Starting Over is Forfeiting the End / Where JOY Hides and How To Find It / Friday: Modern Art Museum

What we endear,
defines
what we can endure.
The weather
in the mind
may be
cloudy or clear,
intemperate,
or to your Sacred Heart,
very dear.

“I have been thinking about this for a long time;
trying to understand how we are asked
by merely waking
to endure the hardships of living
and how we are asked,
in the midst of that struggle,
and often through the openings that struggle creates,
to endear ourselves
into the Fabric of Life.”
– Mark Nepo
To Endure and Endear
read more

But
True Love,
My Dear Friend,
is a term of
endearment
meant for us all.
From the start,
God expresses his deep and abiding
affection for us.

The Love of God,
is beyond definition.
It defies even death.
The Ultimate Love
of God
defines
Eternity.

“Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.”
– Frederick M. Lehman
(The Love of God)

My Friends,
give Life,
and the Love of Life,
a new beginning
so the morrow
may become a friend.
Starting over
is forfeiting the end.

In our stories
of Hope,
we harvest
every Season
of the Heart.

Joy,
the second fruit of the Spirit,
(Galatians 5:22)
is more than just happiness.
There is
a Joy that God gives
that far exceeds
mere Human cheerfulness.

    You are not shade or shadow.

Seeing clearly,
we find
our mortal shapes
made of clay,
walk in the LIGHT
of God’s Pure Love
day by day.

He can make you laugh,
and teach you
once again,
to play and have fun,
and bask
in the Glorious Light
of His Sun.

You are not
shade or shadow.
Your Spirit
need never lie
in the field
fallow.

My Friend,
the shape
of Life’s Compass,
is in the likeness
of the Cross.
Such Compassion,
as was His suffering
and sacrifice,
truly
shows us the
WAY.

The shape of Life’s Compass.

Our perilous imaginations
can preclude
the common denominator
of common sense.

What ultimately matters
has nothing to do
with matter,
and everything
to do with
the Spirit.

Go
to your Heavenly Father
in Prayer.
He is listening
to hear the
the sound of your voice,
just as YOU
long to hear
the sound
of your precious
Child.

“Arise,
Cry aloud in the night,
At the beginning of the night watches;
Pour out your Heart like water
Before the presence of the Lord.”
– Lamentations 2:19

Yes,
a Child of yours,
crying aloud
in need in the night,
would find YOU
to be
by their side.
And so it is
with your Father
in Heaven Above.

“No temptation has overtaken you
except what is COMMON to mankind.
And God is Faithful;
He will not let you be tempted
beyond what you can bear.
But when you are tempted,
he will also provide a way out
so that you can endure it.”
– First Corinthians 10:13

This Scripture
teaches us something wonderful.
If we belong to God,
He will not allow any difficulty
to come into our lives
that we are not capable of bearing.
With every temptation,
with every trial that comes our way,
God will remain Faithful
to us;
He will provide
a way to endure.

Goodnight.

Where JOY Hides
and How To Find It.

by Ingrid Fetell Lee
click here for more

 “I know what joy feels like, but what is it, exactly?” And I found that even scientists don’t always agree, and they sometimes use the words “joy” and “happiness” and “positivity” more or less interchangeably. But broadly speaking, when psychologists use the word joy, what they mean is an intense, momentary experience of positive emotion — one that makes us smile and laugh and feel like we want to jump up and down. And this is actually a technical thing. That feeling of wanting to jump up and down is one of the ways that scientists measure joy. It’s different than happiness, which measures how good we feel over time. Joy is about feeling good in the moment, right now. And this was interesting to me because as a culture, we are obsessed with the pursuit of happiness, and yet in the process, we kind of overlook joy.

So this got me thinking: Where does joy come from? I started asking everyone I knew, and even people I just met on the street, about the things that brought them joy. On the subway, in a café, on an airplane, it was, “Hi, nice to meet you. What brings you joy?” I felt like a detective. I was like, “When did you last see it? Who were you with? What color was it? Did anyone else see it?” I was the Nancy Drew of joy.

(Laughter)

And after a few months of this, I noticed that there were certain things that started to come up again and again and again. They were things like cherry blossoms and bubbles … swimming pools and tree houses … hot air balloons and googly eyes –

(Laughter)

and ice cream cones, especially the ones with the sprinkles. These things seemed to cut across lines of age and gender and ethnicity. I mean, if you think about it, we all stop and turn our heads to the sky when the multicolored arc of a rainbow streaks across it. And fireworks – we don’t even need to know what they’re for, and we feel like we’re celebrating, too. These things aren’t joyful for just a few people; they’re joyful for nearly everyone. They’re universally joyful. And seeing them all together, it gave me this indescribably hopeful feeling.

The sharply divided, politically polarized world we live in sometimes has the effect of making our differences feel so vast as to be insurmountable. And yet underneath it all, there’s a part of each of us that finds joy in the same things. And though we’re often told that these are just passing pleasures, in fact, they’re really important, because they remind us of the shared humanity we find in our common experience of the physical world.

But I still needed to know: What is it about these things that makes them so joyful? I had pictures of them up on my studio wall, and every day, I would come in and try to make sense of it. And then one day, something just clicked. I saw all these patterns: round things … pops of bright color … symmetrical shapes … a sense of abundance and multiplicity … a feeling of lightness or elevation. When I saw it this way, I realized that though the feeling of joy is mysterious and elusive, we can access it through tangible, physical attributes, or what designers call aesthetics, a word that comes from the same root as the Greek word “aísthomai,” which means, “I feel,” “I sense,” “I perceive.”

And since these patterns were telling me that joy begins with the senses, I began calling them “Aesthetics of Joy”; the sensations of joy. And in the wake of this discovery, I noticed something that as I walked around, I began spotting little moments of joy everywhere I went – a vintage yellow car or a clever piece of street art. It was like I had a pair of rose-colored glasses, and now that I knew what to look for, I was seeing it everywhere. It was like these little moments of joy were hidden in plain sight.

And at the same time, I had another realization, that if these are the things that bring us joy, then why does so much of the world look like this?

(Laughter)

Why do we go to work here? Why do we send our kids to schools that look like this? Why do our cities look like this? And this is most acute for the places that house the people that are most vulnerable among us: nursing homes, hospitals, homeless shelters, housing projects. How did we end up in a world that looks like this?

We all start out joyful, but as we get older, being colorful or exuberant opens us up to judgment. Adults who exhibit genuine joy are often dismissed as childish or unserious or self-indulgent, and so we hold ourselves back from joy, and we end up in a world that looks like this.

But if the aesthetics of joy can be used to help us find more joy in the world around us, then couldn’t they also be used to create more joy? I spent that last two years scouring the planet, looking for different ways that people have answered this question.

And this led me to the work of the artist Arakawa and the poet Madeline Gins, who believed that these kinds of environments are literally killing us. And so they set out the create an apartment building that they believed would reverse aging. And this is it.

(Laughter)

(Applause)

It’s a real place, just outside Tokyo. I spent a night there, and it’s a lot.

(Laughter)

The floors undulate, so you don’t end up walking around so much as kind of bouncing around the apartment, and there are bright colors in every direction. I’m not sure I left any younger, but it’s as if, by trying to create an apartment that would make us feel youthful, they ended up creating one that was joyful. And yes, this is a bit much for everyday life, but it made me wonder: What about the rest of us? How do we bring these ideas back into the real world?

So I started finding people who were doing just that. For example, this hospital, designed by the Danish artist Poul Gernes. Or these schools, transformed by the non-profit Publicolor. What’s interesting is that Publicolor has heard from school administrators who say that attendance improves, graffiti disappears and kids actually say they feel safer in these painted schools. And this aligns with research conducted in four countries, which shows that people working in more colorful offices are actually more alert, more confident and friendlier than those working in drab spaces.

Why would this be the case? Well, as I started to trace back our love of color, I found that some researchers see a connection to our evolution. Color, in a very primal way, is a sign of life, a sign of energy. And the same is true of abundance. We evolved in a world where scarcity is dangerous, and abundance meant survival. So, one confetto – which happens to be the singular of confetti, in case you were wondering –

(Laughter)

isn’t very joyful, but multiply it, and you have a handful of one of the most joyful substances on the planet. The architect Emmanuelle Moureaux uses this idea in her work a lot. This is a nursing home she designed, where she uses these multicolored spheres to create a feeling of abundance. And what about all those round things I noticed? Well, it turns out neuroscientists have studied this, too.

They put people into fMRI machines, and they showed them pictures of angular objects and round ones. And what they found is that the amygdala, a part of the brain associated in part with fear and anxiety, lit up when people looked at angular objects, but not when they looked at the round ones. They speculate that because angles in nature are often associated with objects that might be dangerous to us, that we evolved an unconscious sense of caution around these shapes, whereas curves set us at ease.

You can see this in action in the new Sandy Hook Elementary School. After the mass shooting there in 2012, the architects Svigals + Partners knew that they needed to create a building that was secure, but they wanted to create one that was joyful, and so they filled it with curves. There are waves running along the side of the building, and these squiggly canopies over the entryway, and the whole building bends toward the entrance in a welcoming gesture.

Each moment of joy is small, but over time, they add up to more than the sum of their parts. And so maybe instead of chasing after happiness, what we should be doing is embracing Joy and finding ways to put ourselves in the path of it more often. Deep within us, we all have this impulse to seek out joy in our surroundings. And we have it for a reason. Joy isn’t some superfluous extra. It’s directly connected to our fundamental instinct for survival. On the most basic level, the drive toward joy is the drive toward life.

For Philosophy 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)

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

The Memory, the Magic, the Mystery / The Healing Power of Laughter / Sept. 4: Classes resume

                 Endless in its Beauty

At every crossroad
we have a choice.
We travel in one
direction
or another,
never knowing
we are all lost
in the vast void
of timeless space.

Timeless
in the moment,
without form
in the now
to be,
and truly ageless
in our search for Love,
our Love for Life,
and for one another.

“The end of all our exploring
will be to arrive where we started
and know the place
for the first time.”
– T. S. Eliot
.

And then one day
we come to see
God,
in His Love
for all there ever was,
and all there is
to ever be.

We each live
for but a moment,
just one brief moment,
the moment
when we realize
the Heart of God
beats within
every lonely
Life
in search of Love,
and longing
to be.

       Dog-leaping Happiness                        (Our precious Lila, shortly before she departed us in this Life)

In the Sacred Time
of that moment
lives the memory,
the magic,
the Mystery
of Life
and Living.

“I am almost a hundred years old;
waiting for the end,
and thinking about the beginning.

Meg Rosoff

There are things I need to tell you,
but would you listen if I told you
how quickly time passes?

I know you are unable to imagine this.

Nevertheless,
I can tell you that you will awake someday
to find that your life
has rushed by at a speed
at once impossible and cruel.

The most intense moments
will seem to have occurred only yesterday
and nothing
will have erased the pain and pleasure,
the impossible intensity of Love
and its dog-leaping Happiness,
the bleak blackness of passions unrequited,
or unexpressed, or unresolved.”
– Meg Rosoff

                  Endless in its Beauty.

My Dear Friends,
the Love of God
will never let you go.
In His Arms
you can never
be alone.

His Love
bears the Torch
to Light the Way.
It restores
all Life
to another day.

Do not let
your thoughts
close the door
to your precious Heart,
for only it may see
the Rainbow
through a rain of tears
that promises
not in vain,
to return God’s Love
again and again.

                           Endless . . .

From the Sacred ground
blossoms all Life,
endless in its Beauty,
now
and to be.

In Nature,
the end
is the beginning.
And so it is
with us.
With our Mother
Earth,
and God as our
Father,
in mind and in memory,
and in all things that matter,
every moment is
resurrected,
and Life and Love
go on.

In God’s Love
there is no
loss,
only what is
found.

And,
there is rest
for the weary
Soul.

Cecelia Weir

“There is Rest For The Weary,
True rest for the Soul.
Troubles, trials and tribulations.
Yes, the agony of time
As Eternity rolls.

Faith is the key.
Prayer is the answer.
And God got it all in control.
If you’ll just go to Him,
And talk as you stroll along,
The relief will begin to surface
And you Heart will be made strong.

Be encouraged in this Life
For there can be Happiness
Right here on Earth.
Despite its pain,
Its misery and its strife.
The good Lord loves you
He sees, He knows, and He cares.
If we but only trust Him

For He is Love..
And He is Light….
He’ll be your Light.
He’ll be your Guide.
For He’s always there
Right by your side.
Live in your Soulful rest.
That the Heartfelt ease
Will give you Life at its best.
Rest, rest, in the Lord.
For He is..
Rest
For The Weary.”
– Cecelia Weir

                     The Sun restores Life.

As our Lives
return a borrowed day,
let us Pray.
The Sun restores Life
in its ray,
and keeps God’s promise
of another new day.

“There is an ecstasy
that marks the summit of life,
and beyond which Life cannot rise.
And such is the paradox of living,
this ecstasy comes when one is most alive,
and it comes as a complete forgetfulness
that one is alive.
This out of all will remain.

They have lived and have tossed:
So much of the game will be gain,
Though the gold of the dice
has been lost.”
– Jack London (Love of Life)
.
The crystal mirror
of our memory,
sometimes with painful longing,
sometimes with delight,
invites us to return,
to never leave again
the Beauty of Love
lost along the way,
never fully knowing
that this moment,
and the last,
are one.

Goodnight.

Laughter Therapy
click here to read more

“The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.”
– E. E. Cummings

What is laughter therapy?

We were born with the gift of laughter. Laughter is a natural medicine. It lifts our spirits and makes us feel happy. Laughter is a contagious emotion. It can bring people together. It can help us feel more alive and empowered.

Laughter therapy, also called humor therapy, is the use of humor to promote overall health and wellness. It aims to use the natural physiological process of laughter to help relieve physical or emotional stresses or discomfort.

Research supporting laughter therapy

A growing body of research supports the theory that laughter may have therapeutic value.

For years, the use of humor has been used in medicine. Surgeons used humor to distract patients from pain as early as the 13th century. Later, in the 20th century, came the scientific study of the effect of humor on physical wellness. Many credit this to Norman Cousins. After years of prolonged pain from a serious illness, Cousins claims to have cured himself with a self-invented regimen of laughter and vitamins. In his 1979 book Anatomy of an Illness, Cousins describes how watching comedic movies helped him recover.

Over the years, researchers have conducted studies to explore the impact of laughter on health. After evaluating participants before and after a humorous event (i.e., a comedy video), studies have revealed that episodes of laughter helped to reduce pain, decrease stress-related hormones and boost the immune system in participants.

Today more than ever before, people are turning to humor for therapy and healing. Medical journals have acknowledged that laughter therapy can help improve quality of life for patients with chronic illnesses. Many hospitals now offer laughter therapy programs as a complementary treatment to illness.

The Healing Power of Laughter

For people living with cancer, it may seem strange to find humor when facing such serious issues. Yet, laughter may be helpful in ways you may not have realized or imagined.

Laughter may help you feel better about yourself and the world around you. Laughter may be a natural diversion. When you laugh, no other thought comes to mind. Laughing may also induce physical changes in the body. After laughing for only a few minutes, you may feel better for hours.

When used in addition to conventional cancer treatments, laughter therapy may help in the overall healing process.

According to some studies, laughter therapy may provide physical benefits, such as helping to:

• Enhance oxygen intake
• Stimulate the heart and lungs
• Relax muscles throughout the body
• Trigger the release of endorphins (the body’s natural painkillers)
• Ease digestion/soothe stomach aches
• Relieve pain
• Balance blood pressure
• Improve mental functions (i.e., alertness, memory, creativity)

Laughter therapy may also help to:

• Improve overall attitude
• Reduce stress/tension
• Promote relaxation
• Improve sleep
• Enhance quality of life
• Strengthen social bonds and relationships
• Produce a general sense of well-being

Laughter therapy at CTCA

At Cancer Treatment Centers of America^® (CTCA), we fight cancer using an integrative approach. Our Mind-Body Medicine Department offers supportive options, including laughter therapy, to help you cope as you receive conventional cancer treatments.

Laughter therapy strives to help you use and enjoy laughter as a tool for healing. Dr. Katherine Puckett, Chief of the Division of Mind-Body Medicine at CTCA^®, first introduced laughter therapy at our Illinois hospital upon a patient’s request.

CTCA offers humor therapy sessions, also known as Laughter Clubs or humor groups, to help cancer patients and their families use and enjoy laughter as a tool for healing. These leader-led groups take patients through a number of laugh-related exercises, including fake laughter and laughter greetings.

Laughter Club is based not on humor or jokes, but rather on laughter as a physical exercise. One group laughter exercise involves patients standing in a circle, with the leader in the middle. Patients put their fingertips on their cheekbones, chest or lower abdomen and make “ha ha” or “hee hee” sounds until they feel vibrations through their bodies. Dr. Puckett says that, during these exercises, it is hard for people not to join in because laughter is so contagious.

According to Dr. Puckett, at the end of a laughter therapy session, patients have said things like “I didn’t even think about cancer during Laughter Club” and “That felt great! Things have been so hard that we hadn’t laughed in months.” Dr. Puckett adds that the 8-year-old daughter of a CTCA patient who attended Laughter Club said afterwards: “I never thought about laughing every day, but now I realize I can. Like even when I don’t feel happy, I can still laugh and feel better.”

“To enable someone to laugh
is much like
giving them
a bouquet of beautiful
Flowers.”
–  Wm. C. Anderson

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

The Unconditional Love of Greyfriars Bobby / Scarborough Renaissance Festival on Tues.

“Where is Love?
Does it fall from skies above?
Is it underneath the willow tree
that I’ve been dreaming of?
Where is she, who I close my eyes to see?
Will I ever know the sweet hello
That’s meant for only me?”

         Greyfriars Bobby

These touching words,
From the sensitive performance of
Mark Lester
In the 1968 British musical drama film,
Oliver,
Reminds me of the quest
Each of us embarks upon
From the time of our birth.
Some of us find Love.
Others only just survive,
To die one day
In the sunless shadows
Of darkened dreams,
Living a lonely life,
To never find what all of us need,
Few discover
And
Fewer share.

The most poignant story of Love
That I have discovered of late,
Happened in Edinburgh, Scotland.
It does not involve just people.
It is a true story about a remarkable
Little Skye Terrier named Bobby,
Who became one of Scotland’s
Most beloved and celebrated.

This little animal friend died in 1872 and you can still find fresh flowers on his grave every day. His life and his uncommon devotion and love is remembered today with such things as his own magazine, websites, bronze memorials, a Disney movie and numerous items imprinted and engraved with his likeness.

Now I had to ask myself, what could a small dog do to engender such love from so many people for so long after his life ended? Then I read the story that became one of the most touching of my life. Today, I long to travel to the grave of little “Greyfriars Bobby” to bring flowers of remembrance.

As the story goes, Greyfriars Bobby by Ben Johnson, in 1850 a gardener called John Gray, together with his wife Jess and son John, arrived in Edinburgh. Unable to find work as a gardener he avoided the workhouse by joining the Edinburgh Police Force as a night watchman.

To keep him company through the long winter nights John took on a partner, a diminutive Skye Terrier, his ‘watchdog’ called Bobby.  Together John and Bobby became a familiar sight trudging through the old cobbled streets of Edinburgh. Through thick and thin, winter and summer, they were faithful friends. The Love that blossomed is unbelievable!

The years on the streets appear to have taken their toll on John, as he was treated by the Police Surgeon for tuberculosis. John eventually died of the disease on the 15th February 1858 and was buried in old Greyfriars Churchyard. His grave leveled by the hand of time, and unmarked by any stone, became scarcely discernible; but, although no human interest seemed to attach to it, the sacred spot was not wholly disregarded or forgotten.

.

The kind folk of Edinburgh took good care of Bobby, but still he remained loyal to his master.  For fourteen years the dead man’s faithful dog kept constant watch and guard over the grave until his own death in 1872.
.

Bobby touched the hearts of the local residents when he refused to leave his master’s grave, even in the worst weather conditions. The gardener and keeper of Greyfriars tried on many occasions to evict Bobby from the Kirkyard. In the end he gave up and provided a shelter for Bobby by placing sacking beneath two tablestones at the side of John Gray’s grave.
.

Bobby’s fame spread throughout Edinburgh. It is reported that almost on a daily basis the crowds would gather at the entrance of the Kirkyard waiting for the one o’clock gun that would signal the appearance of Bobby leaving the grave for his midday meal. Bobby would follow William Dow, a local joiner and cabinet maker to the same Coffee House that he had frequented with his now dead master, where he was given a meal.
.

Sir William Chambers

In 1867 a new bye-law was passed that required all dogs to be licensed in the city or they would be destroyed.  Sir William Chambers (The Lord Provost of Edinburgh) decided to pay Bobby’s license and presented him with a collar with a brass inscription “Greyfriars Bobby from the Lord Provost 1867 licensed”. This can be seen at the Museum of Edinburgh.

Baroness Angelia Georgina Burdett-Coutts, President of the Ladies Committee of the RSPCA, was so deeply moved by his story that she asked the City Council for permission to erect a granite fountain with a statue of Bobby.

The American Lovers of Bobby erected a Red Granite stone to mark John Gray’s grave, the inscription reads “John Gray died 1858 – Auld Jock – Master of Grayfriars Bobby – Even in his ashes most beloved”.

The statue of little Bobby has become one of most lasting icons of Edinburgh and his likeness is as well known as all the famous dignitaries whose monuments pepper the streets of Scotland’s capital.

Bobby’s headstone is a Red Granite stone erected by The Dog Aid Society of Scotland. The inscription reads, “Greyfriars Bobby – died 14th January 1872 – aged 16 years – Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all – Unveiled by His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester CCVO – on the 13th May 1981”.

“Greyfriars Bobby” is undoubtedly the greatest love story of all time, proving once and for all that true love can last for all eternity – beyond this life and into the next.

William Brody sculptured Bobby’s statue from life, and it was unveiled in November 1873, opposite Greyfriars Kirkyard. And it is with that, that Scotland’s Capital city will always remember its most famous and faithful dog.

So please
Do not wonder why our
Students are found
Embracing,
Feeding and playing
With our precious adopted
Animal friends.
They are busy
With the real purpose of life – Giving and receiving
Unconditional Love –
Discovering that
It really does exist.
.

 My friends,
We make it possible
To experience the
Unconditional Love
Given so freely by our friends,
Who sometimes happen to be dogs
And other creatures of God.
What we do is heart-felt
In so many ways.
Through our Loving work,
Their lives are sustained
And our lives
Are made worth living.

May the Lord
Keep you and guide your life,
As you make so many people
And our animal friends
Healthy and joyful
Beyond all understanding.
The Love of God
Is always alive in your heart.
It is vibrant and glowing
Even in the darkest of nights,
Lighting the path
For others to see.

Travis poses with one of our counselors.

“You cannot do a kindness too soon,
for you never know
how soon it will be too late.”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Scarborough Renaissance Festival

Come and join us for an interactive visit to King Henry VIII’s England! Student Day at Scarborough Renaissance Festival is exclusively for students and is this Tuesday, April 28, 2015 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

We are invited to enter the realm of England’s legendary King Henry VIII and experience the intellectual, cultural, and artistic splendor of the Renaissance first hand and will experience a full day of demonstrations, shows, and educational interactions. The Royal Court and villagers welcome, and in fact relish, discussions about daily life in the Renaissance.

We will meet at the school on TUESDAY morning at 8:00 a.m. to caravan to Waxahachie to enjoy the day at the Scarborough Renaissance Festival. Please Do not be late. We will spend the entire day having fun. PICKUP will be at school at APPROXIMATELY 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. We may CALL you on our way back and let you know more precisely when to pick up your child(ren), but we MUST have a current telephone number that you will answer on Tuesday afternoon or Dr. A will act very sick.

Student ENTRY is $8.00. Adults: $15.00 Lunch is available at the Festival.

Festival Facts: Began in 1981. The Festival runs 8 consecutive weekends and Memorial Day Monday each spring. Scarborough Renaissance Festival is a Renaissance-themed festival based on the year 1533, during the reign of England’s King Henry VIII. Scarborough Festival is a 35 acre ‘village’ (larger than most area shopping malls) within a 167 acre site. The festival employs more than 2,000 performers, artisans, and staff.

Entertainment: 21 stages & 200 performances daily. 3 Full Combat Jousts take place each day. 150 volunteer members of the Scarborough Academy of Performing Arts make up the performing company that become the “characters” of Scarborough including our very own King Henry VIII and Queen Anne Boleyn. Daily Falconry demonstrations are conducted.

Shoppes & Artisan Demonstrations: 200 permanent shoppes feature unique handmade wares made by artisans from around the country. Artisans demonstrate ancient arts such as Glassblowing, Blacksmithing, Candlemaking, Printing on a Guttenberg Press, leather crafting, broom making, Armor making, Coin minting, & much more.

Hearty Food: More than 20 tons of the Festival’s famous Giant Turkey Legs are devoured annually. Hand made pastas, seafood, stir fry, steak-on-a-stick, Scott’s eggs, Italian Ice, etouffee, empanadas, fajitas, meatball sandwiches, baklava, quiche, pastries, and more than 60 other hearty foods make up the culinary adventure at Scarborough Renaissance Festival. Five Food Court Areas (kitchens) are located throughout the festival.

Students are allowed to dress in costumes. PARENTS / FRIENDS, etc. are always invited to participate.

IMPORTANT DATES
May 1 – Tuition Due for 2015-16
April 28 Scarborough Renaissance Festival-Drama Competition is “Twelfth Night”.

We are very proud of our Anderson Scholars participating in the Shakespeare competition on Tuesday: Cole Fisher, Mary Alice Oliver (First Place Winner in the Junior High School Prose and Poetry Competition last year), Natalie Raulerson (First Place Winner in the High School Prose and Poetry Competition last year) and Diana Rodgers.

May 4 & 5 (Mon. & Tues.) Anderson School Theatrical Production “Twelfth Night” At Stage West Theater. Please join us. Call us at 817-448-8484 for information. The dress rehearsal performance is on Monday at 7:30 p.m. and the presentation on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door.

Directions From Fort Worth: On Loop 820 go south to I-35E. Go south to exit 399A. Exit and go west for 1.6 miles on FM 6

A . n . d . e . r . s. o.n

At night, when he was let out from the lodging house that he had now been adopted in, he made straight for Greyfriars – scrambled under the gates and found the grave of his master. He was discovered the next morning and evicted from the grounds, but almost as soon as he was out, he found another way back in and resumed his place with determination. This ritual was performed many times before the church elders finally gave up and permitted Bobby to maintain his vigil. Love, my friends, never dies.

The story of your life will be read by someone’s heart / Words To Avoid / Civil War Museum / Shakespeare

“There is something otherworldly
about our existence here
– something more than matter,
more than the body and mind –
something fundamentally and profoundly abstract.
– it is not at all obvious,
indeed scarcely noticed by the great majority of us
as we go about our daily lives.”
― Guy Murchie,
The Seven Mysteries of Life

 

There is a reality that science cannot define.

I have discovered over the years that there are forces at work no one can imagine, and never comprehend. I found such an indescribable power in Love. I found it in the Love expressed through the life of my Mother. Her love abides with me every day. It is the single, most formidable and pervasive force I have ever encountered.

And now I understand that such Love is a universal constant, a Spirit that fills the darkness of the Heavens and the spaces in life. It lives within each of us and is in every living thing.

Marie Anderson

It is the reality that science cannot define and yet, is that which everyone seems, instinctively to need. The poets and songwriters know what the realm of physics will never comprehend, that, as Joe Henry so beautifully intones,

“Love is seeing all the universe in one,
in the brotherhood of creatures.
It lives within each part and is the whole.”

My, how my Mother loved her little boy! She taught me in life, and teaches me in death, that love is all that is left. And all that love you keep with you. Each morning I awake from a beautiful journey, as she touches me with the flower of her love in my hand. And, as she takes my hand, I remember her in beautiful dreams that never end. It is a vision of her goodness and it sustains me as I grow old.

My friends, your Love will be the only thing that will remain. Everything else will dissolve, just disappear. In the end, the Love felt by others is all that shall remain. Nothing, no, nothing else will matter. The story of your life will be read by someone’s heart. And that story can go on and on and on. Just as the Love of God is Infinite, your Love can remain.

The reflection of our being is on the other side of this existence. What you do today will be mirrored in other hearts tomorrow. In a very real way, the story of your life begins the day you leave. And only you are the author of this story.

Every day is a page. And every sentence can begin with a smile and end with a warm embrace. Your trace in time is written indelibly.

Let it be a Love story.

Now this is a comfy spot!

Decoding the restaurant menu:
Words to avoid for healthful eating
By Ronda Elsenbrook

Ronda is a registered dietitian at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic. With the Houston chapter of the American Diabetes Association they have partnered together to BEAT Diabetes. Click here to read article.

This is his favorite car, which provides a nice place for a nap.

What we eat at restaurants can cause health issues. Too many carbohydrates, too much fat and too much salt can lead to obesity, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cholesterol issues.

Restaurant menus are designed to entice your sense of taste, not tell you whether the foods they’re advertising are healthy.

The worst chain restaurant dishes are:

Fried foods
Calories in restaurant foods
Healthier fast food options

Carter explains his science project.

Restaurant Code Words: Crunchy, tempura, battered, crispy, breaded, crusted, golden, sizzling

If you’re making a healthy choice, you’re probably not purposely choosing a fried food item. Look for words like crunchy, battered, crispy, breaded, crusted, golden, tempura; some of these options are a double-whammy on your caloric intake because the item is fried with an additional carb-based coating.

Fried foods may taste great, but tend to be high in fat and calories – and deep frying robs food of nutrients. A grilled, baked or roasted 4-ounce chicken breast (the size of a deck of cards) will run you about 170 calories, whereas the deep fried selection can pack a whopping 370 calories.

        I like this one!

To make matters worse, many restaurants (usually of the fast food variety) use partially hydrogenated oil because it can be reheated and reused over and over again. Partially hydrogenated oil contains trans fats (the worst of the fats) which raises your LDL (bad cholesterol) and lowers your HDL (good cholesterol), leading to a higher incidence of heart disease.

High-sugar foods

We enjoyed our time at the bookstore.

Restaurant Code Words: Teriyaki, BBQ, glazed, sticky, honey-dipped

Powdered doughnuts may be self-explanatory on a menu, but options labeled as Teriyaki, BBQ, glazed, sticky or honey-dipped could also be high in added sugars. It is wise to ask if sauces of any kind are made with sugar, including salad dressings and vinaigrettes.

This was everyone’s favorite sign.

Watch out also for meals that are high in carbohydrates. Carbs turn into sugar when they are broken down by your digestive system. The usual suspects are items like pasta, potatoes and rice, but even menu items like “healthy” couscous, quinoa and faro are high in carbs and should be eaten with the same moderation as traditional offerings.

How much sugar is in that drink?

High-calorie foods

Dining at McKinley’s is always fun.

Restaurant Code Words: Loaded, stuffed, creamy, cheesy, gooey, smothered, melted, rich, velvety

It’s funny how adjectives describing foods can elicit Pavlov’s law in even the most rigorous health fanatic. That’s the point. Foods described as loaded, stuffed, creamy, cheesy, gooey, smothered, melted, rich and velvety are triggering a “feeling” that you get when you eat that particular menu item. Don’t fall into the trap!

These “comfort foods” may take you back in time to a simpler place where a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich on brioche could right all of the wrongs in the world, but the one wrong it won’t right is the number of calories packed into one bite.

The new car show was exciting.

Something described as “loaded” or “stuffed” is going to also be loaded or stuffed with calories — and no one wants to feel like a Thanksgiving turkey.

Eating out costs you 200 calories

Healthier options

Restaurant Code Words: roasted, baked, braised, broiled, poached, rubbed, seared, grilled, steamed, sautéed, spiced, seasoned

Chefs at local restaurants everywhere are catching on that Americans are looking for healthier options when dining out. Restaurants that specialize in foods that are “made-to-order” or that focus on locally sourced foods will likely have more options.

The cars were thoroughly inspected.

Words like roasted, poached, baked or grilled are your best options – just don’t order the grilled 26-ounce rib eye steak. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the menu, and if nutritional information is available, read through and choose the meal that will balance your health with your desire for something tasty.

OUR TRIP THIS WEEK:
CIVIL WAR MUSEUM (morning)
Shakespeare Review (at school in the afternoon)

Mrs. A and Rylee looked at many new cars.

On Friday, 11-14-14 we will meet at the Texas Civil War Museum
(817-246-2323) 760 Jim Wright Freeway (Loop 820).

Drop-off will be at the Museum at 10:00 a.m. Pick up will be at the SCHOOL at 3:15 p.m.

FINANCIAL $8.50 for students & $10.50 adults. This fee funds our docent program, slush fund for confederates reenacting the war and not fully accepting of Robert E. Lee’s surrender, and entrance to the museum This is a group rate. Please pay Dr. Anderson.

 Emergency Tele: 682-777-1908

The BMW i3 was Dr. A’s favorite.

LUNCH: We will dine at a nearby restaurant. Please provide funds.
GIFT SHOP: Yes! They have a GREAT gift shop with items related to the war we have not necessarily lost!

Uniform pants with a belt & red monogrammed school shirt are required. Polish your shoes, the rebels are recruiting this week. This fabulous museum can be enjoyed by the entire family,

Students are NOT to leave the Museum or restaurant at any time for any reason, including the need to secure a ride, go off to war & whip the Yankees (which also requires a uniform, powder and gun) or use the restroom, without the approval of Dr. or Mrs. Anderson.

         Sticker Shock.

MUSEUM RULES * No loud talking, running, or jumping or one of the Anderson school staff will get you. Stay with your chaperone at all times. If Dr. A seems jittery, he has had enough! Just offer him coffee with extra cream.

* Use clipboards for worksheets. Do not lean or write on exhibit display cases or walls or, you guessed it, Dr. A.
* No food, drink, candy, or gum is allowed inside. Give these items to Dr. A., he knows what to do with them (gulp).
* The museum has video surveillance & alarms so don’t be alarmed and please smile.
* They reserve the right to refuse service and rough up those who do not wish to follow the rules of conduct. Now, there are exceptions and one of them is Dr. A. He is a good guy and won’t remember the rules, and he already looks roughed up.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON

We will return to school following lunch to REVIEW  SHAKESPEARE PLAYS and prepare to vote to select one for performance in the Spring. We will spend the afternoon getting introduced to William Shakespeare and his plays, that we have not previously performed on stage. Our Director, George Rodriguez, will conduct the lesson. Pickup will be at the school at 3:15 p.m.

IMPORTANT DATES
Nov. 24-28 (Mon.–Fri.) Thanksgiving / Fall Break (Yes, we give thanks for the break)
Dec. 3-5 (Wed.-Fri.) Texas A.G.T. Conference (NO school)
Dec. 12 Visit to a really “Green” off the grid house
Dec. 19 Last Day of Fall Semester
Jan. 23 Fort Worth Stock Show (It was called the FAT stock show. But, Dr. A lost a few pounds.)
April 28 Scarborough Renaissance Festival (Drama Competition play is “Twelfth Night”)
May 21 Last Day of School (visit Dr. A in the cardiac ward as he recovers from the school year)

The Indelible Essence of Being

“There are absolute truths,
But, of course, you can’t be
absolutely certain about that.”
         – Alexander Anderson

Love is a living, breathing thing.
With all the Love God holds in His Heart,
He abundantly Blessed you
and me and so many others
He cherishes above all things.

At times it is not easy to see,
but Love and the self are one.
They are the self-same thing.
And the discovery of either
can become the realization of both.
Just as energy and matter
can never be destroyed,
neither can the Love of God
in a living, breathing creation.

It can only be transformed.
And the love your child seeks to give,
makes the transformation complete.
The love of a child for you is far more alive
than you and I will be capable of comprehending.
For a child’s heart is beating in time with God.
The purity of His heart has placed your child
into your very Loving Arms.

And through the precious Gift of Life,
He wants you to know that He deeply loves you.
The love of God, so beautifully expressed
through the gift of a child,
will sustain you, this day and evermore.
Open your arms and accept this Love,
for a greater gift you shall never receive.

Yes, the love of God lives in your heart,
and in your desires and dreams,
and in your child.
It will dwell there always. It shall always be.
Time cannot erase the indelible essence of being.
His love will always live.

Look into your heart,
and that of your precious child,
and find it beating there still.
The seed of life implanted by God
is the very essence of His love.
It lives, and it shall always be.

 Classes resume on Tuesday, September 2, 2014

We look forward to being with you.