I Never Said I Was Civilized

We've started a new semester of bible class at the GW. I am teaching 3rd and 4th grade which is a bit of a stretch for me. I've found that 5th grade is my sweet spot; young enough to not be jaded but old enough to have a bit of timidity when I am spurring them on to glory. 3rd and 4th graders don't really need to be spurred (or ox-goaded but that was last week).

I was reminded of that this morning in my class. We are studying the judges and today's lesson was Gideon; the "Mighty Warrior." Now I have been teaching kids of various ages and mental statuses since the early 70's so I know that sitting around a table taking turns reading is about as interesting as filing a tax return. I have found that some sort of learning experience that involves movement and tactile input is much more productive. (One day I think I will write a book about this. Maybe I will call it 'experiential learning' and pretend I have discovered something new.)

Anyway, near the conclusion of the lesson with 5 minutes remaining I handed out the trumpets. Really they were just party horn noisemakers (honoring Josh's birthday, of course) but after our riveting lesson they were so much more in the minds of my eager learners. They were a weapon of destruction to use against an army of Midianite invaders. Invaders who had taken over the bulk of our classroom causing us to hide in the caves and winepresses in the far corners of our room while they occupied the table and chairs.

Did I need to say "blow those trumpets as loud as you can?" Perhaps not. Did I do it anyway? Certainly. Did pandemonium ensue? Perhaps. Did at least one parent get bent out of shape and peek in my window and motion for his child to sit down and be quiet? Of course. Did that make me laugh? Definitely. Did I say "blow again I believe some are still alive?" Possibly.

How do we count success? To see unmitigated joy on the face of a child as they make some small part of the lesson come to life in juxtaposition to the look of disdain on the parents face as he fails in an attempt to usurp my authority in MY classroom? Yes, that's how I count it.

Nashville in the days of CMA

Sometimes I forget I live in Music City U.S.A. and then I get out of the house.

Music City.

Country Music Capital.

Country...wanna bees.

Kate had a job last Saturday and for some unfathomable reason we thought it would be a good idea to follow her to work.

I still don't really know why we all ended up at Macy's in Green Hills for 2 hours...but...we...did...

Kate is smirking because after I parked the car I came down the escalator and asked where the models were. Then I brought the camera to my eye and...

I thought she was a mannequin. I don't shop much.

I wasn't the only person that thought she was a mannequin. See how everyone is ignoring her? Part of that is because of the foolishness going on over to the right but part of it is because they didn't think she was real either.

Macy's version of the red carpet needed some ropes to hold back the riff-raff.

Modeling wasn't the only action happening in at Macy's. Here's Diana getting a free manicure with a Country Music wanna bee.

See how Macy's solves the little problem of breaking a mannequin arm while dressing it?

Is that how you solve the problem at Anthropologie?

Oh, did I tell you this was the Saturday before the CMA Awards?

Did I tell you that Macy's was having a drawing for free tickets to the event?

Did I tell you that all you had to do was perform?

Yep. that's the foolishness of which I spoke previously.

To give this woman credit she was in her late 60's and finished her dance number with a jump that ended in the splits. AND she got up and walked away afterwards.

This one is trying her best to channel Taylor Swift, I think. I don't really know what Taylor Swift sounds like (I am sure it is not this)

but I think maybe if she were poor and blind she'd dress this way.

There is no way this outfit and performance just happened. She wasn't in the mall shopping and decided to sing some Karaoke. She planned this outfit and performance for days.

I can't begin to tell you how sad that made me...nor can I tell you how I felt about standing there and watching the train wreck...over and over and over.

Once again sharing the red carpet. this time with waddlers.

Yeah, they were REALLY serious with the CMA/red carpet theme.

I watched dozens of shoppers pose here and get their picture taken with a cell phone

so I had to get a shot of Kate.

They had lots of free things going on during the Karaoke contest.

They had food.

They had temporary tattoos.

They had manicures.

and only in Nashville...

They had feathers for your hair.

These women were rocking the feather look while they waited to perform.

Of course, some people had their hair professionally coiffed before they left Oklahoma in order to be a Macy's for their chance at country stardom.

No lie.

This girl came from Oklahoma with her family...

and hoped to be discovered at the Green Hills Macy singing Karaoke.

Here the Taylor Swift wanna-bee is asking Kate and the surly model if they have spray tans.

I think the reply was, "No, you can tell because we are not orange."

These people are being recruited to perform next on the Karaoke stage.

I told them they'd have to walk home

and since Hannah is the only one that can walk...

Someone actually bought one of these expensive dresses because of how good it looked on Kate. Really?

It looked good on Kate?

Let's face it, vomit would look good on Kate.

That dress is not going to look the same on you, crazy lady.

Speaking of crazy, this was my favorite act.

You really had to be there to appreciate the full affect

but the next shot will give you an idea of how terrific they actually were...

Can you imagine standing in front of a full length mirror and saying,

"Yes, this is exactly the look I am going for! I know Curb records will wanna sign this!

Look out Nashville! Here I come!"

Here's the requisite Vogue shot.

Exclusive dressing room for models only!

Kate's personal space complete with photo and name on the door,

and that's my experience at Kate's Macy's modeling job.

A Day On The Farm With Papu

A couple of weeks ago Papu and I spent the day hiking down memory lane.

Here are just a few of the photos.

See Don's emergency response house numbers?

They have to be big enough they can be seen from the street.

I don't think size is the issue.

Sometimes people are wandering around on his property.

They tell him they think it is abandoned. How rude.

Do you remember decorating this tree in the big snow one winter?

I don't think we could put a star on top now.

... childhood memory ...

Papu models the finest in walkabout attire. He swears it's tick proof.

This is Dog Fennel. When cows eat it milk tastes like $*@&!

I don't know who in dad's family did the taste test.

See the background? See that sunlight and cleared ground? Don has been ridding the back yard of privet hedge, blackberry bushes and honeysuckle vine for months.

There is a story here...and there...and over there...

Pumpkin joined us on our walkabout and stopped to listen to all the stories.

This one (older and wiser says Don) had nothing to do with us.

This was with the zoom.

Wisteria vine like Don has been eradicating.

Honeysuckle.

I like the bark.

This bit of privet hedge is next.

Grandmother's and Grandaddy's bus was flooded to the roofline.

"That spins and seed falls out."

Privet hedge losing the war.

Wouldn't be a walkabout with Papu if he didn't eat some sort of tree.

The outbuildings

Water rose here to the undercarriage of the bus. Whew!

Almost lost the overnight visitor accommodations.

"How big was that beaver?"

Bus number 3. Up by the spring.

Papu's Curfman great grandparents and great uncle.

Eunice will live forever.

Corlew Cemetary:

This is not our family. This is a family that got the flu in 1898.

This is our family. Papu's Curfman grandparents, aunts and uncles.

Notice Aunt Dell's stone. She was married. Her last name was not Curfman. Susie says Uncle Glenn didn't like her husband and he made arrangements for the marker. Uncle Glenn was definitely a Curfman.

Notice the spelling on GGmom's stone.

Can't really see the spelling here on GGdad's stone

but at least we know where they thought he was headed.

Papu's mom and dad and his Delones grandparents.

Granddaddy didn't want praying hands. Oops.

Thus ends a walk down nostalgia lane. Susie says we didn't visit all the cemeteries. One day soon we should take another trip.