Dear Friends, it is with a heavy heart that I inform you of the passing of a dear individual - our friend, Chubby Dubby. Chubby Dubby succumbed to what appeared to be some sort of tumor, despite medical intervention.
Chubby Dubby was laid to rest in a very dignified manner yesterday evening (location undisclosed due to the privacy wishes of the family).
The services were well attended by close friends and loved ones. She is survived by her mother, sister, adoptive uncle, aunt and various other siblings, and cousins throughout the world. She will be fondly remembered for constantly running on the exercise wheel at night and keeping everyone awake, her penchant for carrots and her all around good-natured personality. Although most in attendance could not understand Hamsterish, the faces of those hamsters present spoke clearly enough...her surviving sister's eulogy appeared to be a loving testament to Chubby Dubby's effervescent joie de vie...many a tear were noted. She will be greatly missed as the world has lost an icon of hamsterrificness and is a bit colder today, as a result.
Chubby Dubby's family requests that those that would like to express their condolences do so by contributing generously to one of her favourite charities (via Pay Pal): Hamsters R Peeple 2 at ragathnor@yahoo.com.
Thank you and kiss your pets, everyday!!
Friday, August 24, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
Back to School - Drat!
Hello everyone..it's been almost a month since my last update. I have been busy stitching and reading, so I suppose that is a good thing. This blog post has no pictures and is just me rambling about two things, school and my hamsters, so here goes.....
School
Today was the first day of school here in Florida. I shall never get used to the idea of school starting midway thru Summer. It just seems Wrong.
Most years I try to maintain a positive outlook and hope for things like my girls making nice friends, and that they learn a few things and make wonderful memories. This year, I hope that their teachers aren't incompetent or that the teachers aren't verbally abusive (a big problem at my kids' school) and that I won't have to write any complaint letters. I am hoping that the food served in school doesn't make the kids sick, and that there is soap in the bathrooms for hand washing, and that for two months after the FCAT, the teachers don't stop teaching and continue to get paid for doing nothing until June. I also hope my kids learn something academic, but I know that I must teach that at home. Funny...used to be the kids learned their academics in school and the morals and social mores at home but things are reversed now.
There is so very much I have teach at home. I am rather overwhelmed with it, frankly. I know this is not new to American schools, but it's new to me. And yes, I worry that my girls will not be prepared for college. Perhaps it's just me. Maybe my standards are too high and the schools are doing it exactly right....but I don't think so.
My kids' school seems to focus exclusively on reading and language arts, and then math, but the kids are doing really poorly in both areas despite the focus and despite the complete disregard of other subjects. Something's wrong. Used to be you learned to read by actually reading...reading about history, science, reading plays and writing poetry, analyzing song lyrics and you know, writing book reports and making presentations. Not no more (smile). Now you learn to read by going on the computer and reading sort passages and spitting out the answers two seconds later. This doesn't actually test what you may have learned long term and it doesn't help you fall in love or hate with characters or imagine your life elsewhere or...oh, what's the use.
To all those with kids in school, I wish you good luck, and may this year be filled with competent and caring teachers, a warm circle of friends and lot's of meaningful learning opportunities...oh, and hope your kids actually learn something useful!
Hamsters
Well, folks, my hamsters are about one year old at this time and two of the three are doing fantastic. One of the babies appears to have a some sort of mass just under its neck, on its chest. She is feeling unwell and is off her feeding and activity. Am going to contact the vet and see what can be done.
Stitching-wise
I have not been stitching very much, due to school preparations and lot's of reading of bad urban romance novels. I did not pick up any stitching last week at all, but am hoping to pick up where I left off tonight, once everyone is abed!
Well, August is almost at an end...soon will come the September holidays (my office closes for all of the High Holy Days...yay and thank you Lord!) and then the fall ones...always a treat. I am hoping to start on some Halloween stitching and finish something I started last year for Thanksgiving...I need more Time!!!!
That's it folks and thanks for reading and leaving a comment!
Hugs , Chris G
School
Today was the first day of school here in Florida. I shall never get used to the idea of school starting midway thru Summer. It just seems Wrong.
Most years I try to maintain a positive outlook and hope for things like my girls making nice friends, and that they learn a few things and make wonderful memories. This year, I hope that their teachers aren't incompetent or that the teachers aren't verbally abusive (a big problem at my kids' school) and that I won't have to write any complaint letters. I am hoping that the food served in school doesn't make the kids sick, and that there is soap in the bathrooms for hand washing, and that for two months after the FCAT, the teachers don't stop teaching and continue to get paid for doing nothing until June. I also hope my kids learn something academic, but I know that I must teach that at home. Funny...used to be the kids learned their academics in school and the morals and social mores at home but things are reversed now.
There is so very much I have teach at home. I am rather overwhelmed with it, frankly. I know this is not new to American schools, but it's new to me. And yes, I worry that my girls will not be prepared for college. Perhaps it's just me. Maybe my standards are too high and the schools are doing it exactly right....but I don't think so.
My kids' school seems to focus exclusively on reading and language arts, and then math, but the kids are doing really poorly in both areas despite the focus and despite the complete disregard of other subjects. Something's wrong. Used to be you learned to read by actually reading...reading about history, science, reading plays and writing poetry, analyzing song lyrics and you know, writing book reports and making presentations. Not no more (smile). Now you learn to read by going on the computer and reading sort passages and spitting out the answers two seconds later. This doesn't actually test what you may have learned long term and it doesn't help you fall in love or hate with characters or imagine your life elsewhere or...oh, what's the use.
To all those with kids in school, I wish you good luck, and may this year be filled with competent and caring teachers, a warm circle of friends and lot's of meaningful learning opportunities...oh, and hope your kids actually learn something useful!
Hamsters
Well, folks, my hamsters are about one year old at this time and two of the three are doing fantastic. One of the babies appears to have a some sort of mass just under its neck, on its chest. She is feeling unwell and is off her feeding and activity. Am going to contact the vet and see what can be done.
Stitching-wise
I have not been stitching very much, due to school preparations and lot's of reading of bad urban romance novels. I did not pick up any stitching last week at all, but am hoping to pick up where I left off tonight, once everyone is abed!
Well, August is almost at an end...soon will come the September holidays (my office closes for all of the High Holy Days...yay and thank you Lord!) and then the fall ones...always a treat. I am hoping to start on some Halloween stitching and finish something I started last year for Thanksgiving...I need more Time!!!!
That's it folks and thanks for reading and leaving a comment!
Hugs , Chris G
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