WHAT’S FOR SUPPER?

With so many residents still gone on holiday, tonight my table of three regulars had a visitor with us. Jean had dined at this spot once before and I knew she was a fascinating personality. She volunteered the information that she had played her piano for two hours in the afternoon. I asked; yes, she has a piano in her apartment. After more typical female chatter, she asked me what I had been doing lately. I told her I had started reading a new book but it hadn’t “taken” yet, but I had recently read THINGS THAT MATTER. Guess what. That is what she is reading now! I told you she was fascinating.

The other two diners finished their meal and excused themselves. Jean and I sat there talking for another half hour. Take a guess at what we talked about. Right!

When I got to my apartment, I turned on the telly to get a little news. Guess who was talking. Right!

You made a 100 on your quiz. ♥

GREAT TEACHERS ON THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL

A note from a great granddaughter who started college just this year, reminded me of something I told her and anyone else who would listen to me. If you are planning to become an elementary teacher, I beg you to study the fewest courses in the Education Department as you can get by with. Please choose your electives on a higher level, in the Liberal Arts Division, such as art, architecture, music, history, drama, a foreign language, or even boating or horsemanship (other departments, of course).

Let your little charges, once you have then in your classroom, see your art work (not all of it at one time), your blue ribbon for horsemanship (not a sport, but an art), or bring your violin and teach them all the parts. Call catgut—catgut. Let them have their laugh over that. Their parents may think you’re teaching them biology. So what? Be careful now, don’t play the violin for more than “Twinkle, twinkle, little star,” for it takes years to play a violin well. As for singing, do that only with them singing with you. A vocal solo will not go over well, unless you’re ready for Carnegie Hall. And if other classrooms hear you sing that way, they will think you’re showing off, especially the teachers will.

Why, for all this? Let me give an example. A retired teacher, who had always taught at the junior high level, was elected president of a writers’ organization. What a shock at her first time presiding at a meeting. She treated us as if we were junior high students or even younger. She had cut out a magazine photo of an airplane, had it on a board down front, and she explained it was an airplane. I nearly went through my chair. Someone had a talk with her before the next meeting.

I have met numerous retired elementary teachers, and have found few that could discuss adult subjects, such as the latest best seller like Krauthammer’s. Usually we find nothing we can talk about.

So, I maintain students learning the teaching profession must not leave yourself out of real life. Study as much as you can outside the field of Education. Show your pupils what you can do beside teach arithmetic. Bring a photo of your motorcycle, if you don’t play a piccolo. Dismiss class with a goodbye in a foreign language. But my guess your knowing something special about art will be the biggest hit, for while the little fellows can’t steer a boat, speak Japanese, or design a cathedral yet, they can draw. And you can inspire them in that endeavor as you keep improving your own art talent. ♥

BOLTS FROM OUT OF THE BLUE

My current reading of any book languishes for a lack of time, temporarily I trust, for I am also working on completing a short story of my own. This is an initial experience of writing this type of story but I will not explain further. It’s just something new to have five minutes to spend with it and come away, knowing that I’ve made it better. Better in fiction writing means more detail, if the mechanics are learned in elementary school. But the amazing aspect of this short session is an additional detail that appears out of the blue, with no real work, sometimes a gorgeous simile or metaphor. I never know when these five minutes may show up, but they won’t now, for I must finish breakfast and get ready for my day. Another point: I never think of the story unless I’m working on it. I think it’s nearing completion but one can’t be sure of this when bolts out of the blue might strike again. ♥♥♥

97 MORE TO GO

Well, he did it! Krauthammer has passed that #2 on my hit parade. He has only 97 more to go to become #1. Of course, that #1 can pick up more readers too. We could keep this going a very long time. Not quite as fascinating as chess, however. I don’t suppose the author himself knows anything about this blog of mine, but I’m having fun and am rooting for him. As for talking more about his book, I just want to reiterate, read it. I’m not about to tell you everything he says, even if I could.

Now if those of you who have not read MAN’S UNCONQUERABLE MIND, but want to read some more really good stuff, read it. Smaller book than TTM. And as I have already said, Krauthammer could have written it, but he didn’t. Gilbert Highet did. ♥

WHERE THE READERS ARE

You might be interested in knowing where my most readers are located. By far and at any time the most are in the United States. No big surprise. But currently, the second in this line-up is Poland, second for the day, for the week, and for the month. Not back to 2010 though. That tells me something in the blog at this time is particularly interesting or fascinating to the Poles. I wonder what that might be. ♥

THE HOLIDAYS

The past two days our large dining room here has fed few residents, for most seem to have gone to visit their relatives. Several eat all their meals in their own apartments and others take only one meal a day downstairs regularly. All my tablemates were gone, their families living right here in this town. So, early on I learned to take a book with me. One resident reads every evening in the dining room about thirty minutes before being served. She says she might as well read there as upstairs alone. She reads humorous books, nothing serious. As a student of human nature, I wondered about her proclivity for only fun books.

She was absent the past two days. My guess is she is Jewish. She might have had family in Europe during the Nazi regime. She could have been a small child then. Or even a young adult as I was. If she is Orthodox, she might have gone away just to miss the Christian Christmas celebration here. She might have been holed-up in her apartment rather than in her usual corner in the dining room that from one angle is well hidden from view. This lady is well-liked, a friend of everyone. But a private conversation with depth is not likely.

And so, I have taken up her habit on the rare occasion of eating alone in the dining room: I take a book with me and my magnifying glass.

Oh, you might ask, where was my family during this time. One son and his wife enjoyed our Christmas luncheon here as my guests on Saturday before Christmas. Since then, they have a house full of the younger generations, some of whom traveled some distance to get there, two hours from here. My other son and his wife were busy getting settled in their new location in Los Angeles, where he was recently hired as CEO of an engineering company. But they surely took time to fly to Texas where three of their children live, and where their oldest grandson is getting married on the 29th. They wouldn’t miss that. I haven’t heard exactly their schedule of this busy time for them. I just don’t envy them. ♥

IT AIN”T BASEBALL

Bill O’Reilly says when he introduces Krauthammer on his show that THINGS THAT MATTER is a huge run-away best seller. I think it pushed O’Reilly’s KILLING JESUS off the first-place position. Both books are excellent but not the kinds to compare with each other. Perhaps to contrast would be a better game. But for someone else, not me.

O’Reilly has an advantage of advertising his own books on television twice a day for five days a week and perhaps on other outlets. But I am surprised by some stats on my own blog. In just about three weeks, Krauthammer’s book has gone from zero to 206 pageviews while O’Reilly’s remains at a steady 11. In the top three from my all-time “hits,” my blog with the title “Krauthammer, the Smartest Man on Television,” lacks only 14 pageviews to tie with the second place called “Man’s Unconquerable Mind” and then has a ways to go for first place with my top blog. I’m sure Krauthammer will soon pass No. 2, and then it remains to be seen if he can outdo Hitchcock. ♥

DONE!

Earlier this evening I finished reading THINGS THAT MATTER. All my complimentary remarks about the author still stand, underlined. Parts of this work should be required study by high school seniors in their American government classes. That is, after the teacher has learned it first and has passed a test on it. If that won’t work, try a senior English teacher. There is wonderful advice that Washington, D. C., could use right now. It’s something an ancient Greek said, but I won’t give it away. You find it for yourself and see what you can do about things that matter.

For some time I have believed one country should be dominant in the world and in a sense benevolently rule the others. Before you fight me on this, read this book. (Fight with Krauthammer! He’s stronger than I.) This is not the place for me to go into the subject any deeper, other than to say only one country is in any capacity able to be that hegemon. Enough on this for now.

I don’t know for sure what is going on with this blog, but today, before 4:30, Pete said it had already had 258 pageviews. It has to be Krauthammer, of course, but how do so many know I’m writing about him in my simple blog?

Well, it’s Christmas Eve. What a good day it has been. I wish you all a wonderful day tomorrow with your families, and a great wonderful reading year in 2014. ♥♥♥

BAD AND GOOD

It isn’t night yet, and so I haven’t started to read. But I do have two interesting things to tell you, while they are fresh.

When I was walking downstairs before lunchtime, I stepped into the billiard room to get a look at my apartment in the bright sunlight at the far end of the building. A television was running and suddenly a man began singing “Silent Night.” I waited to hear that. Here is what he sang:

“Silent night, holy night,
All is calm, all is bright.
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Sleep in heavenly peace.”

Do you recognize what he left out? These lines:

“Round yon virgin mother, and Child,
Holy infant, so tender and mild,”

Perhaps this isn’t the correct spacing, but the comma is correct after “mother.” And that is the center of what Christmas is about: the baby Jesus was born of a virgin mother. This singer did know what he was doing.

The second thing to tell you is a super good one. For a change, our mail came before lunch today. What a surprise there was a Christmas card from a girl whom I’d taught almost 30 years ago. She didn’t know whether or not I was the same Mrs. Rinard who taught her. She recalled my talking about MY ANTONIA and she said that my eyes lit up! Years later she read Willa Cather’s great story and said she fell in love with the stalwart characters that she knew I already knew. She said more than that, but I won’t tell you the rest. She made my day! as a few other former students have also done years afterward. What a great Christmas present. ♥

IN THE MEANTIME

Some of you seem to be wondering where my blogs from the start are. I wonder about that too. I started blogging in May of 2007 and wrote about some important things in my life, such as my military service and Margaret Vail’s book. Plus many other books, the main theme of the blog in the first place. In looking over the list this morning, I found a blog in 2010 about Krauthammer! I think I called him the smartest man on the planet. But up to some time in 2010 my blogs are missing.

By the way, did you see/hear Krauthammer last night on The Kelly File? I was reading his book when he came on. He talked about the mess in Washington called Obamacare. Scary, what could happen.

Well, I suppose my blogs got lost with the move to this location, or when this Dell had to have an operation and got all new innards. I’d hate to think I had to write all those over again. Perhaps some of that information is in my journal—for my family.

My next blog should say I’ve finished reading the book. Many of you might have acquired the book and finished it long ago. Just mark one up for old age reading through it at all! ♥

CK SAYS

Out of context (but you’ll find it when you read TTM), Krauthammer draws a beautiful map of our country. It made me want to cry for joy. We all knew these facts, of course, but have you ever put it just this way? He says, “We’re protected by two great oceans. We have this continent practically to ourselves. And we share it with just two neighbors, both friendly, one so friendly that its people seem intent upon moving in with us.” What a way to state the problem: with wit! ♥

THE BOOK I LEFT BEHIND

When I first began reading THINGS THAT MATTER, I had already begun reading Joanne Harris’s THE GIRL WITH NO SHADOW. Some of my readers may remember my saying I would read them simultaneously. That did not happen, for TTM was too fascinating to switch to another book. But now it’s almost time to resume NO SHADOW, as I shall call it. I do not care for the spirit world or other world or whatever it is that Harris writes about in several novels. This book is a sequel to her CHOCOLAT that made a hit movie. I did not like that very thing that was there, what I’m talking about here, whatever it is. As an example, somewhere in these 47 pages I’ve read in this one, is a scene in which two girls go into a tearoom or café or sweet shop, after school. One has no money. The other seems to have plenty of everything, looks, fashions, and money. But when she pays, the no-money girl hears the other say to the waitress something like “Here’s a fifty. You can keep the change.” But the girl with no money sees the amount proffered is only a five. The waitress doesn’t realize what happened. She believes. I don’t know if this is witchcraft or what, but I don’t like it. That “witch” must be the girl with no shadow. I will perhaps skim the first 47 pages before I really read this one, if I do.

My first attraction to the writing of Joanne Harris was her excellent novel FIVE QUARTERS OF THE ORANGE, with a World War II setting in France. Then I liked her COASTLINERS. The latter of these two has the most nearly perfect first paragraph that I’ve found anywhere; it’s a good one if you’re teaching creative writing. I will draw the line there and not even mention some other titles, for they don’t measure up, in my estimation.

Why do I like the ones I do like? She is a master of the printed word. It seems her delightful paragraphs might have taken a long time to execute. Write and revise, write and revise. But I don’t think that is what’s going on. I think she has written all her life and has learned what sounds right the first time she tries. Her language is so fresh you do not know what is coming on the next line. That’s art.

It will be another day or two to get back to NO SHADOW but that’s the plan. ♥

LONGER DAYS AND KRAUTHAMMER STILL

With our ground covered in white, I awake to a lighter day inside my apartment, and think the days must be getting noticeably longer already. But they aren’t. Not noticeably. I long for June when the sun makes shadows of the top of my tree, three stories high, on my window blinds. When the last leaf gets to the left edge, it’s time to get up. That’s usually around 7:00, and perhaps I’ve worked out a bit of poetry as I lay there.

Some residents are having breakfast downstairs while I sit here at this computer, still not fed, showered, or dressed for the day. But I have done my exercises. If I get too engrossed with Pete (my computer) I may not go down for lunch either. And could be, not even for supper.

I started out to tell about the phenomenon of the first blog I wrote about Krauthammer’s book. The hits in about a month’s time as of this morning number 181, placing it third in line for my short time writing blogs with several spots vacant because of accidents I suffered, The two ahead of him are “THE 39 STEPS AND NORTH BY NORTHWEST” and “MAN’S UNCONQUERABLE MIND.” They number 323 and 215, consecutively. While these are two of my most important blogs, Krauthammer may overtake them at the rate he’s moving. By the way, MAN’S UNCONQUERABLE MIND sounds like Krauthammer. He could have written it. But of course, he did not. Gilbert Highet did.

I hope to finish reading TTM tonight. ♥

KRAUTHAMMER AND THE END TIMES

Krauthammer kept me up late again last night with only two longer chapters to go. He is talking about wars today and tomorrow and the end of time, and they take more concentration with all those terrorist’s names. I don’t try to learn those names. But I do want to quote something he quoted from Palestinian TV: a children’s song with the lyric “How pleasant is the smell of martyrs . . . the land enriched by the blood, the blood pouring out of a fresh body.” Just think about that for a while. And about the children who are the victims of this exploitation.

Krauthammer’s religion, I believe, is different from mine, and we may see the end of time with two different understandings. He apparently believes in the same God that I do, but apparently does not accept the New Testament. In his discussion of the end times, he does not mention the words from Jesus about that very important time. This would be a good time to read Jesus' teaching on the subject. ♥

A FUN THING

Today, as I got downstairs late for lunch, I saw no one in the office area and took a look into the living room to see if the large television screen had been installed over the fireplace yet. It had not, but someone near me said, “Hello!” I turned around and saw a new face belonging to a name-tag spelled DES.

I said, “Hello! I see you must be a new employee here. What is the rest of the word that DES belongs to?”

She said, “It’s Désirée.”

I said, “Then you knew Napoleon!”

She said, “Yes. My mother had just seen the movie when she went into labor. She loved the name.”

I said, “Well, Napoleon really loved Désirée, but he married Marie Josephine for a career move. My name is Marie!" ♥

WHAT A BEST TELLER!

If you ever wanted to understand anything about such mysteries as soviet leaders’ funerals, church and state in New York (and elsewhere), cloning, stem cells research, and body worship, just to name a few things that matter, THINGS THAT MATTER is the book to read. I do not have a scientific background and this scientific author held me spellbound till midnight. And if I were a young person, probably scared to death too! Three-fourths way through this extraordinary book, I’ve read nothing of complaint about the author’s own handicap, and what science might do for him. I believe he must think, if anything comes from much of this research, it may be hundreds or thousands of years away. And what evil men could do with it! Krauthammer is an honorable man. I think he would opt to live in his wheelchair the rest of his life than to have “one of these least” embryos misused.

I must explain my title here. In the few days since I’ve first written about this book and this author, 113 viewers have clicked on my first post about man and book. The related posts are now climbing. While his work is a best seller, he is indeed a best teller. Even with his fabulous vocabulary, he makes everything easy to understand, sometimes with extra effort for the reader, but not often. Vocabulary is where the English major has an easier time with the non-scientific words than many other people. And just think, Krauthammer knows it all.

One last note: in one of those recent interviews of his, after a question, whatever it was, he said, in essence, “I can say anything I want to say,” meaning he was free to do so; he isn’t censored. He spoke these words with grace and grin. More later, you can bet.

You must read this book. ♥♥♥

A MESSAGE TO MY READER CLOTEE

Because I could not include my reply in the expected way, just below your message, I’m writing to you this way. Thank you so very much for your kind wishes and for checking out my blog. Readers in almost 25 countries, perhaps more, as the list changes often, surprise me daily by their attention to my blog. So, let me invite you to join my group and post your photo and some viewers will click on the photo and may become customers at your e-store. Let me warn you to post nothing that would be objectionable to nice people. I say that, for I don’t know you, but if you are in a GOOD business, for NICE people, you are welcome. Happy New Year to you, too. ♥

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

It’s time to read to your younger children, perhaps again, Dickens’s Christmas story A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Time to say Merry Christmas to every one you meet on the street, in offices, in stores, and such places. When I’ve said this lately, I’ve heard the reply “The same to you,” with a big smile. Why are some Americans afraid to defend their right to free speech? Why doesn’t our president speak out against what is happening to our freedoms in this country? Doesn’t he care? I’ve always believed the first duty of any American president was to protect and defend the Constitution. Doesn’t he take such an oath to that effect?

The Constitution of the United States is one of the greatest documents ever written in history, perhaps second only to the Bible. And we are losing it, bit by bit at a speeding rate, it seems to me. It appears not enough people elected to office are working hard enough to protect the American Constitution. Many are, of course. But if we are getting anywhere by their efforts, it doesn’t seem to be fast enough.

The latest blasphemy states the desire to take Christ out of Christmas! This is America! Yes, the United States of America! Land of the free. And home of the brave. Merry Christmas, America! ♥♥♥

BEAT-BEAT, BANG-BANG

Today another shooting occurred at a school in Colorado. Perhaps many reasons go into the mix that creates such happenings. Poverty does not seem to be one. Terrorism sometimes plays a part. But my theory says psychological hang-ups score the most. If, as some maintain, the availability of firearms is the culprit, then why should any television channel start a commercial with a beat, beat, beat? Are the producers so daft not to see any connection? At least we can turn off any channel that is guilty. ♥

ANOTHER VISIT WITH KRAUTHAMMER

Today I went out, on this cold day with used snow still on the ground. But the sun was bright. At a large store where I usually buy such necessities as books and printer cartridges, I did not find THINGS THAT MATTER available. I suppose they had sold out, sold out perhaps several times. While out, I missed what I hear was a great speech by our new director. I had not known she was to speak, or I might have rearranged my time. She’s the one also reading TTM.

Last night I read till I was absolutely forced to go to bed, and then overslept this morning. Krauthammer is sometimes scary with the truth, but I believe him and keep reading. Take in his chapter on Social Security and see what lies ahead for you. Read what he says about living wills and think twice about that practice. Read about euthanasia. Read him carefully. You’ll be glad you did. And bear in mind, for most of us, there is no where else to go. As for storing up drugs for your health, remember such things have expiration dates.

Perhaps the doctors who practice natural medicine will be extra busy with patients, if those doctors are allowed to practice. I refer to doctors who hold the M. D. degree, who perhaps were wiser a little earlier than others. After all, surely the earliest doctors didn’t have many medicines and what they had must have been natural. It’s something to think about. ♥

THINGS THAT MATTER—A BIT MORE

How encouraging are the stats for this blog! Krauthammer heads the list for the most readers, more than the others combined! That means some of those people might also be reading his book. It would make a great Christmas present for a friend. [He really should be paying me a commission for this, don’t you think? Joke!] I’m only half finished reading it and have come to the conclusion that this country really needs him on its Supreme Court. Could be, a medical degree+ might work better for that job than a law degree or a judgeship.

Yesterday I learned the Executive Director of this place is also reading THINGS THAT MATTER with a dictionary beside her. What a vocabulary this man has! Perhaps he did learn everything, as his father advised him to do—perhaps it was more demanding than advising—for he seems to be an expert on everything. You should read his chapter on Revolutions—the French Revolution, the American Revolution, and the Russian Revolution. Every voter in this country needs to understand what Krauthammer says about these.

Enough for now. Back to the book. ♥

THE RIGHT EAR AND THEN THE LEFT

You have heard that Barack Obama is gifted as a public speaker. If you have watched him closely when he speaks to a crowd in a room, you have seen his desperate dependence on teleprompters. His custom is to show us his right ear and then his left, then the right ear and then the left. Do you suppose his live audience is actually sitting on extreme sides of the room? That leaves a lot of space for us television viewers in the middle, doesn’t it? But he never looks at us!

When he gives his “State of the Union” addresses, of course, he does so without the live audience before him. He uses one teleprompter and looks up at the camera—at us, in other words. His face is almost always without emotion during any of these speeches, unlike other presidents some of whom have been known to shed tears—and don’t think for a minute it is unmanly to cry—tears are what hearts are made of. It is doubtful that Obama has any tears; he often seems to prefer crunching his lips together in a tense memorable pose.

If he would include us—the middle of the room—perhaps he could rest his neck a little, for we can see both ears without his turning his head. ♥

MORE HUMOR FROM KRAUTHAMMER

A few days ago, you heard here something about Charles Krauthammer’s superior sense of humor. Here are two other splendid examples you could miss, if you skip the index in his book THINGS THAT MATTER. They are located one page after the index and we can know the author himself wrote these, though the passage appears in the third person pronoun. How do we know that? It sparkles with his kind of wit, that’s how! Anyone else writing this with his style should be heavily fined, but not by government.

Krauthammer says he is retired from doctoring but is still board-certified as a psychiatrist, and is best considered as a psychiatrist in remission.

The last two sentences on the page contain the other gem: “He lives with Robyn, an artist and sculptor, in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Their front yard, however, is in Washington, D. C.”

Perhaps there are those who see nothing funny about these two illustrations, but as for me, that’s my kind of humor. He’s like this throughout the book—well, I suppose he is—I haven’t finished reading it yet. ♥

EARLIEST MEMORIES, PART 2

The published blog about earliest memories has proved to be a popular one with my readers, but additional memories keep turning up that I must share with you. They are not from personal interviews, but through my reading and even through my own memory. I have written these up in some document but where it is now is anyone’s guess. Better to tell you twice, if I am doing so, than not to tell you at all.

In The Greater Journey, Americans in Paris by David McCullough, we hear the story of a nursemaid who took her little charge for a daily airing in his carriage. One day, he spied a red cobblestone fixed into a street, or onto a building, and loved it instantly for its beauty. Every day he begged to see it again. This baby grew up to be a famous American artist John Singer Sargent, a real master with the paintbrush.

Another earliest memory has to do with sound rather than color. The story came from my reading at a young age and it has stayed with me.

This infant took her daily naps to the sound of classical music playing right beside her crib. She grew up to be the famous contralto Marian Anderson, noted for her inimitable performance of “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?”

It’s easy to understand how such influences can work for our children’s betterment—if only parents could study a few of such stories—and make a little time for the effort. But it must start early. It’s possible the music played for the baby the very day she was born and every day thereafter. The baby who saw the red stone would need to be a wee bit older than the sleeping baby girl.

These stories are a delight. I hope to find more of them. ♥

READING AT NIGHT

It is later than desired when I start to read at night. Also, harder to read at all, for holding the book in my left hand and the magnifying glass in my right. Most books I open are a bit heavy. So, there’s a tripod of a problem.

Of course, someone, Mr. X, will suggest sitting at a library table in a comfortable straight backed chair, shining a good light on the page, tilting the book an inch or so, placing a large sheet of magnifying glass over the words (or putting the book under a screen in an expensive machine) . . . and saying, go to it.

If that person could find for me such a sheet of magnifying glass as powerful as my little hand-held glass, I would be happy to try it. But such a suggestion does not often carry over into a workable solution. X doesn’t have all the facts, but is quite confident he knows just what will work. I say to him, just wait a few more years, when your eyesight dims, and you’ll learn.

So, it is taking me longer to read Krauthammer’s THINGS THAT MATTER than I would like. Last night it was only one chapter. What tempted me at that late hour—midnight—was his chapter title with the word ‘Hitchcock” in it. Perhaps Krauthammer is also a fan of the director. ♥

A SLICE OF LIFE

At lunch today, one at the table told about her 7th grade in Oregon many years ago where the boys had one semester of sewing and one semester of cooking, while the girls had similar instruction in “men’s work.” The lady who taught the boys to sew rewarded them a “driver’s license” upon satisfactory completion of the course. They had to learn all about the sewing machine and how to use It. They designed and made tee shirts for themselves and cushions which were shaped to their own liking, such as a football or an animal. The entire class of boys was thrilled with their accomplishments.

The teacher had prepared them to like what they were doing. She warned them that the day might come when they would need this knowledge. She must have been a real educator. Any teacher is excellent in my book if the students enjoy the class and end up loving the subject. And she kept her promise; they got their license to drive a sewing machine, an item for their billfolds, so that they could show it off.

Not long after this year of teaching, the curriculum changed. Instead of cooking and sewing, the students got computering.

My question to this situation is, “Why not have classes of both types for all?” ♥