The Charlie Schulz Philosophy

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip.

You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just ponder on them.
Just read this straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
4 Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series wi nners.


How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.
These are no second-rate achievers.
They are the best in their fields.
But the applause dies..
Awards tarnish..
Achievements are forgotten.
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.


Easier?
The lesson:
The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money...or the most awards.
They simply are the ones who care the most

Pass this on to those people who have either made a difference in your life,
or whom you keep close in your heart, like I did.
'Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It’s already tomorrow in Australia !'

''Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Taken!"

Kiva - Rosario

I just made two loans through KIVA. The best part is that the money came from previous loans that had been repaid. This is a great program.

Kiva - Rosario: "Rosario is 62 years old and is separated from her husband; she has 10 children of which only one lives in her home. Despite her advanced age, she works with great skill a machete and cuts the shrubs of her small farms of coffee and banana crops. Subsequently, she works very carefully, as she fertilizes each coffee plant by herself; this is her favorite crop because it allows her to get a good amount of money in harvest time.

To pick the fruit she calls on her children to help her collect the seeds, because she can’t do it all alone. Rosario likes to work in her small farms, since thanks to all of her effort and work her crops give her good results. With the profit she was able to look after her children’s wellbeing and are now men who work.

This is her second loan with MFP (Kiva’s field partner) and pledges to pay her quotas punctually since she would like to keep counting on this assistance. The money she needs will be used to buy chemical fertilizers for her coffee crops."

Kiva - Teodosio

Another KIVA loan. I like to find people in Peru, after seeing first hand the poverty.

Kiva - Teodosio:

"Teodosio, 64, is a hard-working man. He lives with his life partner, the mother of their four children, in his own house.

In spite of his advanced age, he works his coffee, banana, and bean fields with much agility and energy. Working at this activity is enjoyable for him. He uses his coarse hands to clear the bushes and weeds in order to keep his fields clean.

The crop that he likes the best is coffee. It is very profitable for him, especially from May to July. In this season he works with his wife, who helps him gather the coffee beans. They do this so that they can take one load of the largest quantity possible to the suppliers in the area.

He does not get as much income from beans and bananas as he does from coffee. But, they are very useful for covering the daily expenses the rest of the months. They cover the food and the childrens’ education.

This is his first loan with MFP. He is very motivated by the savings that he will be able to have. He promises to make his payments punctually. He will use the money that he is now asking for to by chemical fertilizers for his diverse crops."

Homeschooling - Still on the Fringe?

Homeschooling - Still on the Fringe?

Here's a blog from my favorite homeschooling author.

New Blog!!!

Check out my new blog - Under the Tuscan Sun!

Gift - ED

I found a great new blog - Project Gift-ED. The home page is cool. Lots of good articles too.

Article from Romanian Newspaper

This was a forward I received by e-mail. Just wondering... How did we go from this to this????


Article from Romanian Newspaper

We rarely get a chance to see another country's editorial about the USA . Read this excerpt from a Romanian Newspaper. The article was written by Mr. Cornel Nistorescu and published under the title 'C'ntarea Americii, meaning 'Ode To America ') in the Romanian newspaper Evenimentulzilei 'The Daily Event' or 'News of the Day'~

An Ode to America ~

Why are Americans so united? They would not resemble one another even if you painted them all one color! They speak all the languages of the world and form an astonishing mixture of civilizations and religious beliefs. On 9/ll, the American tragedy turned three hundred million people into a hand put on the heart. Nobody rushed to accuse the White House, the Army, or the Secret Service that they are only a bunch of losers. Nobody rushed to empty their bank accounts. Nobody rushed out onto the streets nearby to gape about. Instead the Americans volunteered to donate blood and to give a helping hand. After the first moments of panic, they raised their flag over the smoking ruins, putting on T-shirts, caps and ties in the colors of the national flag. They placed flags on buildings and cars as if in every place and on every car a government official or the president was passing. On every occasion, they started singing: 'God Bless America !'

I watched the live broadcast and rerun after rerun for hours listening to the story of the guy who went down one hundred floors with a woman in a wheelchair without knowing who she was, or of the Californian hockey player, who gave his life fighting with the terrorists and prevented the plane from hitting a target that could have killed other hundreds or thousands of people. How on earth were they able to respond united as one human being? Imperceptibly, with every word and musical note, the memory of some turned into a modern myth of tragic heroes. And with every phone call, millions and millions of dollars were put into collection aimed at rewarding not a man or a family, but a spirit, which no money can buy. What on earth can unite the Americans in such way? Their land? Their history? Their economic Power? Money? I tried for hours to find an answer, humming songs and murmuring phrases with the risk of sounding commonplace, I thought things over, I reached but only one conclusion...

Only freedom can work such miracles.

Cornel Nistorescu
(This deserves to be passed around the Internet forever.)
It took a person on the outside - looking in - to see what we take for granted !
GOD BLESS AMERICA !!!