Graduation Presbyterian Style!

Well, another graduation has come and gone.
That means another Summer of freedom for the Professor.
If freedom means turning into a Summer camp director for the kids and a full time domestic for his working all the year around wife. But, hey, in my world, if you don't have to get up by an alarm clock and you can wear the same clothes several days in a row, that, my friends, is a Summer of freedom. God bless academia.

So, if you are curious about a little high brow Southern culture, attend a graduation from a private college that's been around since 1880. Presbyterian College has introduced me to a different kind of Southern culture than Clinton introduced me to. And it is a relief to know that the state has some *cough, cough* diversity in it's history of the white person. It's probably your basic old money, new money, no money southern style. That is pretty much the norm every where you go right? But I digress. I'm here to share some graduation goodness.

One of the things I love about PC's graduation is the bagpipes. They bring the graduates in and they lead them out. It's really a cool tradition.



The other part of the ceremony that is really special is at the end. The bagpipes exit, followed by the professors who make an aisle of academia for the graduates to walk through. As the graduates are walking through, all the professors clap for them. It really is a touching moment.


Of course, my videography leaves a lot to be desired. Not so touching.

The whole ceremony takes place on the mall of the campus. Flanked by old old oak trees, it is a beautiful setting.



The building at the very center and rear of photograph is Neville hall. This is where the Professor's office is and his classes are held. The college's campus, in my opinion, is a beautiful setting. There are some campuses that are pretty sterile in their beauty. Presbyterian College has an "antique quality" about it that I love. We're very excited to be buying a house that is right of the edge of campus. Wait, did I write "buying a house"? Yep, that's right. We're taking the small town plunge. And I'm here to tell you, this house has so much blogging fodder I'll keep you bored, uh, I mean, entertained for years.

Meanwhile, I'll leave you with a few pics I took of the kids while we were hanging out at graduation. Come visit us soon. We miss you all.



Can you only imagine what she's thinking?



Bored but behaved. What a blessing.



Miss Monkey Mae in all her cuteness.


Tours are being planned. Space is limited. Book your trip soon.

Limos for Learning!

Local celebrity, Gavin Kiley, was recently seen getting out of a conspicuous white limo around one o'clock last Monday at Clinton Elementary. Rumor has it that he advanced five reading levels this past semester. This reading star was returning from a red carpet event where he was honored along with other amazing readers. The Limos for Learning event rewards young readers who make steady, conscientious efforts to improve their reading skills. It's a program that recognizes every kid who demonstrates a determination to improve.

When Gavin found out he had been awarded the Limos for Learning Certificate you would have thought he had won the lottery. But we know how much he has worked at improving his reading skills this year. The lottery is pure luck. What Gavin "won" was through persistence and practice. He had educators and supporters who helped him get back on track when he got frustrated. Is he a voracious reader now? Would he rather be reading a book than playing outside? No. It's still a struggle to get him to read. But now when he sits down to read, he reads. Not me, not his dad but Gavin does the reading. That makes him a star in our eyes.

Chartruese: It's the new black for Spring!

Imagine you're out for a run one fine Spring morning in South Carolina and you come home and your shoes look like this. Well, Zero to Boston runs daily training for marathons and this is what the god awful pollen looks like on his shoes. Now...imagine the inside of your nose looking like these shoes. Welcome to Spring in South Carolina. Is it yellow? Is it green? My preference is "chartreuse". Never having experienced allergies before, I used to scoff at those seasonal complainers. Not anymore...no, not anymore. We are surrounded by clouds of pollen dust. It isn't pretty.

But, there are a couple of blooming plant life here in the Southeast that we don't get up North. My favorite is wisteria. Sure, in Indiana there is the errant vine here or there. In South Carolina, it's a freakin' menace practically but a beautiful menace I must say. Here's a house down the street from our little house with a beautiful wisteria.



Another sign of Spring is Easter, of course. We started a week early with Presbyterian College's annual Easter egg hunt on Palm Sunday. Anna and her itty bitty twin girl got a chance to wear the dresses Aunt Laurie got them last year as a gift. They looked adorable.



It was bound to happen. But I was in denial. Our son is growing up. No longer did he want to be seen at a public Easter egg hunt with an Easter basket. Just a plastic grocery bag would do it seems. What's next? Oh, please, don't even tell me. Let me be blissfully ignorant.





How does a parent even slightly logically convince a child that a gigantic rabbit brings Easter baskets on Easter Sunday? I mean, at least Santa is a human being! I struggle...truly.



We walked back home to our little house which I have begun referring to as the "cardboard box" we live in. Anna, skipping along, so proud of that egg and Gavin, deep in thought about all the eggs he got.



Easter was low key. We got together with another family and hunted eggs at their house. Take notice, that Gavin had no problem with an Easter basket in a private setting. I've got some time still. Then a few more families arrived and we all celebrated Spring's arrival with a cook out. Of course, given that the pollen came uninvited, my nose and eyes were wishing they were inside.



It was the start of Spring break for the kids. And the official start of Spring for Mother Nature too. Here's to Claritin.

Happiness: Better Late than Never!

laughing Buddha, originally uploaded by prayerna.

Some of you may know that I've deemed 2010 the year of "letting my life speak". In January and February I've had many many chances to practice this. Part of my journey has been a little thing called The Happiness Project. Gretchen Rubin is the cause of all that happiness. It's a fascinating story that I encourage you to check out.

So, the reason for this post is not only to update you on my never ending search for personal happiness but to offer you the chance to increase your own. There are a couple of really handy things that Gretchen has put together that has helped me put my focus where it needs to be when it comes to my happiness. Namely, me....or you, if you are thinking about your own happiness. The first one is the Happiness Project Toolbox. It is chock full of fabulous self-esteem goodness! There are so many opportunities in there to help you "trudge the road of Happy Destiny". An aside, if you will, on the word "trudge" which means to "walk with determination". It makes trudging sound much better now don't you think? So, with determination I am walking the road of happy destiny.

The other support she offers comes by form of a pledge. Now, if you are anything like me, I've pledged my life away one too many times on things like weight loss, organizing, bill paying, exercising. Embarrassingly, my list could go on and on. This feels different to me...somehow, more attainable. Well, Gretchen's proposed to those of us pursuing happiness that 2010 be the year of the Happiness Challenge. Each month, she suggests an area of life to take on, and over the next four weeks, she proposes real and manageable resolutions to help you increase your happiness. So far over 7,800 people have taken the pledge to be in charge of their own happiness. You can join me on this adventure by going here and signing the pledge too.

And, finally, I wanted to take the time to let those of you (and you know who you are) know how grateful I am for the love and support you have given me over the past year. Moving to South Carolina has been challenging in so many ways and on so many levels. But you, my dear friends and family, have never failed to love and sustain me throughout it all. Know that I've got your back too if ever you should need it.

You Are Lovable!

One of the blogs I follow called, Kindness Girl, is by Patience Salgado, a real woman with a big heart. She has a project called Guerrilla Goodness. You might remember me writing about this in a post around this time last year entitled, Guerrilla Goodness Quaker Style. Well, she's put together a piece that is inspiring. I'm ready...are you?



Oh,and by the way, you are so lovable!

A Huge Decade of Change for Betty

Image by max_thinks_sees via Flickr

I started out thinking I'd do a year in review. You know, the best and the worst of 2009 kinda post. Then it hit me. Not only has the last year been life changing for me, the Professor, and our kids but this entire decade has been life changing. As I think about the past ten years, visually I'm looking at it in fast forward because it all seemed to happen so fast.

• The professor got his PhD
• I had a miscarriage
• The professor got a tenure track job
• I got pregnant
• We became parents to baby #1, Gavin Patrick
• I moved to part time at my job
• We found Irvington Friends
• I lost my job at Saint Vincent's
• I opened up a private practice
• I had a miscarriage
• I got pregnant by surprise this time
• We had to put Klondike kitty down due to cancer
  
• We became parents to baby #2, Anna Mae
• The practice grew, more therapists, we moved to our own location
• The professor's job became turbulent
• He "went on the market", as they say in the business
• I left my practice for a full time gig in the insurance business - crossed over to the well paying darkside in hopes of keeping our family in Indiana
• The professor was offered a job at Presbyterian College in South Carolina and accepted.
• We looked for a house to live in...found nothing but a tiny little cottage on a beautiful street
• We purged our belongings to fit into the little house
• We said goodbye to all our friends and family
• We became landlords
  
• I quit my job and became a SAHM for a year
• Gavin had a new school to adjust to
  
• The professor had a new job to adjust to
  
• We had a new life to adjust to
• We made new friends and missed the old
  
• Our marriage suffered huge challenges
• I got a new job with an hour commute
• We stopped being landlords
• We traveled many times to Indiana
• We looked at many houses to buy and even put an offer on a couple
• We waited (and are still waiting) for the right house for us
• We learned patience on many levels
• We put our house on the market

And here we are at the end of 2009...

Okay, so maybe all of you shut down before reading the entire list. I forgive you. It really was an exercise for me. Oh, and maybe an opportunity to play the sympathy card a little...just a smidge. Who would have predicted on New Year's Eve 1999, when we were partying "like it's 1999", that all this was in store for us? Certainly not me. Frankly, I'm tired. What I know is that everyone has a list like this. We can not escape change. My list may look like a cake walk to some and hellish to others but it's my list all the same.

So here's to 2010. Which I have personally deemed "The Year of Letting Your Life Speak" (you can thank George Fox for that one). I'll keep you posted.

Happy New Year, ya'll.

Christmas in Clinton 2009

The spirit of Christmas is alive and well in our little house this season.
Here's some proof that we're no scrooges around here.

Anna & Gavin the night we decorated our tree.

Hillbillies on Parade
(Otherwise known as the Clinton Christmas Parade)


Anna, our artist, drew a manger scene complete with lady bug.
Because everyone knows any self-respecting manager scene has to have a lady bug!

The Professor got his own Snuggie as a gift from the French Club...awwww.

We went to Roper Mountain Science Center in Greenville
to see a fabulous light display.
While we were there the kids got to see Santa, rosy cheeks and all.
Curious who our other child is? No, we didn't adopt.
It's Gavin and Anna's friend, Henry, who came along.

I made the cutest reindeer pops, from none other than moon pies, for Anna's class party.

Anna was a "heavenly host" in her preschool Christmas pageant.
Her future husband, Shane, was a shepherd.

And, while the kids and the Professor were on vacation,
they made the annual gingerbread house.

So here we are on Christmas eve. Our first Christmas spent in Clinton. Elfie has defected back to the North Pole leaving behind Christmas pajamas for all who wanted them plus "Santa Buddies", a movie which the kids had been dying to see. Santa's cookies have been baked and are cooling. All the presents are under the tree wrapped. All that's left is to sit and watch "A Christmas Story" and wait for Santa to make his magic at our little house in our little town in South Carolina. Merry Christmas ya'll.

And a Kiley visits...

Yes, you read it correctly. We had our first Kiley visit and we loved every minute of it. Grandma Cece decided to come and hang out with us this fall around Halloween. She got the "full meal deal" of small town life too. Friday both Anna and Gavin had Fall parties at their schools. In the morning we went with Anna's preschool class to the pumpkin patch. We learned all about how pumpkins grow, got to pick our own, and went through a little corn maze. We finished off the morning with Halloween cupcakes...yummm!



The future Mr. and Mrs. Shane Nelson couldn't be separated.



Then it was on to Clinton Elementary for their red ribbon day parade (quite tragic as parades go I might add). But we did get to see the Presbyterian College cheerleaders. Sorry, no pictures of them. After the parade Gavin's class had a "Fall" party. Let me be the one to say it out loud...When did Halloween become not politically correct? Let's start a revolution. Bring back the Halloween party!

Well, not to be out done, Clinton High School's homecoming was that weekend and they had their homecoming parade late that afternoon. It was a candy fest for the kids. Back in the day, we used to have our "pre-kickers" before we'd go out partying, well, the kids got their pre-kickers to trick or treating with this parade. Oh, and with Presbyterian's Halloween party for the kids. Anna participated in a contest I have never seen the likes of. They hung two donuts from strings and people would compete to see who could get the donut off their string first (hands behind back). Well, Anna and Shane, her future husband, decided they wanted to try it. Donut icing all over their faces, they were in heaven. Again, no camera. Grrr.

So,as you can tell, Cece got a real snapshot of the small town life we are living and the small house we are living in. She even got to go to probably one of the smallest Catholic churches ever, too, in Joanna, a little hamlet just outside of Clinton. But before she left for mass we got the kids ready for trick or treating.

Here's Anna Mae as a pirate.



And Gavin as Darth Vader.



The kids loved having their Cece there.



The Halloween crew arrived right before it started to rain. We got a quick picture and off we went.



By the time Cece got back from mass it was a pure down pour and the kids were home crying in their Halloween bags from lack of candy. Oh,lest I forget, and we need to give a shout out to their generous cousins, Jacob and Ella for sending Gavin and Anna some of their candy later in the week. What sweeties!

We all had such a great time with Grandma Cece and can't wait for her to come back and visit us again. So what Kiley is going to grace our door next? Hmmmm...

Gamewright Games Winner!

Via Random.org the following comment was drawn:

0 0

Here is your random number:

04

Timestamp: 2009-11-08 21:15:30 UTC

Comment #4 is:

mytwogirls said...

"I think Frog juice looks really fun.."

Congratulations mytwogirls!

Deers and Alligators and Loggerheads, oh my!

Question: What did we do on my 43rd birthday back in September?

Answer: We took a trip to Fripp...Fripp Island, South Carolina.

It's about half way between Charleston, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia. According to Wikipedia, Fripp Island is often seen as an alternative, affordable, and less "touristy" destination compared with its large neighbor Hilton Head Island. Fripp has garnered national attention as a leading beach destination in South Carolina. It still remains relatively uncrowded in comparison to Hilton Head and commercial activity is heavily restricted. The most seaward of the South Carolina Sea Islands, Fripp Island is known for its scenic beauty and island resort amenities.

Being used to the pristine white beaches of the gulf coast of Florida, we weren't quite charmed by the natural beauty of the beaches right away. But as our little holiday progressed we became more intrigued with the primitive quality of the beaches and coasts. The entire island is comprised of a Bird and Game Sanctuary. Wildlife and bird populations include alligators, deer, raccoons, egrets, heron, and osprey. And we saw them all...some very closely.



The deer on the island was plentiful. They were all over the place. I swore that one morning I was going to step out onto the screened in porch to find the deer with a sign around it's neck saying, "Will work for food".



Most of our time was spent exploring the island on the golf cart and trying to see if we could figure out where Pat Conroy lived. In doing so we discovered all the places where we could go swimming. Our favorite place was where there were three pools, a hot tub, a pool side bar (not opened at the time...Newman!), a beach area for the kids to play while we, in theory, drank adult beverages and it overlooked the ocean. It was idyllic.



Gavin got some golf lessons from Papa. We lounged around and enjoyed the view.



The beach was more a place for us to explore than to sunbathe and swim on. Although, I'd say give us a few times of vacationing there and we'd figure out the tidal system well enough to work that out.



The kids loved it and the pictures show it.



But the highlight of the trip came at our last evening there. The Fripp Island community is very committed to the protection of the loggerhead turtles. Each spring the Loggerhead Turtle comes in from the sea to dig her nest in the soft sands on Fripp Island. The Fripp Island Turtle Nest Protection program insures that the nests are protected from predators and that the hatchlings make their way back home to the ocean. We were fortunate to be able to witness the volunteers checking a loggerhead's nest three days after the eggs were to have hatched. Many times there are hatchlings that don't make their way out of the nest because of debris or unhatched eggs keeping them in the sand. The volunteers check the nests around the time of hatching and look for "flipper prints" in the sand, signs of the tiny turtles making their way back to the ocean. Then three days later volunteers will open the nest to see if any got left behind.

When we were there the volunteers discovered four loggerhead hatchlings that hadn't been able to get out on their own. So we got to help them! Actually, Anna Mae got to help them. After the volunteers let the turtles get a feel for the sand, they chose children who were watching to help carry them to the ocean's edge to let them go back home. Anna decided she wanted to name her turtle "Gavin" because Gavin had to leave earlier that day with Patrick to go back to school.



I even got to get some of Gavin, the baby loggerhead turtle's homecoming on video. Not the best sound quality but it was exciting for us. We were all surprised by how strong the three day old loggerhead turtle was. You might wonder who is the crazy lady talking in the back...uh, that's me...sounding crazy.




So all in all, Fripp was a wonderful place to just relax. Not much to do but that. If we go in the summer they have day camps for the kids (hint hint) and more opportunities I'm sure for adult beverages. But I loved the fact that it wasn't a commercial place but just homes and condos to take in God's handiwork, a game of golf, a few sets of tennis, build a sand castle or two...oh, and save some turtles too.

Gamewright Games Night Giveaway!

Remember last year when we discovered the book, The Scrambled States of America by Laurie Keller? We had just moved here to the little town in the South and living in our little house. Gavin and I were stoked when South Carolina and Indiana were hanging out next to one another! We loved Scrambled States of America so when Gamewright Games offered me the opportunity to review the game I was all over it.

There are reasons why I like games so much. And the Scrambled States of America card game pretty much met my game expectations. I'm sure by now you are all curious what those game expectations are. So allow me to share:

• Games should make everyone laugh and generally have a good time. This game has lots of laughs. The illustrations alone crack us up.
• Games shouldn't take 3 weeks to finish. We like our games over in at least 30 minutes or less. Gives more chances for multiple wins! No, there's absolutely no competition in our household. One round of Scrambled States takes 15 to 20 minutes tops.
• We like our games to either a) stand the test of time (ie "Sorry") or b) be the winner of lots of awards. Check out the awards The Scrambled States of America Card game has won:
  

Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award

Creative Classroom Magazine Teacher Tested Tools & Toys

Parenting for High Potential Magazine Recommended

National Parenting Center Seal of Approval

National Parenting Publications (NAPPA) Honors

Parents' Choice Approved

Dr. Toy's 10 Best Socially Responsible Products

Dr. Toy's Top 100 Children's Products

• Finally, as a parent, I like my learning covert. Meaning, if my son, the reluctant reader, gripes and complains about reading time but jumps at the chance to play a game with me, who am I to deny him his fun? Why? Because most games require some sort of reading, math, logic etc. This game is as covert as they come! Woo hoo! It's got language arts, social studies, geography, and math...a parent's dream and a kid's nightmare (that is, if they only knew!).

The only complaint I have about the card game is that it doesn't have as much playfulness as the book. I'm not sure how that would, excuse the phrase, play out in the card game, but I did miss the campy banter of the book. However, that is not a deal breaker in my book. Plus the game's cards and maps of the United States (made of some sort of plastic material) that each player gets speaks to the quality of Gamewright's game pieces. All in all a great buy for $14.99.

And now you, dear readers, can have a Gamewright Games Night too! The folks at Gamewright have generously offered to giveaway one of their newest games, Say Cheese, to one lucky reader. Say Cheese is a super fast dice game. Quickly roll your dice to match the characters on the photo booth cards. The game is for ages six and up and there is no reading required so you might even be able to get under the "six year old requirement".



Here's what you need to do to get a chance to win the game:

• Go to Gamewright Games and choose which game sounds like the most fun to you. Come back here and leave a comment telling me the name of the game AND an e-mail to contact you if you win.

For additional chances to win you could do the following and leave a comment for each that you do:

• become a follower (one entry for each) of Betty and/or Later Betty's Bargains
  
• become a fan of Gamewright Games at Facebook
• Follow me, LaterBetty, on twitter and tweet about the giveaway (with a re-tweet, of course, to me)
• Read my review of another Gamewright game at Later Betty's Bargains and enter that giveaway too.

Leave a comment for each entry. Giveaway is open to anyone in North America and closes at midnight est on Tuesday, November 3, 2009. Winner will be chosen from Random.org, will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn. Thanks for entering! On your mark, get set....go!

Hear ye, hear ye!

Perhaps, 40 years ago this cute little guy, heard words of encouragement and inspiration from someone he looked up to. Today, many of our children are being denied this option. Fear mongers keeping opportunities for inspiration from our children is inexcusable. Shame on you. Today, fourty years later, that cute boy who is now President Obama will be addressing our children at our kitchen table after dinner tonight.

Prepared text of Obama's speech to school students

By The Associated Press (AP) – 19 hours ago

The prepared text of President Barack Obama's back-to-school address scheduled for Tuesdays, as released in advance by the White House:

OBAMA: Hello, everyone — how's everybody doing today? I'm here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we've got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through 12th grade. I'm glad you all could join us today.

I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it's your first day in a new school, so it's understandable if you're a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you're in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could've stayed in bed just a little longer this morning.

I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn't have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday — at 4:30 in the morning.

Now I wasn't too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I'd fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I'd complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, "This is no picnic for me either, buster."

So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I'm here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I'm here because I want to talk with you about your education and what's expected of all of you in this new school year.

Now I've given a lot of speeches about education. And I've talked a lot about responsibility.

I've talked about your teachers' responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn.

I've talked about your parents' responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don't spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox.

I've talked a lot about your government's responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren't working where students aren't getting the opportunities they deserve.

But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.

And that's what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.

Every single one of you has something you're good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That's the opportunity an education can provide.

Maybe you could be a good writer — maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper — but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor — maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine — but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a senator or a Supreme Court justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.

And no matter what you want to do with your life — I guarantee that you'll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You're going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can't drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You've got to work for it and train for it and learn for it.

And this isn't just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you're learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.

You'll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You'll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You'll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.

We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don't do that — if you quit on school — you're not just quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your country.

Now I know it's not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.

I get it. I know what that's like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn't always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn't fit in.

So I wasn't always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I'm not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.

But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our first lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn't have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.

Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don't have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there's not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don't feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren't right.

But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life — what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you've got going on at home — that's no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That's no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That's no excuse for not trying.

Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you'll end up. No one's written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.

That's what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.

Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn't speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez.

I'm thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who's fought brain cancer since he was three. He's endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer — hundreds of extra hours — to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and he's headed to college this fall.

And then there's Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and she's on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.

Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren't any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same. That's why today, I'm calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education — and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book. Maybe you'll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you'll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you'll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, I hope you'll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don't feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.

Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it.

I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work — that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you're not going to be any of those things.

But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won't love every subject you study. You won't click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won't necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.

That's OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who've had the most failures. JK Rowling's first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

These people succeeded because they understand that you can't let your failures define you — you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesn't mean you're a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesn't mean you're stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.

No one's born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You're not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don't hit every note the first time you sing a song. You've got to practice. It's the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it's good enough to hand in.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don't know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust — a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor — and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.

And even when you're struggling, even when you're discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you — don't ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.

The story of America isn't about people who quit when things got tough. It's about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best. It's the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.

So today, I want to ask you, what's your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country?

Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I'm working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you've got to do your part too. So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don't let us down — don't let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Betty's got a new job!

I haven't told ya'll about my new job that I started back in June, have I?

Curious?
Well, I am officially receiving a paycheck again. I like that part. The one hour commute...not so much. Living in an upstate rural village between two major cities sentences those of us hoping for some kind of career to a commute. Hey, at least it got me a spiffy new Honda Civic and a beautiful green iPod nano.



So I am working for Magellan. Some of you know the company and may be seen screaming running in the opposite direction of your computer. Others of you may be saying to yourself,"Huh?". Well, Magellan is the country’s leading diversified specialty health care management organization. That's quoting coporate. You've gotta be careful blogging about your work you know. It could get you in trouble. I don't need any extra trouble in my life. I've got enough right now thank you.

So I'm working as a district EAP consultant for the Greater South Carolina District of the U.S. Postal Service. Magellan Behavioral Health, a division of Magellan Health Services, has a contract with the USPS to provide EAP services to them. Now the next question you may be asking is "What the heck is EAP?".

Well, EAP stands for Employee Assistance Program and/or Professional. Most major corporations and companies have these in place for their employees. So, of course, the US Postal System is no exception. They want to avoid someone "going postal" as much as the next company. So I consult with management, assess employees needs for support, provide short term counseling to employees, and assist the organization to support employees' health and wellness. If you are curious click here to read more.

The Great South Carolina District is all of South Carolina except for a small little part near Charlotte, North Carolina. I don't provide short term counseling for all of the district, only those within twenty-five miles of my office in Columbia. As for the consulting part, that does cover the entire district. So I'll go to different post offices through out the state and provide presentations to employees and consult with management and union reps on organizational issues.

I have a virtual boss, kind of like Charlie on Charlie's Angels.



So my new job requires me to have some internal motivation since no one is watching over me too closely. It's kind of like private practice but with a paycheck and set hours. I get to be as creative as I want to be or not and for the most part set my own pace. Plus I'm gaining new skills that I know will benefit me professionally in the future.

All in all, it's a good gig!