Kirk, It seems like 1/2 the country had to go to school half of June. I knew that included you. Since you are still in the teaching mode you have to give me an A for enthusiasm (We wont talk about grading my spelling, deal?) TooMuchGlass and I are "Gun Jumpers". We are chomping at the bit. Dancing around the fairie mushroom ring (I said "Dancing" not partaking). We have glue in our hair and wood stain under our nails. TooMuchGlass may even have welding blisters. Got my GARDYLOO JUNK JAMBOREE GIFT wrapped yesterday. (Only because I had the extra time and the strong inspiration.) Now the trick for me is to get to the Post Office. For some reason that is not anywhere near any of my usual destinations. When I do pass an unexpected post office I usually do not have my packages with me. That is usually a good time for me to practice "My French" in the privacy of my car. But I want to wait until You and Carol say, GO-O-O-OO!!!!!!!!!!!!

In researching this rose, I found it was named after a victim on Flight 93, on 9/11. See the following. A very special rose, indeed. Nicole Carol Miller 21 years old San Jose, CA The following biography, photo, and poem were sent to us by Nicole's father and step-mother, David and Catherine Miller: Nicole Carol Miller was born March 4, 1980, in San Jose, California. She lived all her life in San Jose, attending Allen Elementary School, Bret Harte Middle School, and Pioneer High School, where she graduated in 1998. At Pioneer High School, Nicole was a good student. She was on the championship varsity swimming/diving team in her freshman and sophomore years. She played softball all four years of high school, winning a softball college scholarship in her senior year. After high school, Nicole continued to be an athlete who loved to work out, hike, play softball, ride horses, and jog. On the Dean's List at West Valley College in Saratoga, California while working her way through college, Nicole was finishing up her last eight units. She planned to transfer to California State University, Chico or California State University, San Jose in January 2002, where she was expecting to complete her Bachelor of Arts degree. Nicole had a wonderful outlook on life. Her brilliant smile lit up entire rooms and her loving personality made everyone, including strangers, feel right at home. It would be natural for her to give her life for another's and that she did, bravely and heroically, along with the crew and passengers of United Airlines Flight 93 on September 11, 2001. Nicole is survived by her father, David J. Miller; stepmother, Catherine M. Miller; mother, Cathy M. Stefani; stepfather, Wayne Stefani Sr.; and her siblings, Tiffney M. Miller, David S. Miller, Danielle L. Miller, Wayne Stefani Jr., Joshua R. D. Tenorio, and Anthony D. Tenorio.

A brand new year lets look forward with hope put the past behind us let me help you cope. Mistakes have been made lets not play who's right or wrong just concentrate on recovery and coming home where you belong. I wish you all the best and hope the recovery works, it's not a great poem but you might be able to add to it. Sue

Vee, how involved were your parents with your and your brothers' schoolwork? I assume because you went to boarding schools, they must have approved of the curricula. But if ever they didn't approve of something, when they got wind of it would they have said, "What is this you are spouting? Where did you learn that?" Say, suddenly some member of the faculty decided to enlighten the pupils about the differences between and relative merits of communism, totalitarianism, socialism, and fascism (perhaps unlikely but I'm using something extreme as illustration), would they have demanded an explanation from the teacher and/or the administration? I ask because my parents were pretty much hands-off in their attitude toward what we were taught in our State of Iowa-run public education. The state had a good reputation in education with high graduation/low drop-out rates and the number of students who went on to colleges and universities. In fact, the Iowa education standard was used as an exemplar and adopted by other states. For many years the 'Iowa Achievement Test' was given to students every year to see how much they have learned since they were last tested. Most normal kids loathed the achievement tests, but I adored them because to me it was like solving a very detailed puzzle. In other words, I wasn't normal; but I was a dandy test-taker. :-) Anyway, getting back to the point I'm trying to make: My parents left it to the state as to what we were taught in school, which they supplemented at home and in church, etc. But if we came home and started talking about weird things, they would say that sounded like a lot of baloney, yet they probably wouldn't have been bothered enough to confront the powers that be. They probably went years without having a thing to do with any of our instructors. Now jump forward two, three, and four decades: One of the biggest complaints in U.S. education is uninvolved parents. When my sons were in school, their teachers nearly drove me crazy by keeping me informed of everything -- and I mean everything -- the boys were learning and doing. They wanted me to attend weekly conferences, which I did because I didn't want to be accused of being uninvolved. But I didn't understand the fuss if the boys were behaving, doing their work, and learning something. Because of my laidback attitude, the teachers disapprovingly wrote me off eventually. Recently some parents in the U.S. have become very vocal about their dissatisfaction with their kids' schooling. What was your parents' reaction to your marks? Did they give you the third-degree if you didn't get what you should? Anyone else who wants to weigh in, please do!