It's Time For...

My 40th High School Reunion!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Oh my goodness....where in the world has the time gone???  40 years since I graduated from high school...it's hard to comprehend at times.  I certainly don't feel like it's been that long!!!  Actually, I am blessed to be able to say it's my 40th!!!

What's interesting about this is....I was only at that high school one year!  Yep, it's true.  I moved throughout my childhood years with my family, about every two years, due to my dad's job.  So.... my senior year in high school I was at a brand new high school!  Amazing huh! :)

If you know of anyone who graduated from Lexington Senior High School (Lexington, NC) in 1971, please have them go to Facebook and add their name to our Alumni page:  https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=135503386486167 and  https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=65295708853&v=wall.  I am always amazed at what a small world it is and you never know...someone you know may be an alumni.

Sticks and Stones

Bullying is not a new phenomena; we all have seen bullies, known bullies or have been bullied at some point in our lives.  There are bullies of all ages in this world!  Does that make it okay....NO WAY!!  The video above is a reminder of how bullying is still around!!

What is new is the technology we now use and the way it's being used to bully children.  Bullying is in our child's school, on their computer, on their cellphone!!  There is no escaping bullying...in years gone by one could walk away from the bully and not allow a bully access to our lives 24/7!  Not so today.  Now, in no way am I saying technology is bad...it was a lifesaver while I was doing graduate work, provides unlimited research opportunities, keeps me connected to family and friends and my list can go on and on.

My request is simple...we need to be aware of what is going on in the lives of our children, grandchildren, students...the lives of the children around us.  It's important we provide them with an outlet...someone they can go to, talk with and give them knowledge on actions they can take when faced with any bullying situation!

How Frequently Does Bullying Occur?
There are different estimates of how often children are bullied or engage in bullying:

• According to the American Medical Association, 3.7 million youths engage in bullying, and more than 3.2 million are victims of “moderate” or “serious” bullying each year (Cohn & Canter, 2003).
• Some studies have shown that between 15 and 25 percent of U.S. students are frequently bullied; 15 to 20 percent report that they bully others frequently (Nansel et al., 2001; Melton et al., 1998; Geffner, Loring, & Young, 2001).
• Over the course of a year, nearly one-fourth of students across grades reported that they had been harassed or bullied on school property because of their race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or disability (Austin, Huh-Kim, Skage, & Furlong, 2002).
• Almost 30 percent of youth in the United States (or over 5.7 million) are estimated to be involved in bullying as either a bully, a target of bullying, or both. In a national survey of students in grades 6 to 10, 13 percent reported bullying others, 11 percent reported being the target of bullies, and another 6 percent said that they bullied others and were bullied themselves (Nansel et al., 2001).
• Seventy-four percent of eight- to eleven-year-old students said teasing and bullying occur at their schools (Kaiser Family Foundation & Nickelodeon, 2001).
• Every seven minutes, a child on an elementary playground is bullied (Pepler, Craig, & Roberts, 1998).

When and Where Does Bullying Usually Occur?

• It occurs at early ages and in all grades, with an onset between three and four years of age (Byrne, 1994a, 1994b).
• In the United States, it increases for boys and girls during late elementary years, peaks during the middle school years, and decreases in high school (Hoover, Oliver, & Hazler, 1992; Banks, 1997; Garrett, 2003).
• Physical severity may decrease with age (Sharp & Smith, 1994).
• At the start of the school year, bullies begin looking for easy targets.
• It occurs two to three times more often at school than on the trip to and from school (Olweus, 1995).
• It is most likely to occur where there is no adult supervision, inadequate adult supervision, poor supervision, a lack of structure, and few or no anti-bullying rules; it is also more likely to occur where teachers and students accept bullying or are indifferent to it (Beane, 2008).
• It occurs virtually everywhere: in homes, nursery schools, preschools, elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, neighborhoods, churches, city parks, on the trip to and from school, on the streets, and in the workplace, for example. It occurs in large cities and small towns, large schools and small schools—and even one-room schools in other countries (Olweus, 1995).
• It occurs mainly in hidden areas and areas lacking adult supervision: halls, stairwells, the playground, areas where students take brief breaks, between buildings, restrooms, locker rooms, the cafeteria, on buses, and parking lots; it occurs when students are walking to and from school, but also in classrooms

http://www.cyberbullying.us/index.php
http://www.olweus.org/public/bullying.page
http://www.stopbullying.gov/
http://www.education.com/topic/school-bullying-teasing/http://www.bullying.org/http://www.bullyfree.com/free-resources/facts-about-bullying



Download a free e-Book on bullying

"Love Me" Some Italian Food!!!

"MI PIACE IL CIBO ITALIANO!!"

There's a really quaint restaurant in Greensboro I've had the pleasure eating at several times!  My oldest daughter introduced me to it several months ago.  I enjoy Italian food and she took us to Vito's Italian Restaurant (http://www.restaurant.com/rdc/vitos-italian-restaurant-greensboro-italian-rid=368338?&rpid=3670 or http://afoodysquest.blogspot.com/2010/09/vitos-italian-restaurant-greensboro-nc.html) and I must say the food is really good and the atmosphere is great.  If you're ever in Greensboro, NC, you need to check it out!

Now my oldest daughter makes friends with everyone... so it was no surprise she had made friends with the owners and if there's a dish she wants that's not on the menu...the owners will make it for her!!  (Nope...they won't do this for anyone else!!)  They are really great people and oh, so nice!!!  (They even made my son-in-law a special cannoli to use in his marriage proposal to Bree...how cool is that!!)

We were there not too long ago...we try, as a family, to get together weekly and catch up on what's going on with each other.  It's something we've been doing for several years now... especially since the girls are grown and on their own.  While we were at Vito's, there was a dish she really wanted but they couldn't make it because they didn't have one of the ingredients that night. So she had to choose a runner-up!! She was soooo disappointed! :(  (But let me tell you all the dishes are delicious and the homemade bread is to die for!!)

Anyway, I was checking my emails; lo and behold...a recipe came up and reminded me of her and our latest visit to Vito's, so I decided to post it for her.  I haven't tried it yet because I'll have to get one of the ingredients and that means a trip to the ABC store!!  Now that should be an interesting trip....I haven't been to an ABC store in more years than I care to remember.  lol 

Anyway, here you go Bree...it isn't exactly what you wanted at Vito's but it does have that missing ingredient!!!

Buon appetito, Bree!

Fabulous Penne a La Vodka        

From Food.com (5 *****)

Ingredients

o        1 tablespoon olive oil

o        1 onions, chopped

o        1 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

o        1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

o        6 -8 fresh basil leaves, chopped or 1/8 teaspoon dried basil leaves

o        1 teaspoon salt

o        1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

o        8 tablespoons butter, divided

o        12 ounces fresh white mushrooms, quartered, about 3 cups

o        1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes ( to taste)

o        1/2 cup vodka

o        3 cups heavy cream

o        1 tablespoon kosher salt

o        1 1/2 lbs rigatoni pasta or 1 1/2 lbs penne

o        1/4 cup dry Parmesan cheese, plus additional for the table

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan; when hot, saute the onions until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes to the saucepan.
2. Stir in the oregano, basil, salt and pepper and simmer 1 hour to concentrate flavors.
3. While the sauce is cooking, heat 4 T of the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the mushrooms and hot pepper flakes until the mushrooms are golden.
4. Carefully add the vodka and simmer for 5 minutes to cook off the alcohol.
5. Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer; pour the cream mixture into the tomato puree; stir to mix. Keep the sauce warm while cooking the pasta.
6. Add the kosher salt to 6 quarts of water. Bring to a rolling boil. Add pasta to boiling water; cook uncovered until pasta is al dente, about 12 minutes. Drain well.
7. Melt the remaining 4 T of butter in a large skillet. Stir in pasta to glaze, then add Parmesan cheese and mix thoroughly. Stir in 1/3 or the sauce and mix with the pasta; divide among plates. Top each plate with some additional sauce; pass remaining sauce and additional cheese at the table.