Thursday, June 9, 2011

Pineapple Blossoms and Other Thoughts ~


The last post (my goodness, 10 days ago!) showed pineapple blossom squares,


congrats to those lotto winners.



They are such a neat square, I just had to make some of my own, tee-hee! As you can see, they are not all complete,



but I've been trying to do that 15 minutes here and there kinda sewing, since I'm stealing time from sleep sometimes, but mostly from finishing all the SCHOOL stuff... I'm getting there... s.l.o.w.l.y...

Now this is a table runner for Michelle, my 2 days a week, in the class "mom helper".



She was an office manager for 20 years, and she has done a spiffy job of keeping most homework recorded, grading tests, filing and all that classroom organizing necessity "stuff".



She loves butterflies, I'm hoping she'll like this, too!



I went to You Tube for a video help, and found, "Mitered Binding for Different Angles",


since these are not at 90 degrees.



It really assisted the completion!


Saturday, we went to Beth and Jerry's new home to help with cleaning and painting cabinets, cupboards and shelves. It makes it so nice to move into clean pantries....
Sunday was church.
Monday, school and quilting class.
Tuesday, retirement of a teaching friend of 21 years.

Wednesday, I went to the 8th grade chapel to do a gift presentation to my students of Kindergarten who graduate this year (our school goes from preschool to 8th), and it's always a touching time for us. I read to them the "poem" by Robert Falghum. Let me share this with you here~

All I ever needed to know, I learned in Kindergarten

All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten.
ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW about how to live and what to do
and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not
at the top of the graduate-school mountain, but there in the
sandpile at Sunday School. These are the things I learned:



Share everything.

Play fair.

Don't hit people.

Put things back where you found them.

Clean up your own mess.

Don't take things that aren't yours.

Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.

Wash your hands before you eat.

Flush.

Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.

Live a balanced life - learn some and think some
and draw and paint and sing and dance and play
and work every day some.

Take a nap every afternoon.

When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic,
hold hands, and stick together.

Be aware of wonder.
Remember the little seed in the styrofoam cup:
The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody
really knows how or why, but we are all like that.

Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even
the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die.
So do we.

And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books
and the first word you learned - the biggest
word of all - LOOK.



Everything you need to know is in there somewhere.
The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation.
Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.

Take any of those items and extrapolate it into
sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your
family life or your work or your government or
your world and it holds true and clear and firm.
Think what a better world it would be if
all - the whole world - had cookies and milk about
three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with
our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments
had a basic policy to always put thing back where
they found them and to clean up their own mess.

And it is still true, no matter how old you
are - when you go out into the world, it is best
to hold hands and stick together.


I also remind the grads what I wrote on their Kindergarten report card, and that is:

  1. something I appreciated about them personally,
  2. I enjoyed having them in my class that year,
  3. I love them (I write that each year, truly!) with my name, and then this verse:
Proverbs 3:5,6 "Trust in the LORD with all you heart, and lean not on you own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."


We could learn from this, couldn't we? I hope you hold someone's hand today. I'm sending love out to you all!

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23 comments:

  1. What a wonderful post! And to think I almost didn't realize it was yours and was skipping through it - for shame on me! You put such thought into it. Lovely gift for your class mom. And what a nice poem. Just have to tell you that I wrote that same verse in my son's Bible way back when I gave him his first one when he was about six or seven yrs. old. I LOVE that verse - it speaks volumes!

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  2. I think Michelle will love her gift! Very sweet of you to give her a homemade gift... there is nothing better!

    Busy, busy girl you are but soon school will be over for you for a little breather. I love that poem too. There is much truth in it!

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  3. Beautiful post, Pokey, and yes, I do think the world would be a much better place if everyone lived by those rules.

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  4. Sweet post!! I really liked those pineapple blocks too.

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  5. Michelle is going to be thrilled with her gift. I love the pineapple blocks (but I just can't try those because I haven't finished the heart blocks I started after seeing yours several posts ago!) I've always loved the kindergarten poem....and it is so true. Bet you have great plans for the summer vacation (even if it means just NOT going to school every day).

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  6. I think I shall hold a sweet little boys hand today. Hugs to you Pokey. Thanks for loving children!

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  7. What a great poem! It's been a while since I've heard it and it's nice to be reminded of its simple wisdom.

    Love the green and blue pineapple squares! Pretty table runner. I'm sure she'll love it. Never thought about how to miter non-90-degree angles!

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  8. Love your pineapple blossoms....the colors are perfect. Your classroom helper will LOVE your table runner. And....thank you for sharing some wisdom today. ;)

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  9. really like the blues & greens you used in the pineapple squares....butterflies are my favorites too...

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  10. And wouldn't the world be a better place if every child got to feel they were special by their teacher. What a valuable gift you give them everyday!

    I love all his books....so simple and true.

    Happy Sewing

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  11. I'd love to make a pineapple blossoms quilt someday! Your blocks are beautiful! :0)

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  12. Your classroom mother should love the runner! It looks perfect for someone who likes butterflies.
    I have loved that verse about Kindergarten for years.It is so true!
    I also love what you write on your kindergartener's report cards.

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  13. You're so thoughtful to make a helper gift Pokey. Im sure she'll adore it.

    Im sure that when those young people look back on their school years you'll be one of the teachers they recall with lovely thoughts. I hope you enjoy your summer vacation.

    I loved the verse. Gold!

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  14. Love the butterfly fabric gift and that poem has always tugged at my heart.

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  15. What a beautiful post. Enjoy your summer, friend.

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  16. Love your pineapple squares and your gift runner and your presentation to your kids. Hope you get some R&R in...in a few days. Trish

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  17. Love the pineapple blossom blocks. Hoping to find time this summer to make some...so cute! Wow, you area busy woman! Hope your find time to relax when school is out.

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  18. It was always with mixed emotions that I bid farewell to my classes each June. I of course looked forward to spending summertime with my family but would miss the connections I'd made with my school family.

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  19. Love the pineapple blossom blocks and that sweet table runner (shall have to remember about Utube).

    I'm not sure I have ever read that whole writing before, what a great sentiment and view of the world. You are a sweet teacher to take the time to write so much in each student's report card. They will remember you!

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  20. Wonderful post. :) Love the butterfly fabric!

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  21. the runner is beautiful..she will LOVE it...and love the words of wisdom...there are too many bullys out there....!!!

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  22. The kids are so lucky to have you as their teacher. Neat poem! Beautiful job on the table runner.

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Hello! Thank you for taking time to peek in! If you say hi, I do my best to send back the love :-}pokey