Don't be fooled by the rocks that I got

These are admittedly a combination of cute and serial-killer-who-pieces-together-notes-with-newspaper-cuttings-scary.  

Here's where said rocks have made their home:

Family, remember the giant mint plants growing behind the ice cream shop in Arkansas?  This is one of my favorite additives to iced tea.

These lil sprouts are from seeds and I look in on them periodically like a mother hen:

There's no cat in this house.  Yet.

Nostalgic green moment - prepare your landscaping fabric for any dewy drops.  The plant in the photo below is what a gift from my Mudda, for my 21st birthday, resembled.

 

(not my actual plant)

Lemme tell ya, folks, there's a darn stellar reason why this is called a closet plant.  This thing can survive a nuclear meltdown (I suspect) and still stake a strong come-back.  The equivalent of a nuclear meltdown in my care (insert obvious reason:  owner neglect) apparently took this baby out several months ago but you can see that 21 (that's her name) is rebounding nicely:

Green onions, anyone?  You can even grow these in a simple glass with water if you don't want to trouble with a pot and soil.  I started mine with a bulb from a package of store-bought green onions.  These puppies grow quicker than a dirty sock, in a petri dish, sprayed with orange juice, in the sun.  Chop off your desired quantity as you're stirring up dinner, and, voila! 

Anyone have any feedback on wild strawberries?  There are some growing in the yard, and I'm tempted to dig 'em up and plant them in pots.  I'm skeptical of eating "wild" berries, though, after reading Into The Wild and "Hunger Games." It's entirely possible that these aren't wild, though, and just the gift received from birds making pit stops along their travels.  Whatever they are, they are currently just bebe berries.

Side trip for those who entertain:  The Pinspiration of using water balloons, frozen, as an alternative to ice (that can only be used once), was a hit at a recent gathering of mine.  Give yourself plenty of freezing time, however, and place them in a freezer location where they have a wee bit of room to expand.  

Or you'll wind up with some frozen stuck in precarious places:

Because I can't restrain myself from sharing

My last post was education oriented and such is this one, too.  (enter station identification pause for those who would like to turn the channel)

If you're an educator or in a similar profession and in need of some "oomph," click here:

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/06/15-6

Gratitude to Charley for sharing that!

If you're an educator or in a similar profession who has ever heard "I think I'll get my teaching certification, you know, just as a fall-back choice in case my corporate career doesn't work out, or if we have children soon and that way I have the same schedule as them," babbled from a friend (and I quote that, verbatim, from someone I knew at the onset of our current economic decline), then read this:

http://www.musingsonlifeandlove.com/2010/09/13/the-hardest-job-everyone-thinks-they-can-do/

If you're anyone who may have ever questioned the dedication of children or teenagers (admit it, we all have at one point), or questioned the reasons some of them appear "gangsta," silly, squirrelly, or like misguided "losers," then read this post contributed by a fellow colleague of mine, who is currently teaching urban-ish high school summer school, and who is also a fellow PHS Wildcat of mine:

"I almost cried today! I had a student walk 3 miles to summer school this morning because the DART bus driver drove by him and wouldn't let him on the bus... He was sweaty and a bit stinky, haha, but he WALKED all the way to school! One of the moments when you are reminded, once again, that our students don't magically plop down into our classrooms with no problems of their own. And they DO care. Not all the time, but they will care if YOU care :-)"

"Shut The Door And Teach" - unknown

While in Belize, we had the opportunity to visit one of the few area public primary schools (if not the only public primary school), Holy Cross.  Despite its public status, education is still not cost-free for children.  This school does provide the lowest tuition possible, though, for the less advantaged children of San Pedro.  I feel very fortunate to have visited the school and the perspective it refreshed for me - and my real passion for education and WHY I teach; and Charley graciously made it possible for a replacement Internet router to be provided to the school so the students' computer program will resume again in the fall.

The teachers, who earn roughly 7k US Dollars annually (on an island where housing rent can run substantially more than that each year), face harsh challenges with each new crop of young students.  The volunteer coordinator on campus explained to us that babies and toddlers are often, well, frankly bored before they attend school (if they are given the opportunity) as parents are busy working (or, in some cases, dysfunctional) and not able to provide any background knowledge to pre-kinders.  So, students typically don't enter K or 1st grade with any academic verbiage or skills.  "Take your crayon and trace the letters you see on the paper."  ---what's a letter?  What does it mean to trace?

If students progress well through the 8th grade, they may be given the opportunity to attend high school.  That depends on scholarships or financial assistance, though, as high school costs run higher than primary tuition.  Donations are the bulk of scholarship balances, and donations are heavily affected by economic turns in and outside of Belize.

Suffice it to say, I would have LOVED to have had some of my American students along this tour with us as an eye-opening, real-life lesson in how fortunate we are to have our - though flawed - U.S. public education program.

The tour also reminded me that no matter what rubbish is going on in the ivory towers of school administration, government officials with zero education experience meddling in our schools, or poor parenting negatively impacting student achievement, it's ultimately my job to just shut the door and teach my rear off.

How on Earth do they organize their bikes so well, and by size?!

Belizean Bliss (which is a redundant phrase)

I had nary a clue what to expect from a jaunt to Belize aside from stellar recommendations from my friends Erin and Becky, along with online reviews and commentaries.  Bring me adventure!  Charley didn't know our destination until I handed him a boarding pass.  Hoodwink!  And he was pleased.

After departing Big D, we landed in Belize City.  This is located on the mainland of the incredibly diverse and unique country of Belize.  It's as if Jamaica and South America had a love child and named her Belize, where she grew up in Central America, developing a meld of characteristics from her surrounding regions and countries.

We jumped immediately from Belize City to the charming town of San Pedro, on Ambergris Caye.  I harbored some trepidation about flying in a tiny plane but that leg was merely a warm up for an even smaller aircraft we experienced later in the trip.

San Pedro is brimming over with personality, tropical appeal, and welcoming inhabitants.  The town is small enough to eliminate the need for automobiles, save for the random work truck or public taxi, though golf carts are commonly used for locals or tourists who need a hoofing reprieve.  This cart has even been Hummerized to distinguish it from the rest.  Amazingly enough, aside from Coca Cola and a basic selection of American products, there was not a single fast food brand location, Starbucks, or Gap clothing store.  Equally as impressive:  everything one needs can be found within a short walk or bicycle ride.  Since we traveled during the onset of the low season, maneuvering about and procuring what we ate or shopped for was a snap.  And, oh, the food!  Even the least impressive meal was still a hit.

One of the highlights of our trip was snorkeling in Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley.  I was mildly apprehensive about jumping into the water with an animal named a "shark," but nurse sharks are extremely docile and considered to be bottom feeders.  The snorkel guides bear hugged the sharks, flopped the animals over onto their backs, and then scratched the belly as if it were a doggy.  I am most intrigued by the rays.  So graceful!  Charley snorkeled for the first time EVER and I was super impressed that he dove (punny) right into the experience.  We were both amazed at the density of marine life and coral displays we saw.  Our trip was facilitated by a company named Seaduced and we were both very satisfied with the guides.

As might be expected, doggies were a frequent scene on the island and there are no leash laws in place.  The dogs are well behaved, though, and between the town's version of the humane society and generous locals, tourists, and restaurant owners, we're of the conclusion that the island dogs are living a pretty nice life.

Poverty is high in this country, but we couldn't help but notice that people generally seem happy and apt to enjoy the natural paradise surrounding them.  Kids play and swim in the same waters as the tourists, and those who are fortunate enough to earn a living seem to incorporate extended family into the equation as much as possible.

One of the best days I've ever experienced on a vacation or otherwise was through our day trip to take in the Actun-Tunichil-Muknal Cave Tour through Pacz Tours.  We were both challenged mentally and physically, and I frequently sucked up some typical "fear of heights/steep surfaces/precarious positions/slippery slopes" that there was no time for when the next person is waiting his turn to traverse the same route.  Cameras have been banned in the cave as a result of a klutzy shutterbug that damaged some of the hundreds-of-years-old Mayan artifacts, so here are some examples of what we experienced, via Google images:

Not for the faint of heart: click here for an image of the only known full Mayan skeletal remains located in a cave.

At the conclusion of our tour, we ate lunch in the jungle with a choral backdrop compliments of howler monkeys.  I am certain I had a kindred connection with one of the louder ones.

Our trip to and from the cave was facilitated by the smallest aircraft I hope to ever encounter.  It resembled a mosquito and felt not much larger than one.  Aside from the pilot's seat, there was room for three other humans.  Belmopan is Belize's capital city and is the location of the landing strip that was our pit-stop between the mosquito and tour van.  We thought we may buy a snack before or after our tour, but as you can see Charley hanging our wet cave clothes out after the tour, there was no chance for a snack, nor risk of becoming lost in the terminal.

It's a bebe coconut!

We'll be back, San Pedro!  Complete Photo Album (pardon the panoramic photo experimentation)