In The Garden Of God’s Dream / A Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating / Friday: Chandor Gardens / 2018-19 School Calendar

Slung
against the sill
of the window,
the rays of the Sun
have fallen,
kissing goodby
the shadows that run
into the arms
of yesterday,
arms
that wave goodbye,
and
point the way,
to
Tomorrow.

And then,
the dark side
of day
is forced into
labor,
and we give birth
to our Dreams.

Every moment
passes away.
Every moment,
day by day.

But,
with every Prayer
we Pray,
our Heavenly Father
hears us say,
I Love You.
And
this Love
is here to
stay.

My Dear Friend,
there are
no shadows
on the wall,
if your Love
never existed
at all.

Love
defines us.
It refines us.
It is the
Light
within us
all.

As we
wander in this Beautiful Garden
of God’s Dream,
we never fully know
how much
we are
truly Loved.

    The Light within us all..

“There exists
only the present instant …

There is no yesterday nor any tomorrow,
but only Now … “

Meister Eckhart

Is it possible
that we dwell
in only one
dimension,
that everything is
Infinite,
and there is
only one
moment in Time –
that
everything else
is Illusion,
even death?

Our higher-self may exist in a
timeless realm.

Many scientists now believe
that Consciousness
is what makes up the Universe.
Everything seen and unseen, large and small,
are thoughts formed inside
a Cosmic Mind.
And because we are threads
of this Cosmic Consciousness,
WE
create our reality
with our thoughts and Beliefs.

                                We create our reality.

These scientists believe
this is how the Universe works.
We are part of a
Great Cosmic Mind
.
read more

According to Tania Kotsos
in “You are One with the Universal Mind”:
“Each and every one of us is a manifestation
of this single Universal Consciousness.
There is profound truth in the ancient teaching
that we are all One.
We are all connected – not only to each other
but to all of Nature and to everything in the Universe.
This is the Law of One.
What you do to others, you do to yourself.
The way you treat Nature, you in fact treat yourself.
The separateness you “see” is an illusion.
The true nature of reality is non-dualistic,
meaning that while things may appear distinct,
they are not separate.”
read more

“You are here.”
I’m always here.
I can’t go anywhere but here.
If I think I’ll leave here and go there,
when I get there,
here I am here
again.

“In light of it always being Now
and always being Here,
“Be Here Now”
isn’t just good advice,
it’s the only possibility.
If you want to experience the deepest truth
of things as they really are,
you are going to have to be in harmony
with being here,
now.”
Leigh Brasington

          Everything else is Illusion.

According to presentism,
only the present moment
is real.

“Our subjective sense of time
sits at the center of a perfect storm
of unsolved scientific mysteries:
consciousness, free will, relativity, quantum mechanics,
and the nature of time.”
Dean Buonomano
from: Your Brain Is a Time Machine:
The Neuroscience and Physics of Time

We may be inhabiting a Universe
in which all moments exist.
Einstein’s special theory of relativity
implies the existence
of space-time in which here, there and everywhere
exist alongside
the past, present and future.

This makes for
a case for
Eternalism,
the philosophy adopted from quantum theory
that the past, present, and future
all exist at the same time
and are not linear.

This
brings about deep
Philosophical and Spiritual
implications.

We seek wisdom and knowledge
from both the revelation of Scripture
and the physical world.
Scientific study is a valid way
of coming to an understanding
of God’s work.

The inscription
on the Ancient Greek Temple of Apollo at Delphi
left no room for misunderstanding:
“Know Thyself
and thou shalt know all the mysteries
of the gods and the Universe”.

Robert Lanza, M.D, scientist, theoretician
and author of “Biocentrism”
– How Life and Consciousness are the Keys
to Understanding the True Nature of the Universe

thinks there are many reasons why we won’t die –
that death is just
an illusion.
read more

Everything
you see and experience right now
is a whirlwind of information
occurring in your mind.
Space and time are simply the tools
of putting things together.

Lanza points out that death
does not exist
in a timeless, spaceless World.

There is no distinction between
past, present, and future.
It is only a stubbornly persistent
Illusion.

Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep

By Mary Elizabeth Frye
“Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there;
I did not die.”

Immortality doesn’t mean
a perpetual existence
in Time without end,
but rather resides
outside of time
altogether.

Albert Einstein once famously said:
” Reality is merely an
Illusion
,

although a very persistent one.”

Dear Friends,
Science
and Religion
are rapidly merging
and becoming
ONE!

They are both searching
for the same things,
and coming
to the same
conclusions.

“Conscious breathing of the Universe
creates a Symphony,
where we receive Life like a Gift
and release it
like a Present.”
André-Pascal Aappino

I find the study of this World
that we live in
to be enlightening, fascinating and interesting.
But more importantly,
the more I discover,
the more it solidifies my Faith in
God.

Faith is at the root of
Science and Religion.
They are not as separate
as you might think.
They both minister towards Mankind’s
craving for
Truth.

Yes,
Science explains much
of the natural World around us.
But,
Religion delves much, much deeper.
It explains the purpose and meaning
behind the natural World
and our existence in it.

I Love the way
a fourteen year old
explains:

“Science and Religion
are one in the same.
The only difference is in the way
they describe their theories.
Which contain similarities so similar
that you would believe they are one in the same.
Science clearly states
that everything was created by
and is energy.
Religion says God created
and is a part of everything.
Ask yourself what properties does energy have?
Well energy is infinite,
it can’t be created or destroyed,
always has and always will be.
God can be described similarly,
so similar in fact
that they could be called co-existing
or one in the same as depicted above.
By the way I am 14.”

WoW!

“My sheep hear My Voice,
and I know them,
and they follow me:
And I give unto them
Eternal Life;
and they shall never perish.”
John 10: 27-28

As your Heart
whispers in the wind,
about all the sorrow
and all the pain,
reflect upon
the Love that dwells
within.
For we are in
God’s Dream,
and He will
make His Love
real.

Not only is
God real,
YOU are real,
and He is in
You,
O Child of God.

Ask,
and He will be
with you,
now
and forever more.

Goodnight.

“May it be the shadows call
Will fly away.
May it be you journey on
To light the Day.
When the night is overcome,
You may rise to find the Sun.”
Ni Bhraonain Eith, Ryan Roma Shane

A Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating

The Nerd Fitness Diet Philosophy
read more

If I had to break down the Nerd Fitness Diet into a single sentence, it would go something like this:

“You’re smart and you know what real food is,
so stop eating crap.

You know what real food is: things that grew in the ground, on a tree, came out of the sea, ran on the land, or flew through the air.  Meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts are all great examples of REAL food.

On top of that, you know what crap food is: food that comes from a drive-thru window, a vending machine, box, bag, or wrapper.  If it has an ingredient list longer than A Game of Thrones, it’s probably not good for you.  If it started out as real food and then went through fourteen steps to get to the point where you’re about to eat it, it’s probably not good for you.

Use this information and combine it with this mantra: “you can’t outrun your fork“.  When trying to lose weight, feel healthy, and get in shape, 80% (not an exaggeration) of your success or failure will come from how well you eat – which is why this point is one of the cornerstones of the Rebellion.

Mental Preparation

Eat more real food, you must.  Eat less junk food, you will.

I realize this concept is nothing new or revolutionary, but up until now the ability to actually DO IT has eluded you for some reason – your heart wasn’t in it, you got sick, went on vacation, got bored, or just decided that you couldn’t live without certain foods (SPOILER ALERT: you can).

I am NOT a fan of “diets”, detoxes, juice cleanses, or crash-fads that result in vast fluctuations in your body weight and health.  These are the useless solutions that are sold to you in pill form, in MIRACLE DIET INFORMATION ads online, and in super expensive health food stores.

You are smarter than that.

Want to know what I am a fan of?  Small changes that produce big results, like my boy Optimus Prime.

You need to determine for yourself how likely you are to succeed depending on how many changes at once you can deal with:  Some people can radically adjust everything they eat overnight and have no adverse effects. Other people wouldn’t dream of giving up certain foods and the second they go more than a few days without it they become Crankenstein.

That choice is yours.  You need to determine:

  • How averse are you to change?
  • How much weight you think you need to lose?
  • How quickly you need to lose that weight? (wedding? honeymoon? vacation?)
  • How likely are you to stick with your changes?

Like playing a video game, you need to determine what level of difficulty you’re up for.  Sure playing on Difficult gives you less room for error, but it also hones your skills far more quickly and produces more impressive results.  Or maybe you’re cool with playing on easy, because you don’t have to be as neurotic and can have more fun with it.

Long story short: decide what method works best for you based on how radical of a change you’re chasing.  Just don’t overdo it – small permanent successes will beat out massively ambitious failures 100 times out of 100.

This is the reason behind our 10-level nutritional system that we follow here at NF! Each level gets a bit more challenging and healthier, but you can progress at your own speed to make your changes stick!

You can download our 10-Level Nutrition Guide when you sign up in the box right here:

Download our free weight loss guide

THE NERD FITNESS DIET: 10 Levels to Change Your Life

  • Follow our 10-level nutrition system at your own pace
  • What you need to know about weight loss and healthy eating
  • 3 Simple rules we follow every day to stay on target

Top of Form

I identify as a:

Woman

Man

Bottom of Form

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

Committing to change

If you are just eating better because somebody told you to or because you think you should (but don’t really have a real reason)…every day that you deprive yourself of your favorite foods will seem like torture – you’re going to fail miserably.

Instead, look at the changes you’re making to your diet as small steps on the path to a leveled up live.

You’re not depriving yourself of junk food because you want to suffer, but rather because you want a better life, a happier existence, and/or because you want to set a good example for your children.

As self-help guru Tony Robbins once said (I think it was him anyways): “nothing tastes as good as looking good feels.” 

It’s time to give up that instant gratification you get from eating a donut, a bag of chips, or six slices of pizza.

You are not a slave to your taste buds.

As we’ve learned from the Matrix, you DO have a choice – stop letting the food companies, who have all designed these crappy foods for maximum addictiveness, hold you hostage.

Free your mind, free your taste buds.

I can’t believe I just typed that.

Wait, yes I can. I’m a huge dork.

We’re not looking for instant gratification.  We’re looking for a long life full of epic winning.

Eating for dummies

Okay! You’re finally ready to start making some changes, but you’re not quite sure what you’re going to change or how you’re going to change it.

Hopefully you passed basic math back in the day; if you didn’t and you made it this far in life…I’m not even mad, I’m impressed.  Anyhoo, remember this basic equation:

  • One pound of fat = 3500 calories

If we do some complex synergistic rocket geometric algebra here, we can determine that 3500/7 = 500.

That means that if you are interested in losing ONE pound per week, you need to be eating 500 less calories per day (or burning 500 calories more per day).

Optimally, your 500 calorie deficit per day would come from a combination of increased exercise and decreased calorie intake, but lets just say for today that you’re going to focus on eating 500 less calories per day.

“But Steve, how do I do that?”

Great question, thank you so much for asking!

I HIGHLY recommend you spend the next three to four days tracking your calorie intake.

And when I say track them, I mean track EVERY FREAKING THING YOU EAT.  Yeah, those handful of M&M’s you stole off of Milton’s desk at work count.  So does that half can of coke you found in your back seat cupholder from last June.  So does the handful of french fries you stole from Paul while he was in the bathroom at MacDonald’s.

Every.

Single.

Calorie.

But counting calories is boring, right? And who has time to calculate all of that? Right?  Luckily, there’s this thing called the Internet – sign up for a calorie tracking site and start tracking!

Now, once you have a few days under your belt, take a look back and determine an average for what you’ve been eating and how many total calories you’ve been eating daily.

To lose a pound a week, knock 500 calories out of that diet per day.  If you want to lose half a pound a week, knock 250 calories out of your diet per day.

It might mean one less snack, ordering a smaller lunch, or cutting back on soda (liquid calories are BRUTAL). Note, if you track calories for a few days and you don’t lose weight, you’re probably underestimating or under reporting how you much food you eat.

Your body DOES obey the laws of thermodynamics (energy in, energy out), and your metabolism isn’t slow! You’re simply eating too much. I promise! Take 3 minutes to watch this if you’re convinced your metabolism doesn’t operate like normal:

A quick note: if you are used to eating 4,000 calories a day, switching to 2,000 per day will probably make you want to gnaw your arm off – instead, slowly decrease your calorie intake by a few hundred calories each week.

Think of your stomach like a muscle that needs to be trained – it needs to learn that it can function and operate on way less food than you’ve been giving it.

This is the most easy-to-understand method of weight loss – you still eat all of the same foods, you just have to adjust how much you are eating of those same foods.

Unfortunately, this method also produces the least optimal healthy results in my opinion and is the easiest to abandon (eating only HALF of something deliciously unhealthy is tougher than not eating it at all, in my opinion!) but it’s a great place for a newbie to start taking control of his/her eating.

Quality of Calories

Once you’ve learned how many calories you’re consuming, you might start to see a few pounds disappear, but it’s just a step in the right direction.  Hopefully this won’t come as a shock to you, but 2000 calories worth of gingerbread cookies doesn’t fuel your body the same way 2,000 calories of meat, vegetables, and fruit would.

Not all calories are created equal!

Your body digests certain types of nutrients differently, using them for all sorts of bodily functions: building muscle, transporting nutrients, fueling various organs or muscles, or storing energy as fat for later use.  Let’s take a look at how to compose a basic meal:

Protein: When you exercise, your muscles are broken down and then use protein to rebuild themselves stronger while recovering. Protein absolutely NEEDS to be a main component of every meal.  Aim for one gram per pound (two grams per KG) of lean body weight, or just do one gram per pound of body weight if you don’t want to do the math – with an upper limit of 200 grams.  Sources of protein include chicken, eggs, beef, pork, fish, nuts, legumes, quinoa, and most dairy products.

Carbohydrates: When you eat carbohydrates, they get converted to glucose (sugar) in your system, which is then used to provide energy for all sorts of body functions to take place.  Vegetables and/or fresh fruit are quality sources of carbohydrates, with grains being less so in my opinion…but we’ll get to more grains later. There are certainly bad carbohydrates (processed carbs, refined grains, and more), and those are the ones we want to avoid.  Unless you’re a marathon runner, you can function with WAY less carbs than you’re probably consuming now.

Fat:  Fat is easily the most misunderstood macro-nutrient in your diet; long story short: fat is absolutely critical to your body and should make up a BIG portion of your daily calories.  Things like avocados, almonds, olive oil, walnuts, and almond butter are great sources of healthy fat (polyunsaturatured and monounsaturated).  If you take this stance on saturated fat (personally, I do), then full fat milk, coconut milk, and fatty cuts of meat will provide you with sources of saturated fat.

The first thing I want to make sure you know is that the fat in your food is not what made you fat. It wasn’t until the past 40-50 years that poor fat was suddenly vilified (after a few scientific leaps of faith with no real evidence to back it up), which is why every “healthy” food these days is “low fat” or “fat free!”

Not surprisingly, our country is fatter and more unhealthy than ever, and yet people still avoid fat at all costs and consume more “healthy whole grains!” (ugh).

So what IS making us fat? Simple, refined, and/or processed carbohydrates! Rather than spend thirty minutes typing it out, I’d recommend instead that you spend three  minutes to watch this video to show WHY excessive carbohydrate consumption can make you fat:

For more in-depth reading on this subject, I highly recommend checking out Why We Got Fat by Gary Taubes, also the author of “What if it’s All Been a Big Fat Lie,” an must-read article that blew the doors off my thoughts on healthy back when I started my education.

So, if you’re looking to kick start your weight loss journey with healthy eating, start by swapping out processed refined carbohydrates for more natural foods.

Depending on your level of commitment and your ability to handle change, you might be better off making one small change every other week rather than a whole bunch of changes simultaneously.

This is a HUGE part of our 1-on-1 Coaching Program – working closely with each person to see what their lives are like and guiding them to make slow changes to their diet so they actually stick! 

Combine this with accountability, check-ins, and a workout program, and we’ve seen some pretty amazing results (like with Leslie here, a single mom who works super long hours that lost 100 lbs with our coaching).

READ MORE

In Philosophy Class this week:

2018-19 Anderson School Calendar

First Semester

September 4 – December 21   2018

Sept. 4 (Tuesday)                              First Day of First Semester

Oct 8 (Monday)                                 Columbus Day Holiday

Nov. 19 – 23                                       Thanksgiving / Fall Break

T. B. A.                                                 Texas A.G.T. Conference (no school)

Dec. 21 (Friday)                                 Last Day of Fall Semester

Dec. 24 – Jan. 7                                  Winter Break Holidays

Second Semester

January 8 – May 24   2019

Jan. 8 (Tuesday)                                 Second Semester begins

Jan. 21 (Monday)                               Rev. Dr. Martin L. King Holiday

Feb. 18 (Monday)                               President’s Day Holiday

Mar. 11 -15                                         Spring Break Holidays

April 19 & 22 (Fri. & Mon.)             Good Friday & Easter Holidays

May 20                                                Prep. Day for Adventure Trip     (no school)

May 21 – 24                                        Adventure Trip

May 24                                                Last Day of Semester

  Dr. & Mrs. Anderson may schedule 2-5 additional days
(to be announced later) for In-service Training.
Visit our website at
http://www.andersonschool.net
for updated information.

    The School Calendar is subject to change.
There are no make-up days
if school is closed due to
 inclement weather.

Inclement Weather Policy:
the school will close if Fort Worth I. S. D. is closed.

(Calendar 2018-2019 / approved 7-29-18)

“SPENDING TIME WITH CHILDREN
IS MORE IMPORTANT
THAN SPENDING MONEY ON CHILDREN.”
Anthony D. Williams, from: Inside the Divine Pattern

Lyrics/songs texts/paintings/articles
are property and copyright of their owners
and provided for educational purposes.

Copyright Disclaimer – Section 107 – Copyright Act 1976,
allowance is made for “fair use”
for purposes such as criticism, comment,
news reporting, teaching, scholarship,and research.
Fair use is permitted by copyright statute.
Non-profit, educational or personal use
tips the balance in favor of “fair use”.

© Copyright 1995-2018 The Anderson Private School.

All Rights Reserved

 

Adrift In The Stark Eternity / Natural Wellness Programs / Friday: Half Price Books and Movie – Race

 “Love is a canvas
furnished by Nature
and embroidered
by imagination.”

– Voltaire

Scenery

               Love is a canvas.

There’s a truth in your eyes,
In the smile
On your face.
It speaks
Of a Love within,
Showing
The Beauty
Of Inner Grace.

You say it best
When,
Knowing your children
Need you
And hearing them call,
The Love in your eyes speaks,
And you need say
Nothing at all.

Between two hearts
Lies an infinity
Of Worlds,
And of words
Never said.

sun

So much more than our imagining .

Adrift in the stark Eternity
Of a singular moment,
Within countless Realms
That are but One Place,

Dwells the Spirit of the Lord,
Holding you
In Warm Embrace.

“The most pathetic person
in the world

is someone who has sight
but no vision.”
Helen Keller

Keller

Love
Is a Vision,
And so much more
Than our imagining,
A different kind of seeing,
An Intuitive knowing,
In a place
Called the Heart.

“In every living thing
there is
the desire for love.”

D.H. Lawrence

  Love
Is not material,

  But energy,
Pure energy,
The purest form known,
The powerful, dynamic,
Indeed Spiritual
Creative Force
That gives birth
To every
Living thing.

globe

Countless Realms that are but One Place.

Love
Stirs the Stars around,
Makes the tears
And the rain

To fall,
Gives a child
Your name to call,
And the Sun
Reason to rise.
Love Catches you
When you fall.

You were created
To love
And be loved.
To no other purpose
Were you given
The precious Gift
Of Life.

meister

Meister Eckhart

“The eye
through which I see God

is the same eye
through which God
sees me;

my eye
and God’s eye
are one eye,

one seeing,
one knowing,
one Love.”

My Dear Friends,
Your child

Remembers
Every day
Filled with the warmth
Of your smile.

This image of a pair of interacting galaxies called Arp 273 was released to celebrate the 21st anniversary of the launch of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. The distorted shape of the larger of the two galaxies shows signs of tidal interactions with the smaller of the two. It is thought that the smaller galaxy has actually passed through the larger one.

     Love stirs the Stars around.

“I want one moment in time
When I’m more than I thought I could be
When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away
And the answers are all up to me.
Give me one moment in time

When I’m racing with destiny.
Then in that one moment of time
I will feel eternity.”
– Albert Hammond and John Bettis

In the Mathematics
Of Love,
Two are really One.
And in the Presence
Of God’s Grace,
One becomes
An infinite number
In dimensionless space,
That cannot be defined,
Only viewed as Art,
And found in a place
We know
As the Human Heart.

Keep smiling
My friend.
Your child hears
Every word
You do not speak.

Goodnight.

two

               Two are really One.

“Some day some old familiar rain
will come along and know my name.
And then my shelter will be gone
and I’ll have to move along.
But ’till I do I’ll stay awhile
and track the hidden country
of your smile.”
– Jimmie Rodgers

Newsletter
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 A person should receive five to eight good hugs per day
in order to maintain emotional stability.

Our thanks to Mia for sharing the following great resources:

From 4biddenknowledge:
New prescription you won’t see on TV

more here

A natural wellness program founded to provide a natural, non-drug approach to helping people with metabolic and nutritional imbalances that can lead to health problems traditionally treated with invasive prescription drug therapy, such as Type 2 Diabetes, Neuropathy and Heart Disease click the link below:

more here

“Being deeply loved
by someone gives you strength,
while loving someone deeply
gives you courage.”
– Lao Tzu

                                   For Friday Feb. 26, 2016

We will meet at 10:00 a.m. at Half-Price Books, located at 475 Sherry Lane, north of Ridgmar Mall –Telephone: 817-732-4111.

At approximately 11:00 a.m. we will travel to the Ridgmar Mall 2300 Green Oaks Road, Fort Worth, TX 76116 – TELEPHONE: 817-566-0025 to enjoy (burp!) lunch at the food court and then walk to the Rave Theater to enjoy the new movie: Race. Younger children may view another movie with the permission of Mrs. A.

PICK UP will be at the Rave Theater at 3:15 p.m.

  “There is no remedy for love
but to love more.”

– Henry David Thoreau

Synopsis
Track-and-field superstar Jesse Owens (Stephan James) prepares to compete in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

MPAA Rating: PG-13 scheduled to start at approximately 1:00 p.m. with a runtime of 134 minutes.

Starring: Stephan James, Jason Sudeikis, Jeremy Irons, Carice van Houten & William Hurt

Genre: Biography, Historical drama

Students with hot popcorn have permission to sit close to Dr. A. and Diana (the munchkins).

If you arrive late, we shall have departed with your child(ren) and will return to school.

Students are NOT to leave the bookstore, food court or theater without the approval of Dr. or Mrs. A.

FINANCIAL: Please provide funds for a book (as low as one or two dollars – see Mrs. A), lunch, snacks & ticket priced at $5.40. (May be higher.)

Uniform pants with a belt & red monogrammed school shirts are required.

PARENTS / FRIENDS / SIBLINGS / NEIGHBORS, are invited to participate on our trips.

“Love is that condition
in which the happiness
of another person

is essential
to your own.”

– Robert A. Heinlein

IMPORTANT DATES:
March 4 (1:00 PM) Stolen Shakespeare Guild Monologue and Scene Competition at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center (we have several young ladies competing in the finals)
March 14-18 Spring Break Holiday
March 25 & 28 (Fri. & Mon.) Easter Holiday
April 6 (Wednesday) Screening of Hamlet at The Modern Art Museum (11:00 am)
April 29 Scarborough Renaissance Festival
May 1 Tuition Due for 2016-2017 school year
May 2 & 3 (MONDAY & TUESDAY) Annual Anderson School Shakespeare Production (Hamlet)
May 15 (SUNDAY) Preparation for Adventure Trip
May 16-20 Adventure Trip to Little Rock, Ark.
May 20 Last Day of School
(See William’s Weblog at andersonschool.net for trip details (posted Wed. at 6:00 p.m.)

“The failure to read good books robert
both enfeebles the vision
and strengthens our most fatal tendency
– the belief that the here and now
is all there is.”

– Allan Bloom, The Closing of the American Mind

TRUNK

Folks, this is the kind of trunk
that our wonderful Director, George Rodriguez,
would like to use in our upcoming production
of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Quarto One .
If you know of one we could borrow
or buy, please let us know.
Thanks!

A . n . d . e . r . s . o . n
FOR THE GIFTED, TALENTED & MOVIE FANATICS
And precocious children are appreciated.

colors

   Love can only viewed as Art.

The Story of Love Begins and Ends With You.

The price of inaction
is far greater
than the cost of making a mistake.
                         – Meister Eckhart

Another beautiful creation found at the school.

Another beautiful creation found at the school.

Raising a child today is an overwhelming and seemingly, at many times for so many parents, impossible undertaking. Supporting the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development of a child from infancy to adulthood is today much, much more precarious and difficult than in any other generation. The prospect makes you feel worried about your ability to be successful.

All right! Who invited these clowns to lunch?

All right! Who invited these clowns to lunch?

This is becoming much more apparent as evidenced by so many children unable to survive what is rapidly evolving into an overly complex and incomprehensible future. Drop-out, drug and alcohol addiction and suicide rates are unbelievably high and accelerating.

My friends, by the millions our children are not surviving. But can we really place the blame on our overworked and stressed parents? I think not. What I do think is this: for answers, perhaps we have been looking in all the wrong places. We want to compete with other nations, and yet we already spend more to protect ourselves than all other nations on earth, combined.

Franklin Roosevelt was so right. The only thing we have to fear, is fear. And fear is running rampant. It is taking us so far down into a hole,

It was me!

          It was me!

that we cannot see the light above.

Natalie & Stoney were great friends.

Natalie & Stoney were great friends.

We place so much emphasis upon competition with other nations, that common sense and logic no longer reside in our neighborhood. We get so enamored with it, that our leaders forget the fact that human needs and desires can become insatiable. Our fears can override our capacity to employ common sense.

Moderation in all things” is a line from Andria, written in the second century B.C. by the Roman playwright Terence. And it echoes the “Golden Mean” emphasized two centuries earlier by Aristotle. The word ALL is employed in this concept with tremendous wisdom.

Competition with other nations, can become satiated with fear. And in overreacting, we suddenly find test scores and so called standards becoming our whole focus in education. I have witnessed the wholesale elimination of fundamental educational components such as vocational education classes (yes, entire programs), fine arts programs and (if it can even be believed) recess. And parents were asking, “Recess? Really, Recess? Are the members of the school board NUTS?”

Perhaps. They may need to hear the recording of Franklin Roosevelt reminding us that fear is what we need to fear. They may need to have it explained to them. Or better yet, just vote for board members who are more in control of such things as emotions and common sense . You know, there was a time when a person elected to such an office brought prestige to the board. Today, more often than not, they run for a place on the board to gain prestige for themselves. How sad.

My friends, in such an emotionally charged climate, we forget that what children truly want and need is very simple. The want love. They want us to know that how they feel is far more important than any other thing on earth. They could truly care less about a number on a piece of paper. And I must agree. Please throw away the paper and do not throw away your child for what is printed upon it. The ink on the paper will fade with the passing of time. But the love embedded in the heart of your child, can also fade. Poor judgement may become a tragic lesson too late for the learning.

So  express in words and deeds to your precious children just how much you truly care for them. Let them know of the depth of your love. And in the wink of an eye, your heart will be turning. You will feel two hearts beat as one. And you will come to know just what this life is really all about. In that moment, a great truth will be revealed.

Walking Stick on Door

The walking stick – among the most intriguing of insects – has raised camouflage, mimicry and defense to a veritable art form. I’m trying to teach this one to read.

The story of love begins and ends with you. The veil of all fear will disintegrate in the presence of your love. Your life will become focused, if you look through the lens of your heart. For, my friends, nothing else matters. Not to your children, not to you and not to me.

If you die today, will your child ever know the true depth of your love? Why don’t you turn off your computer, now, and quietly go to him or her and ask, “May I speak with you for a moment?” And when you do, search in their eyes for the soul of the child you once were, and tell them the truth – that your life begins and ends with them, that nothing else in this life, or the next, matters. Without the shadow of their smile cast upon the landscape of your life, the sun will never shine.

Can you believe this tiny beauty. He was gently placed back where he was found.

Can you believe this tiny beauty. He was gently placed back where he was found.

As Rod McKuen so beautifully intoned in music :

“I’ll catch the sun and never give it back again.
I’ll catch the sun and keep it for my own.
And in a world where no one understands,
I’ll take my outstretched hand,
and offer it to anyone
who comes along and tells me,
he’s in need of love,
in need of hope
or maybe just a friend.”

It is so good to need love.

Our precious Natalie passed away.

Natalie

Natalie

I fondly recall seeing her about 14 years ago. She was at the top of the hill just east of the school. Natalie was beside the road where someone had dropped her off. She anxiously awaited her “loyal” master and looked longingly into each passing vehicle. She was the most beautiful dog I ever saw.

I felt very sad for her and took food and water to her side for four days. Finally, I drove up the hill, placed her in my car and into my heart and brought her home. And what a blessing she has been for so many years.

NATALIE

Our beloved Natalie truly loved everyone she met.

Why her owner left her along that road, God only knows. But that person left behind a lesson in true loving. He left out in the cold a real friend that warmed the hearts of many.

And now, as I listen to the lilting lyrics of another song by McKuen, I reflect upon the many years with my friend and companion, Natalie. When he sings that, “Love’s Been Good To Me”, I can embrace, with deep gratitude, the music of Natalie’s life. Yes, love’s been good to me. And Natalie was there to give as much love as her small heart could.

Natalie attended the service for Rosie.

Natalie attended the service for Rosie. She felt the loss as much as I did.

You know, I could never be alone, because Natalie had a home. And I was there to share it with her, along with countless children here at school. I know our students, past and present, will be saddened by her loss for she made her home in our hearts.

Reflection upon such gifts as God bestows, sometimes gives us the wisdom to be grateful.  So as you go along life’s brief journey, it’s a good thing to remember that it is filled with remarkable gifts.

When, in the eye of time,  my dear friend Robert “Stoney” Burke and I said a heartfelt and tearful goodbye, my prayer was one of thanksgiving. What a beautiful gift the life and love of Natalie was to me, to Stoney and everyone. What a Blessing.

Here we find a rare display of color.

Here we find a rare display of color in one of our friends.

Thank you.