REVIEW: NESTA TUOMEY'S, THE STRAW HAT and other STORIES

5.0 out of 5 stars

 Irish Short Stories to Warm the Heart

I was fortunate to take a tour of Ireland in September of 2012. Breathtaking scenery, traditional Irish music and dancing, in addition to learning about the history, people, and culture of Ireland made for an awesome adventure. That is why I recommend reading The Straw Hat and other Stories. These are moving, well written short stories that will appeal to everyone, especially visitors to Ireland, Irish Americans, or anyone blessed enough to have their roots in Ireland. Ms.Tuomey is a natural storyteller. Her stories evoke a variety of emotions in the reader. The settings and dialogue are so authentic, one gets a true sense of Irish life. Read The Straw Hat and Other Stories. You will not be disappointed.

Meg

South Carolina

DISGRACE

On April 1, 2015,  Alan Blinder’s New York Times’ article shouted, “ Atlanta Educators Convicted in School Cheating Scandal.” 

This does not come as any surprise. I often wondered what dire consequences educators would pay as a result of high stakes standardize testing.

The cheating scandal is a case in point. The Atlanta educators included Superintendent of Schools,  Dr. Beverly L. Hall (deceased), principals, testing coordinators, and teachers.  After reading several accounts of the trial and convictions,  it is evident that Superintendent Hall created an environment which fostered cheating throughout at least 44 schools, which comprise 43% of all school sites in Atlanta. Even one school is one too many.

 Unfortunately, Georgia isn’t the only state in which this appalling practice occurs. A new survey by Fair Test reports, “Confirmed cases of test score manipulation in at least 37 states including Washington, D.C. were found in the past four academic years. The analysis by the National  FairTest Center reports there are at least 50 ways in which educators manipulated test scores during that period.”  This behavior is reprehensible.

(http://fairtest.org/fact%20sheets)

If this isn’t a wake up call for all citizens, I don’t know what is. Our national educational system is a disaster. All students have the right to the best education possible; one in which each student will reach his/her  full potential.

“Teaching to the test is an educational practice where curriculum is heavily focused on preparing students for a standardized test.”

“Opponents of this practice argue that it forces teachers to limit curriculum to a set range of knowledge or skills in order to increase student performance on the mandated test. This produces an unhealthy focus on excessive repetition of simple, isolated skills ("drill and kill") and limits the teacher's ability to focus on a holistic understanding of the subject matter."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

What some schools are doing to inflate their standardized test scores is criminal.  Not everyone who is an administrator or teacher is guilty and should not be judged as such. Behavior such as we have seen in Atlanta is a disgrace and must be stopped.

Live simply.

Speak gently.

Love unconditionally.

AWARENESS

I live in a small town with an even smaller  University Campus. There is a two lane road 

dividing the University and additional parking lots. Before crosswalks and speed limit signs 

were added, there were several serious accidents.


The requisite crosswalks were painted, in hopes that students, staff, and visitors would be 

safer.  However, both pedestrians and drivers have responsibilities. Drivers must 

observe the speed limit, be alert, and drive defensively.  Pedestrians must be observant, 

cautious, and use common sense.


I have seen students not use the crosswalks at all. They just meander across the street 

expecting people will stop for them. Some walk blithely across the street texting. 

Others step off the curb without hesitation. Do they not understand that they, too, must 

perform an action to keep safe.  



All is not lost. I applaud those who stop and look before  proceeding. I, especially, appreciate 

those who wave or smile a thank you.  Common courtesy  is still alive and well.


All drivers and pedestrians whether in small towns or large cities must be aware of how their 

actions impact  lives, theirs and others.

Live simply.

Speak gently.

Love unconditionally.

SOUTHERN BAPTISTS ADVOCATE YOUNGER MARRIAGES: SAY WHAT?!

SAY WHAT?!

After completing my five part post about why waiting to get married and/or having children is so important to a healthy and stable marriage, I eagerly joined friends for lunch and scintillating conversation. Knowing that I had posted my article on my blog, one friend directed my attention to an astounding piece of news about young marriages. You have to believe me when I say my mouth literally fell open. Just when I thought the Christian Right couldn’t go any further right on the Liberal - Conservative continuum, I do believe they actually fell off. I kid you not!

“Andrew Walker, director of policy studies for the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, and Jon Akin, senior pastor of Fairview Church in Lebanon, Tennessee, made the argument in a column for the Baptist Press earlier this week.”

"We do not advocate a specific age; rather, we believe that young people should make themselves 'marry-able' younger," wrote Walker and Akin. Are Walker and Akin trying to coin a phrase with marry-able younger? The phrase is awkward on the tongue and the argument even more unpalatable.

I tried to think of ways to paraphrase this next quote, but I could not get my head around it. Walker and Akin state, “It's impractical and unhelpful to advise and encourage young men and women who reach sexual maturity at the age of 12 or 13 to wait 15 years before marriage and still remain pure.”   So, are they giving Southern Baptists’ Teens a mandate to get married at the young age of twelve? 

This is a throwback to the Dark Ages when girls were married off at a ridiculous age.  High maternal and infant death rates significantly lowered the over all life expectancy of that time and continued to do so well into the 19th century. Of course, causes other than the young ages of the mothers also contributed to high maternal and infant mortality: basic hygiene being a big one. But the bottom line is that anyone without adequate resources (financial, access to good health care, daily living skills, education, etc) is at greater risk, and children born into such situations fare far worse than their more fortunate counterparts.

An impressive number of research studies have been conducted on teen marriages. The unquestionable truth is early marriages are detrimental to achieving a healthy and stable family. 

The Best Age at which to Marry: What Are the Problems?

The Best Age at which to Marry

What Are the Problems?

Research has determined specific characteristics of people who marry early. Many scientists predict
there will be catastrophic drawbacks to both the individuals and our society. (Read Wilcox, W.
Bradford and Hamilton.”Why Marriage Matters.” State of Our Unions. 2001).

Obviously there is a need to educate young people about the adverse consequences of early marriage. It has been documented that young women who give birth outside of marriage, and their children  suffer the most. Usually these women, on the average, are younger, have less education, and have lower incomes than those who are married. Children born of unwed or teen  parents are more likely to live in poverty and have more developmental  issues.

 I would suggest reading Academic and Behavioral Outcomes Among Children of Young Mothers by Levine, Pollock, and Comfort to understand the devastating effects young mothers could have on their children’s lives. Subsequently, who would ever deny a child the right to a healthier and more productive life?


I concede that when young people fall deeply and passionately in love and have the maturity to realize that in order for their marriage to succeed, there should be open and honest communication, a willingness to change one’s ideas, or at the very least, the ability to compromise.

Be that as it may, there are definite advantages for those who wait to get married. Startling evidence and data prove being married at a later age has more positive outcomes on family stability, women’s mental and physical health, and children’s development.

Live simply.

Speak softly.

Love unconditionally.

The Best Age for Marriage: Why Wait to Marry?

The Best Age for Marriage

Why Wait to Marry?

 The trend of marrying at a later age is probably due to financial
instability, which is one of the biggest predictors of divorce.  Kim Painter, reporter for USA Today states, “Young people delay marriage to finish their educations, launch their careers, and try to achieve academic success.” To illustrate, Christine B. Whelan, an assistant sociology professor agrees, “Easily measurable factors like income and job opportunities are only part of the explanation for why college graduates have stronger marriages.” Extensive studies such as those the Pew Research Center provides prove that educated adults tend to look towards the future and raise their families to value education and family commitments. The more educated one becomes, the more self control and satisfaction one develops in life.

Live simply.

Speak softly.

Love unconditionally.

Next: So, what's the problem?

The Best Age for Marriage:Early 60's Culture and Marriage

The Best Age for Marriage

Early 60's Culture and Marriage

I was born and raised in a small coal mining and dress manufacturing town in North Eastern Pennsylvania. During the time I spent in high school (1958-1961), the consensus was that women did not go to college. Women were supposed to marry and take care of their husbands, homes, and children. 


My dad, who only had a fifth-grade education, insisted that I attend college. I am thankful for his understanding of the importance of education. Curiously, my dad’s rationale rejected the norm of his generation, although he was traditional in other matters. 

I can still remember vividly what he said, “ I want you to go to college and get an education. In that way, if anything happens to your husband, you could take care of yourself and your children." Little did my father know what an invaluable gift he bestowed upon me. In 1965, I received my Bachelor of Science Degree in Education. I married soon afterward at the age of 21. Many of my high school classmates had married by then. Why Marriage Matters: Facts and Figures featured in For Your Marriage discloses, “In 1960, the median age [of marriage] for men was 23 and 20 for women.” (Wilcox) My classmates and I had fit neatly into that median age group. Today, the 2010 U.S. Census data  reports that the median age of first marriage for men is 28.7 and 26.5 for women. 

Live simply.

Speak softly.

Love unconditionally

Next: Why Wait to Marry?