March and April, 2008
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MUSE INDEX Dropdown menus LINKS Previous issues What's New Who's Who Birthdays and anniversaries Muse readers' own websites Muse History Mar-Apr Photo Gallery Nancy's Quilts |
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE: A FAMILY BIBLE (Eugene Murdock) Click FROM THE HEART-LAND (JAN. 26) (Charles Frost) Click JANUARY ADVENTURE (Colleen McKay) Click MARRIED IN JULY! (Bevin Murdock) Click LOOKING AHEAD (Becky Murdock) Click Part 2 FEBRUARY ADVENTURE (Colleen McKay) Click NOTES FROM HUBBARDSTON (Jane McCauley) Click FROM THE HEART-LAND (FEBRUARY 4) (Charles Frost) Click BETTER AND GOING VEG (Christel Murdock) Click A BANNER YEAR FOR BIRTHDAYS (Lori Howlett) Click THE GOOD NEWS FIRST (Darrel Murdock) Click Part 3 FROM THE HEART-LAND (FEBRUARY 15 (Charles Frost) Click FROM THE HEART-LAND (FEBRUARY 20) (Charles Frost) Click LOVE POEMS FROM MY FAMILY (Gene Murdock) Click VACATION (Margery Aukstikalnis) Click HOME AGAIN (Margery Aukstikalnis) Click BLUE EYES (Claudia Lindsey) Click RECENT PHOTOS (Mary Reese) Click |
50th anniv. in MD.
"By the Stream" Gallery photo Quilt index |
winner |
Charles Frost Jan's Good News: The Missouri Department of Higher Education has awarded her a one-year $155,000 grant. This will support a teacher summer institute in August and development on the web of part of the Korean math translations, now called gecKo mathematics. With the grant she will get released time from teaching in the 2008-2009 academic year so that she can concentrate on the gecKo mathematics development and on visiting teachers who are using the materials. A lot of hard work went into preparing the grant proposal and it has paid off. Korean mathematics provides a superior conceptual foundation at the elementary school level that will help our children better deal with the practical applications approach, which dominates American mathematics teaching. Ink Wells Revisited: The item in the last issue on yesteryear's classrooms resonated with Pamela. "[It] reminded me vividly of my elementary school experience at Red Hill Elementary School in Canberra, Australia, in the early 1960s," she writes. "We all sat at wooden desks that had built-in ink wells. The desks were very heavy and had metal legs. The top would open forward and we would put our stuff inside. We would use ink pens with detachable nibs, and blotting paper was essential!!. Someone in the classroom would fill our ink wells each day. The ink was always blue. Maybe that is why I have so enjoyed working with pen and black India ink over the years. Much of my artwork needed to be executed without any drips or blots, something I got considerable early practice in at the school in Red Hill. I now have a sizable collection of different-sized nibs, and a few years ago I treated myself to an ergonomically designed `gold' pen. It seems the height of fashion to be able to draw with a gold pen!!" Pam's response brought to mind an expression "to blot one's copybook." I believe I heard it on a PBS Masterpiece Theater program one time, and it appeared to mean in an adult context "to sully one's reputation." Pam reported a description in Wikipedia: "copybooks -- exercise book, example of good handwriting printed at the top of the page, which student had to copy." Note from Richard: "Basketball season has arrived, and I always follow Maryland U and even enjoy watching their girls team as they are ranked fourth in the nation. The girls are very skilled. If I were there in Kirksville, I would be able to follow Truman State better. Pam is taking the Christmas decorations down and storing them for next year. I guess we have a holiday celebration for about two months. But she does a great job of fixing up the house." Active Again in Maine: Derek and Rosalind are losing no time reintegrating into the community after a week-long trip from the Northwest. "We loved the mountains in eastern Oregon, Idaho, and Utah and the bluffs and buttes in Wyoming. We are back in York combining (and culling) stuff from different houses, and jumping back into church work in Portsmouth, NH. Even had a little time [last weekend] to watch the Patriots' and Green Bay games!" Derek often does a run on Ogunquit Beach -- "the best beach in the world," he says. It's warming up a bit here in NE Missouri. At least a few warm days should be headed your way, New Englanders. |
Dusseldorf
railroad station Gallery photo |
Colleen McKay I left work on Thursday January 17 to catch the 12:46 pm flight to Atlanta. It was lightly snowing when I left the building. It was very overcast and starting to snow harder when I got to the gate. The plane was late arriving, but we boarded. We sat at the gate in the plane for over two hours. The gate agent said that connections were being changed automatically and our best bet was to stay on the plane and go to Atlanta. As I got off the plane, the connection board showed Dusseldorf departed at 4:40 pm. That was my connection. My only option was to spend the night in Atlanta and go out the next day on the same flight. In a way it was good, because I was slightly ill and sleep in a real bed was better than in a plane. Jeopardy came on at 7:30 pm. I was asleep before final Jeopardy. The Days Inn had a breakfast buffet included in the room rate. It had a waffle maker. I made a waffle. I took a bagel for the road. The gate agent blocked the other two seats in my row so that I had three seats across to sleep. However, due to my cough I did not get to sleep. I did rest by lying across the three seats. I was thinking about search criteria for records at Social Security for a problem we have to fix. Even that did not put me to sleep. I arrived in Dusseldorf at 7:00 am their time (six hours ahead of Baltimore MD). I knew I had to take the S7 train to the main train station in Dusseldorf. No problem and it was only 2,10 in Euros. The problem came when I read my directions to the little bed and breakfast. I knew what underground station to get off at but not the address of the place. It said it was 50 meters from the station. I had forgotten to print the address. I did have the name. I walked around the underground station in the dark and found a polezi station. They knew where, and it was there. I had not made reservations or prepaid for my room. I guess I had a premonition that I would not make it to Dusseldorf on Friday morning. The place I checked on Friday at the airport had availability for Saturday and Sunday. However at 8:00 am on Saturday they did not. They directed me to Hotel Barcelona a few doors down. They had a room available, and I could check in. After my shower I went back to the underground station to purchase a Welcome Dusseldorf card, good for 48 hrs. The card is a public transport pass and free entry or reduced entry to museums in town. My first stop was the Aqua Zoo. It had fish, penguins, marmosets, leopard turtles, snakes, and dwarf mongoose. Plus it had a room of rocks and crystals and skeletons of different animals. I was feeling very tired, so back to the hotel. After a nap I went to the nearby Modern art museum featuring Palermo. I was glad it was one of the free entries on the card and close to the Hotel. It was a display of mostly one foot square canvases painted a solid color or a solid color with bands of another color on a pair of opposite sides. I would not have liked to pay extra to see something like that. Mass in German was next on the agenda. St Andreas was on the corner across from my hotel. I was surprised to see the manger scenes still up. I then stopped into a little shop. I talked for two hours to the young clerk. She was interested in immigrating to the US or Australia since everything was so expensive in Germany. I asked if she was studying to be a teacher or a nurse, since I think those professions can get a green card. She said no, but maybe she could teach German. I told her to pick a state and google the requirements for a language teacher. I was glad I went to Mass Saturday evening, because I woke up at 8:00 am. After a nice breakfast including grape tomatoes, sliced cucumber, and a gherkin, I set out to walk the promenade along the Rhine. It was overcast. There were very interesting and/or colorful buildings. It started to rain lightly. I found another church, St Maximillan, to sit and wait until 11:00 am when the museums opened. The Porcelain museum was fascinating: the different pottery styles, the wonderful colors. Luckily the storyboards explained the rise of the different pottery factories, and their marks were in German and English. It was the rise of coffee and cocoa and tea that led to the production of the porcelain. That and the finding of the special clay deposits in different parts of Europe. Next door was the film museum. It had old time film making equipment, early cartoons playing on monitors, and a huge poster display of the films of John Wayne. There were quotes about different directors in German and English. On Sundays churches, museums, eateries, and the Seven 11 type store at the main train station are open. My day late arrival meant no true shopping time. I did buy a pin of a cartwheeler to put on my jean jacket, when I got my Welcome card. It is a symbol of Dusseldorf. It started over 700 years ago when the children jumped for joy after a victorious battle against the Archbishop of Cologne near Worringen in 1288. I toured another church - St Lambertus - which had a huge manger scene. As I was getting tired, I decided to take a train to the arena. The part that was above ground gave a glimpse of the city where the locals live. There was a boat show going on at the arena. Since it was not part of my Welcome card free activities, I got a train going back to the main train station. At the main train station, I decided I would get on the first streetcar going anywhere, just to view the city. I did locate a second hand shop. For my next trip to Dusseldorf, I know the 709 or 719 goes into a neighborhood shopping area. With an extra day and feeling better, I would have done the old town church tour of ten churches, more of the free art museums of the Welcome card, and the elevator ride to the top of the tower restaurant by the Rhine. But I had fun and would do this again. |
6 months |
Bevin Murdock We are doing great, just working and staying busy with Olivia. We thought we would write to say hello. I am not sure if you guys know or not, but Jason and I were married in July, although we will be having a ceremony on July 5 of this year. The first time was just a little one. We are hoping it may be possible for you guys to come. :) Anyway, Olivia is walking everywhere now. She is into everything, and follows us around constantly. It is fun watching her develop and grow. She is starting to talk and try to say more things; I think that occasionally she says momma but mostly she likes saying daddy. :) Jason is busy with his job, still enjoying it after being there almost a year now. He also started up a side company with a partner, manufacturing and selling medical products. I am of course staying busy with my job teaching 20 preschoolers, but I love it as well. So between our jobs and running around after the little one, we are pretty exhausted. We also are planning our wedding, which is fun and exciting. Olivia is going to be the flower girl, and her dress is so precious. So how are you guys? What is new with you? I do have more pictures that I will send out to you. I am not the greatest at getting them out. I hope you guys are well and I hope to hear from you soon :) [Ed Note: This was the first we heard that they were married. I was excited to see a message from Bevin Murdock. I wondered whether I had forgotten some important news. It was a thrill to read on and see that she is indeed officially a Murdock now! We are looking forward to our trip to MN this summer and a visit with the family. - - NAM] |
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Becky Murdock March 3: Hello there folks! Sorry it's been so long since I've written. I hope all is well with you guys. Natt and I are settling into our new house. Even though it's been since Oct., there is always something to do. I have been working in the planters, getting those in shape, and I hope to get a garden going. I have a huge backyard that has a lot of potential. We live on a cul-de-sac, so it's a pretty quiet street, especially at night. On March 22nd, Natt and I are going to Vegas until the 24th. We plan on going thru Pahrump, outside of Vegas, on our way home, to see the house that my parents used to live in. It's been 10 years since my Mom has been gone, so I think it's time for a little healing to take place. Ian is going to stay at my house while we are gone, to take care of the two dogs, 1 cat, and 1 bird. I just love having a house again. I heard from Tim this weekend. He is itching to get home; he is quite tired of Kuwait. His plan is to get married to his girlfriend in Oct. while he is home. Well, I guess I will post you later on the details, and will write soon. I would love to hear from you guys too. |
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