Refiner of Silver

This is a popular story that has been around the Internet for a while.  I learned today that it is true that silver is reflective when it is ready to pour.  At the reflective stage,  the impurities have been isolated by charcoal and the silver is at the correct temperature to pour.   Although I do not know if the following story is true, it is possible. 

It is the end of the term for my students and right now I watching them take a practice exam.  There is a lot of sighing going on and you can feel the tension in the room. It is a rough process being refined.  A lot of watching on the part of the smith and some real heat on the silver. 

By the end of next week, they will reflect on all they have mastered this term.  I am not the Master Smith but I have faith that He is looking out for them.  I am praying for a mirror finish.

Here is the Internet story in case you missed it.

Malachi 3:3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible Study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest except her curiosity for the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." "Is it true that you have to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver is being refined", she asked. "Yes, not only do I sit there holding the silver I keep my eyes on it as long as it is on the furnace", answered the silversmith. He gave further explanation, "If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed".

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy - when I see my image in it."

Assessable Web Based Instruction for the Color Blind

One of the most wonderful changes in the information age has been the explosion of color that is now free for use in the design of instructional materials.  Unfortunately, this has left behind an overlooked group, color blind and low vision computer users.

This problem hit home for me a few years ago when I was teaching an undergraduate computer application class, and noticed that one student could not keep up because he kept selecting the same links on the lab exercise.  He could not see the difference between visited links and unvisited links.  As I watched him work, I suspected that there might be a problem with his perception of color. He had a vision exam and  this confirmed that he had a type of red/green color blindness. This was an adult student who had not known that he had this problem until he began working with computer media.

Think about how often we use color in our media to highlight information.  In this presentation, I created images that simulate what a color blind individual sees.  The purpose was to make teachers and trainers aware of this issue.  If you work with media to communicate in an educational or training environment, you might find these images surprising. You will also find the Vischeck site highlighted  in the presentation to be very helpful in checking your media.

I have written and presented on many topics related to creating a better classroom.  Of  all of  presentations I have given, this is one of my most requested presentations.  It was also the source of one of  my most touching memories.

After I presented on this topic to a group of teachers, one woman stayed behind to speak with me after the room had cleared out.  She had a son who was color blind and this had worried her  for years.  She had sorrowed  that her son would never know the beauty of a world of color since he had a red/ green deficiency.  With tears in her eyes, she told me how relieved she was to know that this was not true; that his world was not black and white but tinted like someone wearing  sunglasses.

For this mother and all of the mothers of these children, I decided to post this presentation. It is very rare for someone to have no color vision at all.  In most cases, true black and white vision is caused by a head injury (most commonly not wearing a helmet in a motor bicycle accident). Most color blind individuals see color but  not all the colors.

I hope that this is comforting to the family members of these individuals and that teachers and parents of these students find this information useful.  This presenttation is easier to view as a full screen presentation.

Assessable Web Based Instruction for the Color Blind

Hot Feet & Ambulances

My feet were so hot. . . I had to keep sliding my toes in and out of my shoes. I could not believe how hot my shoes were. I know that black absorbs heat but this was unreal. Even when I touched my shoe with my hand, it was hot to the touch.

Jon and I were at a ship commissioning for the Navy. We were very excited to be there, not many people have the opportunity, and we love patriotic events.  We had driven to Mobile early and were dressed as the invitation had instructed, “business dress”.  Jon and I both had jackets but women are luckier than men since women’s suits come in lighter weights than men’s suits.

We had previously attended ship christenings and at those events the seating area had been covered with a tent and there had been outside air conditioning so we had not really thought much about the heat. This event was different; it was a Navy event, not a shipyard event, so these amenities were not provided.  This makes sense in hindsight but we certainly did not think of at the time.  We had to be at the dock by 9:30 for the ceremony which began at 11:00.  It was very close to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

By the beginning of the ceremony, we had been in direct sun for nearly two hours. The water bottles that we had been given when we arrived were empty and the sun was so intense that the color was leached out of the landscape.  The sky was a perfect cloudless blue and what little wind there was warm.  I tried to take some photos but the light was so bright that the focus screen appeared blank so I could not see what I was shooting.  Both of us had long ago shed our jackets.

Even the speakers on the platform referenced the heat and some of them shorten their address out of respect for it. Neither one of us felt very well. I was dizzy and I did not want to faint so for the first time in my life I did not remain standing for the national anthem.

As the ceremony progressed, more and more people began to balance their open programs on their heads as makeshift hats from the sun.  Jackets were draped over chairs and the more experienced souls sheltered under umbrellas.  The ceremony was very impressive but I confess that at some point it became hard to think about anything but the sun. All the energy was gone from the crowd; we began to look like well-dressed zombies as soaked clothes stuck to limbs and women’s makeup melted.  I envied the women who had hats.

I was worried about Jon.  He was drenched with sweat and I knew that his dress shirt and undershirt gave him two layers of clothing to deal with.  At least I was more lightly dressed. I also knew that he had really looked forward to this event and I did not want to let home down by wimping out on him.  Unlike me, he had not had to sit down at any point so I was feeling like the weak link.

The final event was a short tour of the ship.  In all honesty, the idea of moving my very warm toes across a metal deck was not appealing but when would this chance come again? We both fell in line for the slow march up on the ship and into some blessed shade.  I am afraid that the shade is about all I remember of the ship, that shade and a quick drink at a water fountain.

The respite was brief and when we hit the sun again, we decided against walking to the bow of the ship. I told Jon that I could hear my heart racing and he said his was too.  We were fading and we both really, really, wanted to get out of the sun.  When we got off the ship, a golf cart offered us a ride and we accepted, dropping all pretenses that we could handle the walk back.  Jon said later that this was point when he began to feel pretty bad and his vision began to distort.

All I could think about was getting out of the sun and to the reception where there might be something to drink.  The world had taken a yellow cast like over-exposed film.  Jon was behind me a few steps and we were near a medical station. At that moment, Jon said “I feel really, really bad” and then he collapsed.

Nothing, absolutely nothing, focuses your attention as much as watching the person who is most important to you in this life crumble like a paper bag.

I tried to catch him but the Navy and Red Cross personnel appeared out of heaven and got him seated and began working with him.  He was way, way too hot and his color was draining away to grey. They poured water on his head and neck and explained that you cannot drench someone who has heat exhaustion or heat stroke or they will go into hyperthermia. He could not speak and his head dropped to one side.

I honestly thought that I might lose him.

The ambulance came and took us to the emergency room. They gave me water and had me sit in the front of the ambulance in the air conditioning while they transferred Jon.  This was a long time for me, nearly twenty minutes, since he had to be moved from the ambulance in the secure area to the ambulance I was in.  You can imagine a lot of very bad things in twenty minutes.

Many IV bags and hours, later Jon’s blood pressure was close to normal and his heart rate came back down. We left the hospital that evening; Mobile Infirmary is an emergency care center so we were glad to be heading home. They were so overcrowded they were redirecting ambulances.

Jon is fine now.  We are both very wary of the heat and I learned that you are supposed to drink a bottle of water every twenty minutes if you are outside in the high temperatures.  You will dehydrate very quickly in the sun if you do not do this. We were only in the sun for about four hours which really does not sound like such a long time but it was certainly long enough make Jon very ill.

Oh, and remember, my very hot feet? At the hospital, I discovered that the soles of my shoes had melted and the uppers were partly unglued from the soles.  I bought Jon the only shirt from hospital shop in his size so he would not have to put on his soaked shirt when he was released. It was bright orange and had something about Auburn football printed on it. I had to cut the sleeves out since it was long sleeves. He left the hospital wearing a cut up t-shirt, suit slacks, dress shoes and enough hospital bands for a mental patient. I was so sunburned that my jewelry had left “print “marks and my clothes were still wet.  With my “floppy” shoes and the paper bag filled with Jon’s clothes as accessories, we were very grunge. 

I am certain that we made quite an impression on the taxi driver that took us back to our car.  It was a dramatic contrast to how we had begun the day.  I was just very thankful that we ended the day in the most important quality of all; we left home as a couple and we returned home as couple.

 I am very, very thankful.

First Mardi Gras Parade in Ocean Springs

I took a break from getting ready for next term to catch some beads at our town's first carnival parade of the season. The weather was perfect and we had the good fortune to stand next to some first time parade goers. We really enjoyed the excitement of the children at the parade. There were many, many throws and a good variety of groups represented. It was a grand afternoon.


Two families were kind enough to let me photograph their children, both first time parade goers.

This young man had a great time.  At the beginning of the parade, he wanted to catch something for his mother.  By the end of the parade, his entire family was covered in trinkets even the family dog.   Now the problem was how to get it all to the car. . .

This little person felt like most of us at the end of the day – bejeweled and happy but ready for a good nap.

Jon and I hope that you and your family have a safe and happy carnival season.  In case you missed today’s parade, there are more than a dozen parades left to roll in our area including a night parade in Ocean Springs on March 4.  Catch some fun! It is free and in our area very family friendly.

The Mississippi Gulf Coast Mardi Gras parade schedule has been posted at gulflive.com   

Laissez les bons temps rouler!  Let the good times roll!

Using SmartArt, Charts, and Shapes in PowerPoint 2007-MECA 2011

I am presenting a session today at MECA - Mississippi Educational Computing Association. For those of you who would like a copy of the presentation, I have posted it here.

The original presentation had animated images but since this post was converted to a PDF file those images are now static. This presentation was intended for beginning computer users.


Using SmartArt, Charts, and Shapes in PowerPoint 2007-MECA 2011

Seagulls and Storms

Living so close to the ocean allows for random meetings with wildlife. We live literally next door to a national park and so we entertain uninvited visitors ranging from raccoons, bunnies, foxes and turtles. One of the most interesting groups are the seagulls.

Every time the weather looks to turn stormy,  seagulls move into the parking lots. You can see a group beginning to gather in this photo.

 

They always head for an open area of a parking lot.  You can walk pretty close to such a gathering, and if you walk slowly enough,  they will not fly off but will walk quickly away from you.  This little guy was not really sure if he wanted his photo taken but he was very certain that he did not want to be airborne.

The thing that really interests me about this behavior is why they decide to ride out a storm in such an open space. Much of the coast where we live has forests quite close to the water.  Why not move there? Many of these birds are not timid around people; they could have some shelter near a building or next to a roof top sign.  Yet they seem to group in the most open space they can find.

I looked for information about this but nothing had the ring of truth. Many people believe that seagulls like shopping malls lots because these are good places to look for food that people have discarded. Sometimes visitors to the coast feed seagulls French fires, and maybe that is why they like parking lots. This would make sense, except in my area, I never see seagulls in groups in the parking lots unless it  feels as if a storm is coming.

Other people write that the blacktop surface generates heat that provides lift. Great idea, but it was a cold January day when I took these photos. The only birds I saw in the air were coming into land to join the group. They were not flying or begging for food; they were grounded and waiting.

Maybe there is a lesson in this.  A lot of times when people hit a stormy patch in their lives well-meaning friends and family are quick to offer advice on how to best weather the storm.  Frankly, it is easy to give advice when you are not the one looking into the headwinds. Sometimes the best you can do is plant your feet firmly and decide to ride it out.  If this little guy can do it, so can the rest of us.

Christmas 2010

I have not fully made the transition to the digital age; I still send Christmas letters. When I was working through the cards this year, I realized that my address book is hopelessly out of date. This post is for those of you that somehow have drifted out of my life due to my neglect in keeping up with the most important part of life, the people that enrich it. If you are one of the lost threads of my life, please leave a comment and let me know how you are doing.

Christmas, 2010

I have always loved Christmas. Over the years, we have had grand Christmases and modest ones but every one had a sparkle all its own. The holiday reflects where we are in our lives and yet still grants that indefinable quality of grace, grandeur and simplicity blended so that it is simultaneously a great public event and a private celebration.

This Christmas has been an unusual one. At this moment, we both have jobs that we enjoy, our children seem to be happy in their marriages and the dog is finally adjusted to living in a new place. Like any new/old home, things began falling off the house the minute we bought it but since that is a historical pattern for us, it is nothing new. For once, my house is clean, my presents are wrapped, work is under control and it is still four days until Christmas.

I realize as I write this how fortunate we are. Many people have had a pretty rough year. Jobs have been pretty iffy, most of us are old enough that health issues and the loss of love ones is no longer a distant possibility but a present reality. This year it may be a little hard to find the merry in Christmas.

I understand and sympathize with this. Earlier this year, things were not looking too good for my career before things fell into place. We were just fortunate that events worked out by Christmas, something that does not always happen. If the Ghost of Christmas Past were to drop by for an outing there would be holidays dimmed by unemployment, personal loss, near homelessness and just general malaise. I am grateful for all of these experiences.

Christmas did not begin in grand style but in a manger with a family who either forgot to call their travel agent or were too broke to plan ahead. Yet it turned out alright, choirs of angels, some interesting, if not so practical gifts, and the ultimate Christmas decoration. I think Christmas is supposed to be bumpy; there is the Christ of the manger, the Christ of the three kings, and the Christ of the angels. Christmas is simple, humble and cosmically grand. So if you want a blow out Christmas, go for it, complete with choirs and kingly gifts. If the simplicity of the manger speaks to you this year, then enjoy a merry little Christmas, lunch with a friend and some hot cocoa with a good book. There is room in your heart at Christmas for all parts of the experience. This is the mystical part of Christmas; Christ will always meet you where you are, not where you think you should be. I hope your Christmas is sparkling and comforting, frantic and peaceful, and that you enjoy every minute of the gift of your life this season.