Show Me Your Palm
I went out to photograph flowers, but found the palm tree trunks more interesting.
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_photo_challenge/close-up/
Show Me Your Palm–WordPress Photo Challenge/Close Up
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Author Archives: lifelessons
The Beautiful Children of Mexico
The Beautiful Children of Mexico
The beautiful children of Mexico
shed music as they come and go
see how they dance and how they flow–
the beautiful children of Mexico?
Long hair held back out of the way,
womanhood fastened there at bay.
They’ll loosen it another day,
but for now they need to play.
See how the big boys stand aloof
in the shadow of the courtyard roof?
Yet their guard lets down as they sing and dance,
with an occasional sideways glance.
They lean and banter, jostle and
cavort like puppies as they stand.
But see how the smallest one of all
suddenly seems to stand so tall?
See the talents they all display–
victorious at the end of day.
So clever, given half a chance,
they show their bravery in dance.
Intelligence in the written word–
a painting of a flower or bird,
these beautiful masks they’ve put in place
obscure the beauty of each face.
Mothers and fathers, heed me well
as the truth of it I seek to tell.
As they lift their masks, end their parade,
see the beautiful children that you’ve made!
I’d been asked to read a poem at the children’s performance at the end of camp tomorrow night, but nothing I’ve written seemed appropriate, so I wrote this poem that I will read at the end of the animal song and mask presentation as they are about to take off their masks and leave the stage for a party and dinner prepared by Agustin, the owner of the restaurant where we held this six day camp. I hope you’ve enjoyed getting a glimpse of a few of the over 600 pictures I took. Too many photo opportunities!!! I guess I’d advise that no one else try to sift through this many pictures to adorn a post. It has taken me from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m.–with a few diversions..two one hour phonecalls and a few email interruptions! So, a very late posting, but appropriate for this prompt: https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/well-i-never/
Fresh Flowers:: Cee’s Flower a Day Challenge
Yes, I’m stuck on the theme of Camp Estrella. Thirty children and each came up with an original response in making thank-you cards for sponsors. The messages inside were just as sweet.
http://ceenphotography.com/2015/07/23/flower-of-the-day-july-23-2015-echinacea/
The Boy in the Blue Feathered Mask
I’m choosing an alternate prompt today–to talk about my most unconventional love affair. I’m fairly sure I’ve written about this prompt before, but this time I’m talking about another unconventional love affair–my love affair with Mexico. Hopefully you’ll know why after you read it.
The Boy in the Blue Feathered Mask
I was so busy issuing art supplies, that when the masks were set out to dry, I had no idea whose was whose. Other Camp Estrella counselors were helping at each table and requests for paint colors were coming fast and furious. Who knew so many boys would want to be grey foxes? A lot of white and black got mixed. A lot of red and pink to make a deeper rose.
Then, feathers flew and concrete became polka-dotted with sequins in every shape from polka dots to half moons and leaping reindeer. Day after day, layers added until it was impossible to tell roosters from foxes from bears from falcons from rabbits.
But when I saw the remarkable turquoise feathered mask with the jeweled beak, I tried to imagine which of the graceful young girls had conceived of it. When I collected it from the tarp set in the sun and sat it under cover with the others for the night, I knew I wanted to be sure to capture her picture tomorrow before my day became consumed with other tasks.
The next day, the members of the camp surrounded the tables and piano where we had set the masks away from the night rain and winds of the rainy season. Some asked for more sequins, feathers, beads, paint, glue, glitter gel. Others wanted their headbands attached and wore the masks, as is, all day long–swooping between the fruit trees of the open courtyard and over the open spaces where the dance routines were practiced. They sat during language lessons and singing practice with beaks and ears and wattles and plumes.
And then I saw the boy in the turquoise feathered mask!
He didn’t seem to mind that his friends behind him were getting a large charge out of his mask.
He wore it almost constantly, once I’d fastened the strap to it. And then one morning, he caught me by the arm and asked me to take his picture. With his other hand, he caught the hand of a girl who walked by. She was one of the taller girls, rather shy, as you can see from this photo snapped the first day of camp:
“Take our picture!” he asked politely, and although at first she pulled away, she didn’t resist much, and neither did I.
Brave young man. Looks pleased. Brave young woman. Looks placid and mature. In the flamenco dance lessons, she alone looks almost as poised as her instructor. She is the niece of my housekeeper, and although I’d never met her, her aunt pressed me to see that she was included and it was a special request of mine that she be added to the camp roster. Now, in the 4th day of camp, I am so glad I did.
There’s a reason why feather boy looks so pleased. She is talented in everything she does, graceful and kind, and I’m told by the other counselors that the other girls look up to her. Although innocent, and in spite of a few flirty looks from girls toward boys, this is the only case of pairing up (short as it was) between the 11 through 14-year-olds in the camp.
When I mentioned the picture later on, he seemed puzzled, and then when I reminded him, he beamed again. In the two days since then, I’ve seen other boys watching her closely in the dance or at her table as she carefully pens thank you cards to camp sponsors. But no one else got his picture taken with her, and I noticed her shyness melt away rather quickly afterwards.
So many pleasures in this camp. Watching child after child mature and blossom was the greatest one. More stories if you want to hear them. Telling them assures me they won’t be forgotten.
See other Camp Estrella stories HERE and HERE.
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/unconventional-love/
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/the-perfect-game/
Coincidentally, a friend brought it to my attention that this post also meets Cee’s prompt this week, so if you want to see some more teal or turquoise, go here:
http://ceenphotography.com/2015/07/21/cees-fun-foto-challenge-teal-or-turquoise/
The wonderful participants in Club Estrella–an equally good experience for counselors and students alike!!!
Schooled for Peace, Creativity, Humanity and Prosperity
If I were designing a new school, I would make it as experiential as possible. Maths would include hands-on experiences. Children would learn to add and subtract by making change and algebra and geometry would be taught by application to real situations–building or designing jewelry or figuring out how high a wall must be built to block a neighbor’s view. My own education was good, but I never really knew the real purpose of algebra and geometry, even though I won the school math prize!
Chemistry, also, would be taught by showing its application to everyday life–the chemistry of cooking and cleaning, the effect of different fertilizers and pesticides in the garden as well as chemicals in the house. The interrelation of chemicals and pollution to health and safety would be made common knowledge among students and field trips would be taken to demonstrate the dangers of pollution.
Every student would be taught music and music theory, because I know it has a huge effect on math skills and those skills translate to other subjects as well. All students would be encouraged to try different forms of art–sculpture, clay and graphic design as well as drawing and painting. It is my belief that everyone has some artistic skill if they can just find their own particular medium.
Education should be a dish full of treasures we find it hard to choose between.
Children would be taught a foreign language beginning in nursery school and both boys and girls would take shop and learn basic elements of electricity, plumbing and building. And, dance.
But the main thing that I would insist be taught is communication skills. In every class, group communication would be stressed, and students would be given grades not only according to their own discussion skills, but also in listening and it being responsible in encouraging others to speak. In small group discussions, students would take turns recording the flow of conversation, recording how many times each person spoke, how many times they asked questions of other students to draw them into the conversation and in listening skills. I actually used this system when I was a teacher and it worked remarkably well. Students developed more respect for each other and there was less bullying when students knew their own grade depended upon including everyone in the conversation and respecting the comments of others.
I believe in incorporating activities that encourage ethics, kindness and a consideration of the needs and values of other people. Schools are currently so tied up in standardized testing and performing to a norm that teachers are somewhat hindered in their creativity and the teaching of subjects not directed toward rote learning and performing to purely academic ends, and I think students suffer by this.
Extracurricular subjects often center around competitive sports, many of which are violent in nature and which teach kids to win at all any cost. Better that they be taught to win at being human beings and to learn to accept the differentness of others. Perhaps this might help to make a more peaceable world or at the least, a peaceable society.
Thirty students had thirty different takes on how to create a beautiful mask! (Click to enlarge.)
Yes, call me a dreamer, but better dreams than nightmares!
In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “The New School.” You get to redesign school as we know it from the ground up. Will you do away with reading, writing, and arithmetic? What skills and knowledge will your school focus on imparting to young minds?
I chose this prompt offered as an alternative to today’s prompt.
Remembering Little Bird
If you followed the saga of little bird–which started with Morrie bringing him to a visitor in his mouth, you know the eventual sad ending. (If you haven’t read that saga, you can go HERE to see what I’m talking about.) At the time, I buried him in my marble flower urn and hung a seed stick for his parents in the boughs over the urn. Thought you might be interested in seeing how it has evolved since then. Little bird resides under where the mother bird stands.
Sunlight Through Trees: Serendipity Photo Prompt 2015, 15
Tornado (Jennifer Nichole Wells One Word Challenge)
Although neither of these skies produced a tornado, I remember thinking on both occasions that they might!
For other tornado photos, go HERE.Jenni
http://jennifernicholewells.com/2015/07/21/one-word-photo-challenge-tornado/
Hey Jude
Hey Jude
Hey Jude is the song that always conjures up memories for me. I was with my first college boyfriend when I first heard it and he sang it to me then and it became “our” song. ( Newcomers might not know my name is Judy, which I’ve always hated, but I loved being called Jude!) My husband called me that as well. It is ironic that the only other time I had a “song” with a boyfriend was my first boyfriend ever. Every time the song “Mrs. Brown You Have a Lovely Daughter” came on the radio, he would sing it to me but change the words to “Mrs. Dykstra has a lovely daughter.” It is ironic because when I married, I became a Mrs. Brown!!!
In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Always Something There to Remind Me.”A song comes on the radio and instantly, you’re transported to a different time and place. Which song(s) bring back memories for you and why? Be sure to mention the song, and describe the memory it evokes.
No Words!!! (The Morrie Saga)
No Words!!!! (The Morrie Saga)
One episode follows too quickly on the heels of another. I’m going to let the pictures speak for themselves.
Yes, he opened the drawer. Yes, he ate the drawer knob, and the TV antenna connection, and the books, and the crayons!!! No, I didn’t ever think he could get a drawer open.
Yes, I have removed the drawers from the room now. Yes, I feed this dog. No, I can’t spend every moment with him. Yes, at least he didn’t eat the second box of crayons.
Yes, he’s sleeping here beside me as I type this. Yes, his stomach is growling.
Some Scottie parents continue to underestimate their kids, in spite of what Marilyn and Garry tell them.
Too soon old, too late smart!!!
Yes, this is a new picture of Morrie looking guilty! I should have known when he was in his cage when I entered the room and when he didn’t start clamoring to be let out of his room the minute I got home. I need a theme song similar to Jaws to start playing when I enter my house!!!
