Every child should be taught this lesson

A lesson
that should be taught in all schools ... And colleges!

Back in September of 2005,
on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a
social studies school
teacher at Robinson
High School in
Little
Rock , did something not to be forgotten.
On the first day of school, with the permission of the School
Superintendent, the Principal and the Building Supervisor, she
removed all of the desks out of her
classroom.

When the first
period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no
desks.

'Ms.. Cothren,
where're our desks?'

She replied,
'You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right to
sit at a desk.'

They thought,
'Well, maybe it's our grades.'

'No,' she said.

'Maybe it's
our behavior.'

She told them,
'No, it's not even your behavior.'

And so, they
came and went, the first period, second period, third period...
Still no desks in the classroom.

By early
afternoon television news crews had started gathering in
Ms.Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had
taken all the desks out of her room.

The final
period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on
the floor of the desk less classroom, Martha Cothren said,
'Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what
he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are
ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell
you.'

At
this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom
and opened it.

Twenty-seven
(27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom,
each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school
desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside
the wall... By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in
place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time
in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been
earned..

Martha said,
'You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did
it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to
you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good
students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you
could have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget
it.'

By the way, this is a true story.

Pallet chair

I bet I could build one of these.


http://www.studiomama.com/palletchairlo.html

Hannah is 14 now and the morning glories are glorious

My cattle panel arch/arbor thing.


Beautiful morning glories.

What a beautiful young lady.

Yep, they are moving. Look at the boxes behind Hannah.

Mollie lit Hannah's candles.

Trailer storage unit is almost done

Mollie and Jeff working on the first side of shelves.


Adan and Jeff working on the second side of shelves.

Fastening the shelves securely.

Almost done.

I am surprised at the amount of space between the sets of shelves. Both sets of shelves are two feet wide. I wanted them to be wide enough to hold a typical tote. Also high enough to hold totes and/or 5 gallon buckets. My oil and some food storage like wheat is in 5 gallon buckets. We just have a couple more of the pieces to keep things on the shelves to put up and the L brackets on the top and bottom of the two by fours on the second set and we will be done.

Then we will sweep and mop and begin filling it up.

New sectional for the rv

When we bought the 5th wheel it had a smallish couch with a bed in it and a booth/table set up. I didn't like how it looked like every other RV, Sooooo, I got out the screw driver and took it all apart. We brought the couch (very cheaply made) into the house and it only lasted a few months. The booth/table set up I discarded except for the cushions. The table and posts I put in the storage part of the RV in case it was ever needed. The bottom part that the legs stuck down in unscrewed and there was no hole or anything so that was good. It was on the carpeted area.

We then purchased a folding table and folding chairs. Also a set of wood TV trays and 3 outdoor type chairs. This set up worked OK for when Jeff was working out of town and living in the 5er.

Now that the whole family is going to live in the 5th wheel I wanted more and better seating. I found a neat place to order a sectional that comes in boxes and is easy to put together. After numerous measurements and thinking I believe I have the ideal combination. It will be a super long couch made up of sectional pieces with a ottoman on one end that makes that end look like a lounge chair. I ordered 6 fabric samples so I can make sure which fabric I like the best. They have over 100 kinds to choose from.

I have a small end table I bought for $5.00 at an auction while I was still in high school and a friend refinished it and I wanted to keep it. I didn't want to store it, I want to use it. If my measurements are correct, there will be room at the end of the sectional for the table with 2 inches to spare.

We decided to take the table out and just put the big long sectional all the way across the slide out. I asked Mollie if she would rather have a table and chairs or more sofa space. She said more sofa space. We will still have the table and chairs so if we want to rearrange at some point we can. In the mean time we plan to eat off TV trays. The table is actually adjustable so if need be we can use it for a coffee table or kitchen table. Just by making adjustments to the height.

I have a nice kitchen cart I have been using in the 5er for more storage and counter space.

Oh, I forgot the best part. Each piece of the sectional has storage in the bottom. Some reviews said it was a little harder because the foam cushions set directly on wood instead of springs but I think the extra storage space will be worth the trade off.

This is the web site I will be ordering from:
http://www.homereserve.com/index.cfm

The girls room is a bunk house meaning there are four bunks. There is precious little space between the bunks. You cant even raise your arms with out hitting one of the bunks. My challenge is to make that space livable and comfortable for two teenage girls. After much thinking, ideas, discarding ideas, and such I think I have a good plan for that space.

On one side the bunks are bigger than on the other so, obviously the girls sleep on the big side. I took the cushion from the top bunk and put it along the back of the bottom bunk to form a sofa like thing. Its not too comfortable but when I get a bunch of pillows I think it will be OK. Next, I plan on removing the small top bunk. It rests on a rail which is just raw ugly wood so I will find some nice trim to change it out with. Then I want to install a book shelf all along the side.

This will leave a more open feel to the bunk room. For extra storage I will be shopping for rectangular baskets to slide under the beds. This will allow storage for the girls for more clothes. Clothes was the one thing they didn't want to get rid of. Old toys, and such, OK, but they wanted to keep lots of clothes. They did get rid of a lot but they will still need more storage than the cabinet between the two bunks.

As I complete these changes I will post before and after pictures for your viewing pleasure.

Kaci Ronne went to be with Jesus

Kaci Ronne went to be with Jesus this morning at about 9:30 am. No more pain, no more sickness, no more sadness. Please pray for Ryan and the children as well as the rest of their family and friends.

Well Mollie I do love you.

Ok, I ave no idea what Mollie is doing here. I thought she was blowing out her candles but it looks like she is cooking hamburger.


Yep, she is cooking hamburger.

Cake and ice cream for Mollie's sweet 16.

Look, she had to light her own candles. I did get up early and make the cake before it got too hot. Joy always seems to have to make her own birthday cake.

Its only 16 candles, should the smoke alarms be going off already?

I'll have some cake and ice cream, thanks.

Happy Birthday Mollie. I forgot to post that it was your 16th birthday on Monday.

And no you are not chopped liver.

Building shelves in the trailer

It was kind of cool that the paint matched the pick up so well.
See our smaller trailer behind.

Looking from the back towards the front.

Jeff is working on building the shelves.

Mollie got recruited to help too.

Mollie knows how to run tools, that's for sure.

Looking to the back with a couple of shelves laying on the floor waiting to be installed.

Looking from the back with the shelves on the floor.

Yep, they are still laying on the floor. But you can see the strip that will be the ledge for the shelf to rest on.

Finally, some progress. Got the bottom shelf up.

Make sure its secure Jeff.

Attaching the top shelf to the wall.

Kaci and Ryan

Please read Ryan Ronne's blog post for today.
My heart is breaking.

http://theronnes.blogspot.com/

New garbage disposal

Jeff just installed a new garbage disposal. Why do things go out just when you are selling the place? Oh well, now the new owner will have a brand spanking new disposal to use.
Jeff is so handy and handsome.
Next we are going outside to build the shelves for the trailer. I will take some pictures and post them later.

Misandry~Have you ever heard of it?

The appraisers coming

The appraiser is coming tomorrow morning. It looks like the show is getting on the road. So tonight we clean and tidy. He said he knows we are packing and not to panic. But of course I want everything to look nice.

Dr. Kimberly Alyn on Responsibility

Its not brain surgery

up time America