Tuesday, December 5, 2006

A FULL DAY and FISH

Well, this has been a full day. Much of today was dedicated to my local church, San Pablo, where I am on the vestry and the strategic planning committee. Today we had a meeting of the committee. Before I left the home for that I helped our 5th grader practice division of fractions for a quiz today. This young woman (she is 13 now) just learned to read and do math 3 years ago at the start of 3rd grade. She had a lot of help in 3rd grade. I got her reading - in Spanish and then she had a teacher who we hired with help of one of my friends in Philly to come 3 days a week for 2 hours and continue. We did this for two years. Now she is finishing 5th grade and has been improving and improving as the year has gone on. She is taking good notes (her teacher is very organized), studies and reads a lot. I don't think she has a book for any subject because most of the kids in her school cannot afford to buy them so all her subjects are taught by having the kids copy off the board - a common method here. She was doing well in division - I gave her about 10 different ones to do. I am adding more a couple of hours later. She came home with a 96!

While we were eating supper there was a knock on the door. It was a volunteer from an organization that works with adults who have drug addictions and who are living marginally - on the street. The volunteer had 200 pounds of frozen fish and he gave us 100 pounds - which was all we could fit into the freezer. It is ready to cook!!! No cleaning, gutting etc. Another blessing coming to us.

Than my (reluctant) Godchild (reluctant because she wants one that gives her less practical gifts and will take her home (and I live here) for a weekend - especially Carnival weekend) needed a Christmas Song in English. She doesn't like to get help but as yet she doesn't know how to search the net. Together we found one. She said she wanted a popular one and after I sang a few options she picked Deck the Halls. She thanked me after I printed it out but didn't want to know what the words meant.

I had decided to give the committee members some material I have on leading groups where the members all participate in giving ideas, making decisions, and making a plan to bring it off. I had set up to have it copied at the place where I do almost all of my downloading of books (for my books to read project) and who give me a discount. When I arrived there (it is a copy center plus) they had made the copies but had no paper! to print the copies I needed in an hour and a half. I said that I would drive to a nearby Super Market and buy two reams - but a delivery person was there and he offered to go on his motocycle - so we got it done, I took off and arrived at the meeting with 5 minutes to spare.

OH, I forgot to mention that while I was driving to the copy center I looked at the gas gauge and it was below empty! My heart lept. I made it to the nearest gas station and filled up - but it didn't take as much as I though it should - being empty. The gas guage is not functioning right. Until our driver can check it out Monday I will have to rely on remembering when I filled it and do it often enough that I don't run out. That was just another little diversion.

The meeting was a Spanish (I can do fairly well and most of the other members speak Englsih) but after three hours I could scarcely talk. We did get a lot on the table and then we actually accomplished two things and made a plan of when to accomplish them. I was happy and I hope the others were too.

What else??? Around all of this I made a pattern for the girls to use to make table decorations for our Christmas Lunch and celebration on the 22. I located two pictures of Santa so they could draw them, I received the fish, lent tape, glue and now I am looking forward to reading in bed. I just lost the internet connection - but got it back without losing this.

Ciao, Tia Sue


No comments: