Bristol County Daily News

So in the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of a commercial, I usually leave the room to do something when the commercials come on, at first it didn't register then about 2 minutes later my brain said hey wait that might be something good. Go to www.spreadthesharing.com and type them a story any story it can be happy, sad, a feel good kinda thing and for every story that is submitted they will donate a meal for the homeless. Hey if I can type them a story everyday it took me about 5 minutes and someone gets a meal. Then that's one of the best investments I have ever made. So get your fingers busy and tell a story about something good you did for someone else by sharing you are feeding a hungry person. Don't stop there do something good for someone today and then put the story in tonight it could be like vitamins ... one a day.

It never seems to fail that when things starting getting bad the bottom falls out and then we say I t can't get much worse then we fall off a cliff. So I started talking about the school budget and that we just don't pay enough attention. then a note came home from the PTO with dates for 6 more meetings none of which I think we have much say on what goes on. It just seems that the Town Government will make all the decisions and we will stand to argue but I just cant see how we can change what is going to happen next year. They are talking about closing two schools. They have postponed kindergarten orientation because they don't know where the children will be going next year. So between now and June 5Th we will all be discussing what comes next. See the real question isn't is something going to happen, its what is going to happen because the fact of the matter is that something is going to happen. I want my children to have the best education they can get. Wait I want all children to get the best education they can get. These are the children then when we are old and grey will be making decisions to take care of us. Should they cut the budget to care for themselves and put forty of us in one room with one care giver for 8 hours a day. Forget bingo or day trips. Individual therapy HA HA. imagine if our elderly housing was budgeted like our schools are? Maybe we should think about that. We are putting our children at risk. How could a teacher teach when they will be refereeing. If one or two children act out ( I know that's hard to believe) so the teacher has to stop teaching to get them into check and that will take about 5 or 10 minutes so if there are 40 children and lets say each acts out once during the day that's 400 minutes 60 minutes in and hour so that's 6 hours and 40 minutes of refereeing oh wait school starts at 9am and lets out at 3:20 that's only 6 hours and 20 minutes. So how much teaching did we get done ... NONE. right now there are about 20 children to each class I know it sounds crazy but with just 20 children it is hard enough but could you imagine doubling the class size! We need to think outside the box we need to bend the rules to make this work. I am surely willing to contribute to the school my time, energy or financially. Can i volunteer to be the art teacher? or home economics ? Will the unions allow this?I don't know what we should do but maybe we can all make hundreds of suggestion and come out with some good ones. If you have an idea no matter how simple it seems write it down and send it to the school board. Sometimes someone else's ideas spark thoughts in another and get the ball rolling the next thing you know we have a solution. Come on roll the ball!!!

Labels: school budget

The Town of Dartmouth is in a fiscal crisis and as they say sh.. rolls down hill and at the bottom of the hill is always the small and defenseless today it is our children. We all preach about our children being our future yet we don't want to invest in them. So what kind of future are we giving them? Are we so out of touch with what is going on that we don't know. I think the answer is yes. There was a town meeting Monday night and there was maybe 75 people there. Just in one elementary school we have 600 students there should have been thousands of people at this meeting. I consider myself well informed yet I did not know about the meeting. At the
PTO meeting one of the co presidents said she did not know about the meeting. If this is true then we need to find a better way to get the word out. Our budget is 5million short and 2.5 of it is the school budget. If our town was a business we would cut the cream the high paid cushy jobs and put in fighters. But towns work on the buddy system one elected official brings two appointed friends and they all watch each others back. Vote each other pay raises and pensions and perks. Well guess what when the town goes bankrupt it will all be gone. I am once again considering home schooling because the system is going to cheat our children. Checkout the website http://dartmouthparents.home.comcast.net/

So for a few months now we have all been working on making squares for the afghans and it is going very well. I have learned so much from so many people. But there is nothing like tried and true practice. So I am trying and I am practicing but I will tell you this scalloped edge I am trying to do around these squares is a little harder then I thought it would be. If you get interrupted all the numbers are off and I have to start my count over and sometimes it looks like I have more then I do and well lets just say I have had to pull it out and start over a few times. I think that I am getting the hang of it but I don't think it will look as good as the others for now. But with time I will improve. It is just as warm with a few mistakes as it would be if the trim was perfect. And as one of my sisters wrote when she sent me a sweater that each mistake was a stitch of love. Well there such is a lot of love stitched in this afghan. I suppose it is like all the other things we do I may not be perfect but if I keep trying and I do it with love in my heart then the results will stitched with love. So stitch your day with love.

Labels: afghans

Its amazing that for me to try to find a shelter was so difficult. I guess I figured I could just look it up in the phone book but that is untrue. No listing. I tried to make a few calls to get the information but that was even difficult. I finally seceded by calling the welfare office and asking. But first I had to explain it was not for me and what we were doing and well people are always very suspicious of others. Like maybe I was going to steal the goodness of others. Its hard work doing good things. Just remember don't give up if you keep trying you find what you are looking for. Anyway I am delivering another 8 afghans today. Every time it feels good. I am also about to complete my first one...that is to say the first one I have completed myself. I have to say it feels extra good. I didn't think I would be able to do it all by myself but with the help and guidance of others I have learned how to make an afghan. I am smiling a big smile as I type this because I have done it. It has taken four months well probably 5 months by the time I actually finish. To all those who are also making the afghans for the homeless. Keep up the good work I know we are bring joy to so many and I just don't want to see it stop. If you would like to help please let me know I will send you all the information. Keep it up we are making a difference!!!

It seems to me that suicide was a private personal end with reasons no one else could understand but today it seems we make a list of all that have wronged us and try to take them with us. In my life so far I have lost two friends to suicide and with each one I can remember thinking why didn't I notice. My friend 10 came into my office asked me for petty cash for gas and went home and hung himself. We had been calling his house thinking he over slept when his sister found him. It was hard to believe. It left us all wondering why. And for me It left me feeling like there where things I wanted to tell him but never did and maybe I should have. Then I was angry with myself for not saying what I felt. I am a fool to think that I would have made a difference. But today looking back I stop and think of him often and say maybe if we all had said something then maybe he would have heard us. So in his death he has left something for me and that is that I will tell the ones I love that they matter. When I am angry and I want to kill my children I hug them and tell them that I love them and take an adult time out. Sometimes I hug them sooooo tight that they squeak. When I have a fight with my husband and he has to go to work and he is leaving I say I am still angry with you but I want you to know that I love you. I am afraid that our last words would be angry if something happened and he did not come back. So I guess what I am saying to everyone is think of it as the last moment you might see that person and make sure you have said all you need to say. Don't leave things hanging. And if you see someone and they look like they need a friend be there you don't need to say anything just sit with them and look at nothing if that's what they are doing. Walk with them until they are done walking. Being a listener is the best thing we can be sometimes. Life is a journey and for some it is long and for others it is short. If you see someone in need just be there. Maybe we can make lists of the ones we love so much it hurts and make sure we let them know. Change how things are happening make them better make someones life better give them a hug or a smile give them some love.

It has been hard to just sit back and watch the news this week. Virginia Tech has been on every minute. I can't help but be worried. Its not just schools that could be the mall it could have been the library it could have been any where. But should I be afraid to leave my house? send my children to school? Go to the supermarket? I tell myself that I need to get more involved that if I see anyone being cast out or bullied that I will step in that I will make effort and I will follow through. I will teach my children the same. But would that have changed Monday I don't know? I feel for all that have lost someone and I offer a page to type on but I realize it will not change a thing that has happened. I am about making change about making a difference. For all that have been lost and for all of us that have lost our sense of safety Today lets make a difference go to the person who you have seen in your life that seems lost and lonely and bring them into your life. Make them welcome in your community. And don't take no for an answer. Change their lives for the better. Do it today.

It has been hard to just sit back and watch the news this week. Virginia Tech has been on every minute. I can't help but be worried. Its not just schools that could be the mall it could have been the library it could have been any where. But should I be afraid to leave my house? send my children to school? Go to the supermarket? I tell myself that I need to get more involved that if I see anyone being cast out or bullied that I will step in that I will make effort and I will follow through. I will teach my children the same. But would that have changed Monday I don't know? I feel for all that have lost someone and I offer a page to type on but I realize it will not change a thing that has happened. I am about making change about making a difference. For all that have been lost and for all of us that have lost our sense of safety Today lets make a difference go to the person who you have seen in your life that seems lost and lonely and bring them into your life. Make them welcome in your community. And don't take no for an answer. Change their lives for the better. Do it today.

Today is the 111th running of the Boston Marathon. I some day will run that marathon. I have always wanted to run but year after year I have failed to commit to doing it ... so again I will say maybe next year. I have always envied those who have the strength and commitment to make it 26.2 miles it doesn't matter how long it takes them its just that they do it. So in watching the news last night I discovered yet another reason I wish to run the race. Because yes I am one of those people who think of others before myself. There is a women who is racing to raise money for a sick child. It is not that she is alone she has joined a team of people who have adopted a child to raise money for at Bostons Children's Hospital. What she said was when she feels like quiting she thinks of this little girl who had her first surgery when she was just four months old. What this little girl has endured in her short 2 1/2 years is unimaginable. It makes me try harder. I wish I was that strong. If you are or maybe you will be next year consider joining the team or sponsoring someone http://www.chtrust.org/bostonmarathon/getinvolved_run.htm.

Labels: boston marathon

In reading yesterdays various papers the debate about Massachusetts Dairy Farmers continues. As with any subject people have very strong opinions. The Boston Globe really got to people take a look at this http://boards.boston.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=31&nav=messages&webtag=bc-yourmoney&tid=482 Its just a start at what we should be debating. We need to get involved in whats going on in our communities to make things right. Voice your opinions their is no wrong or right opinion get the debates started so we can find a solution. Start talking, start doing, start something today!

The article in today’s Boston Globe"Summer dairy prices headed up" www.boston.com/business was to say the least frustrating. I believe a little more homework on the subject would have made the article more balanced. The statement is true that the dairy farmers are asking for more money. It is not because they are greedy. Maybe they should have asked H.P. Hood for their profit margins for comparison. Maybe they should have referred to the 4/1/07 article in their Boston Globe http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2007/04/01/bealeaguered_farmers_ask_for_a_boost_in_milk_prices/ it might shed some light on the subject. If that is not enough here are three more articles from the last two months about dairy farmers and the costs they are incurring http://www.masslive.com/hampfrank/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-0/117402960523480.xml&coll=1 or

http://www.masslive.com/editorials/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1174723749237840.xml&coll=1 or

http://www.massdairyfarmers.com/march82007.html
These are recent articles but if you went back to the 1970’s you would find that the farmers and not being paid much more now then they were back then. While the farmers incur most of the costs and responsibility for our lands and animals the question remains who is really making the profits? There were 812 dairy farms in Massachusetts in the early 90’s now there are less then 182. Where will we get our milk, cheese, yogurt, whey? We will ship it in from other states. Is that really what we want? The cost of running a business in Massachusetts has increased every year and yet the prices paid to the local dairy farmer has not. Dairy farmers in Massachusetts are important. They are the keepers of our open spaces. They are the curators of the beauty that brings so many to our states. Imagine all of our dairy farms gone and in their place condos. Would you go on a scenic drive to look at rows of condos? Our farmers commit their lives to this. It is not a job. It is not 9-5. It is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Guess what, the cows still need to eat and be milked on Christmas, Yom kipper and all the other holidays. How easy do you think it is for a farmer to go on vacation? This is a way of life. It is who they are. Every day millions of people put cream in there coffee, milk in there cereal, give yogurt to there children and yes lets not forget about the billions of gallon of ice cream consumed everyday. While our local farmers are going out of business because they can not pay the price any longer could you ask Mr. Mike Suever, Senior Vice President of Milk Procurement at Hood, did he have to decide whether to feed his children or his cows last night.

There is so much to be said about politics how much power they have and how much money influences them. Imagine a world where science is funded with out any strings attached. That the information is given freely and used by all to better the world. I believe that the person who split the atom never ever thought it would be used to make an atomic bomb and destroy nations or build nations. He was one who paved a road to hell with good intentions. I am one who believes that our government is good and bad all at the same time. They are made up of people who judge and have opinions just like we do and base there decisions on those opinions just like we do. But they are appointed by us...here's the part when I say we must all vote at every elections...and we need to hold them accountable for how they vote and what they say. I did not say judge them I said hold them accountable. You vote for something you need to justify what you voted for and why and then we as the people will vote for you or against you based on those decisions. But our system is not that clean and not that pretty. So we as people must shift through piles and piles of rubbish to find the truth in the politicians we vote for. Our Presidential elections will be here soon before you know it. So start paying attention now to who is for what. Who will do what. But more importantly what do you believe and where the truth lies for you. Everyday you must live these beliefs and truths and make the changes in your life that will bring these things to the light. If you believe that there should be more solar power, wind power, use your dollars and your voice and your vote to bring that out. So while the politicians and scientists debate over whether we as the human race are causing to much CO2 or is it just the evolution of our planet make the changes in your everyday life to leave less of a mark on the planet. See http://www.ipcc.ch/SPM6avr07.pdf the resent published piece from the intergovernamental Panel on Climate Change. Also see http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/campaigns/global-warming-and-energy Check out other great websites just google global warming find the facts and reduce your pollution and make a difference a little change can go a long way.

I have always loved to walk on the beach. One of my favorite things is to go early in the morning before anyone shows up is walk my dogs. I can let them run free up and down the beach, dig in the sand and swim. No one to complain about dogs on the beach. Most people are afraid of Rottweilers anyway so this is just a time when they can well be dogs without having to worry. Sometimes I just sit back and watch them frolic. If you are a dog lover you can understand the joy of just watching them. There are other times that I play right along with them. We play tag one of our favorite. They dig the sand and I build the sand castle. They were my babies before I had babies. Never once did I think I was hurting anything by playing on the beach. Now that I have children I like to do the same thing. I don't like to go in the heat of the day or when there are crowds I just like the beach I find it very relaxing. So sometimes we go and fly kites, collect shells or driftwood, or just walk along and throw stones in the water. I never once thought I was hurting anything by playing on the beach.

We have joined a junior bird club and last week we learned about nesting birds. I never knew they nested right on the beach, in the sand. I guess I thought they were up in the dunes. The tall grass. That playing on the beach in the early spring was all about me. That my dogs chasing the birds were really moms trying to sit on there eggs. That flying my kite scares the birds that they think its a great big bird and will run away from there nest leaving the eggs unprotected until the big bird is gone. That I could be walking right on top of the nests and not even know it. I am a treat. I was playing in their nursery. A big giant egg crushing person who was clueless!! I saw the signs posted but being human it just never occurred to me that flying a kite or walking on the beach could be harmful. I know I can't undo what I have done for years but I can change what I am doing now. I will pay attention to the signs that say birds are nesting. I will not fly my kite during the times when the birds are nesting or maybe find a field to fly in not the beach. And last but not least I will tell others of what I did and what I have learned. Then maybe just maybe I can help save the birds that nest on our beaches. One little person trying to make a difference. Please join me for more information go to http://www.massaudubon.org/

Over the past week I have heard from many people about global warming. I received a few emails discussing the movie The Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore, mostly its a debate. Can we take this as fact? Is it played up? There was an article in the Boston Globe about a scientific paper blaming global warming on the human race and fossil fuels. I don't tend to be an alarmist but here is my question, What's the harm in making changes for the better? I know there are a lot of companies out there saying it cost to much. My answer is, If you were dying how much would you pay to save yourself? I know that if it was one of my children I would give everything I had and everything I would ever earn to save their life if given the chance. I guess we then ask how do I know that this terrible thing is going to happen? How do I know that these things are not being said to take from me everything I have? My answer are you willing to wait and see? You will either be dead right or dead wrong. That's the risk factor. I will error on the side of caution and give what I can to save mother earth. If that means I must sort my trash. Then I will sort my trash even if it makes my husband crazy. If that means using less fuel. I will cut back and share rides with others or take public transportation. If I could I would use wind power, solar power, things that are less harmful. Remember the whole thing way back about Styrofoam cups and aerosol hairspray, why do we still sell that stuff shouldn't it be banned along with lead paint. It may not kill us today but it will in the long run contribute to our problem. Remember my theory is a little help from a lot of people can, will, make a difference. One of the emails I received was from www.stepitup2007.org where a lot of us are going to make our voices seen and heard around the country. Yes a rally please go to the website and check it out for your area and get involved.

Alternative power is dear to my heart. I can't help but think that we would extend the life of this planet and our children, grandchildren and so on if we just stopped to think about what we are doing. We tend to be in a hurry all the time. Fast food, drive through banking, self service gas stations all of these things because we don't want to wait for anything. But we are also hurrying along the earth in a very bad way. We pollute it with trash, gas, hairspray and the green house effects are taking over at an alarming rate. I know it doesn't seem like it but to the earth and its ability to repair itself are fading. I think somewhere we all know this we just don't slow down enough to think about it today. We tend to wait until its an emergency. So I have been attending this series put on by SEEAL a collaboration of organizations with the same interest, alternative power. The series is over but they are having one last presentation this April if anyone is interested contact Jennifer Marshall SEEAL Coordinator 227 Union Street, Suite 609New Bedford, MA 02740 jmarshall@seeal.org 607-351-1268. You can get tickets and find out about the organization and what you can do in your own life to make a difference.

Do you ever wonder were all that tax money goes. I think to myself I pay taxes when I buy stuff, when I drive my car, for my property, on my earnings before I pay taxes on my taxes. How is it that the Towns and Federal Government are always broke. What exactly are they spending all this money on. I am expected to pay all my bills. If I lived on credit like my town government they would have shut me off and put me in jail. So why do we allow this to go on? I say this because we vote these people in we sit by and say nothing. We whine and complain but not to who we should...we need to make our voices heard. VOTE!!!! Check out http://votesmart.org/index.htm

I am so pleased to say that we have 8 more afghans completed. Our original goal was 24 in a years time but in three months we have completed 18. We have enough squares right now to make about 5 more. I hope that as I get better at putting them together that we will be able to keep up our pace. It feels good to know that so many care. I encourage everyone to get involved in someway to help our community. The smallest gesture can start the ball rolling.