No tornados. Just rain. Floods. Trickles of water in our basement...again. No reason for it, either. I think it is time the landlord fixed a couple of things. He doesn't like me...he is sorta afraid of tangling with me...so he knows if I call him...he's in for it.

I was watching "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader" tonight. If you haven't seen it, yet, it is on the Imbecile Network (Fox) and it is hosted by Mr. Redneck himself...Jeff Foxworthy. Now, I have to admit, some of the questions made ME squirm and I was a teacher for 10+ years, took graduate classes, cyber school my kids...I don't know anything about constellations! Sheesh. However, they HAVE to be paying some of these ppl to ACT that stupid, right? I didn't know whether to laugh or be afraid...very afraid.

Which reminds me of a couple of things....

1) I think I shared this...but for those of you that might have missed it, it bears repeating...I think...becuz it just cracked me up! I took my daughter to the doctor's office a couple of days ago for a med check up. As I was walking between the doctor and a line of nurses in the hallway, one of the nurses said to the doctor, " A mother asked me how old her child had to be before it was okay to fly..." The doctor got a thotful look on his face and she said, "fly in an airplane." I bit my tongue and held my breath. I wanted to laugh and at the same time turn around and look at her and ask, "Did you REALLY need to qualify it with 'in an airplane'? I mean, was she planning on kicking it out of a tree?"

2)Yesterday I took myself and my kids to the chiropractor. I made a stop on the way home to get a couple of things in a store. When I came back out to the van my kids were having a 'discussion' about something. It continued all the way to our house (another 7 minutes or so) but I really wasn't paying any attention. I've gotten really good at closing them out. When I pulled into the garage and shut off the engine I heard my son say, "it is 'you' not 'ew'!" I said, "Wait...what are you guys talking about?" Bethany said, "Grandma told me it is pronounced 'ew'!" TJ told me, "A female sheep...e-w-e is pronounced 'you' and Bethany says it is 'ew'." I looked at her and said, "Which grandmother told you this? Not that it matters becuz they are both equally bad at pronouncing things." She said, "Grandma D---(my mom). She said it is pronounced 'ew'!" I broke out laughing. "Bethany, this is a woman that likes to look at GAZE-a-boes, not ga-ZEE-boes! She butchers words! And the other grandma is just as bad! Remember 'tagger' instead of 'tiger'? Ask me, next time you aren't sure how to pronounce something. Do NOT listen to your grandmothers!" She just shrugged and laughed with me. She will learn!

EW! Baaaaaaa!

On sports: The game between the Cavs and Mavs...the Cavs was robbed, I tell ya! Robbed!

(I promised to finish this article from the Cleveland Plain Dealer that I posted the first part of about 3 posts back...)

"A Mother's Far Reach" by Margaret Bernstein--Plain Dealer Reporter
Ending child rape one of Tay's goals

That's because the 20-year-old has concerned himself with solving serious problems. In a recent phone interview, Tay said he founded the Gloria Pointer Teen Movement to "help those children who are in need like myself."

Eliminating rape is one of his most passionate concerns. Many men in Ghana believe they can be cured of the AIDS virus if they have sex with a virgin, so rape is a frequent occurrence, he said. "Girls in Ghana, most of them are being raped and there is not one speaking about it," he said.

"In our society, telling our children about sex is forbidden. But we think it would be good, when we go out, to tell them the truth before they (contract) AIDS," he said.

Dollars sent by Pointer allow him to travel into villages to host awareness programs about sexual abuse, especially for young girls.

Pointer's donations also have enabled him to send about 25 children to school, he added. "She has been a blessing to many."

To expose Pointer to the conditions in the areas he serves, Tay organized a visit for her to a village in central Ghana. There, girls as young as 10 and 12 are pregnant, and residents don't have electricity or running water. It was nearly a three-hour drive to the village. In an age-old communication practice, villagers had beaten drums to spread the word of her visit, and about 800 people had gathered to meet Pointer. Banners flew announcing the third anniversary of the Gloria Pointer Teen Movement, and African rhythms blared from speakers.

Pointer was introduced formally to the village chief. After young dancers paid tribute to her, one girl read aloud, "Mommy, Speak for Me," a poem Pointer wrote and published. Then the crowd sang the song in Gloria's memory.

Pointer spoke her thanks. "On Dec. 6 1984, my daughter was raped and murdered. But since then, God has given me so many more children around the world, including the members of the Gloria Pointer Teen Movement."

She took her video camera into the primitive structure that serves as the village school, a one-room, roofless building only about as big as her living room. It was obvious to her fellow travelers that Pointer was already trying to figure out ways to improve life in Ghana.

"It's hard not to be motivated by Yvonne," said Pratt. "she walks in faith. She's an activist. If an idea comes up, she can grab it and go. It was good for me to be with her, to experience her energy and passion."

Pointer said goodbye to Tay by taking off the cross she wore around her neck. "wear this until we meet again," she said.

She visited other parts of the West African country, including the Elmina Slave Castle where shackled Africans once boarded ships carrying them to enslaved futures across the Atlantic. One of her companions, Celeste Terry of Cleveland's United Black Fund, left behind a note: "We survived. Rest in peace."

A Ghanaian at the castle told Pointer, "Now you are obligated to help. They went through all of that so you could live."

She departed Feb. 12, changed forever.

It was her first trip to AFrica, "and I don't know what I expected," she said. But she was stunned to see the level of poverty.

"Yet they were the most spiritual people I've ever met," she reflected. "They see God in everything--in a stream of ants under a waterfall. They give thanks for everything."

Although those who know her well might not be able to imagine it, "I've risen to a whole new level of motivation," Pointer said.

First on her agenda is to raise money for a van, so Tay's youth group won't have to walk to all its destinations." A 22-passenger van is only 5,000 American dollars," she said.

Pointer is already at work raising funds. "I'd rather be at home making cookies and going to Gloria's cheerleading competitions, leading a normal life. But you have to play the hand that you are dealt," she said.

At her house, she has a tiny sitting room that she calls Hope Haven. It's a place where she can dream and escape from the criticism that can result from being a public figure and from the pressure to be "on" all the time.

"i awant people to see I'm just a human being, I'm not a superwoman. Everyone has the capability to do something. Our obligation is to give back," Pointer said firmly. After seeing the slave castle, she feels more convinced than ever.