Charm and Grace

 Beginning preparations  The final exams start tomorrow, and most of the grading is done. I'm working on small Christmas preparations each day. This has been a wonderful year. Ellie was born in February, Miles and Ashlyn were married in the South Carolina Temple in March, Lauren & David were married in the Washington D.C. Temple in June, Johnny was hired at UGA as the Chinese Department Chair, Miles is graduating from UGA and applying to medical school, Jimmy has resumed his college coursework, and Jimmy and Bradie announced that they will be sealed in the South Carolina Temple in January. We have so much to be grateful for. This Christmas will be all about gratitude. So, I'm decorating in preparation for the merriest Christmas ever. It's going to be wonderful.

I've made mistakes concerning negotiation. At times I've been a pushover. At other times I've been a bull in a china shop. When I make mistakes like these I'm left wondering how could I have handled things better. Part of the problem is that I'm a woman. When women are assertive, they are considered _itchy. But, I've learned that is just what is necessary, if only rarely . Some people will take advantage of you until you just really draw a line in the sand and make it clear that if that line is crossed, some part of the relationship will just be irreparably damaged. This requires courage. No one really wants to be perceived as a _itch. Neither do you want to be a doormat. Dr. Phil would say that you teach people how to treat you. I think he's right. Since the  "_itch card" should be used sparingly, other skills of negotiation are, well, absolutely vital. Here's my take on negotiation. The first question you must ask yourself is, "What ...

Seek to become a temple ordinance worker in the Atlanta Temple. Study the Book of Isaiah. Continue to add family information to the New.FamilySearch.org website. Increase my ability to find the delight in the ordinary. Dwell upon happiness. Brush away unhappiness. Focus and improve upon my strengths. Recognize that my weaknesses keep me humble & that it is possible for my weaknesses to become areas of strength. Pray for guidance concerning my life's mission. Be a source of support and encouragement to each member of my family. Reach 125 lb weight through exercise and healthy eating. Present at Georgia Science Teachers Association Conference in February. Continue to improve the utility of my Physics website. Stay the course!!!

Twenty-two years ago I had a small sewing business called Paula's Pretty Things. Party, pageant, wedding, & bridesmaid dresses made up the bulk of my business, but I also made the model garments that hung in Hancock Fabrics in Athens, Georgia. A few years before that, I'd worked for an Asian tailor in Pacific Grove, California while John was stationed at the Defense Language Institute at the Presidio. She was quite a task-master who taught me precision. I spent so much time sewing, that it became a chore rather than a pleasure. Economic circumstances demanded that I set the sewing business aside to become a high school physics teacher. I seldom sewed after making that career move, except for my toughest customer, my daughter Lauren Ann. I call her a tough customer because it was tough to schedule a fitting with her. Lauren usually had several activities going on simultaneously. She is still like that! Anyway, I've had this urge to sew again. I think this is be...

You might be thinking, "That's absolutely ridiculous! Who has a favorite tree?" Well I do, and once you see the tree, you'll understand why... Miles and Beautiful Ashlyn

No makeup, no contacts & on antibiotics...Not too horrible??? One of my favorite "go to" books is "How Not to Look Old". I also recently read "Younger Next Year, for Women". I joined a gym in an effort to lose weight, & gain stamina. I've accomplished both of these goals, but I have  more weight to lose. I won't lie, the wrinkles around my eyes bother me. If my budget permitted, I'd be looking for a "Lifestyle Lift". Since that's not an option I've been working on things that I can do something about. My weight goal is 125 pounds. I'll stop before that if I begin to look sunken in, or like a saggy-baggy elephant. I've also made a concerted effort to improve my wardrobe. NO MORE FRUMPY clothes. My son James asked me one day if all teachers shop at the same store. He was telling me, in his own artful way, that I was looking frumpy. "How Not to Look Old" is one of the best wardrobe books for women o...

 Swan Squash   Girls just want to have fun...I'm no exception! Very sweet lady from an Atlanta Church Group Peeked inside - looks like speckled butter beans "Dixie Ice Cream" You know what grits really are? Girls Raised in the South! I wanted one of each Connie The most orderly pumpkins I've ever seen Like I said...one of each Martha would call this place a "good thing" Connie introduced me to Jaemor Farms, the perfect setting for a charming Georgia afternoon. The photos were taken with my iphone. I can't believe how vivid they are. We each had a fried pie and brought back a plate of Bar-b-que for our sweet hubbies. Connie warned me about taking her photo & having it shown on the internet. Connie, I think this is a great photo that is a perfect illustration of how to gracefully eat a fried peach pie. OK, I'll take it off if you hate it. http://www.jaemorfarms.com/

This scripture  is a revelation about all types of learning, even physics. I wish that I could share it with my students. But, behold, I say unto you must study it out in your mind. The best teacher in the world is NO substitute for effort. I've had the experience of being taught by the Spirit after struggling with a concept. I've had dreams in which I solved problems in my sleep, soon afterward followed by an Ah-hah moment in which the concept unfolds in my mind.

On Saturday I went to Shenanigans, what a great name, and got a haircut with color. I'm back to dark brown again. Maria put on a color that won't cover gray. The point being that my gray will show through & grow out, gracefully. Well, at least I don't look like a striped tiger. P.S. I burned my forehead with a flatiron while trying to straighten my bangs. It will not stop bleeding. I put a liquid bandage on it tonight. Aging gracefully...not so much! Sorry about the shiny face, that's the grease I apply in an effort to reduce the wrinkles associated with aging. It's really working, don't you think???

NGHS Physics Lab Notebooks to be graded. There should be 150 notebooks (if they've all been turned in). My thoughts about grading papers...it's complicated. Fairness - Was the assignment taught well? Did my students understand the assignment? Was the assignment below, at or above the varied abilities of the student? Does my grading rubric measure the student's knowledge & skills? The Weight of the Grade - Heavy weights should be be reserved for final assessments. Daily work should be weighted lightly because it reflects the student's effort to master the material. The student should be given many occasions to practice their skills. Feedback without Discouragement - The feedback about assignments should be honest but not so negative that the student gives up. On the other hand, negative feedback is sometimes appropriate, especially when you have students that are not performing up to their ability level. Proceed with caution!!! I try to provide quick feed...

1. Never skip church, unless you are sick. Sick at heart doesn't count! Taking the sacrament is THE most important thing you do all week. 2. Never take home a stack of lab notebooks to grade (150 notebooks). Doing this will make you sick at heart. See rule #1. 3. People that berate you, not real constructive criticism, are trying to make you sick at heart. See rule #1. 4. Taking the sacrament arms you with the armor of God that deflects the arrows that make you sick at heart. Changing the Subject... 1. My family is the greatest gift I've ever received from God. In the past two weeks we've received visits from Jimmy, Bradie, Ellie, Johnny, Miles & Ashlyn. I've heard from David via Facebook. David & Ann went to the temple this week. 2. Cooking in the kitchen with my husband after church was the most fun I've had all week. I thank God for such sweet time with my companion. Then we took a nap. I scooted over and rested against his arm. The trick to bein...

Jimmy Fowler Eleanor Fowler I'm so glad to be alive. I'm so glad to have Eleanor in my life. I can hardly wait for more to come. I hope to live a very long time. Thank you God!!!

Mormons, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are well acquainted with a story from the Book of Mormon about holding onto an "Iron Rod" which represents the "word of God", meaning the scriptures. I think the point of holding onto the iron rod is also about clinging, yes sometimes clinging, to the faintest of hopes that things will improve. A few years ago, I suffered such a devastating disappointment that I felt that I was actually broken. I was sitting alone at the breakfast table when a bird flew to a post on my deck & wobbled to a sitting position. I was thinking, "What's wrong with that bird?". I've never seen a bird wobble like that before. The bird stood to reposition himself on the post and I could see that he had only one leg. I sat there and wondered what had gotten a hold of that bird. Even so, he escaped without his leg & lived in spite of the trauma. I realized that even if I felt broken, I was still alive...

In 1980 I felt that my oldest son, John, then seventeen months old needed a playmate. I quickly set about "making that happen". Just before Jimmy was born I began to feel panic about whether I could ever love another child as much as I loved John. I could not understand how I would be able to divide my love for John & share it with another child. Perhaps my being an only child, or that I was still a child, explains my lack of insight about the nature of love. It was after Jimmy's birth, the nursing, the diapering, the playing with, and the bonding with my new infant, that I came to realize that love is multiplied rather than divided among people. In fact, I've recently realized that it's not even multiplied. Love is actually quadratic in nature. Meaning that love increases by the square of the number of people you have in your life to love. I started with the love for my parents, then my husband, then my children, then their spouses, now their children. How c...

So...what are my thoughts? Ann and David were calm and confident on the day of the wedding. I felt the warmth of the Holy Spirit in the Temple. I helped Ann get ready and that was very sweet. She looked radiant as she and David made their wedding vows. Lauren Ann appeared to be glowing. I've never seen her more beautiful. I felt enveloped in warmth and comfort during the ceremony. This marriage was definitely a spiritual experience for me. I felt that I had come full circle as I watched my daughter marry in the same temple that I was married. I experienced a remarkable fullness of joy. Speaking of warmth...it was extremely hot outside while photos were taken, but everyone took it in stride. By the time we got back to Buena Vista for the reception things had cooled off a little. The reception was great fun. I enjoyed meeting Ann's and David's friends and professors. They had so many glowing comments about the both of them. I feel fortunate indeed. Ann's friends really ca...

This is a poem I've written about my father, who actually did give me the sun, the moon, and the stars. Happy Father's day! When I was just a wee, small girl, Just less than three feet tall My father said, “Jump in and swim, and we will have a ball”. Said I, “I’m way too small for such a big, big pool. Then said he, “Just jump to me, and I will catch your fall”. Jump in, I DID! I closed my eyes, and jumped with outstretched arms. A promise kept, he caught my fall, by water, I was charmed. Said he, “Your such a big brave girl, It’s time you learned to dive”! “Just curl your toes around the board and fall right off the side”. Dive in, I DID! I curled my toes, and leaned over at the waist, I held my breath, pushed off the board, and learned that I could fly. When I was a wee bit older, Just almost four feet tall, Dad said, “It’s time to ride your bike with just two wheels, that’s ALL”! Said I, “I’m way too small for such a big, big bike”! Said he, “Just look ahead and pedal hard, ...

About a year ago I thought it would be a great idea to go back to grad school and get my specialist degree in science education. This spring I thought I might want to get a doctorate. This summer I'm considering becoming a certified spinning instructor. Or maybe I'm already certifiable! I've always worked. I was eight years old when I had my first job. I swept the floor of a beauty salon down the street for twenty-five cents. I would buy ice cream with my change. I worked in the dye room of a carpet factory when I was 16. I loved mixing the chemicals & dyes. After graduating from college I worked for the Georgia Geological Survey making maps in Albany , Georgia until I was offered a higher paying job as the Quality Control Manager at a Pet Dairy. We started having kids, so I worked in a Montessori school teaching science & PE. I've even worked as a maid in Pebble Beach cleaning mansions. I'll have you know that I've scrubbed hand painted & gold pla...

This entry may be boring, (sorry in advance) but this is how I plan to journal. I don't want to forget how good my days are. I don't know if you know who Virginia Cazier is, but she is the finest example of an optimist that I've ever met. She could take a freaking disaster and put a positive spin on it. That used to drive me crazy!!! Anyway, I've realized that this is a godlike quality. It's occurred to me that I need to write Virginia a thank you note. She's made a difference in my life. Here's to Virginia Cazier! Today has been a great day. John & I went to Mulberry Creek Park. I walked around the lake twice which totals 4.4 miles. I was drenched in sweat but it felt good in spite of the heat. I took some pictures of the flora around the park. There were mushroom communities in one part of the park. The mushrooms look like thatched huts where fairies might live. Miles' 25th birthday is today. He, Ashlyn, Jimmy, Bradie, Ellie & Johnny celebrated...

When Lauren was born, I had the distinct impression that she was as much my sister, as she was my daughter. I was simply walking along the road of life just slightly ahead of her. My role would be to teach, to love, and to provide encouragement to her as she made her way through mortality. I had the honor and privilege of taking my daughter, Lauren Ann, to the South Carolina Temple in April. This was a required step prior to her marriage to David in the Washington D.C. Temple. Everyone wears white in the temple. The clothing is elegantly simple because the temple is a quite place of contemplation and instruction. There is no indication of wealth or status in a temple. The simplicity of the clothing is an acknowledgement that all people are equal in the sight of God. I was able to make Lauren Ann's temple dress. It is a plain white satin dress with a beautiful draping neckline. She will be lovely in this dress. I wrapped the precious dress in tissue paper and beautiful white and gol...

by Paula Fowler, June 6th, 2010 I usually look out of my breakfast table window while eating my honey bunches in solitude. I've had visitors before, so I anticipate who'll make an appearance at breakfast. I've had visitors on my lowest of low days when my heart was utterly broken. My guest, a bird with one missing leg that proved even broken things could carry on. This morning's guest, grace and charm, called my name through my window, and told me to look a little closer at its blossoms and leaves. I learned of its red rimmed and heart-shaped jagged leaves surrounding winged petals so intensely red as to be judged impossible to be real. Eyelash fringes along the folded petals suggest a sense of touch. Perhaps it does, as it pulls me closer to examine and to love it for the first time.

The truth is that I've never really liked begonias. My opinion about them recently changed as I was eating breakfast and looking through the bay window of my breakfast nook. I noticed their beauty as they beckoned me to take a closer look. I had the idea of taking a picture of them through the window so that you could see the lace curtain, and then move closer in so that you could see the details on the leaves and petals. I'll never view them again as I did before.