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Flyer was so easy to train, and was fantastic at remembering everything. As a senior, blind pooch, all the training has paid off. Even when she had her sight, I could walk her without her leash attached, and she did a fantastic job. Never once did she cause me alarm.
The past several nights I have been allowing each dog to accompany me over to the high school school lawn without their leash. Flyer, as always, is magnificent, and knows the area well enough that she does not have to feel her way around. Since she was trained to respond to my snaps, this has been a great aide for her as she moves about without her sight.
For the past two nights, Chief and Navi, on their individual walks, have been outstanding. Chief, my more rambunctious pup, has been the king of good behavior – staying with me, getting his few dashes around the high school’s front lawn without running off, and heading right into the house after hiking his leg on everything imaginable.
Navi, who is more skittish than Chief, has been a little star. When she hears, “To the front door,” she dashes up the steps, and prances around the front porch awaiting my hugs and compliments. It is really cute.
These late-night jaunts have worked well for me when it comes to training, and it gives us some one-on-one time that the day-time group walks do not afford us.
Tomorrow we have a 2.5 hour drive to Indiana. Saturday, we will drive 1.5 hours to my brother’s home near West Lafayette, and then our return home trip will be 3 hours. While at my brother’s farm, the pups will have their first experience of true freedom. Flyer, in her healthier days, loved romping in the more open space, and playing with anyone who offered some time.
I am confident the three dogs will do well on this big adventure.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Fairmont High School Band
2nd AnnualMattress Sale Fundraiser!!
Saturday, Dec. 3 & Sunday, Dec. 4
The Fairmont High School Band will be sponsoring their secondannual
mattress sale on Saturday, December 3 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, December 4 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Name brand (Restonic and Southerland) mattress sets 30% – 50% off
retail. Brand new, top quality mattress sets with full manufacturer
warranties. All sizes, price ranges.
Delivery
and free layaway will be available.
We will be taking orders on both December 3rd
and 4th, and everything will be ready for pick up or delivery
within 1 to 2 weeks.
For additional information or if
you need a new mattress before this sale, feel free to contact Debbie Harbin of
Ultimate Fundraising Solutions at dharbin65
Proceeds directly benefit the Fairmont High School Band Program!!
$50 off purchase of $500 with this e-mail
Please
help support our band by sending this e-mail to family
and friends!!
Student Referral: Quintin Jolliffe-Haas
Michael T. Berning
Coordinator of Music
Director of Bands
Kettering City Schools
3301 Shroyer Rd.
Kettering, Ohio 45429
(937)499-2647
(937)499-1648 Fax
Michael.Berning@Ketteringschools.org
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Dear Friends,
The Civil War had arguably the greatest impact on Washington, D.C. of any single event in American history. Almost overnight, the seat of our nation’s government was transformed from a sleepy, southern town to the hub of the northern war effort, and was often referred to as the Seat of War. Join us as we illuminate President Lincoln’s Civil War Washington through historic prints from our collection. This exhibit will be on view from December 7, 2011 – January 15, 2012.
It was cold, wet, and rainy in Washington, and the President was ill. A week earlier, Abraham Lincoln had given the Gettysburg Address, sitting outside in the cold as he listened to Edward Everett orate, before giving his short speech. Now, in the last week of November 1863, Lincoln was “quite unwell,” suffering from a mild form of smallpox called varioloid……The timing of the President’s illness was unfortunate. That Thursday, the fourth Thursday in the month of November, marked the day that Lincoln had set aside for the first official national Thanksgiving Day.| President Lincoln’s Cottage | Upshur Street at Rock Creek Church Road, NW | Washington | DC | 20011 |
Quintin was featured in HEARTLINES, the national newsletter for The Adoption Exchange.
Read the article here: Heartlines Fall 2011
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THE BEACON - Fairmont Firebird 2011 Marching Band Show
One of my favorite weekends is returning to Indianapolis for the BOA (Bands of America) Super Regionals held at Lucas Oil Stadium. For the past four years, Kettering Fairmont High School’s Marching Band has competed in this competition, and it is always a nice opportunity for Mother, even my brother, and his family, to attend this event.
Returning to Indianapolis is always special for me. From the time I was small, traveling thirty miles South to Indy was always a big treat, and an experience. Even at 47 I am excited to visit this beautiful city, especially the familiar sites along Meridian Street.
I decided to forgo getting up too early to meet up with several Ball State University friends, and left Kettering by 9:00am. I drove Westward on OH-725, which turns into IN-44, enjoying, and taking in all the fall colors along the highway. Of course, there is even more pleasure passing through the wonderful little communities of Germantown, Camden, Liberty and Rushville.
Just outside Rushville, I stopped to pay my respects, and snap some photos of Wendell L. Willkie’s grave
site. Mr. Willkie was born, and grew up in my hometown of Elwood, Indiana where both his parents served as attorneys. Mr. Willkie later moved to Rushville, and was nominated by the Republican Party to compete against President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1940. Willkie returned to Elwood in August 1940 to officially accept the nomination.
Despite missing IN-52 that would have taken me directly to downtown Indy, I managed to pulled into the parking lot of Shapiro’s Deli, immediately behind Mother, who had been delayed due to a marathon on the Northside.
Shapiro’s Deli is one of my favorite eateries. It has become our traditional lunch-site each BOA Saturday. While eating, we ran into Dr. Joe & Mavis Barnett from Elwood, as well as several tables filled with parents from our fine neighbors from Centerville High School.
At Lucas Oil Stadium we had an hour before Fairmont’s scheduled performance. I am glad we got to see Center Grove High School’s marching band. My cousins, Kari Hallett Miller, and Eric Hallett, are alums of this outstanding band program. Kari & Eric’s parents, Judy & Jerry, also taught at Center Grove for many years. The entire Hallett family would have been proud of their marching band! Outstanding performance.
Fairmont Firebirds took the field with what was, perhaps, their best performance of the season. The process of evolving into the complete BOA-concept can be rather tedious, but Fairmont is making strong steady gains each year. Breaking into the BOA album of yearly competitors is tough.
Quintin spent some time with Mother and I as we watched Avon High School Marching Band – always a treat – and our guest collegiate band in exhibition, The Purdue University Marching Band. What a spectacular performance by 360 non-music majors.
The preliminary competition ended, and I drove Mother through most of the downtown Indy congestion to the Indiana War Memorial. There I bid Mother a safe trip home, and then strolled down Meridian Street with my camera snapping away. The sun was just preparing its final descent on the day, and what a nice touch nature added to the photographs.
With this annual visit to Indianapolis the marching band season officially comes to a close. I am glad that we move on from the season, but I am always so grateful, and thrilled, that my sons experience one of the greatest highlights as did I when I was in high school.
