Glass Mittens and Paper Poppies

I woke up to a chilly morning-- a perfect day for making fleece stocking caps during our Friday afternoon project time. I don't have any hat earrings, but I do own these glass mittens that were a gift from a student a few years ago.

As I climbed into my car, my eyes fell on the infinity scarf that lay on the passenger seat. Mmm. Cosy.

I wrapped the scarf around my neck, turned on the radio, and heard young veterans talking about their struggles to find employment.

"Veterans Day!" I muttered aloud to myself.

Mmm. Red, white, and blue. Colors that say thank you to those who have served my country.

When I got to school, my fellow 3rd grade teacher, Claire, reminded me of her British tradition of wearing a poppy on Remembrance Day. We scrambled to design a template as the children began to arrive. By the time we headed for our 8:40 assembly, poppies adorned the chests of each of the children, giving us all a chance to explain the tradition to others.

The only relative of mine that I know died during World War One was my grandmother's sister, Bessie Gale, who was called Danto by her nieces and nephews. She was a musician who traveled to France in October of 1918 with the YMCA to work in the canteen service. Within months, she died in the influenza epidemic that killed 20 to 40 million people between 1918 and 1919. 

My grandmother was devastated at the loss of her sister. My mother said that Mema would never attend any event that commemorated war, so angry was she at the senseless loss of life.

My student Olivia made me a paper poppy this morning. I wore it all day in memory of Danto Gale, my great aunt who was buried in a cemetery in Talence, Gironde in France. I wonder if poppies grow there.

Tales of a Cat and a Fish

"You're wearing two different earrings!"

"One of your earrings is tilted--no, wait, what is that?

"Are both of those earrings fish? The one on the hook is hooked at the tail instead of the mouth!"

"Why is one of your earrings a cat, but the other is a fish?"

As my friend and colleague BJ knew when she gave me this pair of ceramic earrings, they are thought provoking and bound to elicit comments. Wearing them today brightened a rainy morning and inspired lots of conversation.

BJ teaches kindergarten. Her zany sense of humor is the stuff of legend: the teacher who dances on the table when her students accomplish a difficult task.

"So the cat is licking its lips. Maybe it just ate a fish!"

"I think the cat looks worried. The hungry fish is swimming toward the cat!"

Many thanks to BJ, and to everyone who shared their interpretation of my earrings today.

Niobe's Niobium

Today I wore this lovely pair of metal leaves, a Christmas gift from my mother-in-law a few years ago. I struggled to get a photo that shows their shifting balance of gold and purple. But a still photo can't do justice to these earrings.

Along with the earrings, Marian sent a card that explained the wonders of niobium, the metallic element from which they're crafted.

Niobium is element 41 on the periodic table. When I taught middle school science, one of the projects I assigned to each year's 8th grade was creating an element brochure. With about 30 students per year, I assigned elements that would be fun and interesting, or that students requested. Never once did anyone study niobium. So I had some learning to do.

 Niobium is named for Niobe, the daughter of Tantalus for whom the element just below Niobium is named. Apparently these two elements are very similar, and are often confused. Niobium was named quite late, and is still called by another name by many scientists.

Niobe is one of the most tragic figures in Greek mythology: a mother who brags about her 14 children. Her hubris results in the killing her sons by Apollo and her daughters by Artemis. Homer compared Priam, King of Troy, to Niobe after Priam lost his son Hector. Even with all of my study of the periodic table, I hadn't realized that it commemorated such human tragedy.

Niobium is often used in jewelry, I've read, as well as in making special steel alloys. People have only discovered how to use it in the last 100 years. Its ability to change color when anodized has led to many uses.

Lovely earrings, with such a rich background of mythology and metallurgy. A gift that led me to discover such a wealth of knowledge.  

America's Failure to Vote

I voted tonight. It's an off year election--no president, no senators, no members of congress. I voted for a state senator, a state representative, a county supervisor, and some other local positions. Voting is one of the great privileges and responsibilities of a democracy, and yet many Americans do not vote. Why not?

I'm sure there are many explanations. But it is clear to me is that to vote you need transportation, time, and knowledge.

To vote, I have to drive 15 miles from home. I work in the opposite direction from my assigned polling place. So either before or after work, I have to drive 30 miles (more than a gallon of gas at $3.33 per gallon).

I do not have the option to vote on another day. There is no early voting in Virginia. Fortunately, I no longer am driving children to soccer practice or music lessons. I work only one job. I have no elderly relatives to care for. I can afford a car and gas. I have transportation and I have time.

Election Day is the second Tuesday in November, a holdover from America's agricultural past, I've read. But why? Why not make it possible to vote over the weekend? Or vote on a federal holiday that celebrates our electoral freedom? Why make voting a challenge for busy working people, for people with families, for people who have limited resources?

I wore this pair of earrings that I made from paper beads rolled in Uganda at a women's cooperative, part of Bead for Life. In many developing countries, the turn-out is better than in American elections. Wikipedia offers a fascinating table showing America's poor participation in voting:

 

I was saddened to see a sign proclaiming that I should show an ID in order to vote. I have a driver's license. I can present an ID. The sign also stated that I could fill out a statement affirming my identity. What would that entail, I wondered? I considered that option, but I just handed over my ID. Why hassle the friendly volunteers?

Voting requires effort. I'd like voting to become less difficult. News stories indicate that voting is going to become increasingly difficult as more states require ID cards. I'd like to help people acquire ID before the 2012 election.

A goal for 2012. If America is at 48%, well below all other industrialized countries, something must be done.

Country	Compulsory	№	Turnout
Australia	Y	14	81%
Malta	N	6	94%
Chile	Y	2	93%†
Austria	N	9	92%
Belgium	Y	12	91%
Italy	N	9	90%
Luxembourg	N	7	90%
Iceland	N	10	89%
New Zealand	N	12	88%
Denmark	N	14	87%
Germany	N	9	86%
Sweden	N	14	86%
Greece	Y	10	86%
Venezuela	N*	7	85%
Czech Republic	N	2	85%
Argentina	Y	12	83%
Brazil	Y	3	83%
Netherlands	N**	7	83%
Costa Rica	N	8	81%
Norway	N	9	81%
Romania	N	2	81%
Bulgaria	N	2	80%
Israel	N	9	80%
Portugal	N	9	79%
Finland	N	10	78%
France	N	9	76%
United Kingdom	N	9	76%
South Korea	N	11	75%
Ireland	N	11	74%
Canada	N	12	74%
Spain	N	6	73%
Japan	N	12	71%
Estonia	N	2	69%
Hungary	N	2	66%
Russia	N	2	61%
India	N	6	58%
Switzerland	N	8	54%
Poland	N	2	51%
United States	N	18	48%***

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voter_turnout