Being Proactive

I am being incredibly proactive.  I just finished writing my post for Christmas.

Next year.

Yes, I decided that I never get around to a proper holiday post, so why not do it now, while I’m in the spirit and have major inspiration.  I need to add a picture, but I have it all ready for the 24th of next year.  It’s kind of fun.  Like a little present to myself and all my readers.  Now, sure, it takes away the surprise if I tell you now that I already typed it up, but will you actually remember that I told you that?  Probably not.

I’m never one to be very good at blogging on time.  In fact, I’ve become quite horrible about it.  I was much better with the WordPress challenge of Postaweek  last year.  It was much easier when I had a deadline.

But I’m trying.

I’m trying to get back on track to blogging more regularly, along with writing query letters and writing in general.  I’ve gotten bogged down in holiday cheer and the whole relaxing after a crazy summer and fall.  I have millions of ideas in my heads, and actually some time to write, yet I spend it futzing and reading.  Oh well.  Reading is important.

So, here’s to one of my New Year’s resolution of being proactive.

Signing off

~Kate

Suspended for Long Hair

While I think most school dress codes are a good thing, there are times you sort of wonder.  There are always going to be times when a rule needs to be stretched and in the case of an Ohio boy growing out his hair for a charity, that is a time for such a stretch.  Below is the article taken from Yahoo news.

Student suspended for growing hair for charity Locks of Love

By Nadine Bells

Shine On Blogger

 

By Nadine Bells | Shine On – Wed, 24 Oct, 2012 1:43 PM

Zachary Aufderheide has been suspended by his school for growing his hair even though it is for charity. (Face …What was supposed to be a thoughtful gesture for charity has resulted in a suspension for one Ohio teen.

Zachary Aufderheide, 17, of Canton, Ohio, is growing out his hair to donate a 10-inch ponytail to Locks of Love, an organization that provides wigs for cancer patients.

However, his growing hair violates his high school’s dress code, so Canton South High School gave the junior an ultimatum, cut his hair or face a two-day in-school suspension.

Only one inch away from his goal, Aufderheide chose the suspension. He doesn’t know what will happen at the end of the suspension, but is determined to donate his hair.

Aufderheide’s mother, Robin, tells ABC News that her son approached the school board in September to explain the importance of what he was doing and to ask them to support him in reaching his goal.

“I can understand where they’re coming from. They’ve had this dress code policy for so long, but I don’t understand why they can’t make one simple exception this one time,” Zach tells WKYC-TV.

Despite board members commending Aufderheide’s efforts, they still voted to uphold the school’s dress code.

“What he’s doing is against board policy. The decision on this one, tough as it was, was to follow the board policies written,” says school board president John Martin.

“I feel pretty disappointed with their decision because, honestly, I really put a lot of heart and soul into my demonstration, like, my presentation of the idea to them, and then when they just all unanimously voted against it…it was just kind of heartbreaking to me,” Aufderheide tells ABC News.

Aufderheide insists that he’ll maintain his hair at regulation length following the donation to Locks of Love.

Last winter, a Michigan teen was suspended for the same reason.

Seventeen-year-old J.T. Gaskins, 17, is a leukaemia survivor and wanted to give back by donating to Locks of Love.

“I’m fighting for them to make it an option for kids to grow out their hair for Locks of Love, to make it a part of the school and raise awareness for all cancer charities out there that can help patients,” Gaskins says of the petition he and his mother launched, asking the school to change its policy on hair.

“It wouldn’t be a change to where people find a loophole just to grow out their hair.”

“I’m fine with all of their rules,” Gaskins adds. “I just think that with this, they could try to make a compromise.”

The school responded to the petition with options for Gaskins, promising to support the teen as long as he styled his growing hair in a way that was compliant with school rules, kept out of his eyes and off his shirt collar.

In the end, Gaskins opted to look for a new school.

Should school’s hair rules make exceptions for Locks of Love donations? What about other dress code violations in the name of charity?

So, what say you, all my readers?  Personally, for a boy who has survived  leukaemia, I think this was a wonderful thing to do.  I also think this Locks of Love sounds like a very good charity.  As I just had my hair cut to shoulder length, it would be hard to have that long of hair for a while, but what a wonderful charity.  Something to think about for the future.  Check it out.

Signing off

~Kate

Running For Myself

Recently I have taken up running and last night I accomplished a mile.  For many, that might not be very far, but for me it was huge.  Now, granted, I didn’t run the whole mile straight, but in increments.

Why did I start running?  Well, honestly I have to thank George as the one to inspire me to start it up.  George is in really good physical shape and he runs.  Recently he told me about an 8 mile run he did.  8 miles!  I can’t even dream of that right now and I’m not sure I will ever get there, but that’s not the point.  George is the reason I wanted to try running.

I think one of the other reasons for deciding to tackle something that I’ve tried before and said, ‘No way am I ever going to do that again”, was because in the last month I lost 8 pounds due to a jello and ice water diet.  (no, that was not intentional, but due to some health issues) While loosing that much weight wasn’t quite what I had been going for, I had needed it.  It kind of became my reason to keep it off.  I’ve wanted to lose about 15 pounds for a while and now that half of it is gone…. What’s stopping me from those extra few?  Pretty much only myself is stopping me.

I’ve run three times since starting two, almost three, weeks ago.  I know, that means I’m running once a week.  Not much, but on the off days I’m biking uphill into town for the mail, or to go to the library, or well, just whenever I need to go into town.  That little bit extra keeps me going.

Is running fun?  Not really, at least not at first.  But there I was finishing up running half a mile thinking to myself, only two more laps and I have a mile. I can do this.  After the 3/4 mark I was grinning.  Beet red and glowing (I.E. sweating)  I thought I might not make it, but I pushed.  That last 1/4 mile was kind of killer.  But you know, I made it.  I finished out the running on one of my new favorite songs (One Direction’s “That’s What Makes You Beautiful”) Don’t go off on that, I like funky music.  I was so red and gasping for air.  I was tired and hot, but I felt great.  Talk about a high.  I was buzzing. It might have been from lack of oxygen, but I really think it was that adrenaline rush.  And talk about a rush.  I was glowing, not sweating but actually glowing, for about two hours afterwards.

So, after some really bad dance moves and jiggles on the football field (where I ran) and a nice bike ride home I was wired.  I can’t wait to tell George who recently told me that first run is horrible.  Man was he right, but he was also right that it gets better.  Damn straight it gets better.

I can’t wait for my next run.  It might not be till next week, but I seriously can’t wait.

On a side note, the running made me inspired to write more. Don’t ask  me why.  Maybe it was the high. (and pardon that rhyme)

Signing off

~Kate

2011 in Review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

 

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 4,600 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 4 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

 

I want to thank everyone who visited and took the time to click the ‘Like’ , ‘Follow’, and ‘Leave a Comment’ button.  You’ve all kept me going and wanting to write even more.

Thank you for making this blog possible.  The report is interesting to view, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Thank you so much and I look forward to writing more in 2012, filling up your inbox with new posts.

Signing off, in 2011

~Kate

The Wisdom of a Cup of Good Earth Tea

I collect weird things.  Okay, not all of them are weird.  Lots of people collect rocks.  Bolts and nuts, not so much, but that’s another story.  One thing I love to collect is the teabag papers from Good Earth Teas.  Why?

The quotes. 

There is a quote on every paper.

And here are some random ones that I pulled out of the pile that I have.

Don’t let it end like this.  Tell them I said something. ~ Pancho Villa, last words (1877-1923)

For much wood a  little fire suffices. ~ Wise Saying from the Orient

A witty saying proves nothing. ~ Voltiare (1694-1778)

All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them. ~ Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)

Always bear in mind that your resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing. ~ Abraham Lincoln (1808-1865)

When God made time, He made enough of it. ~ Celtic Saying

Anything too stupid to be said is sung. ~ Voltaire (1694-1778)

God has two dwellings: one in heaven, and the other in a meek and thankful heart. ~ Izaak Walton (1593-1683)

It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one. ~ George Washington (1732-1799)

When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President.  Now I’m beginning to believe it. ~ Clarence Darrow (1857-1938)

In science the credit goes to the man who convinces the world, not the man to whom the idea first occurs. ~ Sire Francis Darwin (1848-1925)

Artists who seek perfection in everything are those who cannot attain it in anything. Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863)

Ignorance of certain subjects is a great part of wisdom. ~ Hugo De Groot (1583-1645)

Those are just a sampling of the ones I’ve collected over the past couple years.  I’m still not sure what I’m going to do with all the tags, but now my sister is indulging me and saving the tags from her teabags as well.  It’s fun to have that little bit of a quote in your head throughout the day.  A smidgen of awareness.

Signing off

~Kate