Let There Be Cotton!

My recruits and I have been anxiously waiting for the cotton harvest season (aka: ginning) to begin. Hopefully with no more rain, they can begin working in about a week or two. Many of these workers have migrated from Florida. Once the 'ginning' season is over, they will be returning to Florida to harvest oranges.

Three Little Pigs

Once upon a time there were three little pigs and the time came for them to leave home and seek their fortunes . . . in Mississippi!

Oh, the things you'll see en route to a recruit's home! These pigs were cruising along Sharkey Road, Charleston, Tallahatchie County, Mississippi. It does not get much rural than this either. Wait ... yes, it does! It is starting not to phase me anymore though.

The Climb of All Climbs

For a second year, Bruce Thew is hosting an Amani Children's Home Golf Day this September. Intrepid Guerba Travel, a long-time supporter of the Amani kids, is offering two free treks up to the Roof of Africa as a raffle prize for Bruce’s event. Bruce’s company, Activenes Consultancy, will contribute £500 per person towards the costs of flights. Every cent raised in the raffle will go to help the Amani children.

Whether you have an adventurous spirit – or want to make a difference with your feet firmly on the ground – this is a great opportunity. Last year the climb raffle raised nearly £5000, sending 53 children to primary school for an entire year. With your help we can make it possible to give more children the opportunities that an education brings. Please visit http://www.justgiving.com/brucethew1 to buy your raffle tickets today!

Amani Children’s Home is dedicated to the protection of Tanzania’s most vulnerable population: street-children and AIDS orphans. It is estimated that there are 2.5 million orphaned children in Tanzania. Since its founding by Tanzanians in 2001, Amani has rescued hundreds of children from the perils of life on the streets, where they face a high risk of HIV transmission, malnutrition, and abuse.

Thanks and I hope to see you at Mt. Kili!

... To New Ventures!

For the past two months my world has been completely altered. For starters, I am the new Mississippi Migrant Education Services Center Recruiter/Advocate for the Mississippi Delta! Basically my job is to find migrant individuals and families throughout fourteen counties in the northern Mississippi Delta and use national Migrant Education Program standards to recruit them into Mississippi Migrant Education Services Center based out of Mississippi State University. (WOW! I get to work for a prestigious university!) Secondly I have a car, La Rosa/The Rose! Not many cars have a name but mine does! She has been my faithful companion in my travels. (More on her later.)

When I think back to the ongoings of two months, a year and four years ago, I do not recognize myself. I have been told that the Delta ages you. Perhaps that is true in my case as well. I feel I have aged ten years! To think, all of that good/not so good stuff started with one globalization conference four years ago.

Going Mobile, Part 2

As of yesterday afternoon, I was officially declared a licensed Mississippi driver! (This license adds to the so many others you have granted me! :) ) Here in Mississippi, you have to pass three tests in order to get a driver's license: vision, written/computerized and driving. As suspected, I put too much emphasis on the written/computerized test.

I read the "Mississippi Driver's Manual" booklet from cover to cover and dissected every word. (I might apply for a motorcycle license at a later time for scooter use.) The actual written/computerized test is only 30 multiple choice questions. One cannot miss more than six question in order to proceed to the driving test. If one is not sure of a question/answer, one can skip the question and return to it once one goes through the entire test. One also have the option of having the questions read to them through a phone connected to the test station. One has four hours to complete the test. I might have taken 15 minutes to complete the test, if that. The driving test was fairly easy-peasy.

My test consisted of driving around a residential area intersected by highways 8 and 61. Thankfully my tester didn't make any comments about my driving until the end of the test - which all she said was that my left turns are slightly wide.

A much due celebration took place at Airport Grocery with two rounds of pool. I, of course, let Giuseppe royally beat me! Many thanks go to Mrs. Odom. Without her, I would not have had the opportunity to have a license. Giuseppe, there are no words to express my feelings towards you. You are my night turned into a sunny dawn.

Obtaining my driver's license is part of a seemingly long process. On Friday, that process will take me to a great opportunity. I really don't want to jinx myself by parlaying all the details ... but things are turning around ... poquito a poquito, paso a paso ... (little by little, step by step).

Double Decker Spring Run

Double Decker Spring Run
Oxford, MS
Saturday April 25, 2009

10K Run-7:30am
5K Walk- 7:45am
Kids Fun Run- 9am

Early Registration online until April 16th- $20 Online Reg (after 4/16)- $25 Mail In/Office- $25 Race Day- $30 Kids Fun Run- $10 Register online at www.racesonline.com or call 662.234.4651 for brochure and more info.

Rubber Band Therapy

This lenten season has reached its midpoint - actually its slightly over the its midpoint. A new awareness has taken hold in ways that surprise me. What to do with this information is to be played out in the coming months. Inaction is not an option. Contrary to what I posted in an earlier posting, I set cutting swearing/negative thoughts out of my life.

With the aide of rubberbands as reinforcement, I'm keeping that goal in check. I have two rubberbands placed on my left wrist, one is slightly smaller than the other. The smaller band is for snapping back when a cuss/swear word just happens to pop out of my mouth. The larger band is for snapping back when negative thoughts pop up and filter out out of my mouth. Of course I'm not the only one snapping back these rubberbands. For those brave enough to snap these bands, thank you! I didn't realize just how horrible I was at cussing/swearing and how nasty it made me.

What has been interesting is trying to define just what constitutes a cuss/swear word. We know the obvious "bad" words but do words such as "dang", "shoot", "shiznet" (Chi-town word!) and other variations count as "bad" words? Intention would have to play a role in that classification. For the moment, I have included the use of these words as part of my penance.

The Seven Ups

1. Wake UP ... and have a good day
2. Dress UP ... and wear a smile
3. Shut UP ... and learn to listen
4. Stand UP ... for what you believe
5. Look UP ... and see all the wonderful things life has to offer
6. Reach UP ... for something higher
7. Cheer UP ... because you are not alone

The Oscar Goes To ...

... Inspiration Corporation!

Airing during the 81st Annual Academy Awards (aka Oscar's), the following vid is a snipet of the Inspiration Cafe's mission starring its founder, Lisa Nigro. Lisa's story of founding Inspiration Cafe was selected from 2,300 entrants as part of a True North brand contest hosted by Frito-Lay. The reward: a 60-second commercial directed by Helen Hunt and a 25,000 grant to Inspiration Corporation. Congratulations!

To the director: thank you for showcasing all that can be great in humanity through my city.

We're off!

Finding new comfort in old routines (i.e. writing hand written letters to friends and family -- oops, how much for stamps? :), baking ... etc.), my Lenten season is off to a good start. I received my ashen cross with a sense of renewal and awareness. This year isn't marked by so much stuff that I'm giving up but geared towards the rebirth component of the season. (By the way, if I were to give up anything, it would be swearing. Yes, I'm a pottie-mouth!) Lent is about conversion, turning our lives more completely over His way of life. The goal is not just to abstain from sin for the duration of Lent but to root sin out of our lives forever.

Any progress (or deviation) will be posted.

New Look

For as many times as I have changed the look of this blog, I still dabble on. As you can see, I have added a new section, "Noteworthy Blogs". With the exception of the Carr family and Sarah's blogs, these blogs represent organizations, ideas -- most are recommended by you. (I live vicariously through Sarah's blog! The Carr family is a godsend.) Apparently, there is a growing group of doctoral students who document their studies through a blog. These lists, much like this blog (and my myself), are an ongoing project.

Missing CARE team event listings? Unfortunately CARE team event listings are no longer available - something I hope changes in the foreseeable future. However you can always go to http://www.careteam.mgrf.org/index.asp and peruse any changes in volunteer opportunities.

Enjoy!

Super Bowl and Veggie Love?

PETA's new ad features lingerie-clad women who are powerless to resist the temptation of veggie love was nixed from this year's Super Bowl ad extraganza. One can only wonder why!


'Veggie Love': PETA's Banned Super Bowl Ad