Saturday Slight

Broken record:  it's raining.  Enough said.

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On to other things, dismal but hopeful:  thank you, George, and you know who you are (Jennice, be sure to tell him), for voting with some common sense yesterday and for supporting the public school teachers of Idaho.

I read bits and pieces of this morning's story about the most recent passage of our state superintendent of public instruction's plan to dismantle----oops----discourage----oops.  Stop it right now, Marianne!

I need to be politically correct and avoid following either of the aforementioned words with "public education" or "teachers," respectively.

Our state superintendent has come up with a "brilliant" scheme for Idaho's public education, and now it has passed.  Some of our local, courageous, principled legislators voted against his plan, and I'm betting they won't get a free laptop as a perk either.

I'm having a difficult time refraining from sarcasm this morning, especially after I read the segment in this morning's newspaper story about how teachers are will soon be transforming from the "sage on the stage" to the "guide by the side."  How clever!

Tell me what the 34 students who do not have their guide by their side in a freshman English class are going to be doing with their laptops as the "guide" is sitting alongside a student who's having difficulties pushing the right buttons on his or her laptop.

I'm sure they'll all be working diligently and quietly on whatever the assigned project happens to be on their laptop that day.  

I know that I never, in my 33 years of teaching,  met a high school student who failed to respect such situations when their "guide by the side" was working at someone else's side instead of their own. 

I don't know why I keep thinking of dogs and young kids who immediately go into action as soon as Mom is busy talking on the telephone. 

Kids are gonna love their laptops, and when they grow up, they're going to remember exactly which laptop made them the person they are.

I've been that same way about my microwaves.

I think back on all my microwaves and how certain models did not blow the beans all over the inside walls, and I smile with fondness and great respect for what a difference they made in my life.  So, now I fully understand how it's gonna be with those laptops.

After all, the analogy drawn in today's newspaper article pointed out that cooks still are needed in the kitchen, even after the onset of microwaves. 

I still like my bacon better when it's been fried in a frying pan, and I'm betting our students will be better people, thanks to another human being serving as their teacher,  mentor and sage, even if it is on a stage.

Okay, I'll shut up.  There's more, but some of the sages on stage throughout my life taught me,  by example,  that sometimes it's a good idea to button it up.

They also taught me to express appreciation to those who believe in you, and I must once more pat George on the back for showing that he believes in Idaho's public educators.

One more thing:  I wonder how many of these people who have come up with the great transformation of education in Idaho have ever taught school.  Maybe someone can do a study on their laptop and let me know the answer. 

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It's still raining. 

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Yesterday I finished a lot of outdoor projects before the rain came.  The day had been advertised as one where "you oughta call in sick cuz it's gonna be so beautiful."  

Well, I caught some morning pictures of sun shining, but that's about it around these parts.  At least the rain was decent enough to wait until 1 p.m. to start the downpour.

Bill had gone to Fishtrap Lake south of Spokane where he and his buddy Tom did some pheasant hunting last summer.  

He called it his birthday day off, and he did some hiking and geocaching.  He avoided the rain until his return to the Lovestead.

I saw that it was going to hang on so I got in the car and drove north, thinking that usually the Kootenai Valley and Bonners Ferry are dry when we're getting a soaking.  

No difference.  It was pouring up there too.  I know now from other reports I should have headed south.  

Oh well, I found an electric knife sharpener to round out Bill's birthday presents.  He's been celebrating for three days, and today is the big one.  Happy Birthday, Margaret.  (She's his twin).  

Don't know what the rest of birthday day holds for us, but I know it will be wet. 

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I do know that our last gasp of NCAA basketball is this weekend, so one more time, we can sit bundled up inside watching the games.

Happy Saturday.

And, thanks again, George!