Sandal Time

So we all know that I have slight quirks. One of them is I just simply cannot wear sandals in Tennessee until April. March is just too early for sandals in my opinion. So I'm very excited that tomorrow marks the official day that I can dust off my flip flops and go buy some more! In honor of that I'd like to share with my friends the "Opened Toe Shoe Pledge". After all, friends don't let friends drive drunk, and friends don't let friends have bad feet and bad shoes!

So please raise your big toe and repeat after me!

As a member of the Cute Girl Sisterhood, I pledge to follow the Rules when I wear sandals and other open-toe shoes:

I promise to always wear sandals that fit. My toes will not hang over and touch the ground, nor will my heels spill over the backs. And the sides and tops of my feet will not protrude out between the straps.

I will go polish-free or vow to keep the polish fresh, intact and chip-free. I will not cheat and just touch up my big toe.

I will sand down any mounds of skin before they turn hard and yellow. I will shave the hairs off my big toe.

I won't wear pantyhose even if my misinformed girlfriend, coworker, mother, sister tells me the toe seam really will stay under my toes if I tuck it there. If a strap breaks, I won't duct-tape, pin, glue or tuck it back into place hoping it will stay put. I will get my shoe fixed or toss it.

I will not live in corn denial; rather I will lean on my good friend Dr. Scholl's if my feet need him.

I will resist the urge to buy jelly shoes at Payless for the low, low price of $4.99 even if my feet are small enough to fit into the kids' sizes. This is out of concern for my safety, and the safety of others. No one can walk properly when standing in a pool of sweat and I would hate to take someone down with me as I fall and break my ankle.

I will take my toe ring off toward the end of the day if my toes swell and begin to look like Vienna sausages. If I have been privy to the magic that is Foot Soup; I will share that knowledge and experience with the non-initiated.

I will be brutally honest with my girlfriend / sister / coworker when she asks me if her feet are too ugly to wear sandals. Someone has to tell her that her toes are as long as my fingers and no sandal makes creepy feet look good.

I will promise if I wear flip flops that I will ensure that they actually flip and flop, making the correct noise while walking and I will swear NOT to slide or drag my feet while wearing them.

I will promise to go my local beauty school at least once per season and have a real pedicure (they are about $20 and worth EVERY penny).

I will promise to throw away any white/off-white sandals that show signs of wear...nothing is tackier than dirty white sandals..

Self Portrait

Where have all the Girl Scouts gone?

Is cookie time over already? I'm getting low and need more samoas! I also need thin mints and tagalongs to freeze. I bought several boxes of cookies and there were girl scouts on every corner...now I can't find them. Is cookie time really over? I need my cookies!

When cleaning out boxes and boxes of childhood things a few weeks ago (I'll post on it later), I found my old Girl Scout song book (among other treasures). One of the best songs ever that we we'd sing when walking through camp was "She wears a 'G'", or "The Girl Scout Song." Because I miss cookies so much and I know you'd like to know the words, here it is!

She wears a G for generosity

She wears an I for interesting

She wears and R for her real sportsmanship

She wears and L for loyalty (for loyalty)

She wears and S for her sincerity

She wears a C for courtesy

She wears and O-U-T for outdoor life (outdoor life)

Can't you see this girl scout is mee-eee-eee-eee HEY!

Shall we say the pledge next?

Just Elope

Quick--someone get me a paperbag! I'm getting married in thirty three days! I'm a super organized freak who likes to have total control over everything--and right now I don't and I hate it.

I'm starting again with a florist and want to be sure that what I want is clear. So many things that I have wanted have obviously not been very clear! (I mean really--I'm only the bride!) I've lost control over so many aspects (the food, the guest list) that I will not lose control on anything else! I have a to do list a mile long that includes making a few things (previously mentioned in the blog) for the ceremony, finishing up gifts, getting pictures and announcements in the newspapers, confirming plans, sending a ( my super anal, type A, micro-managed) picture list to the photographer (including examples), getting a marriage license, finishing marriage counseling, collecting RSVPs, updating the budget, getting the rings sized,.....should I go on? I have a dress fitting this weekend, I haven't yet found a headpiece, I haven't made "wedding day to-do lists", I'm still up in the air on the Bridesmaids Luncheon.......THIRTY THREE DAYS!

So in addition to me having a million things spinning through my head like the gravitron at the mall parking lot carnival--I have a crazy dream last night. (The third crazy dream in a week--but at least it's not scary like the others.)

It was the wedding day! And I forgot to ever put the pictures announcements in the paper, so the morning of, I was doing that. I couldn't find my bridesmaids shoes, the jr. bridesmaids didn't have their pomanders, and where-oh-where were the cute monogrammed ribbon flower girl baskets I'd made? And the bus---oh the bus! Someone had decorated both sides of the stone path with fake mums. I saw it and flipped out. I immediately (in full dress and veil) ran down there picking them all up with the help of Ta (my maid of honor). Once I picked them up they were real and really pretty! So I decided to float them in a dish of water. When I put them in the water they balled up and turned into sponges. Woohoo--I had sponges I could clean with! So then I decided I'd clean. I ran into J when I had my handful of sponges and was telling him I would have to postpone the ceremony for a couple minutes while I cleaned. Someone took my sponges and hid them, so I was then ready to get married. However, we couldn't find the preacher--but found him making out with his wife! (So typical of the Rev.) Then when it was time to really get married I didn't ride in a horse carriage, I just hopped on the horse. I don't remember the ceremony but I still hadn't found shoes, the little girls were playing in flower petals, I forgot the pomanders and there were tons of people there that I had no invited and I was furious! Then we went to the reception and ate cake. I think that was all.

Yes, it is affirmative--I have went completely crazy! I've passed the point of no return. If I could do it over I'd have went with the original plan to elope and send postcards from wherever we ended up.

Who Pays for Jeans

At P. Co. we get to wear jeans on Fridays if we pay $2.00 which is donated to a charity. I rarely if ever have cash on me, so on Thursday evenings I would be scraping up change or making a pilgrimage to an ATM to get some cash. When J and I were dating I'd always walk by the receptionist and tell her to hit my boyfriend up for the money for my jeans when he arrives. (He comes in an hour later than I do). If he paid for them then Yippie! I'd have cash for a slurpee! However sometimes I'd be the sweet girlfriend and pay for his when I arrive (then Yippie! he'd have cash to buy me a slurpee!).

So now J and I would often juggle the "who is going to pay for jeans day?" question back and forth. This morning I'm sitting in my office busily working away when I receive this email:

"Hi pretty, are you paying for my jeans today? I love you!"

I lost this week. I guess I'd better dig in my monstrosity of handbag for a five.

The cost of Boys vs. Girls

In addition to my opinion on it being expensive to be a girl, here is further insight on what the cost is for males and females. The gap is so wide, that it is not even comparable. I can't remember where I found this, but it was online quite some time ago and is written by a father who has raised both boys and girls. He has great thoughts, and even though some of the terms and words are a little old fashion, you get the point.

UNDERWEAR

• Boys: Either tighty whities or boxers
• Girls: Panties: bikini, low rise, hi rise, thong, g string, grannies, or control top; bras: full cup, half cup, quarter cup, strapless, halter top, underwire, sports, padded, push up, lift and separate, or mash and magnify; not to mention slips, chemises, bustiers, and various other underpinnings and foundations.

FOOTWEAR

• Boys: socks: tube socks and the occasional pair of dress socks
• Girls: socks: no-show socks, bobby socks, tube socks, toe socks, ankle socks, half ankle socks; not to mention tights, pantyhose, stockings, leggings, etc.

SHOES

• Boys: sneakers, one pair of cleats, and one pair of dress shoes for church
• Girls: sneakers, cleats, pumps, mules, wedgies, sandals, open and closed toe, boots, knee high boots, thigh high boots, calf length boots, and at least three pairs of dress shoes identical except for color

PANTS

• Boys: jeans and khakis, 4 pair total, and one pair of dress slacks
• Girls: jeans, khakis, long skirts, short skirts, mini skirts, A line skirts, kilts, skorts, coulottes, tap pants, stirrup pants, and capris

SHIRTS

• Boys: T-shirts, sweat shirts, or dress shirts
• Girls: T-shirts, crop tops, tank tops, halter tops, tube tops, cammies, blouses, peasant blouses, turtle necks, and don't forget sweaters: V-necks, crew necks, cardigans, angora,

DRESSES

• Boys: none
• Girls: party dress, church dress, dancing dress, cocktail dress, sun dress, prom dress, wedding dress and the little black dress

ACCESSORIES

• Boys: a belt, a wallet, a watch and maybe a pocket knife
• Girls: 3 belts, 2 purses, 2 watches, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, rings, ankle bracelets, clutches, barrettes, etc

MAKE UP

• Boys: none
• Girls: Foundation, blush, highlighter, glitter spray, eye liner, eye shadow, eye brow pencil, mascara, lip stick, lip gloss, lip liner, nail polish, nail file, emory board, nail polish remover

TOILETRIES

• Boys: Brush or comb, toothbrush, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant
• Girls: 2 Brushes and comb, toothbrush, soap, face wash, body lotion, makeup remover, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant, hair curlers, curling iron, hair crimper, hair straightner, hair gel, mousse, hair spray, hair pins, hair bows, hair clips, bobby pins, eye lash curler, compact

MONTHLY NECESSITIES

• Boys: none
• Girls: From menarche to menopause

OVERNIGHT STAY

• Boys: put his stuff in a backpack and have room left over for his XBox
• Girls: will fill three bags, and dump out his XBox to make room for the rest of her stuff
• **let's not even get started on closet space

ACTIVITIES

• To sign a boy up for football costs roughly $60 for registration, insurance, and a mouthpiece
• Sign a girl up for cheerleading and you're looking at $200 plus, more if there's a camp involved.
• Ballet lessons are significantly more expensive than a fishing pole and a bucket of worms.
• A boy wants to ride a bike. $100 at WalMart and you're done. A girl wants to ride a horse. $1500 plus monthly stable fees, and riding lessons. And tack, and of course a riding wardrobe.

DANCES

• A boy rents a tux ($75), gets a haircut ($12), buys a corsage ($15), and is ready to go for just under $100. Since I'm a traditionalist, he'll also buy the dinner, provide transportation, and buy the tickets, but his total expense is still under $200.
• A girl buys a dress ($150-300), shoes to go with the dress ($45), matching purse ($40), gets her hair colored and styled ($75-100) her nails done ($40), buys a boutonierre ($15) and is ready to go for $365-540.

WEDDING

• The groom's father handles the honeymoon, and can do quite well for about $2000.
• The bride's father handles the wedding, and $2000 barely gets you started, covering flowers and possibly some catering. Dresses, cakes, the preacher, the church, the reception hall, and so on, all cost money.

There's simply no doubt about it; girls, bless their high maintenance little hearts, are more expensive than boys.

It's Expensive Being a Girl

It's so not easy being a girl. The littlest things and smallest details add up to be quite costly. For example, I needed a new strapless bra. Mine wasn't doing the job for thin shirts and definitely won't do the job for my wedding dress, (which was a great excuse for me to go buy a new one!) I know I have a few friends who are in my boat and understand that we"blessed chests" out there can't pick up any cutsy-tutsy thing off the rack and be on our merry way. I've moved past even attempting to buy undergarments from anywhere but Victoria's Secret. Even upscale department stores just don't compare. So in the end I found a perfect new bra but walked out of the store spending nearly $50 dollars. And no, that's not because I have wondering eyes and felt the need for new panties and pajamas. That was just the bra, and it's just part of being a girl.

Laundry

Who ever knew that doing laundry was such a meticulous chore? Now I'm a perfectionist in nearly all that I do (J will agree with the exceptions of loading the dishwasher and doing the laundry.)

As we all know, I'm type A. If you've ever met my lovely fiance, you'd know he's type B. So how is it that J is so fastidious (read: fussy) about his clothes care?

Let's start at the beginning. When I moved out of White Columns (how I loved that place) and into my own apartment upon graduation, I no longer had a washer and dryer in my apartment. I chose an apartment without connections because I didn't think I really needed it. J had a washer and dryer and I was often with him. Our work schedules sometimes varied so I'd go to his apartment and do my laundry whenever necessary. While I was at it (being the wonderfully thoughtful person that I am) I would gather his dirty duds and sort them with mine to make full loads. I knew that J like to hang his dress clothes, but I didn't know all the specifics that came with that.

First--you wash dress pants with dress pants, and dress shirts with dress shirts. Me? I think it's all dress clothes and nothing should fade so stuff it all in together and add some Tide and Downey and off you go. But oh no, no, no, no! I thought (and still think) that the all pants and all shirts rule is slightly (very) silly, yet often abide by it because at the end of the week we have 10 dress pants/suits and 10 dress shirts or more depending on my stylish layering.

Beyond that you only wash jeans with jeans. Me? Jeans, socks, sweaters, t-shirts, miscellaneous items, it's all the same! He did (believe it or not) put t-shirts, boxers, socks, all in the same category. I'd just throw those in with the jeans et. al.

So, I mastered the art of how to sort laundry the J way and thought I was rolling, but alas, I had another lesson to learn. Remember how J liked to hang his dress clothes? Well, it's not as easy as out of the washer and on the hanger. First, you must gingerly dry the shirts/pants for a brief time in small groups. That's right--a few shirts in the dryer for about 6-8 minutes, then on the hanger. Then repeat. A couple pants in the dryer for about 10 minutes, then on the hanger. Then repeat. Geesh--I think my physics class was simpler.

So finally--I could sort clothes, I could circumspectly dry the clothes before putting on hangers, I was a laundry diva. But J's school of laundry is apparently three-fold. I've been hanging clothes since I was about 8 years old (you do the math if you'd like to know how long that's been, and it better not be more than 13 years or you've obviously miscalcuated), and thought I was rather swell at it. But, I was indeed a neophyte. Although I could hang a shirt properly, I didn't always ensure that the top button was buttoned and the collar was aptly shaped and smoothed. I saw the err of my ways, realized those were valid points, and now I can properly hang a dress shirt. But the pants? That is a whole other story.

Me-I shake them out fold in half with the button area being the center, and then fold over a hanger or hang by the ankles on a clip hanger. However, in J's Right Way to do Laundry Guide forGirlfriends (who become fiance's), the only thing I did correctly was shake them out. Beyond that you button and zip and line up the seams by the ankles and smooth over a hanger. Well, that's not so bad, so I conformed. It did create less wrinkles and the crease part is rather invisible when you put them on.

So for more than a year when J and I did laundry together, I was on the ball. I nearly asked for a gold star everytime I did it all to his standards! (Kidding honey!) But this past weekend I moved into Intermediate Laundry Lessons. In case you weren't aware, the open part of the wood hangers (because WHY, WHY would you use anything else?!) faces the left sleeve. That way, all the shirts are hanging identically in the closet. Beyond that, the leg part of the pants faces right, so again, all pants are hanging identically in the closet. I just stared at him open jawed when he earnestly gave me my latest lesson in laundry.

Yes--I have signed up for this for the rest of my life. At least I know the hot buttons. If I want to get out of laundry chores, I'll just do it my way! And on a closing note I'd just like to say that I think someone has a little type A in them!

Type A

What a shocker. I'm type-A.

You Have A Type A Personality

A You are hyper, energetic, and always on the mood You tend to succeed at everything you attempt And if you don't succeed at first, you quickly climb your way to the top! You could be called a workaholic, but you also make time for fun As long as it's high energy and competitive, you're interested You have the perfect personality for business and atheltic success

Take this personality test to see what type you are.

Type B

"Type Bs are better - come to our side - we don't have any lists and we don't care."--Liz

Missing Stamp

I'd like to apologize in advance for whomever receives the wedding invitation without a stamp on the response. As I was finishing up the last of the invitations last night I had an extra response card stamp, and I shouldn't have. Too bad it isn't SEC who gets the stampless card--she doesn't care. (That's a total inside joke!)

The M Wedding

Three down, two to go! LN was number three in the series of marriages on Saturday. It was such a gorgeous day to get married. I hope the weather is as pleasant for my wedding since it will be outside.

Here are highlights of the day:

ARRIVING

I arrived in time to see LN and her girls take pictures. Mrs. S and I lovingly acted like fools behind the photographer to make them smile pretty and not look like their lips were duct taped a mile wide. LN was gorgeous. Her dress had tiny spaghetti straps and was beaded from the top all the way down to past the hips. It was very LN. The train was gorgeous as she walked down the aisle.

THE CEREMONY

LN had a Catholic ceremony, but it wasn't the full ceremony with mass. It was still long with traditional readings. Well, so I'm told. I'd never been a guest in a Catholic wedding ceremony before. She and her now hubby memorized their vows and exchange of rings instead of repeating after the officiant. I thought that was really beautiful, but know I could never do it myself.

THE RECEPTION

Yum, there was delicious food! The twice stuffed potatoes were my favorite. The cake was also delicious. Very creamy and very tasty. I loved the single bud pink roses in the center of the table. It was so elegant! The whole thing just seemed very "LN". There was also square dancing! It was fabulous. Her uncle taught us the Grand March and the Virginia Reel, and something else I can't remember but reminds me of the country line dance called "the barn dance" where you switch partners repetitively. I think the dancing was very fun and very unique.

HOW APPROPRIATE

I caught the bouquet! At first LN geared up to toss the bouquet, it hit the ceiling and fell apart. She turned around wide eyed and excited to see who caught it, looked at the ground, and then her bottom lip popped out. She was so disappointed. But fear not--she had a plan. She ran to a nearby table, grabbed a handful of flowers out of the vase and tried again. This time--it fell right in my hands. This is the third bouquet I've caught--it's about time it works. The daffodils are so pretty and smell so good. They're still in a vase in my living room. B asked if next month I'd just turn around and hand my bouquet to her.

OFF THEY GO

LN and her husband had a fabulous T-model as the getaway car. They were so cute driving away in wedding attire. But I bet it was cold! Brrr...

UNFORTUNATELY

In the hustle and bustle of the day, we didn't get our traditional wedding picture together. We have a picture of all of us girls together with the bride that we are doing a matted frame for. I suppose I'll have to break out photoshop so we can fix that!

Queen Elizabeth

This is one of the most amazing poems I've ever read, and written by one of my favorite people, Ms. SEC!

I am blessed.
From the freckles on my forehead
To my short, fat toes
I am blessed
From the hills of East Tennessee
To the avenues downtown
I am blessed
From my parents home
To my own front yard
I am blessed
From my friends since the 80s
To the ones I made last week
I am blessed
From the heavens above me
To the Earth I stand upon
I am blessed
From the family God gave me
To the ones I chose on my own
I am blessed
For my lungs that breathe
And the flowers I see
I am blessed.
I am blessed.
I am blessed.

My Wedding Band

As if there wasn't enough excitement on Saturday...J and I found the perfect wedding ring for me! I've looked at every jewelry store in My Town and all over online trying to find the perfect band to accent my ring, but to no avail. There is a coordinating ring sold at the jeweler's where my engagement ring was bought, but J and I were never satisfied with it. I thought I wanted all round diamonds in a channel setting, but that was before I saw the one we bought.

We went to a jewelry store in the Upper East and as soon as I tried it on, we both knew it was perfect. The band is the perfect size to match my engagement ring and has round stones and baguettes. It gives it more character than just round stones in the channel setting. Upon first glance, I didn't think it would work because I didn't like the princess cut in a channel setting, but it was perfect. J negotiated a good price and we bought it on the spot!

Now we just have to get his ring. He has finally decided that he wants a plain 8mm band, we just have to find the best one. Now that doesn't seem hard, but if you know J, you know he can be as picky as me.

It's Raining Mixers, Hallelujah It's Raining Griddles

Saturday afternoon J and I had our first shower. It was with his family and church and it was so exciting! The ladies were so sweet to me. I got a beautiful pink rose corsage and pink centerpiece with a mix of blooms in them. The cake and punch were so delicious and a lady from his church made homemade mints! YUM! J and I are still eating them. They were so tasty.

I couldn't believe the amount of gifts on the table. I never expected that we'd get so much. It was like Christmas and birthday--but all at once. We got so many things from our registry including the kitchen aid stand mixer, an electric griddle/skillet, glasses, wine glasses, silicone bakeware, and casserole dishes with lids and transporting cases. We only received one duplicate gift (a calaphon stove top griddle) which is rare. It certainly makes it nice to not have a mountain of returns. So many of my friends have stood in line for days with duplicate gift returns.

Even gifts that we received that we didn't register for were perfect. We got a picture frame that has a place on the back to put in "your story." It's a creamy white distressed wood with little silver accents--so cute! We also received a bunch of thick, fluffy white towels. I can't wait to get my monogramming machine out! We're going to have M's everywhere. We're paining the master bath green and using a white shower curtain--I think I'll need to monogram it, too.

We also received china storage which was fabulous. As soon as we got home Saturday night we put it away. It was so nice to get it out of boxes.

I love showers! They're always so much fun to attend and see all the goodie's that people get. It's even more fun to be the guest of honor and open all of those goodies! Did I mention also that the mints were delicious?

Girl Scout Cookie Update

So, speaking of the rising cost of girl scout cookies, here is the official scoop on where, exactly, that money goes:

• 50 cents to the troop
• 80 cents to the bakery that makes them
• $2.20 to the corporate conglomerate of Girl Scouts. This includes personnel, shipping costs, and also to support girls in Girl Scouts who cannot afford to pay.

I'm all for supporting girls who cannot afford to pay, but that can't be too much of the cut, I'm sure. I think it's ridiculous that the Girl Scout Troops don't even get what it costs to make the cookies--which is mere pennies! The actual Girl Scouts who work hard to peddle these (quite delicious) cookies get only 14.29% of their efforts.

I think Girl Scouts need to restructure.

Girl Scout Cookies

It's Girl Scout Cookie time again! What is it about those tasty little things that always make me want to eat the entire box? Is it that they are just that delicious? Or, is it that they are such a treat since they only come once per year?

J and I went home for lunch today and I begged him to eat some cookies and put me out of my misery. Unfortunately, he doesn't share my love of peanut butter so I'm on my own with polishing off the do-si-dos. The samoas however, he will help with. But still, he doesn't share quite the sweet tooth that I have.

So what is the inflation on Girl Scout Cookies? The cookies aren't bigger, the boxes aren't bigger, yet the price steadily increases. When I was a Brownie, Girl Scout cookies were only $2.00 per box. So why the increase to $3.50? Girl Scouts much be taking fancier trips than in my days. We had wood slat bottom and canvas top tents built on a hillside with "latrines" (does anyone know how to spell that?) and hiked our way to everything (arts and crafts, dining hall, sing-a-longs, pool, river, etc. ).

Yum....I think I may need another Girl Scout cookie.

Quote de Jour

Quote of the day, compliments of Liz:

"J doesn't sing or dance--but he can build an ark faster than Noah!"

Someone stop me!

First, I just want to say that I have the cutest and best wedding invitations in the world. I worked all weekend on them (with the help of J, Sjb, and T-Ho) and they have turned out absolutely darling.

Second, before I ever embark on a task such as this again, please tell me that I do not have to be the Martha Stewart of everything. I don't always have to be super creative and talented and do it all on my own. It would have been so much easier to just order invites, or even buy the kits at Target (Mecca!) and add a bow or something. But no, not me! I had to be cutsy tutsy and do it all (with the help of those previously mentioned of course!).

However, again, I must say that they are so sweet and precious, and I couldn't find anything like them anywhere. It's so special because I made it, and it's very reflective of us. Being the perfectionist I am, I would have never liked one I bought or that was anything less than my own finished product.

I'm very proud to say that I made my save the dates and my wedding invitations, and will be making our thank-you cards as well. My beloved wedding planner Liz is in charge of programs, and I'm looking forward to seeing them. I'm so out of control sometimes I'm surprised I haven't tried to do my own flowers (oh wait, that was a considered option!), bake and decorate the cake, and take on designing and making my own dress. Luckily--I have some concept of my boundaries. Although, I think I would try more if it weren't for my full time (plus) job getting in the way.

Next on the list is to make my ring bearer's pillow out of my deceased grandparent's handkerchiefs. This shouldn't be too much of a daunting task, plus it will be really special.

After that, it's making my veil.

So I know I said "someone stop me!" but wait until I make my veil! I'm really looking forward to it!

Heartwarming

Watch this video. It's very heartwarming.

Amazing Grace....Denied

This is a true story about a friend of a friend. This is written by Christi about her 5th grade son Mark.


I'm pissed, I'm frustrated, I'm confused, I'm angered, I'm honestly at a loss for words, which for those who know me, know that doesn't happen often, if ever.

Long story short: Mark was given the opportunity to work on an extra credit project for Science. His grades have suffered lately, so we jumped at the opportunity to score some points. The lesson had been on wood and it's various uses, and his teacher knowing of his guitar playing challenged him to put together a presentation & report on the woods used in guitars, and then showing how they are used. Perfect! No problem.

Mark gathers the necessary info, writes his report & then decides that instead of taking his guitar into school to show & play, he'll make a video of him explaining the various parts & play a short song on it. I like this idea much MUCH better as I was terrified of him taking the Taylor to school. He puts a great presentation on video and gets his grandmother to accompany his playing on piano. They do 2 takes, are pleased with the results, project is finished!

Mark turns it into his teacher Friday, and is supposed to make his presentation on Monday. He comes home yesterday devastated as the teacher will not allow him to show the video part of his project to the class. Mind you, this is probably 75% of the project is on that tape. He breaks down the various components of the guitar, their purpose, their construction etc.. in addition to playing a song, but the song is merely a small part of the video. But he is not allowed to use the video in school... why you ask? Cause the song he chose to play was AMAZING GRACE.

I've yet to come up with the proper words to express my frustration, disappointment & anger over this. We don't yet know the fate of the project now, but i can only imagine he won't get the credit for it after-all, even though he put together a kick-butt presentation (and did it on his own, we merely recorded it!) . But I'm just flabbergasted. Mark is crushed, as he just can't grasp the separation of Church & State and just keeps asking "Why do they want to take God out of School, out of the Pledge, out of everything?".. And I say to that? "I don't know son.. I just don't know"...