteer teacher in the West Indies, adult learning center director, consultant for the Kentucky Department of Education, and volunteer development trainer for Kentucky Farm Bureau.

 

 

And finally, when I retired in 2006, I didn't stop learning.  Only then I could be very selective about what I learned and how I did it.  It was then that I got interested in technology.  Truth be told, it was blogging that got me hooked so I started learning about computers in order to natter with social media friends every day! :-)  I've taken classes in special interests such as watercolor painting, writing and gardening.  I do international learning vacations as often as I can afford.  Lately I'm trying to learn digital photography and birding.

 

  

I feel like I will not need to write a memoir by the time I finish this month of gratitude mosaics!  When you start trying to figure out the things in your life for which you're grateful, it leads to a lot of navel gazing and some REALLY long posts!  If you're still reading, thanks.  There will be some lighter subjects coming up!

 

Linking to November Blog a Day at Myanderings .

  

Fun Monday -- Back to School?

Fun Monday
Back to School?
August 24

Late August signals the beginning of the new school year for students of all ages. For weeks stores were packed with students and parents selecting just the right clothes and supplies to get ready for the first day of school. Schools were cleaned and refurbished. Planning meetings with teachers and administrators were held to be sure that everything is in place for the start of school. College students loaded up all their belongings and left the family home for a year of dormitory living, study, and frolicking. Then last Thursday around here the big yellow buses began making their rounds, taking students off for their first day of the 2009-10 school year.

How about you? Do you also have that "Back to School" feeling even though you're all grown up? As your host for this week's Fun Monday, and perennial student myself, I'm asking you to share your thoughts on the importance of lifelong learning:

-- Do you still think of yourself as a student? A lifelong learner? Or, did you "finish" your education when you earned your highest diploma, degree or completed a training course to prepare for a particular job?

-- What are you currently learning? Something job related to improve your work performance? Technology skills to keep up with modern styles of accessing information and communicating? Personal skills such as financial management, stress relief, family and interpersonal relationships? Expanding your borders through travel, learning another language? DIY home improvements? Hobbies and leisure activities--knitting, ballroom dancing, writing your memoirs, car maintenance, gardening, photography? You get the idea--the list of learning options is endless.

-- How do you enjoy learning? Taking a class? Online study? "How to" books or DVDs? Tutorials on computer or TV? One on one with instructor or coach? Practice on your own?

As of Sunday evening, just before I need to stop tippy tapping to watch Masterpiece Theater and Globe Trekker, here's the list of Fun Monday participants who have signed up to share what they're currently learning--or interested in learning. Be sure to check everyone out over the next few days. Also, if you want your name added to the list, just leave me a comment and I'll get you on right away. Finally, our host for August 31 is Janis over at Life According to Jan and Jer . Check back with her after Wednesday for next week's topic. Thanks Janis!

1. Janis (host August 31) -- Life According to Jan and Jer
2. ChrisB -- Ms Cellania
3. Karisma -- Karisma and Kids
4. M(the misanthrope)-- M is for Misanthrope
5. Debs (first time player--welcome!) -- Daydreams in the Shed
6. Hulagirlatheart -- Growing Older But Not Up
7. Stephanie -- Mama Drama
8. Bobbie Leigh -- Welcome to Bobbieland
9. Sayre -- Sayre Smiles
10. Jo -- Chocolate and Other Things
11. Michelle, Evan's Mom -- Mama Drama
12. IamwhoIam -- Dungarees Ablaze
13. Gattina -- Writer's Cramps
14. Mommy Wizdom -- Mommy Wizdom
15. Swampy -- Anecdotes, Antidotes, and Anodes
16. Church Lady -- Living Life in PA
17. Jill -- The Adventures of Lil Mouse
18. Gracie -- Mama Rehema
19. Mariposa -- Mariposa's Tales
20. Sandy -- Myanderings
21. Ari_1965 -- Beyond My Slab
22. Hootin' Anni -- Hootin' Anni's

A favor--if you have a problem with any of the links, please let me know in a comment. I'll try to get it cleared up. After all, no fun in laboring over a post if no one comments, right? (Postscript: I just doublechecked all the links and they work fine--blogger gremlins keep away!)__________________________________________________________

Now here are two quick examples of what I'm learning right now. I think it's good to be involved in a variety of learning, feeding the mind, body and spirit. Hopefully, I'll always be excited at the thoughts of learning something new.

Geek Squad: I am so lucky to have a very good friend who is my guru for all things technological. Although she's not quite as cute as this little Geek Squad, J has other talents that put her at the top of the list. Before I retired she helped me purchase a home computer with enough bells and whistles to keep me happy for several years. J understands the secret language of computerese--she speaks html fluently. She also understands how I learn best. She is very creative and an excellent digital scrapbooker. My very tasteful header is her creation. It pleases me a great deal. Although J does not blog, she loves learning about web design and helps me improve the appearance and publication of my blog. There's only one area that she's failed me miserably, that's installing a "Smiles of Harry" screen saver so I can obsess daily over the lovely British actor Richard Armitage. . .


Here's how we work: I keep a running list of technology questions and when there's enough J will make a Geek Squad house call after work. She shows me how to sort things out in layman's language and leaves me with these crib sheets that I can follow for a variety of tasks from scanning photos to defraging my whatever that needs defraging. In return I allow her to pet Willie the pit bull (she has two Cujos and a victim in her dog family) and send her home with a delicious sack dinner. Perfect!


Pilates: every week I meet another friend, S, at the Core Pilates Studio for a duo pilates session. We've been working out with a young thirty-something instructor who combines her knowledge of pilates and nursing to ensure that we don't hurt ourselves for almost three years now. We're not very good at the practices, but we show up and try. Mentally pilates keeps me connected with two good friends and helps ease some of the stresses of everyday life.

Physically, pilates slows down the effects of aging by building core strength and stability, balance and coordination. With consistent
pilates exercises, I feel taller, and have more muscle strength and flexibility. We alternate between sessions on the various pieces of equipment and mat work using the different size and weight balls and resistance bands. We get so much out of these classes that neither of us would willingly stop, even if it became necessary financially to cut back. Pilates would be the last to go.

Now I'm also working on my own to improve my blog. More about that in an upcoming post. And , like you I'm sure, there are many unfinished projects that could be finished--like a beautiful log cabin quilt or creating a digital photo album of my travels--whenever I take the time to learn that next step.

Thanks everyone for playing this week and I'll be around to visit all of you to see what I can learn from you.