Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Lapeer County Ed-Tech Lip Dub: Good Life


Check this out. After seeing the Lip Dub from Grand Rapids - my students decided to give it a try. We put this together in four days without a budget. They worked really hard and were very inventive. I am very proud of them. Plus it shows you a little more about our school Lapeer County Ed-Tech.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Double Rainbows in Geneva


Bruce and I are back in Geneva, Switzerland working with U of M Flint's Global Program. We were lucky enough to go through the first program. Now the second cohort is graduating and we are back to help with graduation (video/photography and general planning.)

It has been a lot of fun - because we met the new cohort last year - and this year we got to see the result of all of their hard work with their projects. It's interesting how the same program can result in such diversity among projects from the first group to the second and even among groups.

Today we introduced the group to the double rainbow video and song on youtube. If you haven't seen it - I embedded both below. And then tonight in Geneva a down pour came through just around dusk and you would never believe it - a double rainbow. Coincidence, I think not.





Tomorrow, Bruce and I will run 10 miles in Geneva for marathon training. We might also go to the farmers market across the border into France (if it isn't pouring rain.) However, I am not complaining about the rain - when we got here it was in the high 80's - today was a high of low 70's. Much more comfortable - especially when staying in a place without air conditioning.

On Sunday we leave Geneva for a week of travels. Our duties here have been split - so we are able to enjoy some traveling before getting back to work. On Sunday, we fly to Budapest, Hungry. I am very excited, because it is some place completely new for both of us. Many of our travels have been places one of us has been before and we want to share it with the other person. Hungry is totally new.

It's been a great summer of travel. I am still enjoying the memories of Prince Edward Island and my new love for Poutine. Now we are having totally different experiences on the other side of the pond.

Thursday, June 03, 2010

Blue Gloves Saftey Dance.mov



Check out the video two of my students produced for the culinary arts class at our center. Leave a comment - they would love it.

Monday, January 25, 2010

A Dog's Love

At the Holladay household we have been getting used to having a puppy around - that makes all of us including our trusty dog Daisy. Daisy is learning to deal with a puppy wanting to play 24-7 and the "close walker" as the puppy literally walks underfoot as we make our two mile walk in the park. But this weekend, an unexpected event made me think about the unconditional loves from the all the dogs in my life.

Of course their was Lady - who was a part of the Sahakian home - before I was. She was a mixed breed (mostly German Shepard) we inherited from our neighbors as a puppy. She was 2 when I was born. Lady was a protective dog. She liked women and she was protective of her kids, my sister, brother and I. I remember her fierce bark as an stranger drove up our country drive.

Then there was Greta who came to us when I was in middle school. Her terrible two's seemed to last for ever, she was a magician at pushing her way into your room while you were gone and helping herself to new toys (your things.) I remember my mom being so frustrated with here when we arrived home to another surprise, we would hear her mutter "go play in traffic." But despite those frustrations, Greta turned out to be a wonderful loyal companion - especially to my mom. She would greet me with the same excitement every time I can home - whether it was from college or a 30 minute trip to the store. She was a great neighborhood dog, because after we grew up she adopted the neighborhood kids (who had to pick up the bus stop in front of our house still.) Everyday she would see them off to school and wait for them until they got off the bus.

Then when I went to college, my roommates and I decided to get a community dog. The deal was that we would all care for her, but in the end she would end up with me. To this day, I am not sure how this became the arrangement. But someone found her through some dog classifieds. She was the product of a divorce and neither person could afford to keep here. Maddie was a great dog. She was crate trained, loved people and loved hanging out with five college girls. However, soon there were graduations and I was the only one left in the house. Unfortunately as a college senior, focused on getting a job, she became too much for me to handle alone and an annoyance for new roommates. Lucky for me and luckier for Maddie my Aunt Val and her family where looking for a dog. I believe they weren't interested in a puppy and liked the idea of having an already trained dog. Maddie the 3-year-old mutt (blue healer mix) was a perfect fit. They adopted her from me. She was totally there family pet. She became my Aunt Val's running/walking buddy. Unfortunately time caught up to Maddie this weekend - like Lady & Greta - she joined all the good dogs in heaven.

As I think about Maddie's life and death, I shed tears for the other great dogs in my life. The constant companions, who've caused troubles and grief, as I watch the new puppy chew on anything and everything, but who also always seem to be there at the right moment. My Aunt put it best when she wrote to me in an email today, Maddie made them all better people.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Meet Steve

It's been a while since I have hit the blogosphere (or is it blogasphere) regardless it's time to talk about Steve. Steve is the newest addition to our family. She is a border collie pup - we call her Stevie (because there was some objections that the name was too masculine.) She is named after Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

She is very funny and super snugglely. She loves to run across the room and jump into your lap. We are having some success with house training - but I am afraid of being too confident because well the results could be tragic for my carpet.

As for Daisy - our trusted mutt - she is getting used to her new sister. She is beginning to play and doesn't look constantly annoyed. She actually is getting much more attention - for fear like any good pet parent - of not wanting the older sibling to feel left out.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Friday, October 30, 2009