Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Hole is dug and ready to pull in behind me


I met my friend Patty Barker to walk to junior high school.  One morning I left my lunch on her kitchen table, and when I retrieved it that afternoon her mother said “I felt for you, but I couldn’t reach you.” I love that quip. I believe the disappearing hole came into my repertoire about the same time. My dad said of a fellow engineer, “D’Arcangelo (they called each other by last names, very grown-up) is so tied up in this project he might as well have dug a hole and pulled it in after himself.”

I’m geared up for my annual accounting close marathon.  It doesn’t have to be a marathon, but it’s my close, I prefer it done and for ten years I’ve come up for air when it’s over. Some planets lined up with the asteroids this year, and I am taking Wednesday off. Thursday, too, if it snows all day.  Then the other me says I must have the framework of 2014 established, in the most un-“ intuitive” piece of software any geek could put together, by six pm next Wednesday, and I know those plows better be running Thursday or I’ll commandeer one.

The children have been on winter break these last two weeks; the school bus doesn't stop at the end of the street each morning and a fair number of library books have gone back and forth. Emily has met up with her Science Fair project partner several times over the semester and the two of them are using the break to finalize the project, due in a month. She also has a Spanish class project that assigned three students to be fashion editors and do a layout for a Spanish magazine. A fun project, it seems.

One girl could not come to the first session for reasons not given. I gave Emily some suggestions to complete the project, and she thought it would be fine after the three got together for the second work session. But that one was sabotaged by the same girl, who hosted, who had to leave in an hour with her family. I picked up a rather grim lipped Emily who told me she had done her part; the other two could put it together.

She and her Science Fair partner have worked diligently this semester on measuring arsenic in rice. I picked her up last weekend and made the usual inquiries. They are nearly done with their presentation, except their pictures. “Do you need a camera?” “No, I have one.” “Is something wrong with it?” “It’s in my locker. At school. Full of pictures.”

But the best lunch bag moment was from Hamilton.  Perhaps I mentioned his little sister no longer watches out for him. It didn’t occur to Hamilton to staple together his data sets for his Science Fair project. Of course they were mixed up, and the project stalled there.  Last weekend I asked how it was coming and heard his dilemma.  I knew his project involved a number of people taking a test. I suggested he try matching handwriting or else proposing some string theory result. He looked at Emily. “Matching could work,” she said. He looked at Emily harder. She looked away.

Today at lunch I asked how it was going. Well, in fact he had been thinking of starting that after lunch. I asked at supper how it went. “Perfectly,” he said.


There was a solution. Imagine that.

Laura’s project for the break? Rubber band bracelets. Almost beyond my comprehension.

Rubber Band Bracelet


27 comments:

  1. I had no idea rubber bands came in colors. My grands are here but no schoolwork.

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  2. They're the current craze, at least east of the Mississippi. Made on a little peg loom, or can be done without. Very fiddly. Google rubber band bracelets.

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  3. Good for them using their break to get projects done. Not everyone would do that. You've got some great kids there.

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  4. Really pretty bracelet and, omg you are a busy woman.... slow down a bit, Joanne!

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  5. Sounds like a great break. I love it when the children are home.

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  6. That's a pretty bracelet. I wonder how it was made.
    Happy New Year. Aloha to all of you from Hawaii, Joanne.

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  7. Hari OM
    what a pretty thing...a follow on from the 'friendship' ties I suppose. Busy busy busy start to the year. Why not I say. Here's tae us... YAM xx

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  8. Love Laura's rubber band bracelet - really neat. Enjoy your day off tomorrow.

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  9. All good projects, especially during bad-weather days.

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  10. The rubber band bracelets are ever so popular. My 75 year-old friend was wearing hers when we went to lunch. It was made by her 10-year old granddaughter of whom she is very fond.

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  11. Well the rubber band bracelet was a talking point, I only have brown ones at the moment but will look out for coloured ones.
    Merle.................

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  12. Doesn't sound like your g-kids are last minute guys... how refreshing! Neat bracelet... I'm gonna have to google it. Happy New Year!

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  13. I have five granddaughters and therefore, colored rubber band bracelets up the wahoo.

    I saw a piece on how these bracelets came about. They were invented by a family who worked together from their home on an idea that one of them had. I would imagine they are very rich today.

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  14. That rubber band bracelet is beautiful
    Happy New Year. Keep warm.

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  15. When do you breathe? Not to mention eat or sleep? Busy, bus, busy. And I am glad that you have infected the grands. Mostly. Hamilton seems to have a little immunity still...

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  16. I love the new photo in the header!

    There might be a kids' break but there is no break for those who watch over the kids :)

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  17. Love the sweet new header.
    I'm quite proud of Emily making Hamilton do his own work and I bet he feels relieved now it's done too.
    I like the rubber band bracelet, I've always liked rainbows.

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  18. I don't like group projects. I always ended up doing most of the work. Same with my kids. The other group members sat back and watched.

    Love,
    Janie

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  19. My granddaughter was just mentioning those rubber band bracelets. I'd never seen one though. They really are quite attractive. I had no idea. I can see why the kids must enjoy them.

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  20. They are all growing up Joanne. It used to be plaited cotton friendship bracelets. I like the elastic band one !

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  21. Arsenic in rice? That certainly raises some questions. Is that on the list of ingredients? Should I feed it to the mice? Should I feed it to the kids?

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  22. Never a dull moment at your house!

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  23. My five year old granddaughter made one for me yesterday. I told her I would put it around my coffee cup at the office. She frowned, I told her it was so Poppi would be able to have firm grip on his cup because he is so old that he has a tendency to drop things. She smiled, that seemed to work for her.

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  24. Those rubberband bracelets--along with a fair number of library books going back and forth--have been a big part of recent weeks here, too...as has Science Symposium. The other day, I broke down and cut out colorful background paper for each of my girl's bits of text for her tri-fold board, thus becoming her ad hoc partner. I hope we get a good grade.

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  25. Oh, I LOVE the rubberband bracelets! In fact, I love all kinds of jewellery and ornaments made of unexpected items. She can try paperclips next, perhaps?

    Happy New Year to you and yours!

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  26. I am with Jenny the bracelet is very cute. Hope you enjoyed your days off.

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