This will be quick, as Linc and I are busy filling cups with things, dumping them out, and then refilling them. It's a busy day.
Several things have happened recently in my reading/viewing/listening that have made me mad at America, education in America, and Americans in general, which may be a bit harsh.
Item One: There are plans to put a casino near the Gettysburg battlefield, where 50,000 Americans died in three days. Some people support it, because it will provide jobs. One opponent made the excellent argument that we would not appreciate it if France put a casino at Normandy. However, how many people really know what happened at Gettysburg, other than Lincoln's address? When I taught it two years, I only had two HS freshman who could accurately tell me what year the Civil War took place in--two out of 140.
Item Two: Every single one of our current supreme court justices was educated at an Ivy League school. This makes me angry, because after reading up/watching up on the Nuremberg trials this summer, I know that Robert Jackson, the US Supreme Court Justice who prosecuted the trials, did not attend college. He read law, and apprenticed, much as Abraham Lincoln did. We don't do that any more. Education in the United States is too strictly regulated. We don't approach learning as its own joy and glory, but merely as a means to make more money.
Item Three: Colorado and other states keep working to get rid of "bad" teachers in order to improve education. I know that there are bad teachers, but do you turn on the radio every day to hear about the country getting rid of "bad" graphic designers, bankers, ranchers, doctors? No. Maybe we need to really consider how to help teachers be good, like class size. As many states cut education budgets drastically, though, this is likely not to happen. I firmly believe that if every classroom had less than 20 students (aside from band/choir and other specialty things), education would improve.
My biggest goal for my son is to teach him that learning and curiosity are a constant joy. Samuel Johnson said that he who is tired of London is tired of life, but I would say he who is tired of learning is tired of life. I guess my son will also learn that mama likes to rant.
Mr. Cool snapped these pictures of Lincoln enjoying a Broncos game. Or was he enjoying watching my Colts defeat the Broncos? He is wearing Broncos colors, but he did seem to have fun watching football with us. Maybe he was rooting for both teams.
Here we catch the young lad recovering a fumble. Lincoln in motion can be hard to photograph!
By the end of the game, we were worn out and on the couch.
A local knitting shop is going out of business, so I did what any obsessed hat knitter would do--in addition to yarn, I bought a head. I was able to ask, "Do you have any more heads for sale?" and, "Can I take my head now, or do I need to come back for it?" I also had the thrill of walking down the street carrying my son, who kept exclaiming, "Ooohh!", and a head.
Now she's home, happily modeling my Amanda hat, and with a little bit of Scrabble to help her fit in. She does, however, need a name. I was thinking Ingrid, Sista Cool weighed in with Svetlana, and Mama Cool suggested Hedda. Any other ideas out there?
I gave myself a round of applause for my success.
Given the name of this pattern (it's truly called The Amanda Hat), I was bound to knit it up at some point. For my tenth hat of 2010, I used some Manos del Uruguay in a lovely denim blue. This knit up FAST (like in four days), some of which was glorious knitting time on the road, and some of which was while Lincoln and I danced around the family room. He pointed to my needles and yelled, "Hat!" I guess the kid knows what mama does. On the needles now: my first sock (take one bajillion), a scarf, a dishcloth, and a bear.
I recently completed three hats. This Wool-Ease Thick & Quick Charcoal cabled hat (His Black Cabled Hat pattern) is to keep Mr. Cool's ears warm while he looks presidential this winter.
