This morning Debra and I attended our fourth consecutive Easter service at Lithia Park. Last year it was cold but dry. Two years ago it was warm and sunny. The year before that the service was cancelled due to heavy rain.
This morning we arrived to some clouds and to some patches of blue with a forecast of rain by noon. Early in the service we were visited by that predicted precipitation. By the time we left the park it was pretty wet. But not too wet to spoil the day.
Washington School in Medford has an annual event for 6th graders
called “Day of the Notables”. Each
student picks a historical figure, creates a display board, answers questions
from visitors, and concludes the event with an oral presentation.
The oral presentation takes the form of a riddle, written by
the student, and ending with the question, “Who am I?” Audience members are then
called upon by the student to guess the name of the notable person they have chosen.
My young friend chose Robin Williams. According to a source within the family, he
spent the last couple of weeks preparing by watching a bunch of old “Mork and Mindy”
episodes, what some might call doing his homework.
Sporting a set of Mork-like suspenders and sitting beside his Robin Williams display.
Before the selfie.
After the selfie.
I attended as a visitor.
The display board.
Teaching others about Robin Williams.
Waiting for the oral presentation along with Orville Wright, Henry Ford, Mr. Hurley the teacher, and a couple of others.
Another selfie while waiting to speak.
The students wait for their turn at the microphone.
The notables included such figures as:
Genghis Khan
Marian Anderson
Joan of Arc
Sacagawea
Paul Revere
Anne Frank
Julia Child
Malcolm X
Pocahontas
Henry Ford
Leonardo da Vinci
Abraham Lincoln
Isaac Newton
Orville Wright
And a video presentation of Robin Williams (click play tab below).
When the event ended, the visitors went home and the students posed for a group photo then returned to class.
Today Baylee became the second of twelve grandchildren to take to the road. Well, to the parking lot in this case.
Baylee is still studying for her DMV learner's permit and cannot yet drive on a public street. Plus, before today she has never actually been in the driver's seat with the engine actually running. That has now changed. After about an hour in an empty parking lot, Baylee can now steer, back up and park.
Her driving future looks very bright.
Baylee is in the driver seat! And the engine is running! And she's the one who turned the key!
I did not fear for my life for even one moment.
The journey from one end of the parking lot to the other was captured on video, below:
There was a time when I would not have felt comfortable in the passenger seat with Baylee at the wheel.
Today Providence Medford Medical Center hosted a ceremony to present service awards to employees who reached certain milestones. Over 150 employees received various awards. For me, I passed the fifteen-year milestone in 2015.
I walked a red carpet. I received a pin. I got a piece of cake.
