Try our new Techpalooza: eduphoria!

Oct 7, 2011 - Kerrville ISD Chief Technology Officer Joel Adkins is breaking new ground in making technology understandable. He has joined with Club Ed to offer new state-wide training, starting with the eduphoria! Suite.

Photo: Techpalooza godfather Joel Adkins prepares breakout sessions for his innovative training concept.

This year, many districts have started implementing the eduphoria! Suite due to packaging with the Region 20 Service Center. There is a specific application for every major department that runs the backend of workflow and school support in our schools today.

Facilities & Events is a building and inventory management part of the Suite. Help Desk is the ticket system for technology as well as a reporting tool for total cost on investment your district can use. PDAS is the evaluation tool most districts use for teacher evaluations. Formspace allows you to create online forms and track the workflow behind the path of where the form goes for approval. And the curriculum tools available in Aware & Forethought make it easier for instructors to track student progress through assessment data and lesson TEKs online. 

These are great tools together for overhauling workflow in a district, but what about training? How will you train your Maintenance office to implement an online Facilities calendar and inventory? How will you train department and campus secretaries to move from paper-forms to paper-less? What are you doing to get your staff plugged-in to develop and share best practices statewide? 

What if there was training offered to share the best practices of what districts are doing to implement and change district-wide workflow for the age of mobility?

Kerrville ISD is offering a one-day workshop to engage the people who will be using eduphoria! Suite. This workshop promises to train the people who will be managing the tools on the backend in order to make the experience as easy as possible for those who interact with it on the front-end. This isn’t a “techie-training.” This is THE training you want to send your HR support staff to, your curriculum people to, your Maintenance people to, and anyone who is ready to take the step to move their district into the 21st century using eduphoria!

Location:

Our training will take place at the Y.O. Ranch Hotel & Conference Center in Kerrville, Texas (http://www.yoresort.com/) which is only 45-minutes from the San Antonio International Airport.

Fee:

Cost per participant is $65.

To sign up with credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover):

Online at www.clubed.net

Go to Courses>Professional>Techpalooza

Or call 830-257-2218

Or email club.ed@kerrvilleisd.net

To sign up with check:

Mail to Club Ed, 1121 Second Street, Kerrville TX 78028

Payable to KISD

To sign up with Purchase Order:

Contact Linda Kneese, 830-257-4883

FAX 830-257-3797

Accommodations:

The Y.O. Ranch Hotel is offering a special room package for this training event - it includes the full breakfast buffet in the Branding Iron Restaurant!

Single room with full breakfast buffet - $89

Double room with full breakfast buffet - $99

To reserve a room:

Y.O. Ranch Hotel & Conference Center

2033 Sidney Baker St.

Kerrville, TX 78028

Phone: 830-257-4440 X 30

Fax: 830-896-8189

Toll Free: 1-877-967-3767

Use the code “techpalooza” to access the discounted room rate.

For all other information:

Joel Adkins

Chief Technology Officer

Kerrville ISD

TCEA TEC-SIG President

(830) 257-4883

joel.adkins@kerrvilleisd.net

Reasons to look at online courses

One positive result of the Internet revolution is the ease of learning “online.” I’m not even talking about earning a college degree online. Club Ed makes it easy to take that special interest class you’ve been meaning to sign up for, or getting that certificate to help in your job search, or even preparing to take a GED or SAT test.

Hear are some reasons to look at online learning:

Time

Most online learners are 30 and older. They have jobs, families, and lots of commitments that make going to class difficult, if not impossible. By learning online, they can choose the times that fit their schedules.

Options

Say you have a quality learning center nearby. They may not offer all the subjects you need, or if they do, they may not fit your schedule. Online learning does.

Matter of Degrees

Not all online learners are seeking college degrees. Certification may be a quicker way to turn your learning into earning. According to one expert, “If you can stack up certificates next to your name, it is very helpful.”

Changing Careers

In today’s economy, many people are looking to change careers or even add a second job. With online learning, the options are limitless. As a bonus, you can keep your current job while preparing for that second career.

Better Results

A Department of Education study found that students taking online courses performed better than those in face-to-face classes. That may be due to the fact that online students are generally more motivated, more independent, and more willing to ask for help.

Club Ed offers the respected Ed2Go series of online courses. We have hundreds of course options listed on our website at www.clubed.net. You can choose your favorites, then sign up and take the course online from the convenience of home and at your schedule. New offerings open every month year round. Categories include Computers, Language, Nonprofit, Test Prep, Writing, Graphics, and Personal and Professional Development.

See you in class... online!

Hundreds of on-line courses now available for signup

Aug 20, 2011 - Even learners who cannot attend the 100 local classes offered in the Club Ed Fall catalog can fit an online course into their busy schedules. Hundreds of new and favorite Ed2Go classes are now open for signup at www.clubed.net.

Online Courses are informative, fun, convenient, and interactive, according to Phil Houseal, Director of Kerrville ISD’s Club Ed program. “You can complete a typical course in a six-week format, complete with projects, lessons, quizzes, hands-on assignments, and discussion.” The convenience of the web means that courses also offer handy and informative links.

Subject areas cover Computers (including programming and web design), Grant Writing, Language, Personal and Professional Development, and Writing and Publishing. The Test Prep section includes official preparatory courses for SAT and ACT, often required by area high schools. Most fees are less than one-hundred dollars.

The full listing is accessible at www.clubed.net, then by clicking on the Courses link. Online courses begin the middle of each month year round. Classes currently posted start between now and October. 

Students will also find listings of local courses that start throughout the fall. Complete information and registration is available now at www.clubed.net, by calling 830-895-4386, or by visiting the Auld Center, 1121 Second Street, Kerrville.

Betty's dead

Aug 19, 2011 - Sad news today. Betty died.

Betty was a cockatiel - our Club Ed mascot who enlivened our lobby starting in 2005. In recent years she lived in the home of former Club Ed secretary Dee Dee Sheridan. Dee Dee called this morning to report the loss of our squawk-ative friend.

In memory, below is a reprint of the story of Betty's Great Escape (and retrieval) in 2007. Now she has escaped for good.

Betty's Great Ed-Venture

by Phil Houseal, Director

Kerrville ISD Community Education

Originally published Sept 5, 2007

Most folks know and love Club Ed's tropical theme. It evolved as a way to show that learning is fun. Over the years, we've added flamingos, beach scenes, and palm trees to the decor at the Auld Center.

About two years ago we thought it would liven up the place if we had a cockatiel. A trip to Pets & More brought us "Betty," the Club Ed bird.

For two years, Betty was content perching in our lobby, helping Dee Dee answer the phone and greet customers. On nice days, we would set her outside in her cage (Betty, not Dee Dee), to soak up the sunshine.

But this summer, tragedy struck. On a day that turned out to be not so nice, a gust of wind knocked the cage off the rock ledge. The door flew open, and Betty - bless her birdbrain - flew out.

She ended up on the lowest branch of the tree in our front yard. We proved horribly inept at bird rescue. The more we tried, the higher in the tree she went. We pulled out the big ladder, and a ridiculously small butterfly net. At my last desperate attempt, Betty cocked her head, blinked, and flapped off across the street to a taller tree.

We were devastated. All weekend, we left the cage hanging in the tree, door ajar and tempting birdseed scattered inside. Dee Dee checked back every day, but Betty was gone.

Monday, the lobby seemed too quiet without Betty. Every time a flock of dove buzzed our window, we rushed outside, thinking we had seen our bird. But it was not her.

Exactly one week after the great escape, I could stand it no longer. Back to Pets & More, I bought a darling white parakeet. Triumphantly I strode into the office, hiding the prize behind my back.

"I have a surprise," I announced.

"So do we!" they screamed. "We found Betty!"

Betty's rescuers were the Davis family. Jesse Davis had spied her on the roof of a neighbor's house. The former resident of Key West had lots of experience with exotic birds, and by whistling and wheedling, he patiently had coaxed Betty off the roof, onto a wire, down to a fence, and onto his hand, which she immediately bit.

"She was just so upset, and ruffled, really terrified of the environment," he said. "I just whistled to her. She felt comfort in me, she came down, I grabbed her and brought her home."

So Betty is back. In her week in the wilds along Tivy Street, Betty had traveled all of three blocks, flocked with doves, and bit the hand that caught her.

We've clipped her wings. And it may be our imagination, but it seems she looks out the window with a little less yearning.

Center for Fitness offers six new classes

Photo: Kathy Sears Hall, Director at The Center for Fitness, is offering six popular fitness courses through Kerrville ISD’s Club Ed this fall

The Center for Fitness is offering six classes that have been added to the Club Ed online catalog for Fall 2011.

Students can now sign up online for one-month sessions in Pilates Mat, Zumba Fitness®, TaiChi Light, Drums Alive® / Step, Yoga, and Aqua Aerobics.

“This is a convenient way for anyone to try out several new fitness styles before deciding on making one a part of their regular routine,” said Phil Houseal, Director of Club Ed.

This continues a long and successful history between the two organizations. Club Ed is a non-profit organization that offers hundreds of community education courses throughout the area as part of the Kerrville Independent School District. The Center for Fitness has been offering group exercise classes in the community for 37 years.

“So many of our staff and members either teach or were educated in the Kerrville area,” said Kathy Sears Hall, Director at The Center for Fitness. “It is a pleasure to participate in this local organization that benefits the schools, the participants, and the sponsoring businesses.”

Log on to www.clubed.net to view the schedule and register for classes, or call 830-895-4386. For information, call The Center for Fitness at 830-257-7070.

Motorcycle Training Kudos

Almost daily we at Club Ed receive wonderful comments about the classes you take. But in the rush to keep serving customers, we don't always take time to share them. Today we received a wonderful letter about our Motorcycle Safety Course. Here it is...

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN :
On August 6 & 7, I attended and successfully completed The Basic Rider Course ( Motorcycle 101 ). I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Karen Dampeer and Robert Allen, the two Certified Instructors who conducted the two day training course, for the professional knowledge they brought to the students who attended. They can only be considered to be an asset to Club Ed, and it was my privilege to have been trained under their careful leadership. At all times, they displayed a personal touch, but when it came to the basics of safely riding a motorcycle here in town, or out on the open road, they showed no favoritism, and above all, were completely fair to all those attending. They were very patient with me, a new rider to the world of motorcycles, and encouraged me throughout the training, however made it very clear that I would be expected to perform at an acceptable level of competence in every maneuver required in this course. I had absolutely no experience prior to attending this Basic Rider Course, however at its conclusion, believed that I was ready to safely and efficiently navigate the roads and highways wherever I may choose to ride. At the successful conclusion of this course, I went to the DPS licensing department, and successfully completed their exam for motorcycles. Once again, I attribute these newly acquired skills and knowledge to Karen and Robert, and their abilities to convey the importance of riding safely and skillfully. I would very much appreciate if you would forward my email to them, with my sincere thanks for being the skilled, patient and professional instructors they are. Thanks also to Club Ed for offering this and many other useful courses to all members of our community.
Sincerely,
DCS
Kerrville, TX

It's summer!

Check out all area kids' activities at Hill Country Kids!

And check back here to see what Club Ed is up to in Fall 2011. Thank you for your support!

State of learning

by Phil Houseal as published in the Kerrville TX Community Journal, April 13, 2011


I was honored to be named President of the Texas Community Education Association last week. It is more of a challenge than an honor, really - it is no secret that education is facing uncertain economic times in Texas.

But the real value in holding a state office is the wider perspective it allows.

During one conference event, I was privileged to share a table with two delightful ladies who work at a community education program in Beaumont. We were comparing notes on what courses were popular in our very different communities. While country-western dance tops our list of favorites in the Hill Country, the Beaumont folks turn out most for Zydeco dancing! Hmmm... might be an idea there for next session.

At the other end of the state - about as far from Beaumont as you can get - a community educator in Dalhart brought a former youth minister turned insurance agent turned fundraiser for West Texas A&M in Canyon. He shared insights on his challenging quest to raise awareness and support for the arts in a part of the state that is known more for roping and wind farms than for opera and ballet.

We learned of large community education programs that are cutting back, and tiny ones that are growing. Right here in Kerr County, Center Point ISD was honored for starting its own community education program last year. Director Shirley Wright and Superintendent Cody Newcomb led a session on how to start a program in any district, no matter how small. We were especially tickled we could honor one of their teachers - Betty Tromm - as an Outstanding Community Educator for the entire state.

In spite of the many forms it takes, lifelong learning is alive and well, and more important than ever as our population ages and the world changes. I’ve always preached that school doesn’t end at 3:30, and we don’t stop learning at age 18, or 22, or ever.

When I taught gifted and talented youngsters back in Iowa, on the first day of class I liked to announce that I was not going to teach them anything the entire year. Once their eyebrows slid back down their foreheads, I explained that no one can really teach anyone anything: knowledge only comes from learning. A subtle difference, but it made the point that each one of us is ultimately responsible for what we learn in life. I’ve seen students in third world countries stacked 40 deep in bare classrooms who come out as engineers and doctors; I’ve watched NBA Hall of Fame players who learned to shoot baskets through a hoop on a barn in the snow.

That spirit of learning is what drew me to the field of community education. What a miracle! To lead a program where everyone learns anything they care to learn, all the time!

And I continue to learn. My task for the coming year is to lead the state organization through some interesting times.

How shall I do this?

Antique seeker

Bruce Shackelford, Antiques Roadshow

by Phil Houseal as published in the Kerrville TX Community Journal, Apr 6, 2011


One of those classes we always get requested to offer - but don’t - is Antiquing.

We don’t offer it for the same reason we can’t do several classes - we don’t have a teacher. Years ago, Rita Baker would lead a group out and about the many antique shops in the hill country, ending up at her home which was a showcase itself.

We still are not offering an antiques class, but thought it would be good to alert readers that one of the nation’s best known appraisers will be in the hill country next weekend. Bruce Shackelford, the San Antonio resident who has been a regular guest on PBS’s Antiques Roadshow television series for 14 seasons, will hold forth at Fredericksburg’s Pioneer Museum on Friday, April 15 as part of its What’$ It Worth event.

The consultant - who is curator at the Witte Museum - considers his specialty American Indians and the American West. The fifth-generation Texan comes by his interest honestly. One great grandfather was a rancher and cowboy up around Post.

“I grew up on his ranch,” Shackelford said. “He was 96 when he died. He lived in a time when the 19th century wasn’t so far away.”

Shackelford will share his behind-the-scenes peek at the Antiques Roadshow. He reels off trivia that is surprising: they film three shows at each locale, more than 6500 people pass through and each has two items, 70 appraisers judge about 15,000 items per show.

“People think we see hordes of treasure,” he said. “We don’t. We pretty much see a moving garage sale. Only the great things get on the air.”

Having reviewed thousands of great and “not so great” items, Shackelford has clear advice on what to collect.

“You buy what you want to live with and enjoy,” he said. “The best way to make a good deal is to learn about what you are interested in, then buy from someone reputable. Some of what I bought that appreciated most were what I bought for full retail, not things I bought at a garage sale. They were what I enjoyed, they were quality, and went up most in value.”

Shackelford can’t escape an interview without answering the question: what was his most surprising find?

“Three seasons ago a lady came in with three baskets passed down from her great grandfather. She wondered if they were worth anything.” Turns out they were highly-prized baskets hand woven by a member of the Washoe tribe, and worth $25,000 each. They would be worth more, he told her, if she could find out who made them.

Months later the lady sent Shackelford an old photo she had found of a Washoe woman holding her very same basket. It was a recognized crafter who had presented a similar basket to President Woodrow Wilson. “Suddenly that basket was worth three times what I told her,” Shackelford said. That shows that it is not just the money, but the history of an item that determines the value. “A historic item that is important is worth a whole lot more than an important item with no history.”

Nor does age alone translate into money. Every show he sees multiple items well over 1000 years old that are “worth five bucks.” But antiques always make a good investment, especially in today’s economy. “Buying antique furniture can be cheaper than buying something new,” Shackelford said, “plus it will last a lot longer.”

Get Funny

by Phil Houseal as published in the Kerrville TX Community Journal - Mar 30, 2011


“I am too serious.”

That was the answer I got when I asked “Connie” why she was signing up for Get Funny, one of our Ed2Go online courses offered through Club Ed. Over the years hundreds of students have taken every online course from Grantwriting to Creating Web Pages, but this was the first time anyone signed up for Get Funny.

“My job doesn’t require me to be humorous,” Connie explained. “It’s just that I love it when other people are funny. I always wonder ‘how do you do that?’ So I just decided I want to be funnier in everyday life.”

So how does a layperson learn to be funny?

The course description reads:
Humor enhances everything you do, no matter whether you're looking to deliver better presentations, increase your marketability as a writer, deliver more hits to a Web site, or simply become friendlier and more outgoing. Whether you're naturally funny or want to be, this hilarious course will help you sharpen your wit.

It turns out that learning to be funny is hard work. Get Funny starts by tracing comedy’s roots back to the ancient Egyptians.

Then students actually study the different types of humor: slapstick, observational, exaggeration, and innuendo. The course finishes with opportunities to perform improvisation with guidance on how to apply humor to your everyday life.

Students have to learn to observe and break down situations that occur day to day - mining them as sources of humor. One lesson is on how to construct a joke; another is on preparing a script for a situation comedy.

Connie has seen firsthand what it means to add a chuckle to other people’s lives. She had an experience at a previous job, with a boss who was “that kind of funny.” He would do the unexpected, like pulling out a Costco card to pay for a fancy dinner. “It was silly stuff that you would chuckle at,” she said.

Connie learned her boss was not always so glib. Turns out he used to have an anger problem. “At one point in his life he was so serious, he would get mad when things wouldn’t work out like he wanted. He decided he would stop that and try to instead find the humor in his life.”

She decided she wanted to be like that guy - “someone you wanted to be around.”

Of course Connie has no anger or stress issues - the girl just wants to have fun.

“I feel really good about my life right now,” she said simply. “I want to make it more fun for other people.”

xxx

For information or to sign up for online courses, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.

Plan now to get your summer kids activity in Hill Country Kids!

Get back what you give

Sid Hurlbert - www.sidhurlbert.com

by Phil Houseal as published in the Kerrville TX Community Journal Mar 23, 2011



Doggone you, Sid Hurlbert! Your seminar nearly killed me.

I went to one of the local motivational speaker’s two-hour workshops last fall. It was all about using his five STEPS to improve relationships and customer service.

The key point is that you get back exactly what you give out, no matter which side of the customer/ service relationship you are on.

That evening I had the perfect laboratory to try out my new people skills, which mainly consisted of smiling at everyone. I went to the local county fair.

Now I consider myself more of an introvert - my wife thinks I’m antisocial - so this was new territory for me.

Well, I sauntered on to the fairgrounds, armed with a smile and a new attitude. I was not prepared for what happened.

First, a slightly familiar young man came charging up to shake hands and slap me on the back. I stared in bewilderment, until I remembered him as an old basketball adversary. And I do mean adversary. We had exchanged words and could not stand each other either as foes or teammates. Now it turned out he was a neighbor and saw me all the time on my bike. So we chatted like girls in a grocery store, until I was interrupted by a former bandmate and his wife. After exchanging war stories, a young lady hollered at me and wanted to talk about my family.

I was in a maelstrom of camaraderie, an uncharted and dangerous land. A business associate with whom I had had disagreements approached. I knew this would be the end of my noble experiment. Instead, he asked sweetly if I would mind sharing copies of some photos I was snapping.

As I nodded dumbly, another young man came along, and stuck out his hand, introducing himself as a boy I used to know who was now a man just out of a military academy, along with his new wife. It went on like that for three hours.

But the best was when a total stranger - an older woman - yelled at me from her bench and said, “I recognize you from the newspaper.” Turned out she was also a writer, and we talked about Texas, history, and life. She was with her 80-something retired rancher husband, whom she described as “a hermit” who thought Doss was too crowded. At first he stared sullenly off into the crowd, but when he realized I was “giving out what I wanted back” he started sharing tales of his life on the frontier. After 45 minutes she was trying to pull him out the gate, but he wouldn’t stop talking. This new skill was powerful... and wearing me out.

It never stopped. I was besieged by new best friends. I was surrounded by young ladies, bowling buddies, former bandmates, and people from 30 years in my past. I finally had enough. I started frowning and fled! Being popular is exhausting.

Sid Hurlbert, you need to add a disclaimer to your seminar. For us introverts, smiling is a dangerous weapon. Use it wisely and rarely.

xxx

For information or to sign up, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.

Summer is coming! If you offer an activity or camp for kids, put it in our Hill Country Kids catalog of great things to do. Email club.ed@kerrvilleisd.net or call 830-895-4386.

Love the dog you’re with

by Phil Houseal as published in The Community Journal (Kerrville TX) Mar 16, 201

PHOTO:
Sharon Griswold - the Dog Lady - helps people understand their pets.


Everyone calls her the “Dog Lady,” but Sharon Griswold is really a people person.

That’s because the owner of Rover Misbehaving recognizes that dogs are pack animals, and their human owners are part of the pack.

“The biggest thing I do is try to make the partnership between the person and dog,” Griswold said. “Often owners don’t realize they are fighting their dog. Love, leadership, and respect are what I am working for.”

Her strategy is to make humans think more as a dog thinks. Viewing a situation from the animal’s perspective changes the approach to training. For example, when teaching the “sit” command, many owners jerk back on the leash. In the dog’s mind, that is correction. Instead, Griswold recommends lifting the dog’s head with gentle pressure, placing a treat just above the dog’s nose. As soon as the head tips up, the fanny hits the floor. Add the verbal command “sit” and you’ve just trained your pet.

“Most people are too rough on the leash, and too rough on the voice,” Griswold noted. “The animal does not understand what is wanted. So we break down the exercise we want into little steps. That way the owner understands how to teach, and the dog understands what is being asked.”

Griswold has developed her technique over 35 years. She started out wanting to become a veterinarian, and ended up with a degree in agriculture. For four years she worked for Seeing Eye - the oldest dog guide school in the world - training guide dogs as well as teaching the visually impaired clients how to use them.

The crux of Seeing Eye training is “obedient disobedience.”

“That means you tell the dog to do something, and if they see it is incorrect, they have to decide to do what’s right.” The example is if the owner is telling the dog to go forward, but the dog sees a truck blocking the way, the dog must make the decision to “disobey” the command and lead the owner safely around the obstacle. “We train the dogs to think,” Griswold explained.

Griswold is an advocate of starting right at the puppy stage by helping them social as well as play games that introduce basic commands. But she also holds out hope for owners of older dogs, claiming that you really can teach them new tricks.

She shared a story of a couple that brought their 13-year-old dog to class. The dog had been tied to a tree its entire life, never trained or housebroken. After her obedience training, the dog went on to live another three years inside the house.

“The couple wrote to me after their pet died,” she said. “They told me had they known what a great dog they had they would have brought him inside 16 years ago.”

That kind of story contains the whole purpose of Griswold’s classes. They are all about respect, kindness, and building a partnership between owner and pet.

“By doing these classes, you create more of a bond and enjoy your dog more. It is all about teaching people to respect their dog, and teaching the dog to respect the person,” Griswold said. “My job is to make people appreciate their animals more - and to appreciate the dog that you have.”

xxx

Sharon Griswold (www.rovermisbehaving.com) will teach a new set of Puppy Kindergarten and K-9 Manners beginning in April. For information or to sign up, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.

Summer is coming! If you offer an activity or camp for kids, put it in our Hill Country Kids catalog of great things to do. Email club.ed@kerrvilleisd.net or call 830-895-4386.

Feedback

by Phil Houseal as published in the Kerrville TX Community Journal Mar 9, 2011



I never tire of bragging about Club Ed. So this week I decided to do something different. I dug through our evaluations to let our students brag instead.

Every single student in every single class receives a simple Evaluation form. They are invited to answer two questions: 1) What did you like most? 2) What could we improve? (We also have them draw smiley - or frowny - faces for quick feedback.)

The responses are always interesting.

Some are concise:
“Great Class! Great Price! Great Teacher”

“I enjoyed the presentation - fast-paced, packed with information that was very useful.”

"FUN, FUN, FUN!!"

Some embarrass us:
"You have hit a home run with this catalog. I haven't heard of any program like this anywhere in the country!"

Many are grateful:
"Easy to understand for us technically challenged types."

Sometimes grateful beyond the normal classroom relationship:
"Great teacher - he's adorable!"

"Marsha, I'll follow you anywhere!"

One student wrote a three-page letter extolling the virtues of her instructor. That made us a little nervous.

Some are bald-faced lies:
“After taking dulcimer, my family is very encouraging and likes to listen to me practice.”

Many evaluations are uplifting:
"Grinning from ear to ear!!!"

"My husband agreed to take this class as a favor to me. He ended up enjoying it more than I and he ever expected."

"Great quality time together away from the kids!"

"If you can't learn to dance with this instructor, it's impossible!

Some we just don’t understand:

"This is where I wanted to be - learning the mouse as if I was 5 years old at St. Peters School."

Some are profound:

“Found my inner self from hypnosis techniques.”

Some are just weird:

“Experience time through geology! Feel young through geological time! I'll never look at a rock the same way again!"

We even had one from French theologian John Calvin:
“While all men seek after happiness, scarcely one in a hundred looks for it from God.”

Oh, it’s not all peaches and cream. We’ve had our share of negative reviews:

"Probably could be longer and with padded chairs!"

One lady sent me a handwritten letter complaining about finding a cigarette butt on the floor - she even taped the butt to her letter!

Some of these negative feedback courses hold the most interest to us. One bus tour was such a comedy of errors - late departure, missed connection, squeaky wheel bearings, extortionist driver - that half the group wrote full page letters complaining. What was fascinating were those who turned in smiley faces and said it was a great experience and the driver did “a super job!” You have to wonder if they were actually on the same bus.

My favorite complaint story was the recent Hill Country transplant who stormed out of a class within the first 20 minutes. She stood in our lobby and ran down the litany of how the instructor was ill-informed, confrontational, meandering, unprepared, and just rude. We of course refunded her money and thanked her - for we really do want to hear how to improve our courses.

The lady sat down and was still in our lobby an hour later. I politely informed her that she did not have to wait around - her money would be refunded automatically.

“Oh, no, it’s not that,” she replied. “I have to wait because my husband is in there and he loves this class.”

Another student signed up for three writing courses. The next day she called to excoriate the instructor, telling me the day was “a disappointment.” The first class was “a lie,” and that the materials were filled with grammatical errors and redundancies.

I humbly asked why, if she so detested the first class, she stayed and signed up for classes two and three. Her answer: “I just kept thinking it would get better.”

But even the rare negative ones hold a grain of fun:
“I have one complaint about your Spanish class... that I didn’t learn about it sooner!”

We love to hear every type of feedback. But we especially love this kind:
“This is my first class with Club Ed, but it won’t be my last.”

xxx

Summer is coming! If you offer an activity or camp for kids, put it in our Hill Country Kids catalog of great things to do. For information or to sign up for a class, email club.ed@kerrvilleisd.net, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.

Safety first

by Phil Houseal, Mar 2, 2011 - Kerrville TX Community Journal


No one expects to find themselves in a life-threatening situation. But students who take the Texas Concealed Handgun License (CHL) course will be better prepared if it should ever happen.

Club Ed is offering seven CHL courses this spring in Boerne and Mountain Home, and every one is filled or nearly filled.

The popularity seems to be a national phenomenon - the shooting sports are among the fastest growing sports among all ages, backgrounds, and both sexes. More Americans now spend more on shooting sports than golf.

Larry Arnold teaches the Kerrville course, along with Hunter Education. Arnold has been a firearms enthusiast since he was a boy, introduced to gun safety and instructed by his father, a decorated war veteran. He began teaching the CHL course from the first day the Texas law authorized it in 1995.

“The only thing I love more than shooting is teaching others how to shoot,” he said.

It may come as a surprise to those who have not taken the CHL course how much time is spent learning ways to avoid resorting to using the firearm.

“First we teach safety, and we always teach safety when talking about firearms,” Arnold said. “We learn the laws of self-defense; what you can and cannot do to protect yourself.”

Students in the course also learn nonviolent conflict resolution.

“If you are in a situation you can keep under control, we teach ways to do that,” he said. “Pulling out your gun is the last resort.”

But trained students who find themselves in a “last resort” situation will be prepared. “The whole point of this training is to protect yourself and other innocents.”

Arnold notes that much of the training focuses on helping people overcome their fear of firearms. This is a common thread in lifelong learning where students also come in with fears about using computers, learning to dance, or raising tomatoes. That is why the course includes information on how to choose a gun, discussion of the different types and sizes of guns, gun safety and storage, culminating with time on the range actually learning to shoot at targets.

Arnold knows firsthand the importance of the training he teaches, as he has found himself in several situations when he used it.

“I have been close, but none got that serious,” he said. “In those situations I was glad I was carrying, and it made me more comfortable doing the nonviolent conflict resolution, and knowing I could do something rather than being helpless.”

XXX

Club Ed offers Texas Concealed Handgun Course twice monthly, once at the Buck and Bull Club near Mountain Home, and once at Boerne, with instructor Don White. For information or to sign up, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.

Making soup (and music) on a uke

by Phil Houseal as published in the Kerrville TX Community Journal
 - Feb 23, 2011

PHOTO: Pops Bayless teaches ukulele


George Harrison composed hit songs on it, Steve Allen made Lipton soup in it, and at one time it was the most popular instrument in the United States.

It is the ukulele, and apparently this diminutive cousin of the guitar is enjoying a resurgence in the Hill Country.

Recently Club Ed teamed up with Bob Miller’s Acoustic Music Camp to sponsor an all-day camp and concert featuring guitar, banjo, and ukulele. It surprised me that a dozen players of all ages showed up with their ukes.

Pops Bayless - actor, songwriter, pitchman, all around entertainer, and top ukulele instructor - recognizes and revels in the disrespect a large man gets from playing a small instrument.

Where did this new popularity for the uke spring from? “I honestly don’t know,” Bayless said.

He explained that the ukulele keeps coming back in popularity. He guesses this is the fourth big wave for the instrument. The first was in the 1920s, when it was linked with the exotic Hawaiian lifestyle. TV personality Arthur Godfrey brought it back in the 1950s. Godfrey literally sold a million of them made of plastic. That is the model comedian Steve Allen used to mix up a batch of Lipton instant soup on TV.

In the early 1990s, rock, progressive, and punk musicians discovered its sound. In 1993 Israel Kamakawiwo'ole released a popular radio version of Over The Rainbow using the uke.

Now, for some reason, it seems to be popular again.

“I think it’s something that comes on like malaria,” Bayless joked. “Now, any song that can be covered, is covered on the uke. They are even doing rock and roll covers.”

Besides having only four strings, the uke is different than a guitar in another fundamental way.

“What really sets it apart from other instruments is the high string on the back end.” This is called reentrant tuning, with a high G, then C, E, and A - the classic “my dog has fleas” mnenomic. That quirk allows good players to stretch the range, which Bayless demonstrated by playing a bit from Rhapsody in Blue.

Bayless - a founding member of the Asylum Street Spankers - started on mandolin and banjo, but switched to playing the uke “because someone had one.” When he formed his next band, it was all ukes, all the time.

“I got hooked on it,” the self-professed attention-seeker admitted. “I’m a musical performer. In drama you have to go eight weeks through this whole process before you get your ‘cookie.’ With the uke, you can go to an open mic and get your cookie just like that!”

Apparently there are others who share this affinity for the ukulele. The Stringalongs gather every Thursday afternoon at the Dietert Center for their ukulele fix.

Ron Sutton of Hill Country Music reports that the ukes are popular with all ages. “The older folks like them because of their memories of uke music when they were young, and they are drawing the interest of the younger crowd because of all the use of ukes in today's music,” Sutton said.

If nothing else, Bayless points out that the resonator model, with its aluminum cone, makes a handy weapon. “Yes,” he deadpanned, “the National will stop anything smaller than a Fender bass.”

XXX

Club Ed offers music classes on guitar, piano, voice, fiddle, washtub bass, and sometimes, the ukulele. For information or to sign up, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.

Dancing toward a new you

by Phil Houseal, as seen in the Kerrville TX Community Journal, Feb 16, 2011


A young man walked in at lunchtime and came up to the counter to register.

“I’d like to sign up for swing dance,” he announced. Then he added the kicker. “I’ve just lost 100 pounds.”

With an introduction like that I just had to know more.

“Leonard” was not a dancer, and admitted he still weighed close to 300 pounds. But he was motivated to make changes in his life, and that path now led him through Club Ed.

So what motivated a self-admitted non-athletic, overweight, unmotivated man to literally get off the couch and on to the dance floor?

His answer: a movie.

It was the 1999 Blast From The Past - about a young man who emerged from a bomb shelter after 35 years. In spite of his naivete, he knew how to ballroom dance, which impressed everyone.

“It sounds silly, but this guy thinks he is a total loser, then gets out on the dance floor and impresses everyone. I thought, I’d like to learn how to dance like that.”

Leonard’s battle with weight began when he was 8 years old. For the next 25 years he followed the path of adding pounds until he got up to 375. What started to reverse the trend was when his mother was hospitalized, and Leonard began eating microwave dinners.

“I wasn’t even trying that as a diet,” he explained. But he noticed he started losing a couple of pounds. That encouraged him to take other steps, figuratively and literally. He cut the salt, then the cola drinks. He started walking so many steps a day (10,000) that he broke several pedometers.

All these small successes led him to the dance course. Of course, it’s not just about learning new steps.

“When you are a weighty person, you are not as sociable as you’d like to be,” he said. People don’t treat you the same. People laugh at you. Life is tough. I thought this would improve my life.”

So how is it working?

I got a report from the dance instructor that Leonard is having a grand time. Turns out he is light on his feet, and as a result of his new skills he has become more confident and outgoing. Other students in the class love him. Not a bad return on a $59 investment.

Before I let Leonard out of my office, I had to ask him what he would say to others who are working to overcome stigmas. His answer was heartfelt.

“No matter how bad things seem in our life, no matter the situation, you can do it. You can do it. You can find the time. You can make it better. You can sit there and feel sorry for yourself, and grab some more ice cream. Put the spoon down! Look inside and find something to motivate you. If you can’t accomplish it, don’t feel bad that you stumble - rally and go back at it.”

Leonard knows it is hard to keep going. His goal is to get down to 200 pounds.

“Don’t give up.”

xxx

Club Ed offers a slate of dance classes including country-western, ballroom, tribal, swing, and more. For information or to sign up, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.

A cure for stress

by Phil Houseal, Feb 9, 2011


What would you say if I told you Club Ed had a cure for stress?

It’s no secret more of us are stressed in this economic climate. So I went back to reread Dale Carnegie’s classic How to Stop Worrying and Start Living.

Those who have read Carnegie’s books know he is fond of using real life examples to illustrate his points. One such anecdotes was about a man who tragically lost not one, but two young daughters. The bereaved parent could not shake his anxiety and depression, until one day his remaining son asked him to build a boat.

At first the father was in no mood to start the project, but he relented and spent three hours working with his son. To his surprise, those three hours were the first time in months he was free of stress.

“I realized,” the father said, “that it is difficult to worry while you are busy doing something that requires planning and thinking.”

This man went on to build his therapy around doing home repair projects, volunteering, and taking adult education classes. The result? He no longer had time or energy to worry - not to mention the side benefits of fixing up his house, raising money for the Red Cross, and learning a foreign language!

Carnegie attributes this phenomenon to the simple fact that the human mind cannot contain two thoughts simultaneously. As an example, he challenges the reader to think of The Statue of Liberty while planning what they will do the next day. Can’t be done.

I recently had more cause than usual to be stressed. My usual reaction to stress is to curl up and stop doing anything. Normally my evenings and weekends are filled with lifelong learning activities - basketball, dance, writing, and playing instruments. At first I thought I would just drop all those activities. My logic was that by foregoing those unnecessary “distractions” I would be able to focus more of my energy on dealing with the stressful situation. But after reading Carnegie, I realized that was self-defeating behavior. Because when you are actively engaged in learning, your mind can’t think worrisome thoughts.

Prove this to yourself. Pick up an instrument and memorize a piece, or sing, or recite a poem out loud. You will forget your other troubles and finish with a refreshed outlook.

I wanted to share this because even if you are not facing some dire situation in your personal life, you owe it to yourself to keep learning and growing. It doesn’t have to be as ambitious as learning to speak Spanish, but it could be learning a new way to bake bread. It could be welding, or dancing, or playing dulcimer, or any of hundreds of other classes you can find right here.

The benefit of lifelong learning isn’t just about learning a new skill. You will also be meeting some pretty neat new folks who share your interest and passion about the subject. They might even have some insight into your stressful situation!

When you take your next Club Ed class, we can’t guarantee you will be free of stress. But we are pretty sure you will leave just a little bit more relaxed, and maybe a little smarter, too.

See you in class.

XXX

Club Ed offers 165 cures for stress. Spring classes are starting now! For information or to sign up, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.

Since 1974, the Kerrville Independent School District has offered Community Education (Club Ed). Each year, Club Ed offers more than 400 classes throughout the Texas Hill Country, along with online courses, business and individual training, and after-school and summer camps. Comment online at clubedcomments.blogspot.com, or follow us on Twitter @clubedtx.

Just write it

by Phil Houseal 2/2/11
As seen in the Kerrville Community Journal



If you have always yearned to write a book, this column will either inspire you or depress you.

Mary Lee Gowland - who will teach Creative Writing for Club Ed - had the very first book she ever wrote published when she was 19 years old.

That’s right. Age 19.

“In my teens I was primarily a poet, and my mother asked if she could read my poems,” she said. Gowland reluctantly agreed. “My mom said, wouldn’t it be fun to make a book!”

Her parents were both professional photographers [see Peter Gowland], so they took “romantic” photos of me to accompany her poems. The book was really popular, and stayed in print for 10 years.

That is the depressing or inspiring part - that this teenager had such easy, early success.

Gowland admits her case was unusual, and does not guarantee such instant success to students in her class. But you can pretty much guarantee no success if you don’t study the art and craft of writing.

After she had published her third book, Gowland started taking, then teaching poetry classes. She joined an academy, lead readings, and brought her poetry into schools. she is currently working with 4th-graders at Daniels Elementary school. This will be her first adult class in this area.

“I like teaching adults, but adults come with ‘I can’t do it’ syndrome. Kids just do it.”

Her advice boils down to that “just do it” mantra.

“Everybody says they want to write, but you have to sit down and do it.”

She will share tips and guidance on getting to that point. Her two top tips are 1) Talk, and 2) Read.

“Everybody can talk, but claim they can’t write. Writing is really just talking on paper. It’s really that simple.”

Reading is essential.

“A lot of people have no idea what good writing is. So if you want to write mysteries, read mysteries. If you want to write romances, read romances. Don’t imitate them; but learn from them.”

The whole point of a writing class is to help each student find his or her own voice. In order to do that, you must experiment with using other’s voices. Some of her lessons involve partially rewriting someone else’s poem, for example.

Other tips are to carry a notebook and take notes when you hear people use a distinct phrase or way of talking.

While Gowland is writing magazine articles for local magazines, her true love is creative writing. When giving guidance on how to do that, she loves to “throw out ideas and have people run with them.”

And rumors of the demise of reading and writing are not true.

“Reading is not dying, we just now have different ways of reading,” she said, noting she received an e-book reader for Christmas. “ I believe you should write stories for whomever you want to reach. There is an audience out there, so you share it with people who appreciate it. I get more satisfaction giving a reading for 10 to 12 people, than having sales of books to people you never see. Granted, you won’t make lot of money. But money should never be your motivation. How many artists make money?”

So you won’t get a guarantee to have a popular bestseller. But Gowland does promise this:

“I want to inspire people to tell stories they want to tell. This class will give you the techniques to help you do that.”

xxx

The new Creative Writing class meets for six Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. to noon beginning Feb 3. For information or to sign up, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.

Sold on Real Estate

by Phil Houseal, Jan 25, 2011


Some say the secret of success is to do the opposite of what everyone else is doing. John Camp thinks this might be the best time to become a real estate agent.

That is one reason Texas Real Estate Educators has teamed with Club Ed to offer the Real Estate License School in Kerrville.

It’s no secret that the housing and real estate markets have been less than stellar lately. But the 17-year broker is bullish on bringing in more agents.

“Real estate is coming back,” said Camp, who has been coming to Kerrville since he was a child. “I read lots of reports, and the industry is seeing a significant upturn in activities. For students of real estate, this is a good time.”

So starting in February, the school will start offering all the courses necessary to prepare students to take the Real Estate Exam. These include seven weekend courses that fulfill the required and elective coursework, plus a special Exam Prep class in June.

(Those who want to learn more about getting a license can sign up for Why Get a Real Estate License - a two-hour overview on Saturday, Feb 5.)

There are a number of ways individuals can get a real estate license - including online and correspondence courses. But Camp - who moved to Kerrville in 2002, where he managed the ERA office and now runs Real Estate by Design - believes there is no replacement for a live course in front of an instructor.

“The instructor can channel your studies, and show you what is and is not important,” he said. “There is a lot of interaction in our classes. Yu can ask questions about things you don’t understand. We have seen that students are more successful taking the state exam when they have taken live courses.”

The block of courses is set up so that a student starting in February can be ready to take the exam by this summer.

Local actor/singer/entrepreneur Tony Navarra is one of those early signups. He is a self-proclaimed dabbler in real estate who decided it was time to become a real estate agent.

“I’m not even planning to work in a shop,” said Navarra, who likes to buy and fix up properties. “I just want this strictly for my own use, so I can do my own contracts and get things started a lot faster. I want to do this for myself.”

Camp is excited about partnering with Club Ed to bring these courses to a wider audience.

“The amazing thing to me is that people don’t know there is a real estate school in Kerrville. Community Education reaches out beyond Kerrville. Being able to let the community know we are here, and to interface with Club Ed, with good facilities is very attractive.”

There are also benefits to the students.

“This is much more convenient for our students,” Camp said. “Otherwise, you have to go to San Antonio and spend a lot more money staying in hotels and buying meals.”

Navarra vouches for that.

“When I decided to pursue my license, the first question was where do I go,” he said. “Then this catalog came in the mail and I realized, yes, we have this in Kerrville. So I jumped on it.”

Camp concurs. “I think will be a beneficial relationship.”

Using the real estate agent’s favorite word: Sold!

Picking from 0 to 60: Acoustic Music Workshop

by Phil Houseal, 1/19/2011


He’s played at Merle Fest and the Kerrville Folk Festival, written guitar instruction books and magazine articles, played folk, bluegrass, jazz, and blues, and toured with artists such as Joan Baez.

And on Saturday, January 29, you can sit in the same room with David Hamburger while he teaches everything from music theory to fingerpicking styles to hot blues riffs.

It is one strand of the new one-day January Acoustic Music Workshop sponsored by Kerrville ISD’s Club Ed and Bob Miller’s Hill Country Acoustic Music Camp.

Hamburger is a renown guitarist who has performed with the great string players, and whose guitar, slide guitar and dobro playing can be heard on many albums. For the Kerrville workshop, he will teach Guitar Workshop - Theory; 6 degrees of Travis Picking; and Fingerpicking Blues.

If you attend, be ready for a ride.

“I designed this class as a ‘blitz,’” he explained. “We will go from zero to 60. The first 15 minutes might bore the experienced guitar player, and the last 15 minutes will terrify the beginner, but everything in the middle will be just right for everyone.”

He will take students from the simplest fingerpicking style to the most complicated, based on his own Acoustic Guitar Fingerstyle Method instruction booklet. He promises that students will leave class with handouts and enough to work on for months.

The workshop will also feature world-class banjo player Alan Munde and ukulele expert Pops Bayless.

This is the first time Club Ed has offered such a workshop and enrollments have been brisk.

One innovation is offering the added “house-style” concert on Saturday evening at the Union Church on the Schreiner University campus. It features all three artists playing “unplugged” joined by local bassist Gary Hatch. It is open to the public, even if not attending the classes.

While teaching his workshops across the country, Hamburger sees a neverending stream of people who continue to be fascinated with the stringed instruments.

“A lot of Baby Boomers want to finally learn to play the way they were never able to do,” he said. “At the same time the younger players are discovering that playing country, blues, and traditional guitar is just as interesting to them as it was to boomers 30 years ago.”

While he used to teach and play full time, Hamburger now spends most of his time working in his own recording studio in Austin, composing music for television, commercials, and documentaries. But he still likes teaching and enjoys getting out to the Hill Country.

“I love coming to Kerrville,” he said. “I have friends there, have done house concerts, been to the Folk Festival, and I teach at the Acoustic Music Camps. This is really adding to the music scene there.”

XXX

For information or to sign up for the Acoustic Music Workshop on Jan 29, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.

Workshops meet at the Kerr Arts & Cultural Center, 228 Earl Garrett St, Kerrville. Class Times are: 10:00am to 11:15am; 1:00pm to 2:15pm; 2:30pm to 3:45pm. Fee is $40 per class, or students can sign up for all three workshops by one instructor for a discount price of $100.

The Saturday evening “House Concert” will be from 6 - 8 p.m. at Union Church at the corner of Broadway, Water, and Travis Streets in Kerrville. Concert admission is $20, and guests are welcome to bring a snack and beverage to share.

Your “new course” Club Ed day

by Phil Houseal, Jan 12, 2011


Someone asked about our “new” courses we always advertise in our Community Education catalog. They wondered if we keep adding courses every year? I explained that of our 160 or so total classes each session, about one-third are “new” in that they are being offered for the first time.

To show off this session’s newest offerings, I thought it would be fun to imagine what the schedule would be for an imaginary student taking all new courses only.

You would start in the kitchen, baking bread with Anthony Coden and making and decorating cakes with Yvonne Gonzales. Yvonne would then show you how to make another type of cake - a Diaper Cake! Don’t worry, you won’t have to come up with icing for that one - it’s a special baby shower gift made of disposable diapers. Of course before you have baby showers, you have weddings, and Yvonne even has a new class on how to make your own wedding veil.

Since it is a wedding, you need jewelry. Linda Flores is teaching a new Basic Beading course, where you create your very own necklace. Prefer rocks? Then on to the rock shop, where they would cut and polish stones in Lee Adams’ new Advanced Lapidary course.

Now we are getting into crafts. Jack Thorn will show you how to make coasters, wallets, or bookcovers out of leather in his first-time leather carving class.

As the day goes on, you would move to your new Interior Decorating class by Ann Witherwax. Then outdoors for a little hands-on homesteading. Ann is also teaching how to raise chickens and collect eggs! Oh the joy of baby chicks.

What would hens in the bread dough be without a little fiddling to put it into song? Cathy Learoyd will help you do just that in Just Fiddlin’ Around. Not interested in fiddling? Don’t fret (sorry), we have a whole new Acoustic Music Workshop. Choose your weapon - guitar, banjo, ukulele.

How about a different kind of art? Try Quick Drawing or Watercolor Floral Workshop with Joan Sullivan.

Maybe you’re not the stay-at-home type. Then welcome to our travel section, with new trips to the Pacific Northwest, Southern US, or New York City... and even a first-time Travel Journaling class so you can write about it and make your friends jealous.

Prefer to travel vicariously? We actually have a new class introducing you to Netflix, explaining how you can have movies delivered to your door.

Time to be fiscally fit. We have a whole section on new investment and retirement classes. Want to be physically fit? Try our new Yoga for Runners.

What if none of these brand new classes appeal to you? Then sign up for one more new one - Creative Writing. Now you can write up your own course listings.

There. That was your day taking only some of the new classes offered through Club Ed. You still have to work through more than 100 current favorites and “back by popular demand” courses.

We really don’t mind whether you decide to take a new course or one offered before. Just don’t hesitate, or the new will be old.

See you in class.

Cleaning out the files

by Phil Houseal, as published in the Kerrville Community Journal, Jan 5, 2011

The brand new Club Ed catalogs are out, and readers should have received your copy by now. I’ll be writing in more detail about all the learning opportunities, but I thought I’d start the year cleaning out some Random Observations I’ve collected. They are:

Comedians never laugh.

A good description of most public ceremonies: Platitude-infested events.

If seasonal "treats" such as eggnog, fruitcake, and peanut brittle are so delicious, why don't we eat them the rest of the year?

We spend our youth trying hard to stand out. In old age, we work every day to not disappear.

New word = Glim. It is a combination of “glum” and “dim” as in “the outlook is increasingly glim.”

Just because you argue better doesn’t mean you’re right.

PR paradox: When no one will listen to us, we speak louder. When we reach a position where the world is listening, we measure our words.

As social animals, we seek out our own kind. Watch at any gathering. See the teens giggling together. Listen to the graying men talk business. Hear the moms compare baby stories; the gossipers gossip. The next time you come home from a party and complain about the inadequacy of the guests, know that you are talking about yourself.

Being labeled as "dust" is a compliment, not an epithet.
Dust particles are the most common nuclei around which water vapor condenses in the formation of raindrops and snowflakes.
Dust in the atmosphere regulates the amount of solar radiation reaching the earth's surface, thereby playing a vital role in global temperatures.
Dust carries needed nutrients onto the surface of the oceans, providing food and materials for plankton and algae.

There is no such thing as momentum, when used to assume there is a linear and measurable link between an event that happens this week and one that will happen next week (such as ball games). Yet we as humans try to see patterns and cause/effect where none exist. The second of two games between two different teams on two different nights has no connection with the first event. Events are digital, not analog.

Want to create support for light rail? Make it a roller coaster. People will line up and pay to ride between New Braunfels and San Marcos.

Driving to work, I noticed a Scottish terrier leaping about in a yard. It was harassing a golden tabby, which was lying at the terrier's prancing feet.
How irritating, I thought, that the dog is bothering that beautiful cat. But as I drove past, the true scenario appeared. The dog was chained to a tree. The cat had positioned itself just inches beyond the reach of the chain. Its tail twitched tantalizingly in the face of the yapping dog.
'Twas the cat that teased the dog.

To me the ideal attitude is to have an uninhibited mind coupled with a disciplined body. We should not fear thinking extravagant thoughts; we should eschew an extravagant lifestyle.

A great artist said he was lucky he wasn't cursed with a happy childhood.

We have no control over time. All we can control is what we pay attention to.

The duty of every writer: First engage; then enlighten.

xxx

The new Spring 2011 Club Ed catalogs have arrived in all Hill Country mailboxes. You can also pick up copies at the library. For information or to sign up, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.