Thursday, October 2, 2008

Live, Laugh, Love, [KNIT]

The mantel is staged for fall, along with the rest of the house. I am woefully unprepared for what comes next (which would be Thanksgiving and the C word). Where did the summer GO? Temps here are delightful and crisp and it has become obvious that sweaters will be next on the rapidly moving forward agenda.

It is a good thing that Wisteria is ALMOST DONE! WOO HOO!!!!!!!! I'm just getting ready to do the cabling section on that second sleeve! 38 rows of cable joy, even though each and every row is completely different. I'm grateful that the sleeves are only 45 stitches and not the body of the sweater! Is she not gorgeous?

The VP debate is on tonight and I have to say that I can't remember a time since I've been a voting American when there was such anticipation! I love the political guy (whose name I can't recall) who said that he is not only excited to watch the debate but that if he could be there in the front row he would crawl on his belly under a barbed wire fence without a shirt! Totally cracked me up. I would not go that far but suffice it to say that the schedule has been cleared for 8 cst, I'll be there with a bowl of popcorn (a little to eat, a little to throw!)

My parting comment is on the kids of America, or at least some of those in the city here. I had the opportunity to sub on Monday for 7th and 8th graders. At the end of the day I drove home in tears! When did it become acceptable to use the f word to ANY adult much less your teacher? I was totally shocked, and the situation went rather rapidly downhill! When did it become okay to let kids pretty much do what they wanted in class because you have no control over them? (and I don't mean just substitutes) When oh when did it become okay to be a big fat loser in school? I was shocked, saddened and frankly had to take a few days to compose myself to even consider subbing again this year in this district. When we want warm bodies in the classroom who can do nothing other than release kids to high school having done the bare minimum required by law (not because they do not wish to do more) that is sad. What the bloody hell does that mean for all of us who will require this generation of kids to not only be responsible adults but to make decisions to care for us when we are elderly? Sobering, very sobering.

I knit on....................

6 comments:

yoel said...

Love the leopard print on the mantel! But not as much as Wisteria!!! So close! I can't wait to see it in person.

As for the kids...this just proves my point that we are all going to hell in a handbasket!

Anonymous said...

There's a bumper sticker I was tempted by (and I NEVER have bumper stickers on my car): "Where are we going, and why am I in this handbasket?"

Anonymous said...

Welcome to my world. In my opinion, it has never been all right to use the f-bomb to an adult, much less your teacher. The b*tch word is popular also.

Unfortunately, things aren't much better on the high school level. Due to "No Child Left Behind", schools are under pressure to get these students out the door whether they are ready or not, competent or not.

And yes, it frightens me too.

Jenny Girl said...

Are those leopard knitting bags on that beautiful mantle? This is a very nice sentiment to live by.

Wisteria looks gorgeous! I love the cable work and the color. Great job!

As far as the kids go, just think about the people that raised them, and you mught get your answer. My mom would have slapped me silly if I misbehaved in school. That's why I might have a bunker in Idaho someday.

Melissa Morgan-Oakes said...

The other night at doggie school we were all standing outside waiting for our turns to take our canine good citizen test. The neighborhood is not great, but the rent is low and the dogs don't mind. A group of kids came ranging down the street speaking to one another in language I don't think I used until I was out of my mother's house. I was just...astonished. Frightened. Disgusted. Amazed. Ashamed. Sad. And more than a small amount angry.

About five minutes later a 'mother' came along, dragging her daughter of about 6 years or so, screaming at her in the same language the kids on their skateboards had been using earlier. One again I got to be astonished. Frightened. Disgusted. Amazed. Ashamed. Sad. And more than a small amount angry.

Lola said...

It's the lack of respect for authority and rules. Kids take their examples from grownups. And when they see grownups using bad language in public and not getting called on the carpet, they conclude that it must be okay to do it. If they do it on tv shows and get away with it, especially favorite stars, then by golly, it's cool and I must must must do as the fav stars do!

And when parents were the ones challenging authority back when they were young, it's going to be a tad difficult to lower the broom on their young 'uns because now they will be the authority, and aren't they supposed to be friends with their young 'uns?

People need to realize that there's a reason for rules and consequences, and a civil society rests on these.