More on Lefties

I ran across this really interesting leftie article on yahoo today; first an excerpt:
"... every president since 1974 with the exception of Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush has been left-handed, as is Obama's former Republican opponent Sen. John McCain. Al Gore is too."

You may enjoy reading it! http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20090129/sc_livescience/ancientleftiesthehistoryofobamashandedness

Bits and Pieces

K1's comments got me thinking .... I have a cross-stitch piece I started in 1992 and still haven't finished! Every now and then I pull it out, but I just can't get myself to focus on it. I think "craft" kinds of things have to really match one's personality. I like crocheting becaue I'm fast at it, plus I always have to think a little bit because I crochet backwards, kind of. I come from a family of lefties, even though I'm right-handed. There's several things I learned left-handed (like all "manly" things ... tools, etc. from my dad), including crocehting, which I learned from my left-handed aunt. So, she couldn't figure out how to show me right-handed, so I watched her and learned - except I didn't fully reverse what she was doing, so my patterns turn out flipped (front/back). I have other right-handers show me how to do it the "right" way since, but after years of doing my way, I just can't get the hang of it the "right" way! So, I'll continue doing it my way and refiguring patterns! I also use screwdrivers and hammers both left- and right-handed, knives left-handed (almost always), clean both handed (doesn't matter which hand I have a cloth, vaccum, spray bottle, whatever and I use them both at the same time to get done faster), and so on.

It was interesting when Harrison was born, it was obvious he was right-handed by the time he was 10 months. Clay on the other hand used both hands equally, for everything except eating, which he did left-handed consistently. He would actually color with both hands at the same time in pre-school! In kindergarten, he gradually went to handwriting only with his right hand (no pressure from teacher, who was a leftie). So now he writes with his right hand, but most other things he does naturally with his left: plays pool left-handed, shovels left-handed, cleans left-handed, tools left-handed ... however, he bats right-handed. About 7 - 10% of the population is left-handed, but it tends to be genetic, so some families will have much higher percentages. Two right-handed parents will produce around 9 per cent left-handed children, two left-handed parents around 26 per cent and one left and one right-handed parent around 19 per cent. (http://www.anythingleft-handed.co.uk/faq.html#percentage) Being ambidextrous (or in psych circles, cross-laterality)is very rare (probably less than 2%). Clay is left-footed; usually people are same footed as handed, but not always (a good way to tell is to notice which foot gets into the pants first or which foot you begin walking with).

It is interesting to note that even though left-handers are such a minority of the population, they comprise the majority of individuals with an IQ over 140. Another interesting tidbit is that the majority of people with an IQ over 130 are introverts (well, that shouldn't be surprising as introverts prefer reading to almost anything else in the world!).

So, I'm working on my eggplant colored sweater and now have about 9 inches of the back done. We'll see how I progress on this project!

I'm Finished!

I've been working on this afgan since the weekend after Thanksgiving; I was excited to finish it tonight! The yarn (homespun, prairie) matches our downstairs perfectly. It's a basketweave pattern (a little hard to make out in the photo) with a border around all 4 sides. This afgan is sooooo warm! Not only is the yarn very soft and warm, but the basketweave pattern creates pockets of warmth. I'm thinking a giant-sized one of these would make a perfect bed cover in the winter! Anyway, now I get to start on the sweater I've been wanting to make.

More Snow!

I think that's the story this winter ... snow, snow, snow, and more snow! We've got a winter storm going (again) ... the forecast had said for the last 48 hours we'd get 3 to 5 inches. However, the National Weather Service just changed it as a new cell is developing over Lake Michigan - so NOW we're going to get 7 to 12 with snow falling at rates of over an inch an hour all night. We called to have our driveway plowed tomorrow; we're all sore and tired of the shoveling!

The pictures are of Harry and one of his buddies hanging out tonight. Harry auditioned for a local agency (talent/modeling). They called him back a second time and offered him a 2-year contract. After reading the details of the contract, I'm very uncomfortable. I discussed the issues with Harry and he readily saw that this was probably not the best decision for him, so we're not going to do it. I suppose the only OK condition was that he couldn't cut his hair! He's so interested in going to film school; I'd love for him to have some experience in the industry before he applies ... but we have a few years. He's planning to stay in the area for his first year or two and then transfer to a film school. Perhaps something else will come up, or I suggested he make his own films (some of his stuff he does for film class at school is REALLY good) - short films - and post them on youtube. Andy Samborg (or some such spelling) got on SNL that way!

I saw a terrible accident on I-96 on my way to work Friday; with so much more snow, I hope everyone drives carefully if they must go out, and I wish everyone has a safe and warm weekend!

UNTIL 8:30 PM EST WED JANUARY 14

Use this link to enter a giveaway for a Valentino bag:

http://www.ideeli.com/in/invitation?invitation=vsmir4

More Snow and Lots of Cold!

Have I said I'm tired of winter?? Here are some photos this evening of our winter scene: the first is a twirly art thing (covered in snow), next our front steps (covered in ice that no amount of chipping or salt will remove), an evergreen (covered in snow) and the icicles hanging from our front porch - which, by the way, were knocked off (once again) earlier today.

So....we have an arctic blast on the way! It's supposed to go down to 2 degrees tomorrow with wind chills to -20. On top of that, 20 to 30 mph winds and 4-6 inches of snow with possible blizzrd conditions. Of course, school isn't cancelled! Really, I find it so irritating: why can't we just cancel school when we KNOW at the very LEAST it will be so cold? I think it's dangerous for kids to be waiting at bus stops and walking to and from in such cold weather. I also wonder if all the buses will even start. And if all that snow comes as well, more danger. I just don't understand why they can't call it by midnight! Come on Forest Hills Schools Superintendent - close school!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Other than that, the new semester is off to a great start; I have fantastic students (once again). Teaching brings me so much joy - it's hard to explain. Kind of like the contented, happy, energetic feeling I get when one of my kids does something cool, but it LASTS much longer!! I might be on a perpetual high if I taught full-time!! I just love it when I see the light bulb turn on for someone. I love it when I see an entire classroom of students engaged - actually paying attention, leaning forward, and even asking questions! I've really never found anything that "does it" for me quite like teaching does - ongoing, lasting, year after year.

For those of you who live here in Western Michigan, bundle up, stay warm, and don't go out if you don't have to! To everyone else, stay away from here and enjoy that you aren't here!!

The Last Day of Christmas

Well, today is the last day of the 12 days of Christmas; tomorrow, January 6, is Ephiphany, or the start of the church year. I'll unplug our outdoor lights tomorrow! I sure won't be taking them down - it's too cold! (Plus I think they're frozen on) We started doing a "12 Days of Christmas" with the boys when they were little - we actually start before Christmas (which officially is the first day) and end after - Christmas usually falls somewhere in the middle for us. We did it then because it was a way for the boys to get a small gift which helped them wait and distracted them a little, plus it's nice to not have the let down immediately after a Christmas celebration is done. We still get a few more surprises for several days after Christmas! This year, the boys got things like a 5 dollar bill, gamer points, a board game, pajama bottoms, a hat, etc. I can't say I'm sorry to see Christmas over; I enjoyed it but am ready to move on TO SPRING! Can't wait for some nice weather (in another 4 or 5 months!). At any rate, the stores have had their Valentine's Day stuff out for the last week and yesterday I saw St. Patrick's Day stuff. I wish they didn't get everything out so early (like Christmas stuff in August); I think it makes us all tired of the holidays before they get here!

Well, so far 2009 is OK!

I hope today was a good sign. First of all, I've been looking for the "right" purse for over a year. I found it today at T.J. Maxx. Second, one of my best friends in the world, Sharon, gave me a set of tongs years ago; one long and short. Well, at one of the numerous catered cocktail parties we've had over the past 8 years, a caterer walked off with them - I called, begged, pleaded - they said they searched their entire kitchen ... but the tongs were gone FOREVER. I lOVED those tongs. What was great was that they stayed closed all the way in the drawer and the mechanism worked by pressing in the end to pop them open - so while cooking and maybe holding something in my left hand, I could manage the tongs in my right by whacking them against my right hip and VOILA they'd pop open! I've purchased many tongs over the last few years, but none were like the origianl Sharon ones (she did find some similar ones that worked ok). Today, I found THE TONGS at T.J. Maxx (6 bucks). I couldn't believe it. I wanted to dance for joy in the store. I have searched high and low, across the internet, in foreign countries ... and found them today in T.J. Maxx. So, if today is an indication of how the year will be - I say YAHOO!!!

Has anyone read "Left Behind?" I'd love to discuss this book for a few minutes.

2009

For some reason, the last month or so, I can't see the pictures I upload until I post. All I have here is script - so I''ll tell what I posted, but it may be in the wrong order! A picture of the boys in front of the family tree (not the formal tree in the living room). I take a picture of them every Christmas and have the photos all together. The other photos were of the gifts Santa brought and the boys opening with morning hair!

The ice dam is gone, we got our heating coil plugged in, Clay's room is dry and he's trying to move his stuff back in. Beyond that, I've taken down all the decorations in the whole house but for the small family tree you see in the picture. Done with the syllabus and first homework assignment needed for class I'm teaching this semester. The only other thing I can say is THANK GOD IT'S 2009: has to be better than 2008!