A GOOD DAY...

My husband and I have been working on a project this summer, and while this may not seem unusual to some, those of you who know us personally can attest to the fact that we are rarely on the same page when it comes to the execution of projects. Usually one of us has a bright idea and the other either shoots the idea down or offers so little support that the initiator's momentum quickly disappates. This time however, after months of pushing and pulling, poking and prodding on both sides the wheels have been set in motion!

The mission at hand is to de-clutter our lives! I confess...I am a PACK RAT...not quite a hoarder, but pretty doggone close--therefore, making this a very necessary activity. I have accummulated so much stuff in the last ten years that I could easily supply a few households with various items, particularly clothing and toys! So this sunner we are emptying the closets, going through our storage units, giving away items of excess...all in hopes of eventually being able to fix up our condo, rent it out and be prepared to move into a home that better accomodates our family of five.

In accordance with this plan, today was a particularly good day! We sent the kids over to good ole' Uncle Myki's and Auntie Pamela's house while we rented a U-HAUL, emptied one storage unit and combined its contents with that of all miscellaneous items taken from our home in the last two weeks!

Now, we simply have to PURGE.

While my recounting of this seems so nice and neat, it was anything but! Especially since it was so HOT today! We probably lost tons of water weight!

Despite the blazing heat, the "coolness" of the situation lies in the fact that everything sort of fell into place without too much stress or strain. We were both committed to the task at hand and were present in the moment. We worked hard supported each other, trusted each other's judgement and accomplished a major task on our checklist all in four hours! Best of all we both feel energized and like a heavy burden has been lifted from our collective shoulders!

Another cool side effect of the whole day is the fact that this whole feeling is addictive!

Lesson learned: everything happens in its order, you cant rush progress, and once "it" begins to happen, the only place to go is FORWARD!

Here's to hoping that today was the beginning of many good days to come!

FOR THE LOVE OF READING or Lion's story of the night

Admittedly,I've been slacking on the nightly story front, so this is story #2 for the week and I highly recommend it! Oh, the Places You'll Go by Dr. Suess should be daily reading for adults and children alike!

(FW: This is a test...)This is a test of the mobile blogging system...regularly scheduled programming will resume shortly. Had this been a true emergency, this test would be followed by some really meaningful information about what to do next! Alas this is only a test!

Guiltless Cookie Jar Fillers: Low-Fat Cookies

Guiltless Cookie Jar Fillers: Low-Fat Cookies

Posted using ShareThis

I'm BAAACK...I hope!

Thanks to inquiries and the encouragement of quite a few friends, family members, colleagues and an awesomely inspiring artist by the name of Jackie Battenfield (author of The Artist Guide: How to Make a Living Doing What You Love...she recently visited So FL and gave an awesome workshop), I have decided to resume writing this blog!

True to form, I had somehow convinced myself, despite evidence to the contrary, that nobody was reading or cared whether I wrote another word...but I guess that wasn't at all the truth (shout out to all my friends/family)! While perhaps the whole world doesn't care about what I have to say or what my kids are doing...I experience something akin to euphoria every time I successfully complete and post an entry. I move closer to my artistic goals every time I re-engage the craft of writing; every time I accurately and artfully capture an idea and share it with whoever may care to read.

Consistent with my personality, I had gotten myself totally worked up about the nuts and bolts and forgot to focus on the enjoyment of the creative process. Case in point, I had tricked myself into believing that I needed to do more research on the topic of blogging, that I was somehow not capable of blogging without some sort of instruction and therefore had to learn more about all the tools and tricks of the trade...despite the fact that I had already been posting updates for over a year and had a whopping four followers ...(don't laugh).

In essence the disease of procrastination coupled with the often simultaneous ailment of self-doubt had infiltrated, taken over my brain and resulted in an all encompassing bout of creative paralysis! Many very creative and otherwise intelligent people fall prey to this combination of ailments and even more devastating, is the failure to recognize this brain drain for what it is and as a result remain stagnant, fail to move forward and ultimately become ZOMBIES...you're laughing, but you know what I mean!

But, I think I'm better now...at least I hope I'm better now...but I guess this is a part of this whole process (at least it is for me anyway). I mean, after all, this (blog) is about my having gotten derailed in the past (and obviously in the present) and my desire to and pursuit of getting back on track...isn't it (see my profile for clarification)?

Stick with me folks, apparently its gonna be a bumpy ride!

Haiti, the earthquake, and my family: newyorker.com

This article written by Edwidge Danticat says so much! Not only does she illustrate the full range of emotions as can only be evoked following a tragedy, but she also gives a resonating glimpse at the spirit of the Haitian people and their iron clad survivor's spirit.
Haiti, the earthquake, and my family: newyorker.com

FW: Black Youth, at 14 years old, Invents Surgical Technique

Look what kids can do when they apply themselves and take personal responsibility (per the President's speech)!!!!

Black Youth Invents Surgical Technique - at 14

Tony Hansberry II isn't waiting to finish medical school to contribute to improved medical care. And he's only 14.

Date: Tuesday, June 16, 2009, 4:26 am
By: Jackie Jones, BlackAmericaWeb.com

Tony Hansberry II isn't waiting to finish medical school to contribute to improved medical care. He has already developed a stitching technique that can be used to reduce surgical complications, as well as the chance of error among less experienced surgeons.

"I've always had a passion for medicine," he said in a recent interview. "The project I did was, basically, the comparison of novel laparoscopic instruments in doing a hysterectomy repair."

By the way, Hansberry is a 14-year-old high school freshman.

In April, the brilliant teen presented his findings at a medical conference at the University of Florida before an audience of doctors and board-certified surgeons.

Hansberry attends Darnell-Cookman, a special medical magnet school that allows him to take advanced classes in medicine. Students at the s chool master suturing in eighth grade.

"I just want to help people and be respected, knowing that I can save lives," said Hansberry, the son of a registered nurse and an African Methodist Episcopal church pastor. His goal is to become a neurosurgeon.

The idea for his procedure developed last summer during an internship at the University of Florida's Center for Simulation Education and Safety Research at Shands Hospital in Jacksonville.

Hansberry responded to a challenge to improve a procedure called the endo stitch, used in hysterectomies that could not be clamped down properly to close the tube where the patient's uterus had been. The teen devised a vertical way to apply the endo stitch and, using a medical dummy, completed the stitching in a third of the time of traditional surgery.

"It took me a day or two to come up with the concept," Hansberry said.

He was supervised by Dr. Brent Siebel, a urogynecologist, and Bruce Nappi, administrative director of the Center for Simulation Education and Safety Research. Hansberry's discovery won second place in its regional science fair in February 2009 in the medical category.

Education experts say youngsters as young as 10 can experience great achievement at an early age if their thirst for knowledge is encouraged and they are given opportunities to shadow professionals and get internships. Also, a rigorous study schedule that also builds in some recreation is key.

High school internships and oth er programs are being used by educators to boost the number of young people interested in medicine in the face of projections that there will be a doctor deficit of as many as 200,000 physicians by 2020.

"It's not hard if you have a passion for it," Hansberry said.

Angela TenBroeck, the medical lead teacher, said in many ways, Hansberry is a typical student, but, she told the Florida Times Union that he is way ahead of his classmates when it comes to surgical skills.

"I would put him up against a first-year med student," she said. "He's an outstanding young man. And I'm proud to have him representing us."

Hotep, (Ancient Egyptian/Kemetic word for 'Peace')
Darrell Davis

Icon/genius/revolutionary/risk taker/heartbreaker/ dreamchaser/advocate/transcendant/excellent/permanent-RIP MJ, FF, EM

An Intriguing Alternative to the Standard Pursuit of Higher Education

The one good thing about this recession is that it is functioning as a "reset" button of sorts, we are forced out of our respective comfort zones and into spaces of creative thinking. We have been forced rethink our approach to many things...and this is good! Last week I had the opportunity to listen to Tom Asbrook's show "On Point", during an interview with Maya Frost

She’s the author of “The New Global Student: Skip the SAT, Save Thousands on Tuition and Get a Truly International Education” and this book as well as the aforementioned radio interview really encapsulates my "susapicions about the benefits to global experiences for famlies and solidifies my desire for my children to be global citizens/ambassadors to the rest of the world. This whole conversation will hopefully signal a paradigm shift in the way we (Americans) approach life and the world as well as the way we are viewed internationally.

Stand-alone player WBUR and NPR - On Point with Tom Ashbrook

There are some really great resources shared by callers, I intend to check them out in a little more detail and share my finding here. Feel free to check it out for yourself and share some feedback with me!

United World Colleges - http://www.uwc.org/

Rotary Program - Youth Exchenge Program (Florida) http://www.ryeflorida.org/

University of St. Andrews (Scotland) - http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/admissions/int/summerschools/

Type of programme: Pre-college academic and cultural enrichment
Participants: Coeducational - North American students about to enter 11th, 12th grade or college
Maximum enrolment: 60

Right here, right now i am in heaven. I am sitting in my local library behind a huge pile of children's books, on my son's 3rd birthday, while he and his dad are out shopping for the much anticipated shocolit cake! The girls are in their portugese class and for another 30 min. I get to enjoy a bit of solitude...later we will go house hunting followed by cake and ice cream...i wonder what a three year old wishes for?

Goals are essential in attaining success, they are the measuring sticks against which we gauge achievement... My mantra as of late! 1 book, 30 poems, 8 lbs/ month. I will work toward these personal goals with the same ferocity and dedication as the desires i hold for my children...i owe it to my family and to myself!

Day 2 of working out...pilates...i think im paralyzed from the waist up! q: how did i let myself get so out of shape?! I weigh what i did at 40 wks pregnant!

It's on! My first workout went off without a hitch! I got up and went to the gym straightaway! I biked for 30 min and a few reps w/ weights! I am so proud of me!

RESOURCES FOR SUMMER READING

Friends:

I finally pulled some links together for my annual Summer Reading BONANZA J(…I haven’t decided which list(s) I’ll be using but when I do I will happily let you know…) eventually I will post on the blog…www.adrianeclarke.blogspot.com …THANKS FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT & ENTHUSIASM!

I usually combine handwriting/art in the form of journals (I love the marble composition books with space for drawing) and this year I’ll be incorporating collages and book reports (maybe video reports/book reviews) and a treasure box (stickers, art supplies, coupons).

Maybe we can do some meet ups in a convenient park or library…let me know!

ENJOY

SUMMER READING LISTS

http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr244.shtml

I thought this template from Microsoft(R) Office Online might interest you….

"Weekly class schedule"
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/TC010183931033.aspx?pid=CT101172751033&WT.mc_id=42

BOOK REPORT FORMS – FYI - This site is a Christian site, but the forms are generic

http://www.lovetolearnplace.com/BookReports/BookReport.html

Check out this SocialMiami.com page

I LOVE TIM GUNN!!! GREAT/PRACTICAL/CLASSIC ADVICE FROM A PRO!

Your friend, Adriane, kindly forwarded this link to you:
http://www.socialmiami.com/articles/tim_gunn_miami.asp

SocialMiami.com sends free weekly e-newsletters with the latest on where to go and who to know in South Florida. Use us on a weekly basis to plan your social calendar. Visit SocialMiami now to sign up -- it's free!.

Summer is right around the corner and it seems like it was only yesterday that we were getting ready for the first day of school! We've had a great year!

I LOVE THIS IDEA

Celebrate the second national Poem In Your Pocket Day on Thursday, April 30, 2009!

The idea is simple: select a poem you love during National Poetry Month then carry it with you to share with co-workers, family, and friends on April 30, 2009.

Poems from pockets will be unfolded throughout the day with events in parks, libraries, schools, workplaces, and bookstores. Create your own Poem In Your Pocket Day event using ideas below or let us know how you will celebrate Poem In Your Pocket Day by emailing npm@poets.org.

http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/406?gclid=COn8i9ytk5oCFQVuswodlCHDMg

CLIPS FROM BRAVE NEW VOICES

Clips from the documentary featuring The Write Side Poets (representing South Florida) can be found on the Brave New Voices website : http://www.bravenewvoices.org/

HBO hosted a premiere at Cinema Paradiso last night…

Russell Simmons presents Brave New Voices
Narrated by Queen Latifah

Airing on HBO
ll PM ET/PT
Beginning APRIL 5th.

Watch the entire first episode here.

A POWERFUL DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE FEMALE AS ARTIST & MOTHER...JUST IN TIME FOR WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

I come from a long family history of artists, and though I am often pegged as the artistic type, I have often stifled the pursuit of art as a profession. (Ironically, I spend most of my work day trying to convinve other artists to do exactly the opposite (HYPOCRISY AT ITS FINEST...I know) The truth of the matter is that I have been afraid to fail, I hate when things dont come easily and fear the judgement of my creation(s). I've been slowly coming to terms with all of this...this is partially why I havent blogged in a while, I have been slowly working my way back to a place of confidence in my writing and returning to the exhilaration I feel when creating artwork...maybe I will get back there one day, maybe not...at any rate, I CAME ACROSS THE TRAILER FOR THIS DOCUMENTARY…JUST IN TIME FOR WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH and needless to say I AM INSPIRED!

Check it out by visiting their websitehttp://www.whodoesshethinksheis.net/ or on the video bar at the left of this page!

ENJOY & BE INSPIRED!

EDUCATION...ASK FOR MORE!

NEWSFLASH: Parents worry about all kinds of things; some of which are valid others not so valid. Our worries range from the concrete to the arcane.

My current point of cogitation - my incessant worry about the quality of my children’s education.

I worry that despite my efforts to provide them with the information, opportunity and resources necessary to succeed somehow I am falling short. While not working an minimum wage job, I'm certainly not making the kind of money that can support $13,000 - $30,000 per child in tuition. As a full time employee the time and energy available to bolster my children's education is drastically limited.

So it is this time of year that I find myself considering my options: extend myself beyond the point of financial and physical ability to put them into private school in hopes that the effect of socio-cultural/socio-economic isolation does not supercede the benefits of a high quality academic experience; engage in non-stop prayer 1)-that we will be selected in the magnet school lottery and 2)-that the program is as wonderful as it looks on paper; quit my job and homeschool the kids leaving my husband to shoulder all of the financial responsibility and go with governement subsidized health insurance.

I worry that though the resources at our assigned school are limited that they are not being sufficiently challenged at the charter school down town. Add to these concerns the fact that the state of Florida is ranked something like 48th in the US in terms of the funding of education, that our teachers (including my husband) are severly under payed and that we are ranked very low if not last in terms of achievement.

So, I wonder, what exactly should I do? Move? Homeschool? Grin and bear it? I'm frustrated and exhausted and sick of school administrators who act like my expectations are too high...you're damn right...my EXPECTATIONS ARE HIGH...I WANT MORE!!!