~THROUGH CHILDHOOD EYES~

 ~HELEN KELLER BOOK REPORT~

 (My Report Cover was a painted photocopy)

Last October I shared with you about a trip my Mr. AGPMan and I made to Tuscumbia, Alabama where we saw firsthand the birthplace of Miss Helen Keller.  That little getaway did more to buoy my human spirit than any other vacation (big or small) I've made in recent years.

~A SHOT AT THE PUMP~

~FROM MY REPORT~

(Another water-colored Photocopy)

While digging for some special Christmas Keepsakes last December, I came across an old trunk my mother had given to me and tucked inside I found stacks of old school papers from my growing up years.

 ~SO MANY REPORTS~

  I was truly overjoyed to find so many things written in my young hand because I believed most everything from my childhood had been damaged in a flood many years before.  I was over-the-moon happy when I found the book report I had done in March of 1971 on the life of Helen Keller.  I devoured everything I had written and found myself SMILING BIG at my wide-spaced penmanship and mis-spelled words (some things never change!).

How can it be that nearly 40 years have passed by since I penned the story of the life of a woman who still inspires me today?  I never could have dreamed back then that one day I would actually travel to Helen Keller's birthplace and see with my own two eyes the very place she once called home.

 

 ~MY ORIGINAL REPORT~

 ~OUTSIDE IVY GREEN~

 ~ 12 POINTS FOR MY KELLER REPORT~

(That was an "A")

As I continued to flip through the piles of old reports my eyes were immediately drawn to a decorated folder I remembered very, very well.  Across the top was the name of a country I know I will one day visit...

 FRANCE!

 ~REPORT from December 1971~

(We are planning a trip to France in 2013)

As I picked up the cover that had gently faded to a soft red I recalled two specific things about my 7th grade Social Studies Class.  One...I seriously detested my teacher (he was a real creep...sorry!) who was nothing like my English Teacher, Mr. Whalen,  and how I had never forgotten the one and only thing he had said to me about my report...

"Becky...I am VERY aware how much of your quality time is wasted away by just playing!!!  You spend all this time trying to paint and draw while you should be studying! That FORCES me to ask you this question...Did YOU or someone else draw this cover.....?"

~TEACHER'S COMMENTS~

Now...I was no scholar in school, I can assure you of that.  I'd have been most happy to spend all of my time in art and music class and would have done just that if my Mom and Dad (and the school) had given me the high-five...

Still, after slaving over the writing of my assignment on France I was required (by my Momma, not the teacher) to decorate my book report folder.  Such things were important to her and thus became important to me.  She believed then (as I do now) that the "outward presentation" of one's work was equally important as what was on the inside!  Here I sit all these years later still believing with my whole heart that "packaging is everything!"

Anyway...although I ultimately received a good grade for my work about France my teacher made no bones about the fact he didn't believe I had drawn the picture of the Eiffel Tower shown on the front cover of my report...

Isn't it funny that here I am 40 plus years down the road and I still remember defending myself and my artwork?  I kid you not when I tell you that teacher made me draw the cover AGAIN (in his presence) before he would give me an "A" on the report.

And...for those of you who might be wondering...my Mother had this amazing ability to turn from a fairly docile person straight into a BARRACUDA on a moment's notice!  She came to my rescue that day and I've never forgotten it.

~~*~~

After days and days and days of feeling absolutely crummy I'm finally off to work in my studio and hope to have some new website pretties offered up for your enjoyment this weekend.

 For some strange reason I feel totally led to design something with a sweet French Flair....

Blessings to you for a lovely day!

(Thank you Mom for your faith in me all these years...)