They disappeared through the double doors into a sea of kids. After a few seconds I couldn’t even see them. I had just handed my girls off to a group of strangers and would not see them for six [...]]]> I felt the same way that I did on the first day my girls went to kindergarten.

They disappeared through the double doors into a sea of kids. After a few seconds I couldn’t even see them. I had just handed my girls off to a group of strangers and would not see them for six hours. The urge to shed a tear was there, just like it was on the first day they set foot inside the school. The little ball of angst was there in the pit of my stomach …

… will they remember where I said I’d meet them?
… will they stick together, as they had arranged, or would circumstances pull them in different directions?
… would they remember the directions they were given to get to their registration station?
… would they know who to go to if they have a problem?
… would they be able to do the activities they had planned on doing?
… will they find the bathrooms or will they just try to hold it all day?
… would they remember they ordered vegetarian sandwiches for lunch, or would they take someone else’s ham sandwich?

but then, I remember that my kids are resourceful. They’re resilient. They’re smart. And, by crikey, they’re not 5 years old any more! They’re 9 and 10. Of course they’ll be fine! They’ll have a ball!

The girls are attending the SIT Conference, Students Involved in Technology, at Heartland Community College. It’s run by kids, for kids. If you’re an adult and you want to attend, you either have to volunteer or you have to register – no hand holding here, dear!

When Ms. Riccio, the library teacher, offered Paris and Ciel a scholarship to the conference, they were so excited! “It’s going to be just like when you go to a conference, Mommy!” They had to pick their lunches when they registered online, and then they have to pick the sessions they go to. I downloaded the list yesterday and I couldn’t believe the range of choices! Everything from Webkinz (and FarmVille) to making your own robot. Srsly? Robotics, green technology, geocaching, design, video, animation, and Ciel’s chosen field of interest: Forensics. Are you kidding me? My girls were wishing that this was held over about five days so they could attend all the sessions they wanted! Wizard 101, Club Penguin, Zoo Tycoon, Petz5, Webkinz and Farmville could take up one day just on their own!

I really can’t wait until 2pm when I pick them up to find out just what they thought of the day, and hear all the new programs they want to download, and how Ciel no longer wants to be a vet, but a forensic scientist! Really, I just want to hear all about Billybob the Monkeybot & Techno-Pranks – yes, they signed up for that one!

Make sure you check the video today, this is classic Aussie new wave from the late 1970’s. Sheesh, am I really that old?

I’ve only ever been to three funerals that I can remember. Nanny Elsie was the mother of my uncle [...]]]> I have an aversion to death. I don’t deal with it well, so I tend to avoid the subject – until I was confronted with a situation recently involving the death of my best friend’s husband.

I’ve only ever been to three funerals that I can remember. Nanny Elsie was the mother of my uncle who adopted me and became my dad (long story … another time), and I wasn’t very old when I attended her funeral. Ten or 11, at a guess. I think I remember peering into the big hole in the ground, but that’s about it.

The second funeral was that of my boss. Eric Green was one of those people who commanded attention by doing nothing. Maybe this was why most of those in positions of authority at the ASU Airlines Branch didn’t get on with Eric too well. He was someone I gravitated toward, and our working relationship was exemplary. Eric was a union organizer (or, as we called them at the ASU “Industrial Officer”) and was responsible for the ASU members who were pilots. This was in response to the pilots’ dispute in 1989, which was before my time with the ASU.

Eric Green

It was a shock to all when we heard the news that Eric had passed away, while returning a video to the local video store. He was just one of those people who should have been around forever. The church was filled to capacity for Eric’s funeral. There was a white coffin at the front of the church, and I looked at the program just as the congregation started singing “Swing Low Sweet Chariot”. My knees buckled, and – thank goodness for the two American pilots standing on each side of me – I was able to sit in the tiny ledge behind me. I reiterate to this day that, if the church had spontaneously combusted on that day, I would have had to stay there, because my legs were like jelly. I could not have put one in front of the other if I had tried. Eric, you are still remembered fondly, and I’m sure I’m not the only one to say that.

Francis Irvin

Francis was the champion of children and the underprivileged. As well as being on the MCCA Board, he was also on the board of the Boys & Girls Club, and held many other positions of importance within the community – in many ways, Francis was the conscience of McLean County.

I couldn’t go to the visitation. I won’t go to visitations. I can’t even look at dead people on the television, so it’s a safe bet that I’m not going up close and personal with our dearly departed. Of course, I attended Francis’ funeral, at the Universalist Unitarian Church, where he worshiped every Sunday. They had to open up a side room to fit all the mourners in the church, and I wept openly as the Boys & Girls Club choir sang songs in praise of this wonderful man who regularly visited the Club to play with the children. I didn’t feel embarrassed or ashamed of my tears, we all cried a river that day.

There are a group of us who met on eBay’s Jewelry chat board over ten years ago. We remain friends still, through email and (somewhat) through Facebook. One of us, darling Jeannie, passed away last year. I didn’t know. Didn’t read the email. Didn’t want to read the email. It wasn’t until the rest of the group started talking about flowers and funerals that I discovered that Jeannie didn’t make it as long as she though she was going to.

Darling Mary moved with her husband from the icy tundra of Minneapolis to their previous hometown of Pittsburgh, PA. Bob had some health issues, but I don’t think I was the only who who was surprised when he passed away after a relatively routine hospital procedure. I don’t think I participated in the group’s emails for a little under a month. I can participate in the conversations now, but I’ve come to the conclusion that the only way I can deal with death is sheer avoidance. No, silly, I don’t mean that avoiding dying is the solution … when it comes to others, I just have to pretend it hasn’t happened.

Lee & Glen

I so badly want to be with Lee, to give her a hug, hug the children, and just make sure everything’s going to be OK. Of course, that is beyond my power, but you can bet I’m with her in spirit, and she knows I’m only a phone call away.

But … the point of this post was not to deal with my fear of death. The point of this has not become evident as yet. It’s …

RIP

Requiescat
In
Pace

Rest
In
Peace

Doesn’t it lose some of it’s meaning for you when you see “RIP”? I’m sure there is a reason this is said in it’s short form 99% of the time, but dammit, the meaning has gone! When you see “RIP” you know someone has passed away (see, I can’t even say they “died” – it’s too final), but do you ever stop to think of the true meaning? The phrase in Latin, I have no doubt, was shortened because of the need to fit as much information as possible on the headstone of the grave. What do you think?

They say that if we shorten things, we don’t get their full value – we don’t use the full potential. Having said that, I have no desire to be known as Victoria. Thank you. I was told in the past, by a tarot card reader no less, that when I shorten my name, I shorten my potential. Hey, there could be something in that!

In the current online-oriented climate, the shorter the better. How else are you going to fit all your information into a 140 character twitter post? How else are the youth going to instantly warn their online friends that they are in imminent danger of having their conversation “busted” because they are being watched by a parent (POS)? Are we in such a hurry that we have to go to the DMV and not the Department of Motor Vehicles? Why yes, thank you, we are! It might add 2 seconds to our conversation, which could be the difference in making the green light or the red light. So let’s just make everything as short and concise as possible and hope that our partners in conversation understand us.

Do you know the meaning of all the acronyms you use, or do you, like me, have to do a quick google search every now and again? Did you know there is actually an acronym for acronyms? Look it up, I dare you! Here is a great blog post from 2005 on acronyms, from IT (Internet Techonology) Toolbox. I had to laugh at the paragraph explaining that sometimes the acronym takes longer to say than the words it it replacing (www, for instance).

That’s enough philosophizing for me for one day. I have no doubt that Puff Daddy would not be Glen’s artist of choice, but I know of no better song to say goodbye, friend.

Or. TTFN!

I’ve been spending a lot of time lately on just two websites. The first is the home of a magazine I apparently subscribed to. The label says that my subscription expires in September 2010, yet I don’t remember subscribing [...]]]> Where did that term come from? “Interweb”? It’s obviously a fusion of “internet” and “web”, but why?

I’ve been spending a lot of time lately on just two websites. The first is the home of a magazine I apparently subscribed to. The label says that my subscription expires in September 2010, yet I don’t remember subscribing at all. It’s all good though, this is a wonderful magazine! It’s called ReadyMade and it has some really wonderful, craft ideas, as well as incredible inspiration. There are too many categories of projects to list, but what I love is that each has a little grid showing how much it’s going to cost and the skill level required as well as the amount of time it’s going to take to make it. Check it out!

The second site is Instructables.com – I came across this one while surfing for ideas for outdoor christmas ornaments for the Community Gardens Christmas tree. Three are some amazing ideas here! You NEED to check this one out!

So, while browsing through my latest issue of ReadyMade magazine, I came across the website of Lea Redmond at Leafcutter Designs. What a creative young lady! I wish I had just an ounce of her creativity, I’d be set for life! Check out her handmade shoes. Just wonderful.

Speaking of the Community Gardens, I need to list an event on the website. Seeya later! Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving, and don’t overstuff yourself on the tofurkey – OK?