Ben's Gradiated

CONGRATS
BEN!!

Yesterday was the grad reception at the UMass Amherst Mullins Center. Ben's done with his Masters in Educational Technology. Yeah!!!

Here are Ben and Jess waiting for events to begin, Ben holding his nifty pen that he received and Ben & Ian (who also graduated, same program) with Florence, the head of their program.

All Jacked Up

No, not me, the house...at UMass! Don't know why I am finding this so fascinating but I am. The house at UMass that is being moved was all jacked up yesterday morning and will be moved 2.2 miles to a new lot next week. I hope to catch some pics of the move but here it is all jacked up!

Changes Are Afoot

Yes indeed, only a few weeks ago I heard that there will soon be a "round-about" installed on the North side of campus, where a traffic light now snarls traffic, especially every afternoon when people leave their offices. Behold, the evidence appeared this week as "they" began excavating around the large grey house, prepping it for a relocation. Haven't heard where the house is moving to but the big beams and jacks are underneath it as of today. I trudged around the dirt piles this evening to get some shots before all is changed beyond recognition. I think we'll have to do one of 1 hour "ambient" films, setting his camera up to catch some real time images of a round-about here in Amherst. I have yet to see people really know how to navigate them in this part of the US. Should be very interesting indeed.

My Sibs & Me

Went to see my brother and sister-in-law, Hank and Lynn and their 3 kids and 4 grandkids, today. My sister Linda and her husband Jim and my mom were also there. It was really great to have the whole family together.... even more than usual since my brother had a heart attack and surgery 2 weeks ago. That was a real shock because he is the type of person who would be on one's "least likely to ever have a heart attack" list. He's recovering well, thankfully.

Happy Mothers' Day

Mother's Day was a beautiful Spring Day here in Amherst and we had a wonderful time with the combined families - ours and that of son-in-law, Ben, here at Sweetside. It was our first time using the picnic table this season. The kids did a great cookout with Ben BBQ'ing trout that he caught this AM, as well as wild salmon, while Jess made potato salad and fresh Hadley aspargus. Desert was mini chocolate cakes (also by Jess) with strawberries and whipped cram. Yum, yum! Pictured here are Jess and Ben with our family and his. Just in case you don't know which is which - Ben's is the family of girls.

Yesterday I went to the Berkshires to see my mom, for an early Mothers' Day, and we went over to Pontoosic Lake and had lobster rolls at O'Reilly's. That was really yummy too! We also looked at all the old family photos I have scanned into my iBook. It was fun showing her what this little machine can do!

A's Floor is Going In!

This is the week, at long last, that A's birch floor is going in. Aaron, Ben and Sam have been working on it. It is a few board away form being done, as I type this. YaHoo! Then A. will sand and poly it before moving himself in.

Shameful Military Discharges

I'm mad.......

I don't have time to make a link right now but check out this article in The Nation (link below) about wounded soldiers being given a 5-13 discharge status:"Previous Personality Disorder." Why is this happening? Because if they get discharged in this way, they receive NO BENEFITS! So they are being sent home, seriously disabled with no help. Somehow, it was supposedly a "pre-exisiting" mental issue that got them wounded??? Yup, you got it. The story is about a Sergeant serving in Iraq, decorated 7 times and then hit by a rocket. After initial medical treatment he was discharged (and demoted!) under the 5-13 status. Now he is left high and dry. He did NOT have a previous psychiatric condition at all. I heard about this from a local colleague who has a woman client whose son had this happen to him too. It is not an isolated incident..... as the article explains.

SHAMEFUL !!

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070409/kors