Sunday, December 14, 2008

I'm such a pathetic geek

Yesterday was a fantastic day for me! I finally felt human again after 2 weeks of misery, and DH treated me to an outing...to Bar Boy! I got a new KitchenAid hand mixer that comes with a dough hook and a beverage whip attachment. This saves the purchase of a new immersion blender, which was a thrill for my frugal minded pocketbook, but a bit of a disappointment to my greedy need for every kitchen gadget known to man! I also got some new utensils, another bay marie pot to hold aformentioned utensils, some juice glasses for my mother, a new scoop since I broke the old one (thus the trip to Bar Boy!!) and a box grater.
Today, the kids and I portioned out 4 dozen chocolate crinkle cookies with the new scoop. Right now I have a pot of soup bubbling away so I can use my new ladle!
Wait till you hear what I am getting for Christmas! I have to keep it a secret, because the kids don't know I know, but it's a real winner!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Oprah's weight is not news

Give me a break. There are riots in Greece. A fighter jet has incinerated most of a family. Caylee Anthony has been missing since June. The whole world is in a financial crisis. When I turn on CNN I expect to hear news. Not gossip.
I am disgusted.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Some People's Kids...

I do not much like other people's children. Frankly, half the time I don't much like my own children. Come to think of it, I don't much like people period!!!!
Saturday night we agreed to keep our friends' 2 children while they went to a party. These are delightful children, well mannered and generous with my children. They played Clue, they went outside to play manhunt, they had a snack and finally they settled in to watch a movie. It was absolutely no trouble to have them here at all. My faith in parenting had been partially restored!

I understand that times are different, and that I was raised in an area where families were all the same. But aren't morals and a code of decent conduct universal? Don't all parents teach their children manners and basic tools of conflict resolution? I stand amazed at the behaviors that are tolerated, and sometimes even encouraged, by parents today. In a restaurant this afternoon a girl of about 10 or 11 was giving her mother a heck of a time. My own daughter looked at me wide eyed and said "Is that what I sound like?" To which I replied "Sometimes." And she said "Well yes, at home sometimes I know I can be a little bratty, but if I ever spoke to you like that in public I wouldn't have any teeth!!!!" Disclaimer: We don't actually beat our kids, but the threat is ever present :)
Our waitress commented about how polite my kids were, and they were. They know how to behave in most situations. At home, they do not always act like well mannered kids, but we give them a bit of leeway at home. If they are going to mouth off or throw temper tantrums, the safety and sanctuary of our home is a fine place to do it.
No wonder our schools are in trouble and teenagers are being dropped off at fire stations. Learning begins at home, and an out of control 3 year old will become an out of control 13 year old unless parents step in and be parents. I don't believe childhood is a time to be your kids' friend. You will have all of their adult years to play that role.
Kids need role models and parents need to take that responsibility seriously.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

It's the End of 4-H as we know it, I feel crappy...

I am writing this through tears and probably will not be able to put down a cohesive post so please forgive me.
Times are tough all over the country, and unfortunately Cornell Cooperative Extension is not immune to budget cuts. The Suffolk County budget for 2009 was facing a defecit of $940,000 and cuts had to be made. As a taxpayer, I understand that and appreciate fiscal responsibility. Unfortunately, the bulk of those cuts were made to youth development programs, including but not limited to Suffolk County 4-H. I would like to show you what that looks like.
First, there is the obvious loss of jobs. The 4-H program Director, the Administrative Assistant (a title which does not even begin to describe all she does) and the Life Skills Director have all lost thier jobs. No funding means no staff.
Have your kids taken the "Getting Ready to Babysit" program at a local library? Have you attended a class on the farm? Have you been kayaking or fishing or hiking or had a class at the Marine Center in Southold? Have you been to PumkinFest? Have your kids enjoyed Horseback riding at Dorothy P. Flint or camping at Peconic Dunes? Did you attend the Barn Dance at Martha Clara the past few summers? Have you taken the Chocolate Class at LISC? Are your kids taking part in the River Ecology research? These are all 4-H programs. No funding, no programs.
Every single youth development program run in by CCE in this county is a research based, tested and true 4-H curricula. Did you know that?
Second, no staff could mean the loss of Taste of 4-H, an annual gathering of all county clubs where we learn new projects to take back to our clubs and get information on the county wide community service project for that year. Did anyone recieve a brochure this summer on Emergency Preparedness? With a striking young Mastiff on the cover ? Did you learn what to do in the event of a natural disaster and where you and your pets can go? This was a 4-H project. Yaphank Farm is going to house an animal shelter, in conjunction with the Suffolk Sherrifs department, as a direct result of the efforts of our 4-H kids and leaders.
Other losses could include the presentation program, which is the cornerstone of 4-H. Capital days, where 2 teens travel to Albany to spend the day learning alongside a local legislative representative. Career Days, where teens can travel to Cornell and explore vocational opportunities in ag and science.
You will not see this budget cut on the front page of your morning paper. You will not hear about it on the evening news. See, 4-H'ers are not a showy bunch. We won't be knocking on your door trying to sell you cookies. Our pictures won't be in a newspaper achieving a badge or plaque for completing a project and you won't see us taking money outside a light show. We will be quietly learning, researching and serving our community. The real loss here is the feeling of hope and accomplishment that 4-H instills in our kids and our communities.

Suffolk County 4-H needs your help.
Now, more than ever "Volunteers are the Heart of 4-H".
We need community representation on the 4-H Program Advisory Committee (PAC) and we need dollars. Which is a catch 22. If we raise the dollars to keep the programs running we will lose the funding in the future. If we don't raise the dollars, we cease to exist. No win situation. However, I believe in this program and I believe in the hearts of our kids. If you have ever thought about joining 4-H, now is the time. Join an existing club or start your own. Ask me how. If you have been looking for a voice in youth development, here is your chance. Join the
4-H PAC, ask me how. Is your business in need of an end of year tax deduction? 4-H Youth Development needs your dollars, ask me how!!!!! Can you teach a class or set up tables and chairs? Can you push a broom for 20 minutes on 1 Saturday? Can you evaluate a presentation? Can you donate a case of water or a pizza or a case of snacks?
The 4-H PAC will not let the kids feel the squeeze of these cuts. We will get up and beg, borrow and plead with our friends for the programs our kids love. We will survive this, hopefully with a louder voice and wider community representation.
Your time is now, ask me how!!!!!!!!!