My Dad passed away on Thursday, July 30, 2009 at 12:10 PM. As we stood around his bed, hands linked in prayer, I think my sister said it best when she said that she felt like her heart had broken. Even though we know that he is at peace and his suffering is over, we will miss him beyond words.
The calling hours and the funeral were a blur in many ways, and we were all involved. There were so many beautiful moments during these difficult days whether it was seeing a rainbow arch high above my Aunt's house after the calling hours or Derrick leading our family in prayer prior to the funeral, the Holy Spirit gave us amazing strength when our sadness threatened to overtake us. My brother delivered the eulogy, which summarized my Dad's life so beautifully. From Dad's obsession with collecting hats to his dedication for all of his organizations (Boy Scouts, K of C, Trade School Alumni, Telephone Company) Dad was a mover, a shaker- a worker. He had such a dry sense of humor. I am so thankful for every minute I had with my Dad.
Sidebar- Harp Music- I do think that the harp music that I had playing in his room at the end brought comfort to him, to his visitors and bridged his trip to Heaven.
Mr. Norbet’s music really ministered as I was growing up. Although I am not musically inclined, the sounds of the monks singing resonated in my soul. Their chants and singing touched something deep within me and helped me through their melodies to form a deeper connection with God. I always felt that way. When I was a rebellious teen, I would select my pouting/processing music depending on the situation. When my soul hurt, I would always turn to the monks. When I was upset with my folks, it would be loud heavy metal. When I was suffering from a freshly broken heart, it was Rick Springfield or (here it comes, Lisa and Lucy) Shaun Cassidy.
In today’s newspaper, there is an interesting article about how there is a movement growing to have people, who play the harp, minister to the dying. They come in, get a “read” on what the patients are feeling and then play music that can soothe them as they approach the end of their earthly life. It was fascinating. I am going to bring Mr. Norbet’s music to my Dad’s room. I will try to report back on the results.
The people who play the harp try not to play familiar harp songs because instead of being relaxed, the patients would try to search their minds for the words to songs or experiences they had in their lives when the songs were played.
I was thinking of the book 90 Minutes in Heaven when the author describes what he saw and heard when he was in Heaven for those 90 minutes. I am deriving incredible hope and inspiration now from that. I thought that it was interesting that Pastor Piper came back to life/consciousness while his minister friend was singing to him from the back seat of the mangled car. Thanks for choosing this book, Jonathon!
The other night, my sister-in-law Sharon was talking about how she feels that in America, our school system doesn’t seem to touch on the whole issue of death and dying. In other countries, it is seen in a much more positive and natural light. It is funny that she was talking about it because I had made up my might to not focus on this in my blog- yet, in reality, it is this death and dying process that is consuming my heart and mind these days. Ironic, isn’t it? What is it about death and dying that feels so taboo? Is it our fear of death itself or just sharing something so intensely personal.
In The Last Lecture, the professor shares the lessons he learns as he closes out the earthly portion of his life due to pancreatic cancer. In this book and the youtube presentation, he gives us an inside look at his life and his death… This was so magnanimous of him.
(*I am having problems downloading my pics... I will keep working on this!)
June 22, 2009- While I was twiddling my thumbs on the George Washington Bridge, the boys got a text that my Dad had gone to the Emergency Room. We had almost lost him back at Easter, but it seemed like he had rallied back. Once again…well eventually, we were headed to Dartmouth Hitchcock.
There are many things that I really adore about my Dad, but his dry sense of humor is one of my favorite things. No matter how he is feeling, he always seems to have some witty sidebar comments to make that really get to the heart of the situation or his perception of it anyway.
At this point of the summer, time started to slip away, but there are a couple of things that have happened that I wanted to share. For example one day, my Mom and I were just arriving at the ICU waiting room. As usual, we had to check in before going over to his room. The ICU waiting room receptionist was on the phone. His voice had a very pastoral quality to it. In what can be a sad, chaotic or even intense setting, the tone of his voice just immediately set me at ease; it filled me with peace. I looked at his name tag while he finished his phone conversation- it read Gregory Norbet.
The name immediately resonated with me, but I just didn’t know why. After his phone conversation was over, he escorted us over to my Dad’s room. As we were walking down the hallway, I asked him why his name sounded so familiar. He said that it might have been because he is a composer and that he used to compose music for a monastery at Weston Priory, while he was a brother there. (I guess that I must have been in slight shock at this time in that I almost rammed my Mom’s wheelchair into the wall, but I quickly recovered.)
Mr. Norbet’s music had always been a tremendous source of inspiration in my life, and here I was meeting the man who was the conduit of that. What a blessing to have had the opportunity to share that with him. Can you say quiet working music? He was so excited by my enthusiasm that he told me that he would have a little present for me on the next day. On the next day, you guessed it, he had a CD and a book of his sheet music for me. It is inspirational stuff exactly when I am needing it the most. I will explore both of these topics in my next blog…. Stay tuned!
I remember the first Christmas we were in Nebraska, Colin wore a red baseball cap with an R on it for the celebration with the extended Fallon Family. Uncle Dana thought that Colin was already a Rutgers fan because apparently, they have a similar logo to Randolph, Nebraska. Perhaps it was foreshadowing, and we didn’t know it yet. I guess that is what foreshadowing is, isn’t it?
Monday morning, June 22, 2009 dawned beautifully in preparation, I am sure, for our trip to New Brunswick, New Jersey campus of Rutgers. (Ian, the workout master, made us all work out at the gym before we headed to New Brunswick, but then we were free to go.) The campus, which consists of five colleges/campuses was enormous. We arrived at the admissions office, and there was quite a crowd. They began loading us into a luxury bus; this was a first, but it was rather nice for such a large tour. New Brunswick was a larger city than I imagined. After the tour, we attended the information session. The largest selling point for the Rutgers’ program was the Fast Track, where students, if accepted, can become a MD in six years. Wow! Rutgers packs a powerful punch. Colin said that he liked the feel of this campus. Poor Colin (and Matt)…we all were pumping him for his feedback and analysis of the various colleges and universities as we made our way around the country this summer; he really loved Rutgers though. Visit their site at www.rutgers.edu/
To further process the visit, we went to have a quick lunch at a nearby juice bar called Namaste. Check it out at www.namastejuicebar.com/. What an experience we had. We learned a lot from the toxins that can be in tap water to all about the slow food movement (www.slowfoodusa.org/), and the food was delicious. It was fascinating to watch our host prepare all of our meals and drinks by hand. Nothing was arranged ahead of time; it was prepared to order. The food came in its purest form. I had the sunshine burger, and, although it tasted like a Big Mac, there was no meat in it. I couldn’t believe it! The smoothies were astonishing too.
Soon it was time to head up the turnpike to Vermont. My nemesis, the George Washington Bridge, was about to strike again. Is it just me or does everyone get stuck on the George Washington Bridge no matter what time of day or night I try to drive over it? Two hours we were to sit in this same position. Don’t be deceived by taillights that look like they are brake lights in the picture on this page. These cars were not going anywhere. The funny part is that whenever a car from Vermont or Nebraska would drive by, I would wave, but I think Colin and Ian just slept. I never saw an accident or a toll booth, so I have no idea why we were stuck there for so long. Perhaps another piece of foreshadowing of things to come…
(pic of Bruce from monstersandcritics.com)
Red Bank Action
June 21, 2009 We started off the day with Church in Toms River (shouldn’t there be an apostrophe?). It was such a blessing that after almost two weeks of traveling across country and looking at colleges, the Pastor’s message was about teens (and fathers) finding their vocation. He eloquently talked about teens using their strengths and gifts to serve the Lord and His people, and how by trusting in His calling, teens can find fulfillment. There is much work to do in the Kingdom.
The Pastor also discussed fatherhood as a vocation. He talked about how fathers try to find that balance between permission and restriction in the hope that their children will develop into independent, strong and principle-centered adults. Wow! I also recalled Father Loseke’s vocations talk during Catholic School’s Week this past year that was so powerful. Many of us feel humbled or overwhelmed by all that there is to do, but after the past two weeks, the boys and I had so many ripe examples to learn from. I was inspired. This church had so many vibrant ministries: college Bible study, Meals on Wheels, Deacon Blood Drive, Job Fair, Choir, Book Discussion groups, vacation Bible School, Reel Faith Film Discussion Group and all sorts of fundraisers (i.e. Raft for Africa Weekend). It seemed like folks got involved wherever they could in a variety of ways. This sermon seemed like the perfect send off or a denouement for Matt, I thought. Involvement, empowerment and vocation…Amen!
After a quick brunch, we were on the road to the Newark Airport. Now, Newark was one airport, I had never visited before. We would rendezvous later, minus our Matt, at Jack’s music store in Red Bank, NJ. When we arrived at the airport, Matt checked in without incident. Did I mention though that his cell phone had broken back in Chicago? Eek….I was a little nervous about sending him off, but he would not hear of Trak phones or such foolishness. We watched him walk through security, and when we could no longer see his head over the x-ray equipment, Colin and Ian told me it was time to go. With a couple of, “He’s fine, Mom”s, we were off.
Now downtown Red Bank, New Jersey has always been a cool place to me. (www.redbank.com/ ) There are so many neat shopping experiences, so for someone like myself who is NOT a shopper, it feels funny to want to shop and explore. Jack’s is always the hub though. Jack’s is kind of an old fashioned record/cd/music store, and in this age of the mega music store, it is rather refreshing… albeit cramped! (www.jacksmusicshop.com) A couple of purchases later, we were on our way. The rain showers had threatened again, on and off, but we eeked out a couple of nice hours. Now would come the ceremonious opening of the cds and reading/discussing/debating every word that came in the stuff that accompanied them. It is a Fallon tradition and reading comprehension at its zenith!
We arrived at Dana and Wendy’s house, and they immediately began to plan our visit to the beach. They welcomed Matt, in the pouring rain, but slowly the clouds began to part, and we headed out. After the heartache and disappointment of a cancelled flight, at least Matt would be able to see the Atlantic Ocean before returning to Nebraska! The night was filled with Springsteen irony! Although Springsteen’s music always is the soundtrack for our trips to Jersey, with the move to Nebraska, it has actually become the soundtrack of our lives. It should have been playing on the beach that night. A carnival was in full operation just down the shore, and I felt like I was in a Springsteen video. Colin and Ian broke our guest in by playing in the waves and later playing sand football. Wading in the waves never gets old. It is funny each time the waves come crashing in and soak us as we stand there silenced by nature’s majesty. Wow! As the sun began to set and the football became too dark to see, we climbed back into the van covered in sand and surf. I said a silent prayer in thanksgiving for a day that started out rather wackily (is that a word?) and ended magically. Springsteen’s refrain echoed in my ears as we made our way back to the house. “Baby, we were born to run!”
Thursday, June 18th:It was going to be a scorcher in North Carolina today.Matt and Colin woke up early and were off to work out in the fitness center at Michelle’s apartment complex.It was the perfect morning for to work out in air conditioned comfort and then swim in the nice cool pool that was surrounded by shade trees.After this leisurely start to the day, we headed north back to Gettysburg, PA.We were stuck in traffic outside of Washington, DC for an hour or so, but eventually we made it back to Gettysburg.The Neitz family welcomed many out of town guests that night because they had a wedding in Virginia the next day, but fun was had by all.Nothing quite like playing capture the flag in the dark in our old neighborhood!
Friday, June 19th after Mass and a visit with my old buddy Father Pistone, it was time to head down to Mount St. Mary’s again to pick up Ian.Luckily, HIS old buddy Danny invited him over for a sleepover, and graciously, we were all invited to stay for an amazing barbeque and a swim.We had so much fun catching up with the whole Lopes family.
Saturday morning, June 20th, I met my mentor Dave for what was to be our annual walk on the battlefield.I invited the boys along, but they were still snoozing.Unfortunately, it was raining buckets, and instead of battling the elements, we opted for breakfast at Friendly’s instead.We always have so much to catch up on, but instead of getting healthy while we gabbed, we added a little delicious meal to the mix!
When I returned to the house, the boys were ready to go.We stopped to pick up Ian and then we were off to the airport (Baltimore-Washington International Airport) in Baltimore, MD.It didn’t seem possible that we were saying goodbye to Matt already.I presented Matt with a scrapbook of our memories and activities over the past 12 days together.We had driven/ridden almost 4,000 miles and seen so many faces and places along the way.Traffic was cruising along with us all of the way to Baltimore, we could have never suspected what would be waiting for us.
We pulled into the short term parking and escorted Matt over to the terminal.There is something about an airport that I have always loved.The hustle and bustle have always intrigued me.When I was little, my Mom and Dad would take us out to eat on our birthdays, and we got to choose the place.I remember more than once, I chose the airport restaurant in Burlington, Vermont.At one time, I thought that my career path would take me down a different road;I wanted to be a flight attendant.Sorry…I digress just prior to recounting Matt’s minor emergency here.
So, Matt and I approached the electronic kiosk to sign him in and get his boarding passes.Where was the candid camera?This had to be some sort of joke right?He put in all of the appropriate information, and lo and behold, the kiosk displayed a screen that said something like…“We apologize for the inconvenience, but your flight has been cancelled.Unfortunately, there are no other flights to your destination out of this airport today.Would you like to fly out tomorrow?(Click yes or no)Please see a ticket agent.”
Matt and I sort of looked puzzled at one another, and after I comfortingly muttered, “Well, that can’t be right.” J I looked to our right and saw a long line of folks waiting to speak to a ticket agent.Now, I thought that we had arrived at the airport in plenty of time for Matt’s flight, but either there were a bunch of flights cancelled that day or many folks arrive 2 ½ hours before their departure times!COMMUNICATION FROM A KIOSK HAS MUCH TO BE DESIRED.I feel it is one thing to be checking in and to be given bad news by a human being.The nonverbal facial expression and the empathy that it conveys, in most cases, would soften the blow.Poor Matt!
As we made our way to the ticket agent, Matt explained the electronic message.She presented a variety of scenarios by which he could get home by…like Wednesday.He pleadingly looked at me and the ticket agent asked me where “we” live.I tried to explain that we live in Nebraska, were coming from Gettysburg and were on our way to New Jersey.She looked confused, and I couldn’t blame her.Matt offered to spend a couple of nights in the airport, but I wouldn’t have it!I asked the ticket agent if there were any flights out of Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.Joyous accomplishment washed over her face.She announced that she had one seat left on a flight leaving Newark, New Jersey the next day at 2o’clockish in the afternoon.It flew to Chicago first, but Matt wouldn’t even need to leave the plane because it would be flying directly to Omaha thereafter.We had her save the seat and hurriedly called Matt’s Mom for approval.In the meantime, the airline had called her to let her know about the cancellation.Cell phones are amazing things!
What a crazy situation!First the airline said it was bad weather in Chicago that had caused the cancellation.I called my sister-in-law in Chicago who said that it was sunny and warm in the windy city.Next they said it was a mechanical problem.Yikes!We couldn’t have that.We copied down all of the information, and we were “on the road again!”With the motto and firm belief that everything happens for a reason, we made our way to Jersey.To be continued…
On Tuesday, June 18, 2009, my friend and hostess Noreen and I went to Mass. It was Father Palomino's last day before his transfer to Chambersburg. Then it was time to drop off Ian at Basketball camp at Mount St. Mary's. I wrote about Mount St. Mary's in last year's blog. I love this University. There is a peacefulness that permeates this very special place. It looks like the programs are not going to work for Colin at this point, but Ian might be a nice match depending on which area he chooses to pursue. If you didn't get a chance to check this out last year, do it this year. http://www.msmary.edu/
We dropped Ian off and were headed south to North Carolina. We were going to be staying with my buddy Michelle, who having transferred from Vermont to North Carolina, is in the process of building their new home. We drove to Raleigh-Durham, located Michelle's apartment, met her black lab Bella, had an awesome dinner and then drove to check out construction. The red clay of North Carolina will stay with us for quite sometime, literally and figuratively. I have never seen anything like it. The dog at the house next door had white patches that were RED! We drove by the UNC campus, and it looked beautiful from the road. We were supposed to tour it on Thursday, but Matt and Colin decided that UNC was more on Ian's list. We decided to cut our North Carolina trip short and return to Gettysburg on Thursday.
Wednesday morning dawned a scorcher, but it was nice to see the sun. We decided to head over to the Duke Campus and have lunch there. This campus is magnificent. The architecture is the most spectacular campus I have ever seen. Our tour guide said something to the effect that he feels like Harry Potter here every day because the campus almost looks like Hogwart. We went to the tour and information session, and there were students there from all over the country. Amazing. There must have been at least 60 people in all, so they split us up into three groups. I loved it. They also talked about the fact that about 85% of Duke graduates make it in to medical school within the first year about graduating with their undergraduate degree. I will add in some additional pictures.
Sorry I have fallen behind on my blog. We have since arrived in Vermont, but my Dad has been back in the hospital! I will keep plugging away as I am able. Stay tuned for more adventures like....guess who I found behind the desk at ICU?
Sunday after a wonderful brunch with Mom and Dad Fallon, we drove to Pittsburgh. Of course we didn't know at the time that the Pittsburgh Penguins were going to be celebrating their championship on the same day that we were to tour PITT. Here is an article about it! http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/2009339562_aphknstanleycupparade.html
Ah well...now that was exciting. Check out this great school! http://www.pitt.edu/ All three guys ended up taking the tour on their own while I tried to extricate the van from the parking garage...sorry no pictures of this excitement, and I will save that story for later....maybe. For now, I will let you envision it on your own! Colin, Ian and Matt all loved PITT. The campus is right in the City with beautiful stately buildings. The programs were right on course with what they wanted to do.
I find it fascinating to see where the various campus are in terms of technology and comparing and contrasting that with our secondary campuses. I love the electronic kiosks whether they are in the airport or in college admission offices! The kiosk concept has certainly evolved through the years.
We did eventually make it out of the City, and we headed to Gettysburg. Unbeknownst (sp?) to Ian, his surprise 16th birthday party would be waiting for him at O'Rorke's! What a great time...We had a great turnout and a good time was had by all! Although Ian's birthday doesn't officially arrive until October, he had a great time reconnecting with his old Gettysburg pals!
After a teary goodbye, it was off to meet Mom and Dad Fallon at Church. It was a special service today because the Tour de Revs (reverends, revenue and revolution...or something like that) had arrived in Massachusetts to draw attention to the ELCA's campaign against world hunger. These three pastors are riding a three-seated bamboo bike across the country. They arrive in Nebraska (Omaha) for the first weekend in August. Pastor Fred gave the children's message and the big kid's message by talking about how we are called to feed the hungry.
As I reflect on this now, I am reminded of the NETA conference back in April. After we finished our sessions, a bunch of us went out to eat at Olive Garden. In the parking lot, we were approached by a young woman who said she needed money. Although I immediately gave her some money, I remember my parting words were, "I am so sorry I couldn't give you more, but the rest is my lunch money for tomorrow." Now- those words echo through my brain. Ouch! This incident in the parking lot was fodder for lots of conversations over dinner. We discussed how to truly help people in a way that it would make a difference in their lives. We debated whether giving money to this person enabled or disabled this young woman. We brainstormed buying her a meal versus giving her the money. What is the right answer?
Now as I write this blog from North Carolina, I am once again confronted with this question. As we have been driving around, there are men who sit on the traffic barriers barriers begging for money at the red lights. May of them have been given food by people as they pass by.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Matt’s MIT adventure Friday, June 1
Matt’s Day in Boston dawned rainy, but our spirits were sunny. We thanked Mom and Dad for their hospitality, and we were on our way to our next great adventure…that is until we hit some backed up traffic. When we arrived in Cambridge, there were no parking spaces to be found. I drove around and around in circles, when I finally saw a parking lot with an MIT sign on it. I hooted with happiness as the joyful parking lot attendant handed us a map to find our way through the streets of Cambridge. I felt a huge sense of accomplishment.
As we approached the campus to begin our tour, we all took in the grandeur of the setting. It felt very old and a little intimidating to be honest. When our tour guide came, we got started walking around the campus. Although we didn’t get a chance to see the dorm rooms, we did hear a lot about their exceptional programs and the highly competitive application process. They only accept 11 – 13% of the applicants who apply, so it is a very selective pool. Matt loved it. He further fell in love with it when we walked in to the Hacking “museum.” This part of one of the buildings paid tribute to MIT’s long tradition of pranking. It was amazing to learn of the pranks that highly intelligent engineering students can conceive. Matt was very impressed with the athletic facilities as well. SOLD!
Check it out and see for yourself what all of the excitement is about. http://web.mit.edu/
After a quick lunch and shopping trip at the bookstore (we had to resist the urge to buy Mr. Engel a tee shirt that had a glow in the dark periodic table), we headed to Worcester to see Worcester Polytech, sister-in-law Tracey’s alma mater. Although I had visited the campus when Tracey was a student there, the beauty of setting struck me during this visit. We got there early enough to sneak into an information session. I loved the emphasis of service and project based learning at WPI. Here is the WPI link! http://www.wpi.edu/
I wanted to go, and although it was a great experience to compare and contrast their other college visits, the boys were ready to head to Cousins Davis and Payton’s house for a little r and r, and they did just that! Between home run derbies in the back yard while hitting 90 mph curve balls or ping pong tournaments in the basement, they had a chance to reflect on their college visits. Saturday morning had us at Miss P’s soccer games, and the Evil Pickles were victorious 2 out of 3 times. Go Pickles! Mom and Dad Fallon came over in the afternoon for a cook out as did friends Bill, Michelle and their daughter Mary. Of course the Red Sox were playing, so Dad had a chance to put his feet up and watch the game.
Technology- The technology of the Kindle was discussed throughout the weekend. These are amazing, and although I had heard of them, I had never seen them in action. The unit is amazing. My sister-in-law Lynn’s almost looked like a day planner, but when she opened the cover, it revealed a screen where she could download books from her Amazon account. Wow! Literature at the press of a button. I can’t help but think of the educational applications. Lynn said that they are getting ready to come out with a college textbookish version. Wow! The more I discover about technology the more I realize that I have to learn.
Boston University Oops! Where did I leave off? What a whirlwind tour we have had in Boston... Let me start at the beginning.
On Wednesday 6/10/09), we left Kildeer, IL at 6 AM and arrived in Westford, MA at 11:30 PM (Central Time). We got settled at Mom and Dad Fallon's because we needed to leave for Boston University very early in the morning. The glorious thing about our trip into Boston on Thursday was that there were no traffic jams. We found the campus, parked and commenced walking around this campus with the colonial feel. We walked into the admissions office and were excitedly greeted by the admissions staff and Zac, a rising Sophomore from ..... you guessed it, Nebraska. Zac came to Boston University, sight unseen, and has loved it. We spent about a half an hour talking to him in the admissions office before we took the tour around campus.
Check out the website and take a tour of your own!
http://www.bu.edu/admissions/
This campus was hopping because it was orientation weekend. There were people and groups everywhere. The boys loved the campus, the programs and the facilities.
Northeastern University was just around the corner, so we made our way there after a quick lunch. Check it out as well!
http://www.northeastern.edu/neuhome/index.php
My niece Chelsea was a Freshman at Northeastern University this year, and she loved it. We couldn't believe that the two campus communities were so close but so different. BU was right in the city, but Northeastern felt like it was its own separate entity. The campus felt very modern. There are Husky statues everywhere. They have fascinating traditions regarding these statues. One is that Underclassmen rub the statues' noses for good luck and upperclassmen (maybe even graduate students) rub behind the ears. It was a beautiful campus. The most exciting part of the Northeastern program was the work co-op program where students actually work in their majors for selected times throughout the year.
We drove out of the city without a snag.... Stay tune for our next adventures.... Matt's gummy worms and Brady the dog, Boston Day 2....curse of the Bridge construction and arriving at Big D's! Until then....love all and serve all!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
June 7, 2009
Today we awoke bright and early as we prepared for our day in the city. After an amazing breakfast of French Toast, we made our way into the city with Uncle Brad at the helm!
Our first stop was the Cub's Wrigley Field. We had a tour by Jim McArdle, author of Living the Dream. I bought a copy, and he graciously signed it! There is so much history in this place! We saw the field, the dug outs, the clubhouse, the press box and the box seats! Ian had to sit in the seat once occupied by Michael Jordan. What a thrill!
Our second stop was Murphy's Bleachers for lunch. It was delicious and powered us up for another quick drive to the SEARS Tower, our third stop. We had so much fun riding along, and we wondered what sights we would be able to see on this cloudy day in the windy city. When we entered the building, all of the people warned us down below that it was cloudy at the very top. Sure enough we rode to the top and although cloud cover was ever present, the clouds swept around the top of the Tower and revealed breathtaking vistas. We examined the architecture and all of the famous views in the city. It was great!
After a thrilling ride down the highway, it was back to Uncle Brad and Aunt Tracey's. Kendall beat me at HORSE, and all the kids broke in the new trampoline. Now it is time for a delicious supper and off to bed. Tomorrow will be an early morning...destination- Boston!
Dear All-
We arrived in Kildeer, IL last night.
Yesterday as we crossed the prairie, and I was struck thinking about the pioneers. How did they do it? We had just a little eight hour drive in a modern vehicle packed with all sorts of delicious snacks! How did the pioneers do it? I have so much admiration for them...
What would my blog be without mentioning something about my "adventures" with technology, right? Right! Well, Tuesday night one of my caring friends and neighbors suggested that perhaps I should borrow their GPS unit for our trip. (Perhaps she has heard of my notorious ability to get lost at all hours of the day or night.) I was hesitant, but later assured with..."you can't break it." After a short orientation, I cradled it back to the parsonage.
Ian and I were working in the classroom on Thursday, so we decided to take the ol' Garmin unit out for a spin. Nicknamed "Garrrrrrrrrrr" (spoken like a pirate, of course) we began speaking to the GPS much like Robin Williams does in the film RV to his GPS unit "Lola." Ian and I drove to Hartington and back without a hitch! We were feeling a little proud. What is that famous saying about "pride..."?
Later that night as we were delivering another batch of our famous (or perhaps infamous) cookies out into the country, we excitedly suggested to one another that we give ol' Garrrrrrrr another spin! As we headed out to the Hammond Dairy, I remarked to Ian that I thought that I remembered it being on the opposite side of Route 20 than the way Garrrrrrrr was sending us. We persevered, trusting in the calm, cool tones of Garrrrrrrr's electronic voice. As we drove up to the STARKEL farm, just as the sun was setting, Patty assured me that we were, in fact, on the wrong side of Route 20 and very, very far away from our destination. A silent tear shuttered down my cheek, and I looked forlornly at Garrrrrrrr. Betrayed by technology....AGAIN! We persevered thanks to Patty's hospitable directions, and Ian's steady hands on the wheel over those gravel roads! Indeed we made it to the Hammond Dairy before the Rooster went off, but what an adventure...
Throughout the course of our summer travels, perhaps I will invite our friends and family to offer a guest blog. I am sure Ian would have much to say in his own voice and perspective on our Thursday night adventures or my foibles. Until then...
It was a good learning experience. I think that as we journey forth, I will utilize both my AAA maps and Garrrrrrrr. The best of both worlds will get us where we are going...God willing! Amen... Mrs. Fallon
In preparation for our Boy Scout High Adventure Camping/Canoe trip to the Boundary Waters in Minnesota in August, we had an camping/canoeing outing last weekend to work on our skills. Wow! Okay...so I guess my formal canoe instruction ended at 4H camp when I was in the sixth grade. I thought that it would be like riding a bike. I discovered it was not like riding a bike at all! The memories from my Downer 4H camp came did come flooding back though, and I remembered my canoe instructor, Rob always asking us, "I can canoe, can you?" It has been 34 years or so, but that line cracks me up every time. I must have said it about 50 times on Saturday.
My faithful canoeing partner was none other than Mr. Joe York from Coleridge. What a trooper! None of us knew what we were in for until our Scoutmaster Robert Colwell showed us the map. I recognized that maniacal twinkle in his eye. The map depicted the series of lakes in this cluster located in Fremont, NE. It was too late to back out when he showed us the order in which we would canoe and then portage the canoes to the next lake. I looked at Joe. He looked at me. We prayed. We struggled. We overcame and we became stronger. We were stretched in new and abnormal ways! We emerged stronger and vowed that we would be ready for the trip in August. Oh my! Thankfully, we do not have any photographs of this action... it was NOT pretty!
I hope to get a few more blogs done before we leave on Monday morning, but if not, I will look forward to starting the next leg of our summer journey together. I miss all of you already!
I started Twilight this week. I thought that this would make a great Sample Reading Log for those who are interested in participating in the Voluntary Summer Reading program, but perhaps haven't done a reading log before. Post any questions your have about the Summer Reading Program or my b/log! Mrs. Fallon
Sample Reading B/Log on Twilight
Summary from page 1 - 84 (Chapters 1 - 4): At last I have begun Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. I know that many of you have been riveted by this series this year, so I had to learn what all of the excitement was about. In this first part, Bella arrives in Washington state to live with her Dad. She starts her new school and Edward saves her from being crushed by Tyler's van that was slipping on the black ice. At the end of this section, Edward has invited Bella to Seattle.
Author's Style/reflection on the six traits of effective writing (organization, ideas, sentence fluency, mechanics, voice, word choice): Voice/Sentence Fluency- I like the first person narration, but I find it frustrating that I do not know what is going on in Edward's head at first. His behavior is so erratic. Organization- At first Meyer's exposition seemed to go on perhaps a little too long, but I think that because I had already seen the movie, it made me impatient for some action. Although I was thoroughly confused when watching the film, the book is likewise confusing at times. Mechanics- Meyer's use of tenses at time threw me off because she switched back and forth between past and present a lot. She uses the word "till" quite a bit and I found that distracting. Word Choice- She uses effective words to depict Washington State as a dark/magical place. Ideas- After reading Dracula and Salem's Lot with various book clubs this year, I may have had my fill of Vampire books. I must admit, it can be scary reading with a vivid imagination. The books are all very different from one another. That is very intriguing...
Welcome to my Summer 2009 Blog! Thanks again to Mrs. Klug for all of her help getting me up and running with last year's Blog. I am hoping that this summer's blog will be exciting for you as I explore a new format and host site. This virtual field trip I am about to take you on will include some highlights of my summer trips and college visits.
A new feature I have planned is the Blogging about Books section of the Blog. Bear with me as I learn how to coordinate all of this. My plan is that students can post thoughts or observations about their summer reading, and other students/adults can respond or just read in order to learn about different books.
