Senseless Shooting leaves us wondering

    Friday, Dec. 14, 2012 –who is to blame for the senseless shooting of 20 children and 8 adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut?   It is not a matter of blame, it is a matter of grieving and letting the families cope with their life-changing  event.

     Yes, we should stop ranting about the politics of gun control, and look at the problem from another angle.

Today’s shooter was 20 years old, and mental problems.

NFL player shot girlfriend and himself. Was it mental or emotional issues?

Colorado Batman theatre shooter was 20s year old and had mental problems.

Arizona Senator Gabby Giffords shooter was 22 years old and had mental problems.

Virginia Tech Shooter was 23 years old. Did he have mental issues?

Ft. Hood shooter was in late 30s. Did he have mental or political issues?

Columbine shooters were teenagers. Did they have mental or emotional issues?

The list goes on, and each time society wants someone or something to blame it on.

None of them were licensed game hunters, one was in the military trained by our own government, so why do we keep pressing for stronger gun laws when the shooters are not following laws any way.

The day after I wrote this, actor Morgan Freeman posted a similar opinion on Face Book. He is more articulate, but the meaning was the same: Stop blaming the guns, look at the mental health of the shooters and the media coverage.

I say look at the political response as well.

We are all hurting from these events. We want to help ease the pain, but we are angry and want to lash out and stop future tragedy. So the officials proclaim, “More gun control!” “More safety procedures!”

Why doesn’t society quit blaming and posturing for the media, and start educating people about sensible gun control.

Dec. 7th-- Pearl Harbor Day

Did the Media forget today is Dec. 7th?
The only reminder of today's infamous history I have seen was on FACE BOOK.
So what is the lack of rememberance?
Yes, I know it was 71 years ago today that Americans came into WWII because of the attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor. It was "a day that will live in infinity." It changed the world for all.

Unfortunately, there are a growing number of unforgettable days in our world history:
9-11-01, Columbine, Oklahoma City Bombing, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, and so on.

Traditional Connections with Mom

      As I get older, each Thanksgiving Day moves further and further away from following the family gathering around the table traditions.
       This year our four kids are grown and cannot be home.
       I was tempted to send a Christmas wish list on Facebook telling them, "The best and cheapest present you could give your mom is to phone home every holiday and once a week. I don't care if we talk for hours or just a minute. It is just the sound of our voices mingling, the knowing that you remember me, and connecting with me across the air."
      But I didn't. Instead my loving husband took me out to dinner, I waited and felt sad all day until my 20-year-old baby boy called from Seattle.
      He has been working holiday hours all week to earn money for college expenses. He worked each night from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m. so he was sleeping through most of the holi-days.
      "At least go out with your friends for dinner?" I told him.
      He just laughed and said, "All my friends are Asian.  They are too busy camping in front of stores, waiting for Black Friday."
      "So what are you going to eat today--turkey and dressing?"
      "Sort of. I'm fixing myself some Asian turkey."
      "What's that?"
      "Duck."
      "So how is duck, Asian turkey?"
      "You know,--Fri-rah, rah, rah, Rah, rah, rah."
      Instantly I knew his reference."Oh, the scene like in Christmas Story, the movie when the dad takes them out to the Asian resturarant after the dogs eat the turkey dinner?"
      We both laughed at the joint memory of one of our favorite movies. He was making the best of holiday away from family, friends or any of the traditions I had raised him to practice.
      My youngest son was making the best of the day. His call made my day even better.
  

“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.” ― Robert Frost

Great Day for promoting the ZOO

Yabba Dabba ZOO! Grand Valley Zoo Quest had a great day at Fruita Fall Festival today.
At least that is what I think.

Hope you were there to see the bed race, the better than your average Parade down main street, and the events, booths and our Petting Zoo.

Tracy did such a great job designing the Bed Race prop and Float design of the GVZQ entries.

More pictures of the entire day coming soon.

"Yabba Dabba Zoo" coming this weekend

     In a town that adores its dinosaurs of course, their Fall Festival theme for the Bed Race and Parade is "Welcome to Bedrock." So the Grand Valley Zoological Quest decorates its bed race/float with a big paper mache head of a "Parrosauris" (pictures coming next week), and a banner proclaiming "Yabba Dabba Zoo."
     Get it? It is a play on Fred Flintstones' famous saying, "Yabba Dabba Doooooo."
     Two local Girl Scout Troops will be marching along side the float, carrying smaller papermache parrot images proclaiming "We want a Zoo. Don't you?"
    The whole Zoo Crew has gotten into the creative mode for this BIG fundraiser on Sept. 29th.
     We are going to have a petting zoo booth; for $5 donation any one can touch a snake or an exotic bird or reptiles.
     Other zoo items will be for sale--trinkets, tee-shirts, zoo-things, and lots of info about how you can join the Zoo Quest.
      Don't forget we will announce Shelledy winners in the "Wild About Reading" program.
     I'll have pictures after next Saturday. Don't forget to "like" us on FaceBook.

Will Shelledy Principal 'kiss a snake' this month?

Come to the Fruita Fall Festival Sept. 29 to see Shelledy Elementary School Principal Steve States “kiss a snake” on the Fruita Fall Festival stage if his students read over 50,000 minutes outside of class by that date.

That’s the big prize offered by the Grand Valley Zoological Quest, the non-profit organization, who kicked off its “Wild About Reading” after-school literacy program last week.

GVZQ Director of Education Tracy Barron and retired District 51 teacher from Shelledy, outlined the plan to students and teachers at a special assembly on Monday, Sept. 10.

Columbine Animal Hospital assistant Alicia
Finch holds Amora, the snake that Shelledy
Elementary Principal Steve States will kiss
at the Fruita Fall Festival on Sept. 29.

“It was an amazing kick-off!  We have such quality people involved as volunteers who brought the ZooQuest animals. And Steve States, the principal, was unbelievably great!” Barron said. 

Principal States says he is a little anxious about kissing a snake, but he explains, “I am anxious to see our students succeed in their reading and to celebrate with them. For that I will be anxious to kiss a snake. “

Two students in each grade level will be named “the wildest” and be awarded an official Zoo Quest tee-shirt from the Grand Valley Zoo Quest. These readers are the ones who read the most minutes

The gym roared with applause as the students were introduced to a few of the GVZQ education animals brought by the Columbine Animal Hospital: Bubbles, the largest tortoise most of the kids ever saw; Amora, a eight-foot long red-tailed boa, and a few exotic birds.

The audience cheered even more when Barron explained how they could become “Wild About Reading” and that their principal would kiss Amora, the boa, when the Shelledy readers completed the month-long reading quest.

After the assembly kicked off, Shelledy supporters were pleased with the first week’s reading results.

“The kids have already started reading and turning in their sheets. There is a cardboard snake in the lobby now to encourage and remind them to keep reading,” said Barron.

“They have read 1,920 minutes in just the first three days,” Principal States announced on Wednesday, Sept. 12.

“Wild About Reading” is Grand Valley Zoological Quest’s way of encouraging Fruita students to practice and have fun with reading while supporting GVZQ’s efforts to build a zoological center in Fruita. “We need a zoo! Won’t you help too?”