PAVEing a Blog

Hold onto your seats…this weekend the blog will highlight some events that will just blow you away in a good way!  From flying in an artist to Battle of the Bands, to the exciting news of how Battle of the Bands of Delaware went….to the exciting open Mic Night in Mexico City and how exciting it was to hear renditions of Beckett, some awesome 6th grade poetry, Justin Smith poetry, Guy Cheney poetry, classical music….this is just the tip of the iceberg!  The Shkespeare monologues…that won the student a trip to LONDON!  

Did I mention the new book reviews on Jellicoe Road, Crispin, and using Elluminate to review books and do a new form of book discussions?  We did one and it was GREAT!  

Then there is Book week and the amazing pictures, reading to elementary students, reading in Spanish, READING in GENERAL!  

Slippery Rock University students are here in Mexico too!  Seriously!  Finally, the first segment of the novel I wrote for Nano will be posted too!  (About the people I have met and interacted with in this life, lol)  You will love the blog posts to come in the next few days…so yes…grab a seat, get comfy, and get ready for some news that will bring a smile to your face….:)   

http://www.scholastic.com/browse/media.jsp?id=372

I will be Skyping for the promo BobAyuda2012 flyer  I am sick to death – literally, my stomach hurt, I feel awful, BECAUSE I WANT TO BE THERE!

Here is the FLYER!

Page 1 Battle of the Bands Flyer Cover

Page 2 of flyer

Flyer 3rd page  Thanks MOCT for the layout!

PAGE 4 final  Thanks Lorea for the layout!

Take a look at the article written by Carol Kinsley of the Seaford Star in Seaford, DE about the GREAT things students have been doing from Delaware to Mexico!

By Carol Kinsley

Where in the world is Harry Brake, who taught English at Seaford High School from 2005 to 2011? He has gone to Mexico to work as upper school librarian and media specialist at the American School Foundation in Mexico City, the oldest American school in Mexico. He plans to stay in Mexico to maximize his experiences of developing technology in a different environment, but it is evident that he maintains strong ties to the Seaford community and to his former students.

Brake flew to Washington, D.C., late last month to lobby for The National Writing Project as well as funding for education for Delaware. He also participated in the Cherry Blossom Festival and Blossom Kite Festival with students from Seaford, as they have done for the past three years. The students raise money to stay overnight in D.C. and help make wind socks and kites with young visitors as volunteers for the National Aquarium in Baltimore.

Duties done, Brake returned to Seaford for a visit with friends before heading back to Mexico. He will be back in June to work at the Summer Academy at Blades Elementary School. “I love coming back!” he said.

He also loves grant writing, working with environmental issues and, of course, as an English instructor, he loves world literature.

He loves his new job where he fulfills the role of 21st century librarian. “I’m the person who helps the teachers, relieves their role,  and teaches technology a little bit.” Today’s librarians don’t fit the profile of the little old lady who tells patrons to be quiet. “I am always willing to work with teachers to help them with their lessons…. The librarian is the one person who can jump around to all the teachers and help coordinate stuff.”

Now that he has his foot in library science, he continued, “I’m afraid to go back to the teaching part because I’d be unable to go to teachers and help them.”

While teaching in Seaford, Brake started a club to teach students how to write and create grants that fund community projects. The effort continues, now connected to the students in Mexico, who collaborate online. “The kids in Seaford teach those in Mexico how to write grants,”  he said. “When I look at all the projects we did in Delaware, I hope to do some in Mexico, too.”

Brake said he loved Seaford because of the energy o the kids. “They help recharge me all the time. They would get to the point where they came up with the ideas.”

Students have written a minimum of 10 grants per year since 2006 with more than $15,000 accepted to date. In its five years of existence, the club has had four winners of the State Governor’s Service Award.

“I didn’t want to drop it because I left Seaford, so I empowered the kids here. It has worked out well.”

The kids in Seaford and Mexico are in constant contact, Brake said. “There’s a forum online where the kids meet, describe a project and the kids in Delaware help. They mentor each other. It’s a good push for the writing project.” 

Some of the projects include providing books for local libraries in Mexico by collecting or buying used books from multiple sources; helping the Make-A-Wish foundation in Mexico through fundraising efforts; creating a recreational park in a poor community in Mexico where parents will receive pamphlets on nutrition; an expanded battle of the bands (and choirs and orchestra) that would raise money for facilities that teach the art of music; providing water fountains and school supplies for a public school; and providing laptops or iPads to hard-working students in public schools.

Brake explained that every state has a writing project, but Delaware’s is also national — and now international. The project takes writing beyond the classroom.

He noted that the state test in 2014 will incorporate writing. “These kids will be really prepared,” he said.

The writing project had gone on for quite some time before it got a formal name. Christina Stevenson, now a student at the University of Delaware, suggest it be called PAVE, for Peers Actively Volunteering and Educating.

Brake tied the Key Club and PAVE together for volunteering opportunities. PAVE is doing the PR work for the Battle of the Bands on April 20 which will benefit The Seaford School District Family Resource Center and Seaford Cultural Center.

Unfortunately, the students Brake worked with directly while in Seaford are graduating soon. He hopes PAVE will spread to lower grades. Helping in that effort is Melinda Duryea at Blades Elementary. Her own group, KKids, which is affiliated with Kiwanis Club, has a garden behind the school. She has been co-sponsoring events in Brake’s absence.

Among the projects benefitting from PAVE was the garden in Soroptimist Park, which got help from KKids and other volunteers.

Brake said KKids and PAVE, as well as Key Club members, are planning to work at the Soroptomist Garden during Earth Week, April 19 and 20, and the public is welcome to help. 

Another project begun by PAVE has been picked up by students in Mexico and carried to completion. Seaford students, on an annual trip to New York over six years, interview people in the streets, bringing back recordings of personal reactions to 911. This year Brake was able to take students from Mexico to New York to attend a conference at Columbia on how to do a literary magazine. When they got to New York City, the counselor said he knew the architect of the 911 Memorial Center, Michael Arad, Brake explained. There was a bet as to whether an interview could be set up, and one was.

“They interviewed him for a half hour,” Brake said. “The kids were fascinated. It was a lifetime experience.”

As a result, the Mexican students are going to mesh their interview and the collections of interviews from the Seaford students into one collaborative project to be published and contributed to the 911 Tribute Center.

“My head is swimming, trying to keep up,” Brake said. The kids have a sense of urgency, of “what can I do next with it?” Brake said, “It sounds like busy-ness, but these things bring meaning to their education.”

Brake said he did not want to speak for Seaford, but he is excited about the possibilities with New Tech at the high school. “The goal of New Tech was to present a new way of looking at education — how do I take this out of the classroom. Everywhere I’ve been, (I’ve seen it’s) how you take what’s in front of you and make it something that’s not just textbook but something you do something with.”

Brake likes the idea of an international connection, of kids knowing there are people across the world who care about them. “I’m really proud of the kids in Seaford. They’ve taken on a lot without me being there, because they wanted to…. The kids just need someone to say ‘I’m here, let’s do this project.'”

To keep up with Harry Brake, as though one could, subscribe to https://harrybrake.wordpress.com.

I have to say, in a world where adults spend alot of time criticizing and being sideline critics, we can take many lessons from the get up and go attitudes of some of our best youth  !

Okay, in closing out the adventures/and misadventures, of my Spring Break blog entry will do just that!  Let’s get it done!

Waking up Tuesday, April 3rd, I headed to the Public Library to get books but wait!  I did not have a DE library card!  I turned around, walked to Frederick Douglass where I was an honored guest in Mrs. Harper’s kindergarten class.  I did question and answers with them on Mexico, taught them about talking without speaking in Spanish, as well as receiving information about Pakistan and other countries they were from!  I was honored to be there!  They are hatching chicks too in their classroom, amazing!

After this I went to the Sussex County Federal Credit Union to do the “banking” thing…:)  and then just relaxed at home, something I did not usually get a chance to ever do!  🙂  No tax returns in, at all nothing and I had people to pay, alot of them, and the frustration that goes with that is – I can’t put not words at all.

Wednesday – time was flying!  It was so different being in Seaford and not a super super tight schedule!   I headed to the Seaford public Library  to do some work, then headed to  West Elementary to the Seaford Seaford Family Resource Center, in lieu of Dena King who we will be assisting with the promo BobAyuda2012 flyer.  The center is amazing, offering cooking class, to a HUGE schedule of opportunities for the Seaford community.  You NEED to check this resource out, as this is the best kept “secret” in Seaford!

Immediately following, I listen to Dr. Joseph’s town hall meeting, and was very interested in seeing a new overhaul of things to improve the image of Seaford, a VERY good start!  🙂  Excited!  It was great seeing Robin Andrus, Dena King, and overall the Seaford family.

Thursday came with a call that was amazing….DC Reagan airport called and someone had at some point taken my passport, and FM3, and my clear plastic bag that was protecting it, and the airport had retrieved it…the worst part was I thought I had left it safe and secure in my computer laptop case, and voila, no!  Okay, mental note, lost and found only open Monday thru Friday until 4:00 PM!  (This will be important later).

As if this was a sign, I woke with a headache but headed to the public library anyway to wrk on my Master’s work.  I worked it out as long as I could, then had to head home and lie down, the migraine had become too much.  I slept on and off, and then headed to stay with my friend Ms Duryea in Bethany.  Just catching the air made me realize how much I missed the beach and wow, the pictures are just as nice as the walk and breathing in the fresh air was.

The smile things are and were awesome, fresh air, collecting beach stones, tidal pools, and the tide – Bethany was missed!  I always noticed I slept so much more soundly after a day, and night, at the beach!  🙂  Although I look forward to seeing beaches in Mexico, I do not think anything will take my mind away from the beaches I would see in Delaware!

Friday – I was looking forward to a day at the beach and bumming, then I realized, no fights would get me back to school in time and allow me to pick up my passport and Fm3 since THEY ARE NOT OPEN on WEEKENDS for pickup!  Oh yes, PANIC – PANIC – literally, at throwing items in the car, timing it to get to DC Airport AT 4:00 exactly (hoping a little early), no traffic on the Bay Bridge, Mom meeting me with my things from her house on the way from Bethany, on an on, Ms Duryea saving my butt all around, and guess what – getting somewhat lost, calling the lost and found and arranging them to leave my id items with security after we arrived 5 minutes after they closed, all the impossible that could happen, and success that was made possible, I made it to my cousins in one piece, Ms. Duryea crashed (not literally, sleeping and resting wise, lol) at my cousins, and overall, I thought, and we said, citing a book would be too complicated to capture the intensity, stress, and last minute ditch this feeling that had happened. Tuckered out from the events, I DIED asleep and Saturday decided to do NOTHING except recover and mentally recover.

Saturday – This was difficult as I was leaving from BWI airport (my cousins saving the day this time) on Sunday, and leaving all the comforts of friends, family, and the environment that went with it behind – although I had gone through so many changes in the last year I felt I was getting accustomed to the shifts of change occurring around me – but thought – if I was ever to return to Delaware, imagine the perception I would have without the stress and running around I had done in my “previous life!”

I did the hot tub, did the reading, did the relax and catch up scene, and loved the sit back and relax I experienced – we headed to my Aunt and uncles, and tried to fix a ceiling fan ,), and one thing worth noting, in seeing the movies The Way and We Bought a Zoo, you will be touched by the little and simple things in life that matter most – YOU NEED TO SEE THOSE MOVIES, and I think even the film Seven Days in Utopia might be worth the watch –

Sunday – EASTER! Leaving was hard, but I realized that it would make coming back in the summer that much more worthwhile. Leaving on a Sunday was different and I realized my life has changed so much in the way I celebrate holidays, Easter, Christmas, all of it – but in the end, so many new developments have occurred in me as a person because of it.  n uneventful trip minus the plane departure being delayed 45 minutes as the crew arriving came in late, coming across customs minus my Hunger Games books and tea (GRRRRR) – but KEEPING my Girl Scout Cookies, LOL, aways an adventure always….:)  Back at home, is was hardtop realize I was back to two lonely  cats but del taken care of thanks to the Blevins’ family and Hilda, and now to reconstruct some meaning from the experiences I had…hold on, things are just beginning…  (And you thought this trip was exciting….:)

Cherry Blossom Festival.  When many think of this, I think they might think of kites, dancing, or music.  When I think of this, I always thin of  reunion of sorts with the National Aquarium as well as a chance to see some great individuals representing Delaware.  This year, I was excited to see students from Seaford High School since leaving Mexico.  This is the strangest thing, when I saw Ms. Duryea, Priyanka, Thania, Uri, Akshay, Ketsia, Alyssa, and Emily, it was like I had just been gone a short time!

When I hugged them, I realized how special, how selfless, and how amazing they were when we came into contact with each other doing something for the community.  They were there ahead of us, wearing green volunteer shirts, and before they could see me, I realized that one of the best parts of coming back to the United States was being alongside them, working alongside them, and just being – with them!

They did such a great job, representing all that is good, warm, and friendly on a warm, sunny day in Baltimore.  Alyssa came back from the University of Delaware to participate, and seeing all them together for this brief moment in time was amazing, and I wanted the day (minus the hand cramping, the broken hole punches, and the garbage picking at times for plastic bottles J) Working alongside y cousins, PAVE and Rachelle and family overall was  picture-book moment, and the pictures we have tell the same story from my smile! The kites were choreographed to music during the kite competition, although hardly any trees had cherry blossoms!   (Thank you wind, rain, and Rachelle for reminding me!)

I was VERY lucky – I was able to have my closest friends, Rachelle, her mother, Morgan, Mackenzie, Madison all come from Pennsylvania to the Cherry Blossom Festival!  J   I loved seeing them as well, and it was amazing to see so many close friends together.  We also connected with the case of Girl Scout cookies I purchased and ohmygosh, I LOVE GIRL SCOUT COOKIES!  Lol.

From working at 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM for the National Aquarium’s windsock booth (using plastic bottles recycled for this project)

to touring the National Museum of History with the girls, to just generally seeing Washington during a sunny, bright day, this was perhaps the nicest homecoming welcome of all.  If you haven’t seen the National Aquarium in the bottom of the Treasury Building, you MUST, it is an awesome venture and an awesome renovation since the Baltimore Aquarium took it over.  I loved this day, and as the PAVE students headed to new Carroll Station for the night, and Rachelle and family headed back to Pennsylvania, I missed them already!

Sunday was 10mile race day for The Cherry Blossom Festival!  For the first time, I decided to not run in the 10k (aside from me not being ready with the mileage I have or have not done, and rough-shape shoes), I came to this crucial part in my life, and it was better than running the 10 miler….I have for a long time been motivated to live three lives, one for me, one for my Dad, and one for Dave, a personal friend that ended his life way too short, and had left me some items of his, but the most memorable, was the running shorts that he left with the words NIKE on them….ever since running was the addiction again.  Yet, on this day, April 1, 2012, the day of my father’s birthday, I was perhaps given the best gift of all.  I finally felt this pressure lifted to not have to push myself too far, NOT have to run this 10 mile race to prove anything, and I knew at some point in my life, there would be a point when this occurred, I just had no idea when.  How did I know this would happen?  I had the same thing occur, with other major happenings in my life, points where I just felt this calm comer over me and knew I had reached a point where what I had done so far ha been enough, had shown others what kind of person my Dad was, Dave was, etc.  I finally, felt on this important day of mine and his, this feeling of elation and satisfaction.  I think it perhaps was the second best feeling I have ever felt in my life and I realized what a gift this was in itself.

Looking back, I am a little regretful I did not run that morning, but I was able to meet my PAVE group earlier thanks to the decision not to work my way back from the race, and seeing them at the end of the metro entry was also a highlight more than crossing a line and proving something to my Dad, Dave, and me.  It is so funny how sometimes the best gifts are the quiet gifts that happen in the times of solitude and quiet.  Yet, after a practical joke of “I thought you were supposed to meet us at 9:00 AM!” on the phone that morning from Ms. Duryea, (APRIL FOOLS!) – I smiled and realized I was beginning to like the slow down and relaxed approached to things, and take more of life in stride.  It allowed me to appreciate these things I am mentioning now.  The peace and relaxing I experienced while at my cousins was wonderful, and something I always took in with open arms when I was there.

On our way back from Washington D.C, I we stopped at Annapolis and were lucky enough to catch a beautiful, sun-filled day in Annapolis, and I kept thinking, it had been a long, long time since I had wanted to spend such a great day with a group of people as dynamic and valuable as Ms. Duryea, Priyanka, Thania, Ketsia Akshay Uri, and Emily.  Their smiles and giving spirit was contagious, and I could not get enough of just being around them.  As we neared and came into Seaford, dropped them off, I felt an ease of coming back to Seaford thanks to them.

Dropping the vans off reminded me of the countless times of beach grass planting, trips to The Cherry Blossom Festival, and so much more with the same group I was with today.  Coming finally on the doorstep of my Mom’s house, it was just exciting to be back in Delaware where so much had been new when I first came, and the initial memories of where so much had been accomplished.  The first night back, I sat in the parking lot of the Seaford Library (laughing) to catch the internet and turn in my due assignments before midnight for my master’s Degree.  The sleep I had that night was wonderful, to have a long stretch of my adventure and trip behind me, with so many bright spots that had occurred already!

Monday April 2^nd turned out to be a slowly awakening and refreshing day to let it all sink in that I was actually back in Seaford, DE!  I slept in a little, then got ready, and made my way to Seaford High School, it was causing my heart to skip a little being back here since July!  I joking went to my usual entrance which was the cafeteria, and slipped in the kitchen, and made my way to Gwen DiCarlo, just like old times!  Her retake of seeing me was expected, and I was just in awe and loved being able to come in the door as I used to say hello.  We caught up for a few minutes, and then I moved on to the main office directly from the cafeteria.  I came across Mrs. Connie Halter, and it was so exciting to see her!  We talked and caught up as much as possible, and I made my way back to Mrs. Cox Cannon and caught up on so much.

Before I knew it, I was getting surprised by students I remembered from last year!     (Michael Wingate, Chris Michaels, “Toothpick”, Lindsay, and more!)  – It was exciting to see the changes in so many students in so short a time!  J  After seeing Mrs Fake, Mr Dickerson, Mr Dickson, Mr Ritts, Nancy McGee, Mrs Austin-Richardson, I was starting to get into the groove again of what it was like without the stressful busy moments to enjoy everyone’s stories of what was going on in their lives.  I liked it.  I slipped over to the Administration Office and said hello to Mrs Craft, Mrs Fields, as well as Maria Demott, Julia Tobin, and Eryn Johnson who came over, as well as Ryan Craft!  It was so nice to see everyone – I missed them more than I realized when I saw them.  I then finally found my way over to the Public Library and settled down to do some work.  I was able to catch up on quite a lot, and then was able to come back home and relax  with a nap…..it felt good!

Around 5-ish I head back to school and ran into Nancy McGee on the way to the school – then was dropped off at the school to catch the Key Cub meeting.  Seeing Jordan, Tammy Pham, Mr Cannon, everyone! – was awesome and it was great to see the planning of the Key Club again!  After listening to Tayvon as well, we headed to my Mom’s and then to Grotto’s!  🙂

It was awesome seeing everyone that stopped by – it felt nice just to relax and catch up with everyone over pizza!  🙂  I missed the taste of Grotto’s in being gone! 🙂  after dropping Tayvon back home, I realized how lucky I was to have made so many great friends while in Delaware, I was truly lucky.

Sleep came so quickly due to the massive visits I had made during the day!  🙂

Taking a break (no pun intended) from my weekly blog, I did have his urge off and on to try and recall all the specific and required events I experienced from the end of March to the present day – yet the break has been well deserved and chocked full of details that even for me, an avid bigger, seem to be so overwhelming, you have to ask – “Where do I start?!”

Monday, March 26th marked the day before I would head off to The National Writing Project to represent ASF on capitol hill, in showing connections to education across two country borders, as well as advocating for the technology we use in DE to connect classrooms across the world.  I was able to learn way was the legislation going on in the House of Representatives, the Senate, and how I would speak to legislators in lobbying that would help create future ties to what kinds of decisions are being made on education currently.  I had never lobbied before, and felt the the three legislators (Representative Carney, Senator Coons, and Senator Carper) from Delaware, would be interested in the projects that Mrs. Dixie were involve din that tied education  to Delaware, and community service itself.    I also hoped as I began to learn more and more about organizing and creating projects that created widespread influence as a Media Specialist and Librarian, the advocacy skills to lobby would be beneficial to stay in contact with people that will invest in the future of eduction.

I had started to research the background of these three legislators a few days before, and had this on my mind, when the morning of Monday, March 26th presented a weird twist.  I came in as usual, we began to organize the collections of fines and patrons, and poem, before you knew it, we had a request to head to the lower school to “help out.”  Moct and I headed to the lower school, and began to clear the top shelves of all books that would need sifted through and organized through, yet the job itself seemed a little light for Moct and I to both handle…and I wondered…but shrugged that off as, “Well, they wanted a good and fast job done is all!” – soooo…

…we continued to work through the shelf clearing job, and then found ourselves done within a few minutes and headed back to the Upper School.  In my mind I pretty much thought  – I did not think I did that much to help?  We arrived back at the Upper School Library, and within a few minutes were asked to join a meeting upstairs, and at this point I was really confused….REALLY…I had tried my best to stay on top of all announced meetings, and how did I let this one slip by?  When I walked upstairs into the upper Library, I saw rows and rows of people, TONS, waiting, SURPRISE.  No freaking way.  Way.  Everyone had gathered to surprise Moct and myself for our birthday, completely.  I was stunned.  Literally.  I mean this truly and honestly, I never have had a surprise birthday celebration, EVER, (or that I can remember at the age of 40) and when I saw the NUMBER of people, as well as the AMOUNT of food that was on the table, ohmygosh.  Elaine Fong had repeatedly organized, collected, and distributed information on a continual basis, as well as made a spread of food, along with others as well, that was worthy of a KING.  Chocolate covered strawberries, cake that was HUGE – on and on and on….DELICIOUS.  The best part was the great company I was in for my 40th birthday.  I carried the cards with me on the flight and kept staring at them – but the cards were signed by so many people, and overall, it might have been, I really think it WAS, the best birthday of all.  I was speechless the rest of the day and still worked through my mind the amount of time it took to reorganize, plan, and put together such a celebration, and I was just, in shock way after this occurred.  I thought I had escaped this type of event, and was quite content with myself, but realized, how cunning and creative everyone around me was.  Have I ever had a Monday quite like this?  NO WAY and I probably never will.  I am embarrassed to say thank you as that pales to the way I felt inside thanks to everyone that participated in making this such an incredible event for Moct and myself.  WOW.

This evening before I would leave was a special one, as it was filled with the special events of the dress rehearsal of The American School Foundation‘s  650 seat Espinosa Yglesias Fine Arts Building.  WOW!  There were so many highlights, I do not know where to begin  – from the anthem, to the bell ringing, to the singing (WOW!) to the orchestra pieces, to the Shakespeare reading, to the chair collapsing incident, oh YES – ask Helen or Alex how graceful I was when the chair collapsed from under me, of all PLACES, I am still laughing on that one!  The night was magical well into the evening.  The magical feel of the place was easy to feel from walking into the lobby, and everyone, EVERYONE, did a magnificent job of representing  

Finishing the next day was difficult as I headed out into the dark at the hour of 5:30 AM, arrived at the airport via metro, and kept thinking how lucky I was to be among a staff of educators as ASF that thought so much of me, I still could not get that celebration of smiles out of my head.  Amazing.  Somewhere in this euphoria of memory I realized i had my Mexican phone with me, but not my U.S. phone!  🙂   I thought, this will be an interesting turn of events!

I lazed my way into the MEX airport, later than I normally would, and found I just had about a 15 minute way before boarding.  Upon boarding, I found the trip to be rather quick, just over 2 hours, and headed into Miami.  I was amazed at the wetlands I saw below me coming into the Miami International Airport.

I can’t recall having a stop where I had to check my baggage out and back in at a different area when switching flights, so I had a little anxiety, yet, figured, it will all work out.  As I waited in the customs lines – I realized, 30 minutes, went to 20 minutes, down to 10 minutes before I boarded, and realized as I changed lanes to a line that was for just U.S. Passport holders, I was not going to make this flight.  I of course panicked quietly, and as I passed through the customs, I was asked by the officer, “Where are you headed to?”  Washington D.C.  “Where are you from?” – Mexico living and working, but formerly from Delaware.  “Itty bitty Delaware?”  Yes, as I laughed, he was amazed that I came all the way from Delaware, 🙂  I smiled and appreciated the chance to show what Delaware can do  🙂

I learned that I would be catching the next available flight – and literally, within  an hour, American Airlines had found me another flight and I would arrive at 8:00 PM instead of the scheduled time of 4:59 PM.  I was excited and appreciated how quickly I had been rerouted.  Thinks could have been MUCH much worse!

As I arrived in Reagan National Airport, I realized this was one of the only airports I had ever seen that provided wireless internet!  No other airports had done this, I LOVED this.  I was able to find out I had not updated my Firefox, and without that, I could not connect.  Note to self, UPDATE FIREFOX as a back up!

As I appreciated, the metro ran right through DC Reagan, and I was able to take it straight to Takoma Park.  I double checked with a passenger there that the double circles always met the ability to transfer to another line, (I tried this is Mexico and this did not work so well!)  – and I marveled at the contrast between the metro of D.C and Mexico, (number of people quiet, smoothness sometimes, etc) – I was excited to actually be near my cousins!  Had a year pass by so quickly?  Really?

Arriving at Takoma Park Station, I walked the mile to my cousins, loving every minute of the walk.  Along the way I noticed two things, one – the smell of the flowers as I passed, and two- the smell of the air – I did not think I noticed but the air was so clean! It was intoxicating yes, and I was amazed at how warm it was!  🙂

Surprising my cousins at the door, (as I did not have my U.S. phone!) – I was just amazed I was in D.C with them!  🙂  We chatted alot, and then  literally died into their waterbed that first night, excited about the ability that I had to ready for my visits with the legislators, as well as being in DE, seeing my students from PAVE, and my friends from PA, Rachelle, Rachelle’s mom, Morgan, Mackenzie, and Madison, and just that I was going to have the best March ever seeing everyone as I slipped into sleepdom…

Wednesday morning was refreshing to know I did not have to be anywhere until 5:00 PM, or was it 4:00?  The time difference between Mexico and D.C has not escaped me, and I found it 4:15 before I knew it and realized I had to get on ball with getting there, the Hyatt on Capitol Hill.  I thought I had an hour!  I ran around, gathering my ties, shoes, all together, and we are off.  I made it to the Hyatt on Capitol Hill around 5:15 – D.C. time! – and this informational meeting allowed us to meet with individuals who let us in on the going on’s with Capitol Hill, the Senate, the House of representatives, to give us the backdrop off activities and interests occurring that will affect our lobbying.  I was excited as this was precursor to the actual visits we would be making tomorrow.

After an informational evening of preparing more, meeting up with representatives from the NWP in Delaware, I headed back home to get ready for the early start used on our schedule.

Thursday came and went so fast – I was up and ready to roll!  I arrived about 30 minutes early just due to nervous energy, and redid myself for the intros before we went out and hit the legislative offices.  Running into him the night before too, Paul Oh, who is extremely involved in the National Writing Project, he put my mind at ease of what was to come.  We were privileged enough to meet in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, where we listed to the Senator from Mississippi, Thad Cochran, who in 1999, initially had supported The National Writing Project.  His devotion to a National Project, as well as a program that reaches local branches, and now extends to international areas! – was inspiring and just the thing we needed before heading off!

We first headed to the office of Senator Carney, and I took my picture outside his office!  🙂  We met as a trio, and complemented each other in supporting how The National Writing Project supports National, local, and international endeavors of education and writing.  Competing for funds is difficult since the government had taken away funding and now organizations literally have to compete for funds.  I was able to leave with the senator information that showed the work students in Mexico had been creating and sharing with students in Delaware, to gather the skills needed for grant writing.  Below, you can see the items we shared with each of the legislators:

Letter,   grant proposals,    ASF representation,    the credentials I have acquired since becoming a National Writing Project Fellow

We did this two more consecutive times for legislators Coons and Carper  , and I thought, can you imagine the states that have 6 legislators?  🙂  I used to think lobbying would be the ideal job, then realized, wow, to do this and convince others that a certain program or bill is important and go from office to office, after one day I was EXHAUSTED!  🙂   Instead of heading to the reception, I was so exhausted I instead headed to my cousins.  Lois informed me we had a concert to go to, and wow, I needed to get some rest after this day of legislation talks, actually lobbying, and seeing the insides of so many cool Senate and House of Representative scenes.  

HAPA.  Know what it means?  Try Half in Hawaiian!  Knowing nothing about this group, I had no expectations, but when we arrived and saw the shingled barn where the concert would be, I knew this was gong to be memorable  🙂  I instantly had thoughts of Cool Dog Studios!  Only Wolf Trap Barn is UNREAL!  I was amazed at the Hawaiian outfits and the crowd that started to gather.  When I looked at the upcoming artists like Dan Navarro, Jim Brickman, and more, I knew this was going to be a great show!

Seeing Hawaiian, Polynesian, European, and folk music all combined was just, well, it was beyond description.  You will have to listen to believe.  Remembering a former member of their group, Charles, this concert was a brilliant memorial to what seemed to be an unforgettable former member of their group, and are this concert even more special!  I think their albums are worth the getting!

After that evening, it started to settle in that I was actually among family, and actually not on Mexico!  LOL.  I missed Mexico, but was missing so many other things I never had had the chance to do as being so busy with grading papers and so many other things when I had been here, it was as if I was trudging with two identities!

Friday was a great day in returning to the last day of the National Writing Project to express the highlights and hear other success stories, and not all success stories of lobbying and meeting the legislators we met the day before.  We were also able to attend workshops, and I attended this one:

Working with Young People in Partnership with Museums and Libraries

This workshop will provide an opportunity to think together about ways to create relationships with museums and libraries around youth programming as a strategy for sustaining the work of your local site. Conversation will include a look at the 21st Century Learning Labs project, time to hear from sites where library and museum work is already happening, and time to brainstorm specific strategies for your site.

The best thing I did was work with someone from New York (and we shared our experiences from New York!) and we began to network relationships that can connect students in New York to students in Mexico.  This was exciting as we helped plan events for each other’s National Writing Project!  Using a process called Responsive Design, we found the creation process exhilarating, creative, and FRESH to standard approaches of researching ideas that created connections to the community.

Sounds technical, but in working with the instructor Kate Blinn from the National Writing Project and Ralph Cordova from the Piasa Bluffs Writing Project, the ideas we came up with were AWESOME!  I took materials back to show and share, and definitely post on my upcoming Library blog for my Mansfield University Masters.

Returning at the end of the day, I did see the place to pick up my 10 mile Cherry Blossom run packet!  This was at the National Building Museum, and I promptly went in and was amazed at the HUNDREDS of people participating!  (I mean hundreds!) Picked up my packet, as it started to rain, and headed back.  I snagged my bag with a commemorative Cherry Blossom Festival poster, shirt, and entry running info.  ohmygosh!  Tomorrow would be the Cherry Blossom Festival!  🙂  This is a great time to transition into a new post, and let readers FINALLY see a new post in my blog before starting a new one, so stay tuned for the details of my 10 mile run, The Cherry Blossom Festival, and many twists and turns to my visit!  🙂

VERY Behind with posting, but I thought it appropriate to start with the fact that yes, MARCH is READ an EBOOK Month among may other celebrated events!  🙂

In the tradition of having a Nook and a Kindle – here is some info on EBook month:

and here is some info on the choices you can make!

Kobo, ipad, Kindle, or Kindle?

Ms Fong has inspired me with the benefits of the Kindle, I saw someone beside me on the plane to the STATES! (I am in D.C! – the states!  WOW!) and a colleague asked about the ability to use KOBO with other readers’ files (no good news there), and I love Barnes and Noble and the existence of the Nook based on their commitment to education – tons of choices!

I will try to back log the experiences of the last 3 weeks, so stay tuned for the NEW topics..:)

Overall….

With the added post I made to the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday post I keep adding to below, the nights so far have been very exciting and so action packed, the lit mag students are amazing…:) WOnderful night as you will see in the updated post below! Now onto St Pat’s Day and I get to see my friend Umar! 🙂