AAFCS Conference, Elementary, Secondary and Adult Education community looking for donations for silent auction (ESAE)

This summer at our annual conference the Elementary, Secondary and Adult Education community will hold its annual curriculum showcase along with their silent auction.

The Community is asking for donations for the silent auction.

Please leave a comment here or email our community leaders (find emails on AAFCS website.) if you are planning to donate an item from your state or affiliate. 

These donations support the teacher of the year program.  We give scholarships for affiliate teachers of the year attending the conference and support the teacher of the year luncheon and curriculum showcase.

Please leave your donations at the St. Louis Booth.  Label it with your affiliate or name and the value of the item.

We are celebrating 40 years of Teacher of the Year and we would like to make this year a "big deal".  Help us celebrate FACS teachers and the work that they do.

With love from your retired FACS teacher, Jane

My sister has a new home for her future.....We started the remodel....It has been fun.

My sister decided she was going to purchase a small second home.  Site unseen!  Yikes.  She knew the area, some of the people that already lived in the complex and had it inspected. 

I met her at the location and when I walked in the door I couldn't believe that it looked as nice as it did for a purchase that was bank owned and well as I said she never saw it. 

We have a great deal of work but we got a great start during the 5 days that we were there. 

Here is a list of items that must be done.  If they are checked they are accomplished. 

• Fill holes in walls and paint. (some holes filled)
• Replace all flooring but kitchen and one bath. (rooms have been measured)
• Replace plumbing in toilets. ^  (Yes, my sister has mad plumbing skills, she did this.)
• Fix kitchen sink leak.  ^ (Yep she did this too)
• Replace kitchen cabinets.  (Measured and ready to be installed)
• Replace master bath.  (Design has been figured)
• Replace other bath sink, paint, change light.  ^ (We did this together and I have    pictures)
• Fix ugly entry shelf into coat hook ^



This is the bathroom before.  Not everything is in here.  Changed sink and vanity.  Painted walls.
 Re-grouted tile and put in a sink back splash.  Cleaned the trim and changed out the light fixture.  The light was another issue because the building is from the early 70's.  Electrical was a bit different than both of us are familiar with when changing out light fixtures. 
The after picture is below.

This is a European sink.  It caused a few challenges as the pipes did not match for our master plumber. What a nightmare.  But over all we were very happy the result and of course it looks better in person.


This is the entry way before.  It had built in shelves right at the door.  I don't get it!  We took them out, filled in the cracks and holes, sanded and painted.  We then painted on of the shelves white put it at the bottom for baskets.  We added hooks on a white board for hanging coats.  Turned out great!  After is below.

 I know it looks like there is a color issue on the wall but it is a light reflection.  We love it.

We have a long way to go but we are excited about the progress and can't wait to get at it again.  We were raised in a household where do it yourself was important for survival.  We are pretty pleased with our skills and appreciate what we were taught. 

This type of work has always been fun for me and teaching housing and interior design was also helpful.  As I watched my sister do some of these plumbing things it makes me think it wouldn't be bad for people to learn these basics just for pure financial survival.  I will let you know about further progress as it happens.

With love from your retired FACS teacher, Jane

 

My take on the TV "reality" show the Bachelor....Yes I think it is related to FACS!

I didn't always watch the show the Bachelor because I thought it was ridiculous when it first aired.  I could not imagine one person dating 25 people at once, having to keep them straight, who gets along with who, you did what with who....pretty insane.  And, I am not one to tolerate infidelity and this feels really close to just that.

I don't know why this season bothered me so much but I think it is because it felt so unkind and awful at the end of the season that I have to address it. 

My husband and I started watching the show as pretty much a joke.  We couldn't believe some of things that were shown on T.V.   I of course have always been a romantic and very much a cynic at the same time.  So I wanted it to be real but I also felt that many of these people were on this show to maybe find love but also to establish a career.  Many of them have done so!

There are very few that have stayed with the bachelor(ette) they picked over the years but those that have married appear to be happy in the public eye.

What I do know for sure, is that these shows are entertainment and they are produced.  To be honest some of them are boring because the stars are conformists and choose to do whatever the producers ask.  (Sean)

This season somewhere along the line there was a conflict between the producers and the infamous Juan Pablo.  It was very noticeable in one of the commercials at the end of the season when JP and Chris Harrison were suppose to interact.  There was no interaction and no love lost.

As I watched, my respect for him dwindled, in the way the show portrayed him.   Sometimes things that came out of his mouth shocked me.   I even suggested to my Facebook pals that maybe it was cultural.  There was no response from my friends and I felt like I was hearing crickets.   As the show went on it was very evident the ABC was doing everything that they could to make sure they could show every rotten thing he said and it did not matter what the consequences.   (Please believe when I say this, I know he said the words, but some of it just did not need to be aired.)

Several of the past "main characters" of the show expressed their concern for the editing and regard to the situation on the show.  They also addressed that they may not have been pleased with JP and what we saw but they felt that he was definitely put "out there" as the bad guy.  (1.  Jillian Harris:  http://www.jillianharris.com/blog/post/my-thoughts-on-juan-pablo-nikki?showAll=1#comments )

We will never know because ABC is choosing to appear as though they did very little wrong.  One of my favorite quotes from Chris Harrison was, "He was trying to help him share his feelings."  Um no, badgering is not helping.

I guess what bothers me more than anything is how we as a public think we know someone by watching them on TV.  I too joined in and watched twitter, commented with my fellow watchers on Facebook and we had fun.  But as I watched the twitter feed and I realized that there were two kinds of people, those that were still infatuated with JP and those that did not like him at all.  And while I watched and "liked" the feed on twitter and comments I kept saying to myself....."There is something bad that happened behind the scenes that we do not know about out here in T.V land.  These unkind comments are not o.k." 

In reality, my point is, that there is no reality show.  People do these shows for fame and money and as the general public we get sucked in.  It is entertainment and some times it just goes too far. 

I keep thinking about our society and what this says  about us as a whole.  How do we tell kids to respect each other, and be kind to each other when this is what is portrayed to be real? 

Personally if it is a real example of life I think they should cook together, do laundry together and hang wall paper together.  (After 27 years, I do NOT hang wall paper with my husband.)  Let's see how that works.  Because frankly, that is what life is all about; surviving, along with loving, supporting and caring about each other. 

As teachers and family professionals these crazy reality shows should be addressed and talked about with young people.  If you asked, I will guarantee there are young people out there (Of course, not all of them) thinking this is real.

Do I think this relationship is going to be lasting?  Does my opinion matter?  It will be difficult for them to get through this backlash......

What I really care about is what was left on the table, how it was handled and the image that is perceived as real in our society and how we respond to it.

With love from your retired FACS teacher, Jane

It is still cold and snowy....."I Can't take it NO more"

I know that I posted about being cold already this winter but it warrants another post.  The headline today read....."If you are under 35 this is the coldest winter in your lifetime." 

Seriously?  Seriously?  I actually called my older son to tell him.  As if he didn't know by walking outside. 

Oh, and the snow....we were driving out of the neighborhood last night and one of our neighbors threw a shovel full of snow.  The pile was so high it didn't make it to the top and came tumbling back down.

Lastly, the school district that I just retired from has had 6 snow/cold days.  I did not have that many "off" days in 14 years. 

It is a bad winter....in fact this is the winter that I remember as a kid. 

I pray there is not snow still melting in June!

Join me at the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Conference June 25-28

I am really looking forward to the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Conference in St. Louis, MO this summer.  You just can't get more central than St. Louis, in the United States.  What a great place to learn, the gateway to the West, as FACS members start forward thinking on making a change in our organization. 

As painful as thinking about making an organizational change may be for some of us, something must be done to sustain the good of what we do and stand for in societal development.

Ashley Davis

 

While there I will be presenting a session on social media with my friend and FACS teacher Ashley Davis.  Ashley is a young, energetic woman leading by example in the FACS field.  She is passionate about FACS and has been a tremendous leader in the Minnesota affiliate. 

Here is the description for our session on Thursday of the conference.

3:00pm-4:00pm "Not Your Mom's PR Anymore!" Using Social Media for FCS Public AwarenessPresented by Jane Hinrichsen, CFCS, Retired, and Ashley Davis
Join the Community on Public Awareness to learn how to the use social media as a tool to publicize family and consumer sciences growth, gains, and projects in our communities. In addition to discussing the importance of using social media, we will also cover traditional media, such as newspapers, magazines, and film.


Hope to see you there!

With love from your retired FACS teacher, Jane

The importance of Family and Consumer Sciences, formerly know as "Home Economics", and still know as "Home Economics" in many countries.

Because I am an advocate of Family and Consumer Sciences I see twitter notifications from all over the world. 

For those that do not know, there is an International Home Economics organization that meets in different countries periodically.  The last meeting was in Australia. 

Recently a young man known as the "ThatHomeEcGuy" posted a video about the importance of Home Economics in Canada. 

Many of my collogues cringe at the United States former name "Home Ec" and they make their feelings known to those of us that do not mind dipping into the past name.  Although I think that Family and Consumer Sciences is a good name, for some reason, it did not carry and many do not know what FACS/FCS stands for.  I want to post the "ThatHomeEcGuy's" link because it is a good start for some of us in helping those around us understand FACS; to positively promote the good that we do in schools, businesses and communities. 

For others to believe that the work we do goes beyond making banana bread and sewing on buttons we need to believe that ourselves.  Sometimes we get stuck in the past and forget to move ahead and promote our updated relevant material to society and the issues that we face together. 

Two of those things that FACS addresses, and society needs constant updating and education, are personal finance and healthy food education.  Although their are many more important components that we deal with, the promotion of these two programs will share a positive light on FACS work and will continue to help produce positive, productive citizens in society.

Here is the link and thanks, Jon Conti, know as "ThatHomeEcGuy"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z46OXb6tTbA

With love from your former FACS teacher, Jane

Minnesota Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Conference in review...It was a good one!



We got to assemble an arrangement at the floral wholesaler Koehler and Dramm

We toured Caldrea and Mrs. Meyer's

Although I have retired I chose to attend the Minnesota Association of Family and Consumer Sciences conference.

It was great seeing so many familiar faces and those faces have become my friends over the years.

I went to the pre-conference tour and had a lovely time despite the snow storm and the stress of driving across town in that storm. 

I want to list some of the speakers, especially those they stayed in my mind.   Dr. Verna C Price, a very positive motivational speaker, from the Power of People Consulting Group.   She has published some great, simple books, that inspire young people to take care of themselves first to create success in their lives.

Susan Turgeson from Wisconsin spoke on incorporating STEM into FACS programs.

Susan J. Crockett spoke on food issues and trends in society.

My own former student teacher is now a wardrobe consultant (A LA Mode) and did an educational session on getting the most from your closet. Carly Gatzlaff.

Ashley Davis (also part of the planning team) did two wonderful technical sessions for the classroom.

Dr. Jill Conlon was so interesting, she spoke on current textile trends and incorporating this knowledge in your classroom.

Trudy Landgren and Anu Pasricha both discussed textile work that they are doing with their students at St. Catherines in St. Paul.

Karen Smith and Alyssa Ambrosius spoke on their farm to school programs in Monticello, MN

There are so many more great folks that did educational sessions.  If I did not mention your name it is not because you were not fantastic.....it is because I didn't attend them all. 

I just loved the energy and the thoughtfulness that went into the planning of the conference.  I am so grateful for the 3 young (And by young I mean under 30.  YES!) teachers that took this conference on with gusto and made a positive impact on the field of Family and Consumer Sciences.  It is not easy to produce a good conference with very little for a budget and they did so.

Of course we must thank the wonderful Rachel for her constant effort in coordinating us and keeping us together. 

As a group the association discussed the coming changes they are being talked about for the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences.  Change is always difficult for a group that has been around for over 100 years.  Personally I think that change is important to progress with time.  There are many questions about the proposed academy and I hope that our association can answer some of the questions that have been brought up.  It is important for members to feel secure and understand what the future brings for their group.

Minnesota was one of the first FACS Affiliate conferences in the United State and I hope those that follow are as successful in their planning as ours. 

With love, your retired FACS teacher, Jane

 Our 3 planners with our keynote speaker Dr. Verna C. Price

1. Shawna Wilson 2. Dr. Verna 3. Ashley Davis 4.Sarah Schuppenhauer