Whispers of a Ghost - Haunted House

 

Haunted House by Madison Spaur

Appropriate for All Ages!

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Pittsburg Lions Club

 

Back to School

Going back to college after twenty years from graduating the first time was an eye-opening experience. An online graduate program offer through my alma mater, Pittsburg State University. I am getting ready to graduate with a MS in Human Resource Development. Canvas, Discussion Boards, Zoom classes, and web cams-oh my. 

I have not been posting about my life or things that interest me because I have been busy with homework, my son's senior year, and COVID. You would think, staying home and social distancing would have given me plenty of time to write, but I work in health care, so I was considered essential and was working, thankfully, the entire time.

Wanting to work towards my goal of being a life-long learner has led me down an interesting path. I have had various jobs in retail, executive search, marketing, education, and now health care. Back in high school, when I took aptitude tests, the results were always teaching. However, that didn't interest me. I was unsure of what I wanted to do, so I went to business school, knowing this would lead me places. 

I started working in Human Resources over five years ago and felt a belonging. I became a member of the Pittsburg State Human Resource Development Advisory Council. When I wanted to grow in the HR field, I wasn't sure what area I preferred. So I enrolled in the HRD program. I highly recommend this program. It was nothing like I thought, it is so much more. I have completed a research project that I could work to get published, an entire training program from start to finish that I will be implementing later this month. 

I found what I like, finally, and yes, it is teaching. However, it is teaching adult learners and in the work setting. A career path I never envisioned, but I believe I will love.

Why Volunteer?

 “Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in. ”

-Unknown

Importance of Volunteering (according to Laureate International Universities study):

• Volunteers work willingly together for the betterment of their communities and themselves.

• Volunteers play a vital role in the improvement of our society.

• Volunteering is a positive force that can make the world a better place for everyone.

• By giving back to your community, you are not only helping your community grow stronger, but you are also helping yourself become stronger.

• Volunteering alleviates stress and can have a positive impact on your health.

• Knowing that you make a positive impact on someone is an emotionally uplifting experience not matched by money for fame.

• Many employers indicate that they are more likely to hire candidates with an active history of volunteering, rather than someone who doesn't volunteer. Employers are aware that most people who offer their time are conscientious, honest, and hardworking individuals.

• Volunteering gives hope to those that need it.

• Volunteering allows us to imbue in others, even strangers, the spirit of generosity.

What is Art - Frontenac Artisans Guild

If you ask, “what is art?” You will get as many different answers as you have responders. Here are a few famous answers:

Henry James:
“We work in the dark-we do what we can-we give what we have-our doubt is our passion and our passion is our task. The rest is the madness of art.”

Frank Lloyd Wright:
“Art is a discovery and development of elementary principles of nature into beautiful forms suitable for human use.”

Elbert Hubbard:
“Art is not a thing-it is a way.”

Michelangelo Pistoletto:
“Above all, artists must of be only in art galleries or museums-they must be present in all possible activities. The artist must be the sponsor of thoroughly in whatever endeavor people take on, at every level.”

Whatever you do or create-it is art-if you do it in the spirit of creating something you enjoy. If you don’t necessarily believe yourself to be an artist, quit doubting and own your gifts. You may need to Join a supportive group of like-minded people.

That is why Keesha Hervey (K. Hervey Art) and I (4 Corners Graphics) are creating the Frontenac Artisans Guild. Open to any self-proclaimed artist in the Frontenac area. Click here to download a membership application.

Handwriting - A Lost Art

SEK Wands for Wildlife Fundraiser Note Cards

I remember the years of penmanship in grade school. The proper way to form letters, then the curves and connections of cursive in third grade. However, my mom taught me how to write in cursive once I started school.


I held my blue Laddie pencil incorrectly, so my mom had to purchase these hard plastic torture devices that fit my pencil, but never my fingers. I can only imagine my son's face if I handed him one of these pencils today, where texting by thumb-typing is the most common form of creating letters.
The National handwriting Association states that "modern technology has dramatically changed the way we communicate through writing. However, despite the increased use of computers for writing, the skill of handwriting remains important in education, employment, and in everyday life."
In a study by World Vision from May 2010, "more than a quarter of seven to 14-year-olds surveyed had not written a letter in the last year and one in 10 had never written one...but half had written an email or a message on a social networking site."
According to the study, manners play a large part in children's letter-writing "seven in 10 said they would pen a note to say thank you." This practice is usually enforced more at home with girls more likely than boys to put pen to paper.
In an article written in 2009 by Malcom Jones, he states that "the decline in letter writing constitutes a cultural shift so vast that in the future, historians may divide time not between B.C. and A.D. but between eras when people wrote letters and when they didn't."
So, what happened? Why did handwriting, especially cursive, disappear from our schools? the answer: Common Core. In 2010 45 states adopted the Common Core standards, which do not require cursive instruction but leave it up to the individual states and districts to decide whether they want to teach it.
According to a Washington Post article from 2013, "cursive is becoming as foreign as ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. In college lecture halls, more students take notes on laptops and tablet computers than with pens and notepads. Responding to handwritten letters from grandparents in cursive is no longer necessary as they, too, learn how to use email, Facebook and Skype."
Unfortunately, budget cuts and new standards forced educators, "seeking to prepare students for a successful future in which computer and typing skills have usurped penmanship, are finding cursive’s relevance waning, so they’re opting not to teach it anymore."
According to Pattie Leonard, retired 2nd-grade teacher form Girard, Kansas, "the argument was that most everything is printed books, computers, etc. so why the need for cursive? That is true, but my beliefs are that cursive should still be taught in school. It's up to the individual, after they learn, as to whether they want to use it or not, but they should at least be able to write and read it."

K Collection Quotes Note Cards

As for cursive, Jennifer Morris, a sixth-grade history teacher in Frontenac, Kansas, believes "it will eventually die out. If you look back at history, with all the various writing styles that were in place for thousands of years and fell to the wayside, this too shall follow the pattern."
As for me, my efforts to encourage handwriting in any form include the creation of fun, specific note cards, thank you cards and other personalized cards. When the cards are used as fundraisers for charities, people tend to do good and give back. then our pride makes us use these cards to show our philanthropic endeavours.
Whatever the reason you write, keep doing it and encourage others as well. If you or they need motivation, contact me and I will create whatever cards will get you writing.

A humorous meme on social media states that the only things needed to cripple an entire generation is to write in cursive and have cars with manual transmission. While this is funny, there are ways to cripple my generation as well - communicate using shorthand.

Are Business Cards Still Relevant in our Digital World?

Today, everyone is plugged-in to one device or another, it’s easy to forget how much actual, tangible objects can mean. According to Lien Design, for marketing purposes, “having great web site content and social media posts can be effective, but modern business card design…can make for the extra special something that will really send your business over the top.

While exchange cell numbers is a possibility, it can be time consuming and once a person enters you in their contacts, who knows if they will even remember who you are.

A business card represents who you are, what you do and includes all your contact information. When a contact comes across this card, they will be sure to have all the information they need regarding your business and take the time to call if they are interested in their services.

When you present someone with a business card, it should not only have the right information, it should look professional. Cheap paper that’s flimsy or dog-eared or outdated design can really make you look bad.

According to Young Upstarts the reasons you need a business card include:

• Add a personal touch.
• It Creates a Solid First Impression.
• Business cards never run out of power.
• They are one of the most effective direct marketing tools.
• Business Cards Are Still Necessary.

Click here to view Business Card examples.