Poinsettia

I left the house this morning driving Mr. Fun's car -- ugh! -- we had brought my car home last night from the fix-it shop, but Mr. Fun thought that the engine was idling roughly. So I left home feeling a bit discouraged. Last night we paid the mechanic just slightly less that we paid for a brand new VW Bug in '65 when we got married and just slightly less that we paid in '68 for a brand new Bug. But this time we didn't have a new Bug.

So I unlocked the Writing Center at 8:00 a.m. and my public day began. I spent 2 hours there and then walked to my classroom.

Quiz 3 happened this morning. The results were less than stellar. The highest score was a B-. Then I returned their last written project -- an inclass essay, which is an evaluation of their semester in this English course. It is always an amazing read for me because they write so truthfully -- almost as if they become their own audience and I am invisible. They confess their procrastination; their lack of organization; in spite of that, they admit that they have learned more than they've ever learned in any class. They are about to exit the semester with their writer's tool box filled with equipment, but they admit their skill at using the tools is minimal because they have been so resistant to "having to study," to "having to practice."

So I will see them one more time this semester. They will bring me their "final" which is a combo of "take-home" and "online" writing. They must write to next semester's students -- explaining what they would do different if they could return to the start of the semester and begin again. This assignment also produces some thought-provoking confessional writing. I'm looking forward to getting it from them next week.

Then late this afternoon I drove home in a rather bad mood (unusual for me). I felt like I was driving the wrong direction on a one-way street. Nothing felt right. So I was gumpy when I got home. Mr. Fun was kind to me, but I think he was thrilled when I choose while cooking dinner to quit being grumpy.

The evening TV news reported the results of a standardized test taken world wide by 15 year olds. Students in Shanghai, China took the test for the very first time and placed higher than all other countries. I think that is grand. I think it is sad that many other well-to-do countries placed low in the results. Children the world round should be given a top-notch education.

So when I got back home with Mr. Fun's car, he told me my car seems to have better power than previously, more "get-up-an-go," but because of the rugged idling we must take my car back to the shop for a little more work.

My photo is one of two poinsettias decorating our backyard. I didn't get out for a walk through our decorated neighborhood this evening to capture photos. I was too busy being grumpy! Oops!

Thanks for the congrats on my big little or is that little big celebration yesterday. The "really big one" will happen in about a month.

Good night from Southern California.
Rosie (& Mr. Fun), aka Carol