My greetings and hugs to all. I hope your October is giving way to many moments of 'keeping it going'. It surely has been a challenge in my life of late. I sat on the couch with my folks (I'm up in Anacortes 3-4 days a week) watching the debate and tried my best to be calm and loving in my experience but it was just too hard. I ended up listening to the recording of Many a Mile to give me some ground and it surely helped. It all seemed so surreal; with all the troubles in the world we are electing our leader in such a bizarre way;name calling, sound bites and mean spirited campaigns. Is this world truly a real place? I've been asking that question a lot lately...it just seems so weird and strange. I've been watching Linda this first month of school and it just doesn't make any sense. She is an awesome teacher, well read, smart, kind, understanding, patient, knowledgeable. She has nearly 27 years experience and one would think that the best way to utilize her talents would be to have her spending her time in teaching children. Yet so much of her day is spent in doing everything but teach. Her teaching partner of many many years has been shifted out to another school half the day, which also uses up a great deal of both of their time. Though the results of the schools tests didn't give them a passing score(given the fact that they have the largest ELL population in the district) the district is taking away a big part of their tools in trying to help these kids. I just don't get it! Add one more thing to a long list of things I just don't understand.
It is such a strange experience to sit and listen to Tom and Richard sing on their CD. With the amazing recordings that Richard put together it really is just like having them sitting on the couch beside me.It seems SO REAL! Some of the most heart opening experiences I've had in this life have been singing with those two and all of you....there is still a part of me that just cannot believe that Tom is really gone. I still feel his presence so strongly in my life at times like these. I can hear his voice rooting for his candidate. I wish he would have had the opportunity to see some of the amazing changes we will be seeing. He would have gotten so excited! I guess that's up to us now.This gift of life truly is a great blessing. So many opportunities to do the best we can and use the gifts of music to lift our world a little bit higher. May your October unfold with many moments of peace and clarity. Gratefully yours, Dale
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Dear Dale, Linda, All,
I wish everyone a wonderful October, too. Utah has had this fabulous weather and today everything turned cold, snowed, then warmed up again--it's Utah, for sure. I too, get so upset about politics and the state of the world that I cannot listen to much of it. I'm trying to focus on the woes and joys of working with kids--when there's not enough attention paid from national and local educators about what's really good for kids. I'm pretty sure our structured, down to the last second of scheduled basels and interventions are not really what's best for kids. But because of Tom, Richard and all of you, we ALWAYS SING. It helps.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the world to come 'round and sing, too.
Love to all,
sherrybaugh
Well how about this...leaving a comment on my own comment! I am sitting here at home on this election day a spot I never imagined I'd be. I'm supposed to be up with my folks in Anacortes but the universe had a different idea in mind.Poor Mariah apparently has the flu. She started feeling sick last Wednesday and by Halloween she was very sick with a sore throat and a fever and aches...and she so was looking forward to Halloween! Hannah nursed her over the weekend and when I got to Hannah's on Monday with a computer from home (some mean person gave her laptop a virus)poor little one still felt crappy so I took her to Grandma's basement in Anacortes (to avoid infecting them)thinking she just needed a good sleep. I have her a doctor's appointment this afternoon so we drove home and she now is resting on the couch.She feels so crummy she can't even sleep! And today being election day she is especially bummed because they were supposed to have an election day party tonight at her Prof's house with all her Election's classmates.She has been looking forward to it so much, as a Dad it breaks my heart. Add one more reason to the fact that life is not fair.So please hold her in your thoughts and prayers....we want an immediate recovery. My love to you all as I sit here at the window watching the leaves fly toward the ground.
Wow, what a great day it is today. Even though Mariah was sick, we sat together last night watching the election results,our hearts full and the tears of joy were dripping down my cheeks. What an amazing man Obama is!If I could design the perfect person for the job he sure fits the bill.I hope Tom Hunter was watching somehow....I know he would be slapping his knee and laughing with joy. It now feels like there really is a lot more room to keep it going.I hold Tom in my heart today and feel grateful for the little part of him that will always live on in me. What a blessing to have had him as a friend.
I don't know if you realize it, but us Canadians were been glued to our sets too, waiting anxiously for the outcome...over have my choir was absent Tuesday night (only about 80 out of the average 150 weekly attendents came), because they didn't want to miss a thing - they sent spouses and friends, but stayed home themselves...we sang freedom songs and spirituals, and an enormous cheer rose up when we had an update at our break time. This is momentous for all of you in the States, but for the rest of us in the world too.
Thinking of you all, and hoping some good changes will come for you in the days to follow,
love Cori
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