PINGRY RESCHEDULE!!!!

Pingry reception rescheduled for Monday, March 1 from 5.30 pm to 6.30 pm. Mr. Delman apologizes fro the short notice, but because of other events at the school, this was the best they could do and feel that it is important to have a reception rather than none at all.

I hope to see some of you there. I will photograph you work in the gallery setting and give you a print in case you cannot make it.

Shoveled three times, chopped ice, slathered the Ben Gay on but boy was it worth it. I just do not believe that there should be cold without the snow. So disappointed that the Pingry reception was cancelled, but hopeful that it will be rescheduled. Love that show... a beautiful setting.

I have had this idea of a photo project for myself for several months now. I tried some version of it when an undergrad, but was not creative enough to get it right. Now I think I have the supplies and ideas I need. I just need the hubby to keep Millie busy. It never fails, whenever I start something - metals at my desk, painting or drawing on the photos, making books, setting up the sewing machine - here comes Millie looking for a lap!

Read so much yesterday. I just love curling up with a good magazine or book. Also found a pile of old clothes I forgot about up in the attic. I was in the process of altering them into the kinds of things I would wear - altering seams, cutting and rearranging - but never finished. Now I REALLY need to get the sewing machine fixed. Of course I could just wing it and guess the stitch and length and just go...

PINGRY RECEPTION CANCELLED...

ATTENTION ALL PHOTO STUDENTS!!!

The Pingry reception scheduled for tomorrow night has had to be cancelled as a result of the weather. I will be e-mailed a new date if they can reschedule and post it here immediately.

And the bad news just keeps coming...

Pensions being attacked. To see my opinions of us "wealthy" teachers, see my earlier post. No one lives a life of luxury on a state worker pension of they worked as a teacher or social worker. Sorry...

My favourite hardware store in my town closed. Just up and gone. I knew they were fed up with the politics in our area, but I wanted to say goodbye. Now I have to walk further to the one on the other end of Main Street. Bummer...

Snow coming. Normally I do not mind, but Friday is the Pingry show and last year it rained. I want it all clear by Friday night... No accidents for students this year.

Looks like Photo III is a very real possibility. The only good news this week.

I had a dr's appointment after school yesterday and Scholastic awards at night. Check the yearbook website this morning and none of the girls uploaded any pictures. To say I am angry does not even begin to cover it. My life will be so much better when I have rid myself of this stress factory...

Doing my part...

Ok ladies and gents, I contacted my senator and assembleymen, did you? Heck, I may even drop by the house of one of mine since he lives down the hill from me...just kidding.

For less than 24 hours, there was a possibility of going to Italy after the end of the school year. But, alas, mother found a way to not do it. Always does. So, back to looking at Hungary.

Very busy week: Scholastic Art and Writing awards Tuesday night, Teen Art Jam Wednesday night, sister's b'day Thursday night and The Pingry School reception Friday night. Whoosh......

Prediction?

Dinner Friday night at Veggie Heaven... fortune cookie gave the following gift:

"They will be grateful that you cared enough to make it."

Really? Who? So many questions and so few answers... Considering I have not sold a thing on Etsy yet, I have to hope this pertains to PV. I know the students are grateful...

The last great fortune I received was "How dark is dark? How wise is wise?" Well, I think darkness is wise ... like film photography and a darkroom....

Busy weekend... titled all the photos I have been working on; found three more shows to enter and prepared a cd to send off; got a very positive reaction to some input I gave on some crazy redevelopment plan being floated to the Historic Preservation Comittee here in town; read some pamphlets from PFLAG that should help Czeps and I a great deal with GSA; worked on some clothing. But I must get that LCD on the sewing machine repaired. I am dying to sew! Oh, and a haircut. Normally I cut my own hair - saves gobs of money - but I had a gift certificate. So yesterday I spent some time in an old lady salon. Sad to say I can't claim to be the only person without grey hair, since they are multiplying like rabbits on my head... need a dye job pronto!

The news...

Wellllll........

Probably no Photo III next year. But I did have an idea about how to give the students what they deserve and I plan to talk to them about it today.

The meeting went about how I expected it to. There are massive cuts coming. I really wish I could be blunt and honest about all this but the ban on teachers discussing political viewpoints means that students can listen to and read things from those who despise the teaching profession and not hear the counterpoints from those who are actually in the field.

I will say this... I would like to, some day, see teachers get the same respect and gobs of money that those in the police departments, fire departments and the military get. There are never any arguments about those people getting too much of anything, be it pay, overtime - which teachers DO NOT GET, contrary to what many of our students and their parents think - benefits, etc., etc.. I remember talking to an Italian student years ago. He was a very conservative person - one would assume that he felt teachers get too much - but he felt that US teachers deserve the respect the teachers in other countries get. We are entrusted with something most common citizens would never do - spend each and every day with a roomful of youth and work to increase their knowledge and abilities in a myriad of areas to prepare them to be well educated and prepared adults. The majority of us do this because we love it. NO ONE is getting rich as a teacher. But we do not get respect and we certainly do not get fair compensation when one considers the level of education and expertise we are required to have. Oh, and by the way... that Master's degree I just got? Paid for it out of my own pocket. No teacher has a whole master's degree paid for in full by her/his district. In fact, the amount of reimbursement I could have gotten would have amounted to peanuts compared to what those in the business sector get.

Some may say that they see rich teachers. If one of us has a flashy car, big house, expensive lifestyle, or goes on lots of fancy vacations, you can bet they fall into one of these categories:

• part of a wealthy family
• married to someone who makes a great deal more
• has no kids and makes do without many common comforts

I fall into the latter category. My sister is a teacher and married to a teacher. They are going to have a kid. Have no clue how they will afford it. I can go on European vacations, sure. But I challenge any person who poo-poo's that to do what I do: only buy a car when your old one dies (I am on only my second car and I am 36 years old), do not go out to eat all the time, no cable TV, no video game systems, no Uggs - I'm talking to you kids who refuse to pay for a yearbook - no ipod and requisite downloads, no new wardrobe every year, no cell phone other than the one free with the plan, do not rack up credit card charges unless you can pay them off each month, no purchasing of DVD's or CD's all the time - rent from the public library, do not drive everywhere - WALK!, and be thrifty with electricity and other things that involve paying a bill. And there are many other things my husband and I do to not end up in debt. But, many, many teachers are in debt for a variety of reasons. We just do not make as much money as the public thinks. And, do I really need to go into how many of us spend our own money when we run out of supplies on the job? Really? I hope not.

I know I am ranting, but as I sit here, to my right is a very expensive digital SLR my co-worker got from a friend in the military. It was given to her because the guy dropped it and it broke. See if she wants it once she can get it fixed. The military paid for it. He dropped it. They buy him a new one, no questions. From what I can tell, this was a bad and careless drop. But no ramifications.

None of our students drop DSLR's. We can't afford any for them... We can no longer afford to pay for the cameras that do break because of wear and tear. Anyone want to do a can shake or bake sale for the Photo program to get our equipment fixed?

I'm done...