Our Daily Thread for Saturday

[deb25]

Hi guys.

Well, it's no wonder that nobody is here. You're all sleeping off a late night on the site. Friday nights are a done deal for me. By the time 11:00 rolls around, I am usually out of it after not getting enough sleep all week.

Had to part with the beloved Tahoe on Thursday night.

Today I become the official queen of yardwork. I am on my way out to buy a weed whacker. Then it's a mowing and whacking of my expansive acreage.

Also on tap is a stop at ye old public library, as a book I have on hold is in.

Other than that, not too much going on.

I think I posted last week about hearing that one of my former students was sexually assaulted. Found out that she was raped by a 21 year old man. She's all of 12. I am just sick about the entire thing. News travels like wild fire in that neighborhood, so on top of that, kids keep calling the house and leaving lewd messages on the machine. Her parents have relocated her to a grandmother's house across town. But mom isn't getting counseling for her because "she seems ok, and I don't really believe in it". What she was doing out in that neigborhood at night is beyond me, but the story I'm getting just doesn't quite add up. I fault the parents big time, because they are lousy at taking care of their kids. The whole thing is just one more fine example of the type of garbage the kids at my school face every day, and another reason why we are so powerless to make any real difference.

Sorry to unload such a rotten story on a Saturday morning. I hope everybody has a great weekend.

 

[airprincess]

Hey Deb!

good to see you bright and early! Missed you last night. I know you would have had something interesting to contribute.


I haven't decided what's on the agenda for this morning. I may go to the movies. I may read my book, or I may stir up more drama here on TCS

oh Debby & 3LK, no BB2 tonight

oh I just remembered I'm going to be at the Janet Jackson concert, so maybe this ISN'T a bad thing!

Deb, I'm so sorry to hear about your student. How absolutely gruesome. I hope this girl gets therapy and the help she's going to need to help her deal.



have a great day!

 

[Anne]

Oh, poor little girl! Amazing how cruel kids can be. I guess she will need to be relocated to another school, as if she hasn't been through enough. I hope the stroy won't follow her to her new school. It's so unfair when she is already the victim! I hope both her and her family get counselling.

Nothing much happening here. My laptop was taken from me during the morning as hubby's pals came around to play a multi player computer game on our network of computers

But I have it back now and I'm working on the site, fixing bad links in the shop and preparing tomorow's update.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

 

[deb25]

Anne and AP: Thanks for your thoughts. I am hoping to have her up to my house on a weekend so we can talk, and she can hang out with my kids. I think about my daughter, who is the same age, and can't even begin to imagine what I would do if this were her. Anyway, Emily is a bright young girl, and I want to help her overcome the disadvantages she faces in any way I can so that she can maybe hope to have some success in life.

Anyway, I think I have been inaugurated officially as a lawn maintenance person. I have spent the last few hours mowing, trimming, and hacking branches off my tree with all my new toys. It's only about 100 degrees here with humidity about 100%. Let's just say that if one of the cats were to escape and run away, I'd have the perfect outfit drenched with my scent to lure them back. Yech!

 

[mr. cat]

Ah, the joys of Saturday! I've been letting a homeless cat into our dwelling for brief visits lately; and I've been putting out food for him — just outside the front door (actually it's the only door). He's very friendly, appears healthy and has been an in-and-out cat since I've been in this neighborhood. Unfortunately, the people who used to let him "in" moved away. So, he's designated me the new Mr. Softy. I'm only supposed to keep two cats (". . . .and the home of the brave!"), but come next pay day I'll snag this little guy and get him to the veterinary. Then, we'll see about making a home for him here. As much as I hate the thought of doing so, I may have to allow him to continue as an "in and out" cat. It all depends upon whether or not he'll adapt to being indoors. "The girls," Michaela and Tonya, are taking all this quite well; and they've been visiting with him through the screen door.

:tounge2:

I'm very sorry to learn of the trauma suffered by that 12-year-old student of yours. Is there no protocol for therapeutic intervention in such a case? What about all this in loco parentis stuff we used to hear years ago? In this case, that would translate into "lives with crazy parents." How can a parent "not believe in" therapy for a child who has experienced such a terrible personal violation? It boggles the mind. You're doing a wonderful thing, by bringing her to your home. Best wishes! I know she'll benefit from your counsel.

=^..^=

 

[deb25]

As a learned student of school law, I will tell you that both the doctrines of in loco parentis and parens patriae are alive and well within the school system, although both have been modified to a degree by the courts. These days it seems as though nobody is going to dig deep enough into the chain of events that allowed this sort of thing to happen. Why that child was permitted to be out after dark in a neighborhood where I wouldn't do the same is beyond me. The word is that she was looking for her 8 year-old brother. Also apparently, nobody noticed until 6 a.m. that she wasn't safely tucked in her bed. The entire affair sickens me.

Thanks for your thoughts, though. It's a tragedy, to be sure, one that is going on in that neighborhood all too often.