Saturday Slight

Busy day ahead. It's 4-H horse show weekend, so I'm working on my blog earlier than usual. By 7:30, I'll be heading down the road, pulling a horse trailer, and Lefty will be screaming through the neighborhood on his way to the fairgrounds.

Lefty is a screamer . . . has been since he was a baby and we brought him and his buddy Dusty home from Ronan, Montana.  Lefty's not unhappy; he just wants people and horses to know he's passing through.

Lefty's new friend Terra will be at the fairgrounds with the other 4-H horse members, listening to general instructions for the day.  When that's done, she'll come and find the trailer and then get to work grooming Lefty and preparing to show him in Intermediate first-year fitting and showing.

We feel confident Terra will do well; it's more up to Lefty and the flies how the team does. There are lots of flies at the fairgrounds, and Lefty, with his highly sensitive skin does not behave well when flies are bugging him.  We'll hope that the fly spray does its magic while Terra is showing.

And, we'll hope for the best, knowing that she has come so far in such a short time, learning basic horsemanship.  Good luck, Terra.  If Lefty behaves and you both do well today, it will be fine if he screams about it all the way home.



Moving on to the "Thank you, Nerd" department,  I found the italicized comment below on yesterday's blog post.  Bill and I did some mutual speculation on who "Nerd" may be. 

Based on our observation of, knowledge of and proximity of a certain person in the audience, we think we know the identity of the mystery nerd.

This time, I won't cringe about an anonymous comment on my blog because this person's notes certainly do provide a few of the informed and valuable nuggets from Dr. Marilynne Robinson's presentation at the Panida Theater Thursday night. A few segments also deal with the Q and A after her speech.

So, I hope you enjoy this addendum to my blog posting yesterday, that you take some time to think about Dr. Robinson's general observations and, by all means, do share them with others.  

After all, it really does not hurt to agree that public education has, does and will continue to serve us well here in the United States.  

Comment . . . . 

I nerdily took notes.

They are unedited, so please hold your nose at the spelling and grammar errors.
The quality of the light, where so much of it is refracted by the lake.

How do we make the Idaho legislature respond to its constitutional obligation.

The quality of education is very good in the United States.

Many European countries have what they call "Social Security" where they receive a stipend for tuition and living expenses. Students change majors over and over again, avoiding the finish. They fear, they came dangerously near having enough credits to graduate.

Unpromising students are eliminated at a very early age, as young as 11.

Our education system allows students to create and recreate.
By 6th grade the European countries the struggling students have been skimmed off. At 15,16 they separate to math/sciences only or humanities only.

Avoid the argument that schools are failing, they are not. But this argument weakens the defense of education.

Public school students are not invited into step into an identity they have done nothing to earn.
They can encounter and interact with all people. This is their advantage over the elite.

"I went to CDA high school, then to Brown. Frankly I never felt I shouldn't be there".

If you go to any college in America, and read what they assign, and striver to meet their standards - you will do fine, anywhere, at any institution."

Preparing
Educate people broadly and as well as we possibly can, we do not know what their future will hold, but the will need breadth and scope to adapt to the needs of the future.

You have a brain, the very singular privilege of existing as a human in the universe is that you are the owner of the most complex computer that has existed.

The pursuit of happiness, probably has something to do with happiness.

To love where you live, to have control over your time, to

The infinite value of what you see around you, to learn from and to enjoy.

Words get tangentially used.

Being involved actively in a democratic society involves respect for each other and self restraint.

Eventuated

Do you think public education can promote tolerance rather than fear of alternative viewpoints.

The movements that isolate us from one another, away from public education, away from public service.

Can writing be taught? "We are running an art school, interest is far more important than polish". We look for someone who has a privileged relationship with language. Reinforce the strongest impulses a writer has and push them away from patching lazy writing between quality pieces. Steer them away from cliches.

Consciously attentive readers, treating it like an art, getting them to the point where they can become serious writers.

"I think I am no more threatening than the average elderly lady".

Do you find there has been a change in commitment to publicly funded education. There is a political movement that does not value education at near historic levels.

In other news, Annie is here for a weekend visit.  She has her fly pole so I'm guessing she will do a little fishing while here. 

Also, Harvey Lippert's crew cut our hay yesterday. Summer time, and the living is busy as usual.  

Happy Saturday. Have a great day. Off to the horse show.