A Father is in this house,
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
A Father standing tall,
And even more surprising,
He admits he doesn’t know it all.
It’s good to have a Father
Who can constantly stay,
Who doesn’t hide or disappear
When things don‘t go his way.
A Father who follows through
On promises he made
And guides his children lovingly
And helps them find their way.
A Father who, beyond biology,
Gives his strength and love.
In spite of his faults, his children say
“You’re a Dad we’re proud of.”
Right now I have an 89-year-old friend who moved away from her lifetime residence and cadre of friends to a retirement home closer to her daughter. Her daughter wanted this move because it would save her expensive flights to visit her mother. Although they were not especially close, my friend wanted to be nearer to her daughter in case she became ill.
My friend spends her days isolated in the facility. Her daughter does not see or talk to her very much and it is difficult to begin making friends at this age, she says. It is now apparent that her daughter may not be there even if she is ill. She thinks she made a mistake but she cannot move back now. She is too old.
The Institute on Aging reported in 2010 that older women are twice as likely to live alone Continue reading
In the previous post, we looked at how knowing where and when to go to school after high school has changed. In this section, we will look at types of credentials and preparation steps.
College Before Graduation
Most districts now offer dual credits and Advanced Placement, less expensive ways to earn college credit. Dual credit courses are offered at the high school by community and four-year colleges to high school students.
Advanced Placement courses are also college level courses offered at the high school, but involve paying for and passing a test at the end. Cost for the test can vary up to $200. Once earned, a student orders the test score sent to the Registrar at the college they eventually want to attend to get the credit posted to their academic record (transcript). Some students enter college at a sophomore level using these options.
Some students believe they can “test out” of college courses. The amount of credits accepted from CLEP (College Level Entrance Program) is limited at each institution. Most limit these to 6 credits or two average semester courses.
International students will pay a fee (usually over $100) to have their transcripts evaluated for credits to be applied toward their coursework at a college.
Before selecting a school, there are three phrases you need to understand:
Attending college is an expensive and circuitous way to learn a field. The first two years are spent on general studies, although more schools are trying to track freshmen more quickly into their interests. Changing majors is expensive. Changing schools is even more so. Many financial aid burdens could have been cut in half by some research before selecting a college or a field.
Some complain that they cannot find work in their degree field but that is not as big a 
Would you walk into Old Navy and ask how little you can buy with $100?
That’s what many students do when they think about going to college. Mental energy and time are not considered as much as money. They adopt a “hoop-jumping” approach. “Show me how little time and effort I can spend to get this degree” results in not getting their money’s worth. Education is sold as a product but is more about a process of investment.
The commercialization of college has stolen this reality. Getting a degree quickly with little effort is marketed. Fear that students will believe glib statements that college is not worth the time and money have led at times to minimizing demands. The world though emphasizes college study now more than ever.
The rampant sale of fake diplomas and term paper mills reveals how far this delusion has grown. Some students actually think the paper document is all they really need. Or they focus on walking the stage even though they haven’t really graduated. Even worse, some employers don’t even check for false claims. For these students, it is baffling that Dave Thomas, Wendy’s founder with a net worth of $99 million, would go back to school at 61.
(Hint: Read on to find out how adults and their children can get free college, and it’s not the Pell Grant or a sports scholarship.)
WHICH ONE IS YOU?
“Two A’s are good, the small boy cried,
His voice was filled with glee.
His father very bluntly asked,
“Why didn’t you get three?”
“Mom, I’ve got the dishes done.”
The girl called from the door.
Her mother very calmly said,
“And did you sweep the floor?”
“I’ve mowed the grass,” the tall boy said,
“and put the mower away.”
His father asked him with a shrug,
“Did you clean off the blades?”
The children in the house next door
Seem happy and content.
The same things happen over there
But this is how they went.
“Two A’s are good,” the small boy cried.
His voice was filled with glee.
His father proudly said, ”That’s great!”
“I’m so glad you live with me!”
“Mom, I’ve got the dishes done,”
The girl called from the door.
Her mother smiled and softly said,
“Each day I love you more.”
“I’ve mowed the grass, the tall boy said,
“and put the mower away.”
His father answered with much joy,
“You’ve made my happy day.”
Children deserve encouragement
For the tasks they’re asked to do.
If they’re to lead a happy life,
So much depends on you!a
LDA of Alabam
Otoe-Missouria Princesses Today
Inventions are just another way people are creative. Women excel in creativity, and have focused it on whatever arena they have found themselves in.
We don’t know the names of Native American women who developed any of the pre-Columbian treasures that were found when Europeans arrived here. We know that the idea of democracy from the Iroquois Confederation and compulsory education were new to the explorers. They found Native Americans using chocolate, aspirin, gold plating, rubber balloons, toy tops, chewing gum, hammocks, oil extraction, and a container like a baby bottle. Their knowledge of 2,564 plant medicines revealed uses as anaesthetics, insect repellants, and oral contraceptives, some administered through syringe-like devices.
Given the chance, Native American women did enter fields yielding inventions. Born on August 9, 1908 in Oklahoma, Cherokee Mary Golda Ross was the first female and the only Native American engineer at Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in Burbank, California during the Space Race.
Many times we don’t know the names of the women who have created our benefits today. A cliché is a woman’s place is in the home. So women inventors changed what this meant. Tour a home with me and see how many ways women inventors have helped us with our work.
An innovation in solar heating of the home is itself a contribution of Maria Telkes. Marie Continue reading
“Every human person is inevitably involved with two worlds: the world they carry within them and the world that is out there. All thinking, all writing, all action, all creation and all destruction is about that bridge between the two worlds.” – John O’Donahue
Valentine’s Day is a celebration of connection. Sending heartfelt thoughts is a way to reach out, perhaps say what can’t be said, with a greeting already packaged.
Sometimes the day is not welcomed. There may be complex feelings, confusion or Continue reading
A larger Midwestern city is about to make a very costly mistake. What does this mean for you? Three applications of their expensive lesson for your life are in this post. Read on.
Kansas City has decided to privatize its award-winning international airport, launching a massive redesign. Most are not happy and it’s not the normal resistance to change. 
That’s because the city wants to adopt the model of other airports that already create nightmares for passengers. The long distances between arrivals and departures, moving walkways, increasing handicapped shuttles, and other expensive accommodations are not necessary Continue reading
Holiday seasons are prime times for exalted expectations. Amid all the hype, images of impossibly happy families, outlandish claims for owning hundreds of products, or a desire to live up to other myths, we can easily become discouraged if we don’t see our own lives living up to the big screen.
A children’s story threatens that if we are not “good”, we will only receive a lump of coal. Early on we learn the power of pleasing others, especially those who can give us gifts, fulfill promises, and help us feel especially loved.
After we grow up, we do not believe these stories affect us. Still, the holiday season Continue reading
