Expanding Horizon!

This was a day to listen, to look, to love . . . this day, this view, this life. There must be a zillion stories, at least that many poems, and many more songs there in that valley which reaches to the foot of Mr. Baldy.

This morning the autumn wind was high and strong. Every particle and vapor of fog, smog, or smoke was carried away--the landscape exposed. For a brief moment I became a student of geography while studying this view. I love this land. I love where I live.

Good night from the clear chilly landscape of Southern California.
Rosie (& Mr. Fun), aka Carol





P.S. This week I've shared a portion of personal life with my students by assigning the watching of last year's graduation moment. Some of my friends here on Blip know that I love seeing the self-portraits and the photos on the "about" pages. This will be a SP of a different kind (and it will embarrass me to place it here, but I'll get over it because I want it here as a keepsake, which is what Blip is to me--one giant keepsake). Here is an email written from the heart of one of my students . . . I've not edited any of it:

I just wanted to say thank you. I just watched the video of the graduation last year, and it was very inspiring to me. I never would've guessed that you were a high school drop out, I just assumed you were always at the top of your class. I am probably failing your class, but I have learned some valuable lessons. Lessons that I will remember through out my life. Never give up, and always try your hardest. In high school I was home schooled, and I could have done very well academically but i slacked and didn't try. What you have taught me is even if you are not proud of your past, you can still decide what your future will be. I know this first year of college I haven't been doing so well, but I have been learning alot. All the articles you have given us were very inspiring; I enjoyed them all. I just wanted to say that even though I'm not your greatest student, I do appreciate what you do, so keep up the good work. Also, seeing the video helped me to see that we are all just human. We all have our flaws, but we all can move forward. "You get what you put in."