a new take on the spinning jenny

Come along with the field trip chaperone maven and let me infuse you with some knowledge.

Knowledge is power, you know.

I spent the day in Old Sturbridge Village with three busloads of third graders yesterday.
This educational and operation village, set in the 1830s is a treasure trove.  It happens to be one of Dub's favorite places on the planet.  He usually goes on ONE fieldtrip per child's educational experience, and this is it.  Sadly (for him) he was traveling during the week that Leeli got to go, so I went in his place.  As an aside, I will admit that coming on the heels of chaperoning that trip to NYC, this just about did me in.

 In one of the exhibit buildings, this caught my eye:

The spinning jenny is a multi-spool spinning wheel

It was invented c.1764 by James Hargreaves

James Hargreaves was a weaver, carpenter and an inventor in Lancashire, England.

The device dramatically reduced the amount of work needed to produce yarn, with a single worker able to work eight or more spools at once. A word 'ginny' or 'jenny' is an early abbreviation of the word 'engine', simply referring to a machine or device.

Here's MY take on the spinning jenny, some 200 years later:

Born in 1964 to some intelligent and industrious parents

She infuses drama into the everyday.

The woman is able to single-handedly work eight or more peoples' schedules at once.
Jenny IS a machine.

[in my humble opinion]
*GRIN*
COMING ATTRACTION: fieldtrip pictures.

Wednesday highlights

Planting pansies in the patio bucket,

getting my first bouquet of Spring flowers from Roonie

clothes and quilts drying on the line

enjoying my bouqet from the kitchen sink, which happens to be the only place in the house (except maybe the bath tub) where the cats won't tip it over...

admiring the organic CSA produce delivery that came

and wondering, as I tried to imagine what THIS could possibly be, what I was going to do with it;

followed by a few minutes of gazing mutely at the rest of my groceries and marveling at the complete lack of anything nutritious in the whole lot.  Refined carbohydrates anyone?

Can't tip the scales too heavily in any one direction.

pirates DO take baths

some just never take their socks off.

Return and Report.

First the return.  The Vagrants is going back to the library.  After my resolve not to finish a book that was less than extraordinary, I'm hesitant to admit that I had a hard time slipping this book back into the pile.  I so WANTED it to be good, but when the author introduced a character that was distasteful, I closed the cover. It's taken me almost two weeks to let go.  That might explain my clutter problem.  Life is too short.

On a smaller scale, my nights are also too short.  I long to climb in bed well before I do each night, and last night was no exception.  Mesquite and Enrique were homework-deuling on the computers, so I decided to watch the library movie I picked out two weeks ago while they worked.  I pulled the loveseat right up to the TV, plugged in my ear buds so as not to disturb the scholars and assumed the prone position.  I had NO idea what the movie was about; I picked it because the DVD cover was charming.  So much for not judging by appearances... I'm pleased to announce that the movie did not disappoint.

The kids were done well before the movie ended, but I had been strung along, and could not disconnect without knowing what would happen to Miss Potter.   Miss Potter turns out to be the story of  the famous English children's author Beatrix Potter.

How can you go wrong with Renee Zellweger?  I think this movie was released in 2007.  I'm not sure how we missed it the first go-round, but for anyone who has enjoyed The Tale of Peter Rabbit or any of the delightful Beatrix Potter books, it will charm its way into your heart.

in THREE New York Minutes

...I'll show you some of what the music groups did while we were in New York City.

To sum up:
We ferried to Ellis and Liberty Islands.
Choral groups performed in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty (and spontaneously in Times Square)
Band performed at Battery Park
Both groups met individually in Broadway workshops; I attended the workshop with the band.  The music/pit director for the hit musical "Wicked" spent two hours with the students... they were under his spell:  they were mezmerized.  [Read:  It was fantastic.]
Walked down Wall Street, Broadway and through Times Square.
Ate at Planet Hollywood.
Lunched in/around Central Park.
Attended a jazz performance at the Lincoln Center; we salsa'd to the music of Tito Puente.
Enjoyed Rockefeller Plaza and the views at the "Top of the Rock"
The music director at our HS is amazing.  Her energy doesn't quit.
I had a most excellent experience being a chaperooooon, and would go again tomorrow.
There's probably more... everyone went home happy and exhausted.

the city that never sleeps

48 hours

70 HS Students

An endless supply of energy

And I do believe we did it all.

I can't WAIT to go back!

Enrique's turn.

Toilet paper streamers and all...

He's a good sport, and we love him.

Happy Seventeen!