Britney Spears Mother of the Year!

Just read an article that says that in Britain, Britney Spears was voted Mother of the Year ,celebrity. My goodness, does that mean that other celebrity mothers are really terrible! What are the voters trying to say? Do the voters not read the news and know that Britney's children were removed from her home in 2008 and given to her ex-husband who is no gem himself but apparently a better parent than Britney.
You have got to love celebrity when things like this happen.

My 90 year old friend

Today after school, I am going to visit my 90 year old friend. Yes, you are reading correctly. 90 years old. The things she has seen! Unfortunately, she has become frail and not able to do everything she was able to do in the past.
The things that she has seen! I am always amazed that she has seen so many amazing changes. The depression which she wrote about in a book that she wrote a number of years ago was certainly a challenging period in history and for her personally. The book was about pioneering in Scarborough. Hard to believe that Scarborough was once isolated and that it was a village of its own.
Time to go and see her.

Twitter???

It is at times like when life is so quiet that I think about Twittering. You have to enter a few words. Not sure what the count is but it is limited. Think that I might have passed my limit already.
It has been quiet this week. Had orchestra rehearsal which was good. Went to the dentist at night on Tuesday. No cavities! Yeah!
Tonight is a good evening. Dinner-will make Madras chicken and then we will go for a walk. Need to wear a winter coat. Hoping that the frost does not strike so that I can get plants in before that they are destroyed. Don't want to be outside working in the cold and the dark.
Hoping that all of you are having a nice fall. Let's hope for Indian Summer. We are due after this early cold weather.

Thanksgiving weekend

Hard to believe that it is a long weekend coming up. The weather is supposed to lovely for the next two days.
This year, we are not going away since Michael will be returning from sunny California. He has been busy with twelve hours days working on multi-variate projects and other business concepts. Think that we will sleep in on Sunday and then go out later in the day. Michael will be ready for rest.
I am glad that he has found his niche. Now, I need to manage to go with him once in awhile. Think that my first objective will be to find a way to go to California and visit San Francisco with him. What a trip that would be for a weekend!
Hope that everyone enjoys the weekend.

Balancing Books

My husband is fond of saying "what goes up, comes down". It seems that has happened in Ireland. Ireland which was doing so well in the past has now reached the point that it is asking students to bring toilet paper to class. Irish parents struggling to buy schoolbooks and uniforms and now some are being asked to provide toilet paper. Students at a primary school in County Cork are being asked to bring their own rolls to help save money, one of the starkest examples yet of the death of Ireland's "Celtic Tiger" economy. "The letter was sent out just as a way of balancing books here in the school and not intended as a demand," said Catherine O'Neill, principal of St. John's Girls National School. The request was made because of cuts to government grants for books and computers. She added parents were responding well. "I've done a quick tour of the classrooms this morning and I'd say at least half the pupils have brought [toilet paper] in," she told national broadcaster.

Next Week!

In case, you are wondering why I don't always manage to write something, here is the coming week:
Monday: before school, practise with the clarinets of the Junior band. After school, I play tennis and then manage to relax after dinner.
Tuesday: trio practise right after school followed by a performance of Chinese Ballet. A former student invited me to the performance
Wednesday: orchestra in the evening after a Junior Band practise after school-quick dinner between rehearsals
Thursday: trio is off to perform. Will relax after the performance
Friday: taking an alto sax player and his piano accompanist to a seniors' residence to perform from 4-5. Drop them off at school and then it is time to head home to relax.
Saturday: going to sleep in and relax.
This is a good week but will be busy.

No more chocolates

Interesting research. Children who eat candy and chocolate every day are more likely to be arrested for violent behaviour as adults, according to new research published in the British Journal of Psychiatry.
British experts studied more than 17,000 children born in 1970 for about four decades and found that 10-year-olds who are candy daily were significantly more likely to have been convicted for violence by age 34.
Of the children who ate candies or chocolate daily when they were 10 years old, 69 per cent were later arrested for a violent offence.
Researchers say the link between candy consumption and violence remained after controlling for other factors that trigger violence. Simon Moore of the University of Cardiff, one of the paper's authors, said parents who consistently bribe their children into good behaviour with candies and chocolates could be doing harm. That might prevent kids from learning how to defer gratification leading to impulsive behaviour and violence.
Interesting that so simple a relationship is found. There is more behind the candy giving. Will be interesting to see some followup on this.