Rising Above

MOUNTAIN MAJESTY:  This morning was a rough one. I was wide awake at 5 or so, reading headlines. I learned Ruth Bader Ginsburg was in the hospital, there was another mass, murderous, senseless shooting in the U.S., and the White House was circulating a doctored video to 'prove' a point and further their war against a free press. 

What a bad morning for America.

However,  at sunrise, Mt. Rainier stood majestically above the foggy valley, reminding me that there is still plenty of beauty in this world. I had to get up and take a few pictures, like this one, from our deck.

 And this one, below, from our living room window.

 By contrast, this is what the view is like this fall, when fog isn't shrouding the valley.

 And here's another peek - from the window above our staircase.

SCHOOL STUFF: We did our 'standard' today. For us, that's some algebra, some language arts education (focusing on grammar right now), and some science education (we're currently focusing on cellular life and genetics). Our art project for the day included making some cards and collection bags for our Empty Bowls event next week. We also folded more napkin hearts (and even ironed them into shape).

While doing the handiwork, we listened to a TED talk. I Googled something like 'TED talks for teens' one of the search result articles I read suggested Angela Lee Duckworth's "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance." 

It's an interesting talk about what makes certain students successful. The TED talker contends it's not IQ, it's not looks ... ultimately, said Duckworth, it came down to "grit." I think it a worthwhile listen. I am forever telling the kids not to give up too easily - or at all. It reminds me of the famous quote associated with NASA: "Failure is not an option."