FTY: Tests? We don’t like tests!

Current Reading and commentary:

1. A Peoples History of the US: Ch11- Robber Barrons and Rebels——>So many parallels to The Pitchforks Are Coming….For Us Plutocrats. The man who writes that article is very smart to realize we have been here before and blood was spilled. I would really like to know how much. I think I might go through Mr. Zinn’s Ch11 and record a body count and dates, because I want to know how many died so my family could have the weekend, the 8 hour day, and the minimum wage. Agitation with A Smile 🙂
2. Hands on the Freedom Plow- My sub-title: Revolutionary women who lead the civil rights movement and their stories.
3. GRE Exam Math Workbook- a few of my answers have been thrown off by ONE digit—-and no point/ cookie for me–even though I got the process right!!!!!!!! Fairness does not exist.
4. Grammar for College Writing: I’ts like 8th grade english plus, all over again—– without the sentence diagramming.
5. A Workbook for Argument: A Complete Course in Critical Thinking–I’m working on my writing so I can write a killer op-ed.

 

FTY: To Stephanie Lormand (and of course The Labor Movement) An unlikely pair to be so close together

 

 

🙂 My dear friend Stephanie Lormand had a wonderful op-ed in the News and Observer this week you can find a link to it in this blog post called Are School Aged Kids Tested More Often than Toxic Chemicals. Her op-ed was very inspiring to me. I hope one day I can write an op-ed about an issue I am passionate about.

FTY: Time Travel

Struggling to do something for myself I decided– not wanting to spend money on myself –had to stop. My brain was again lying to me. So, I dove in head first traveling solo- to NOLA (Ha!), spending a week alone, and intellectually engaging myself with continuing education credit seminars/ institutes. It was traveling back into time when I only worried about myself. The trip was an ice cold splash of water to the face on a hot and sticky day- sometimes literally because NOLA gets hot! I will forever love New Orleans because it will always remind me of this pivotal time. At some point after I returned I admitted to myself I needed a coach (this was going to cost money)–an ADHD coach or an Academic/GRE coach–or a tutor–to get me to the point where I know I will have some efficacy in taking this exam. And also to get me to the point where I will not feel defeated and shameful about my performance because I know I gave it all I’ve got.

Isn’t that the point? This life is to give it all you’ve got. Make it memorable and meaningful! As I wrote at the bottom of my study sheet for inspiration— Kiddo will be a teenager in 6.5 years and not so randomly, Hooker shoes in computer dressup games. Stiletto heels that deform your foot– IN A KIDS GAME. When kiddo is teen-kiddo I will need to distract myself (at times) from the marginalization of girls on the brink of womanhood. So, in short I am going full steam ahead because it will save my sanity. Now, this doesn’t mean I will forever forget about this marginalization. No, I will confront it head on as I have been since I became aware of it. I will continue to fight it with karate and community. As long as we have those things I think we will be fine.

Scattermom has dragged me back into the world of politics–kicking and screaming—so last night I went to a Food Co-op meeting. The community vibes in that place were rocking- it’s been meeting for about 2 years now. And yes, I have been wanting to go to a meeting for that long. A speaker at Action NC‘s women’s empowerment breakfast is a member of the food co-op organization. She spoke about the need to build instead of fight. I’m so tired of fighting sometimes I have no words- no polite words. I have to bow out and let others do the talking. I want to create and facilitate, not fight–I guess that is the teacher part of me. She also has been rearing her head when I think of the GRE lately. I’m seeing it more as an opportunity to brush up skills I will need for the future, therefore preparing for the test could never be a waste of time. Regardless of my score I think I want to see it as a victory.

If you are in the RDU area and want to sign up for Fertile Ground’s Food Co-op I can get you a membership form and/ or provide you with more information.

FTY: Fertile Ground Cooperative

In Thanks for this Friday (FTY) I’d like to give a hat tip to all Cooperators keeping the dream alive. Including those at Fertile Ground. You are powerful. You will make it happen. Failure is Impossible! Perhaps in my time we will see indivdualized labor unions, buisnesses, and associations turned into cooperatives.

Literacy

Perfection. Here’s to finding the beautiful messy perfection that make my house and thoughts chaotic. Looking at my sentences and compositions—what those–fifty thoughts don’t belong in one sentence? So often I don’t write. It really isn’t that I have nothing to say. (Perhaps I should start writing in mind maps… )Because anyone who knows me well knows I have plenty to say, when given a (sometimes) extended chance. Once in a while my ADD friends creep me out with how fast their brains work—and my proverbial mouse just stretched one paw up to the damn wheel and is trying to get going. See pic if you don’t understand.

slow and fast hamster is not always fast

Or my mouse just cant seem to get going at all. Then nothing is happening in there. Maybe it got tired? I seem to be good at verbal BS like that which is required by Balderdash, but not so much when it comes to writing or speaking in highstakes situations. Unless I’m required to trash talk or have humor about myself.

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit New Orleans, LA…otherwise known as (Nawlins) for a literacy conference. Because making connections is my superpower I combine my beautiful messy perfection with This Is What Family Literacy Looks Like at chez Chaos Is Normal.

My travel books 🙂

my reading from the Book Fair

more from the book fair and easter

How ya like me Meow

my cat apparently wants literacy lessons

bedtime schedule

on my door

swag from IRA14 conference

one of my daughters published works

Warrior Wednesday: Where are the women warriors?

Last weekend we went to see the Avengers. It was overwhelming because it was so loud–kiddo and I used shop ear protectors to control our sensory overload. At one point she took them off and I put them on. Later she was looking for them and got mad that I was wearing them. 🙂

How lame is it that The Black Widow’s superpower is never aging? Sounds like a superpower that some man-boy made up, seriously, WTF? So, my challenge is to find a real woman superhero or make one up myself. We have been using Kitty Ninja for a while…maybe we need to make some enhancements. I do like the kyoshi warriors from The Last Air Bender  and of course Korra from The Legend of Korra, which I need to catch up on watching.

After I repeated a story I’d heard in Karate (chaotic note in this entry), kiddo asked me, “Where are the women warriors?”. Promptly, I found a blog entry about Deborah Sampson and told her a story she could understand.

Women Warrior Links: Top 10 Badass Female Warriors and Women Warriors–A History of Real Women in Combat

Women Warriors Book Links on Amazon~ Oh Noes—an awesome random thought! A curriculum on Women Warriors! There’s no stopping a NY ‘girl’ once she has an idea like this!

chaotic note

Having It All?–The Wrong Question to Ask

Only if he looks like this (see below)!

STY: Book Switch- Freedom’s Teacher

Saturday Thank You– In honor of the Labor Movement “The folks who brought you The Weekend!”

I read several chapters into The Woman Behind The New Deal and had to return it. In reading that book I realized I’m more of a “boots on the ground” organizer, like Frances Perkins was early on in her career. And that probably has more to do with my need for movement and a variety of different activities. So, I have switched books. I’ve only just begun this book but I find myself needing to go back and reread because I can’t believe the history I’m seeing repeat; and it’s good to know that “The Women’s Liberation Movement” was alive and well prior to the Civil Rights movement—we just don’t get to hear about it unless we seek it out. I plan on posting more about what I am reading next week.

chaotic note

I’ve got a great story for Warrior Wednesday inspired by Kiddo–who asked where are the women warriors. Thank You Master Ray for telling the story about why most men would choose to fight other men and not women who were defending their children and home. <Ohh wee! when my kitchen gets messed up after I worked so hard to clean it–watch out>

Great story about Reclaiming Our History and Finding the real Rebel Helen Keller