Some of God’s Greatest Gifts are Unanswered Prayers

Just stop for a moment. Stop and think. How many times did you want something so badly and it didn’t happen? How many times have you (it is okay to admit it) looked up above and asked God for something and it just didn’t occur?

I confess, I am as guilty as the next guy. From my kids successes to my own personal gain, I have peered above for some sign of what will be the outcome. Guess what, I might as well as, flipped a coin to determine what would happen with that wish, hope or maybe even a prayer. I do firmly believe in the power of prayer, I just think he saves it for the really BIG issues.

In the fall of 2009, I applied to be part of the 2011 Study Aboard experience in Australia. I discovered in January of 2010, I was accepted and happily took on the role of getting students excited about the program. But with the economic crisis and the exchange rate working against me, my dreams were shattered come October.

Fast forward to January 2014. I sit in my university office, overwhelmed with planning the AGB Gala, class, and the dreary nature that winter quarter delivers and yo and behold I discover an email searching for professors for Australia Study Abroad 2015.

Was it a dream? Was it a sign? Lets face it the name Adelaide has had a soft spot in my heart since childhood. I have actually longed to live in Adelaide (the area at home) I guess God does have a funny way of answering your prayers. And well if the truth be told, if Nolan would have been a girl his name would have been Adelaide. So I responded, crossed my fingers, and kept it to myself in fear it would fail.

Fast forward 12 months later and here I sit. Call it “better late than never”, refer to it as “answered prayers”, but I will tell you the proof is in the pudding. I can’t imagine experiencing this journey with anyone else but the twenty-eight Cal Poly Mustangs that I share Adelaide.

Don’t get me wrong, there are a few other bonuses in this unanswered prayer. The exchange rate ROCKS! Luckily for my wine, fashion and “perfect bite” habit, it continues to improve the more I shop. And did I mention the weather? Summer in Australia can be a day at the California Mid-State Fair, hotter than h#%$! We have had a few days over 38c (100 f). It has been in the mid 80’s (non metric talk) and we have experienced cool, wet and windy weather. Which makes my thyroid so very happy.

Today starts our finals week. Tomorrow we have our last supper as an entire group. Am I sad? Uh, yea, hello, have you not been reading my blogs?

I am going to miss those twenty-seven faces looking back at me in class. Their questions about wine, marketing and the look on one’s face when I actually teach a non business student something new. I am pretty sure they will never see a teacup the same again! I have always said to my classes, “I have three kids of my own, I don’t need anymore”, well I think I just adopted a whole ship full.

I will miss my conversations with my side kick Tom. I seriously could have NEVER done this without him. Tom’s experience in traveling can only be topped by his knowledge in teaching abroad. I am not sure if we are the Mom and Dad of this group or the crazy, cool uncle and aunt. Probably a combination of the all four.

But as much as I hate to admit it, I am going to miss our weekly outings with senior project the most. They force me to do the one thing I have been pushing myself for three years to do…write in my blog! And well to be perfectly honest, they have made this experience unforgettable. They are all very unique people and have so many hidden talents. I only hope I have had 1/10th of the impact on them, that they have had on me. And worse case, God made sure we had some unforgettable adventures.

Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers
Remember when you’re talkin’ to the man upstairs
That just because he doesn’t answer doesn’t mean he don’t care
Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers

Maybe Garth was sending the world the right message. Just because things don’t always turn out the way you want, plan, dream, wish, pray, or whatever religion you embrace, it is OK. Because sooner or later, and trust me sometimes it might be later, that great gift of hearing that non answered call makes perfect sense. And it is f&^($@g unbelievable.

The Crew

Croc Dog or Hop Dog

Annelise

Day at the Races

Grant

Christine

Two fashion queens in no fashion wear

Natalie

How cute are they?

Jordan

Parade

Jynel

He gave us a peach 🙂

Tom

The BIG moment

“Well that was an experience we will never forget”

February 15, 2015 3

Chicago, Chicago That Toddlin’ Town

Dear Chicago –

For over a decade you have been my favorite city. From your timeless architecture, to the nostalgia of Wrigley Field, from the lore of hosting the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893 to the bulls & bears at Chicago Board of Trade, you just blew me away. Yet, I feel the time has come for our love affair to take a back seat, as my heart has stumbled upon an unforeseen joy.

My new love is full of food, fashion and life. There are many characteristics that you hold in common. However, my heart now belongs to Melbourne.

In the movie Eat, Pray, Love, there is a discussion on how every city has a word, well Melbourne’s word is COLOR.

Enjoy a glimpse into Australia’s cultural capital.

PS I am saving the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit at the National Gallery Victoria for a later post.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

February 14, 2015 1

A B C ……. It’s easy as, 1 2 3

Well I am a week behind with my class assignment and blog writing. They have kept us busy with field trips and out of class activities. Learn by Doing was the theme selected for last week, and Better Late Than Never for this week. I guess you could say I am living right on the edge of both topics.

Cal Poly has built the educational experience on the foundation of Learn by Doing. As a product of that environment, I must say I embrace this philosophy in my classroom. Luckily, the classes I teach lend themselves to this mode of instruction and make creating an interactive lesson plan seem natural. My time in a University of Adelaide classroom as been no exception.

The majority of our class work has focused around the Australian wine industry. We have been blessed to have two amazing guest speakers from the University of South Australia. The current and relevant consumer and wine marketing research they have shared is overwhelming and inspiring. But that is just the nature of the wine industry in Australia. Their ability to collaborate instead of compete is evident in so many ways.

One noticeable object we encountered was that our students lacked a basic knowledge of wine. Don’t misunderstand we do have wine and viticulture majors and others who have worked in the industry back in the states, but they are the exception not the rule. During my investigation for class material I stumbled upon the National Wine Center of Australia. They graciously developed two classes for the students; one for our novice pupils and one for the students with a more sophisticated palate. These classes were Learn by Doing to the tenth power.

The majority of the students took a class called Wine Essentials. They experienced different types of tastes, as well as, wine faults. Then they learned the characteristics of wines that are traditionally produced in South Australia. The second class, Brilliant Wines of South Australia, featured fourteen of the most well known wines in the market place. The students were not only learning through doing, but they learned through seeing, smelling and tasting.

A couple of days later we had our last wine tour filed trip, a visit to the Adelaide Hills. There was a noticeable change in the students approach to the tastings. Their discussions were about the wine as an experience. “This smells like tropical fruit”, or “Does this wine have lots of tannins?”, it was such a treat to watch them evolve and grow from our first wine outing.

Gaining even a basic understanding of wine is lesson best learned by doing. And becoming a certified sommelier is not as easy as simple as do re mi. The greatest lesson to be gained is, drink the wine that tastes good to you…. and that is as easy as 1, 2, 3.

And by the way, we also learned a new definition for ABC, anything but Chardonnay.

Here is another post I did about Learn by Doing https://alittlebitaboutalotofthings.com/2012/02/ It is a nice shout out to Western Bonanza which is happening this weekend.

National Wine Center of http://www.wineaustralia.com.au/ Australia

Wine Essentials

Class Materials

Our instructor Jarrod

Nicole mastering the art of the pour

Learning about the faults

Round two

Brillant Wine Class

This of never ending amazing wines

Olivia enjoying her Chardonnay

The girls

February 14, 2015 0

Let it Go….It’s Time to See What I can do to Test the Limits and Break Through

This One’s For the Girls

My Daughters Kayla Jo & Lilly Ann

And My Nieces, Carly Treana, Payton Marie, Julia Rose, Hannah Rose, Marileigh Grace, Lylah Rose, and Carly Rose

Audrey Hepburn is my film heroine. From Roman Holiday, to How to Steal a Million or the original Sabrina, I can literally spend hours watching her movies and admiring the fashion. The other day I stumbled upon the book Fifth Ave, 5am, which tells the story of the making of the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The historical importance of the movie was eye opening. The struggle of old Hollywood censorship and the empowerment of the 1960’s female was a story of an evolving model of the modern woman. Oddly enough, when I visited the Fashion Icon exhibit at the Art Gallery of South Australia, the history of fashion followed much of the same storyline. No matter the form, women look to find their voice in film, fashion, or sometimes within.

And it got me thinking about being a girl. In any era, and being able to discover the inner you. As a professor I get the privilege to watch many young girls start and complete their college careers. And thanks to Facebook, have a front row seat as they go out and develop careers, get married and have babies. From tears to laughter, and countless heart to hearts in my office, I have witness the growth of their female spirit. Combine this with my own 48 years of having two x chromosomes and I have discovered; it is not about finding that inner voice, but being brave enough to share it with the rest of the world.

Don’t misunderstand, I come from a long line of strong minded women. My grandma Darlene married my grandfather and instantly was the mother of five boys. As a little girl I would always marvel how she could run a household, with a husband that was on the road, and still manage to feed the entire family (and half the neighborhood) huckleberry, homemade muffins every Sunday morning. Grandma Darlene is the satin binding that holds the Coon family quilt in place, so to speak.

And then there was my Grandma Roberta, who I know wasn’t perfect, but might as well be Mary Poppins in my eyes “practically perfect in every way.” She taught us everything from how to chop up night crawlers for fish bait to threading a sewing machine. And we really didn’t want to cross her, yet I believe her grand kids did little wrong in her eyes. Case in point any nonsense Stacy and I would create, she gladly went along with and probably secretly encouraged.

And if you want to find a lady who will kick ass and take names, well meet my great auntie Myrt. She was cool, before cool was cool. Auntie Myrt always looks perfect in matching outfits and jewelry. The fashion houses in Paris would be so lucky to have their season collections have the ease of coordination. She even let Stacy and I try our first cigarette when we were 10 years old, probably why we don’t smoke.

Then there is my Aunt Diana. The lady who gave me a fighting fish for my 16th birthday. She evoked in me my sense of experience and wonder. And why I HAVE to order the flaming dessert on the menu, try that specialty cocktail or hold a Koala. Her love of travel and ability to beat to her own drum made her Aunt Diana. She would be very proud of my study abroad experience.

And then I have two mothers, who basically could run the world. There really isn’t anything between the two of them that is unachievable. I could write for days about Mom and Trish, and never fully do them justice. Our family is lucky to have these two mommy bears back in the cave, because even though they can tell you what you are doing wrong, no one else better ever cross your path. Mommy Bear will be making them Sunday night stew.

As you can see, I have more amazing role models than any girl could dream. But lets face it, there are times that it is just plain tough to be yourself. And I am here today to say, “Let it Go.”

Disney has helped us create these wonderful princess like images in our heads. Who doesn’t want that perfect pair of glass slippers? (That would be me and my little designer shoe addiction.) But when Disney created Elsa, they really hit the nail on the head so to speak. Lets face it, this chick has some issues. Talk about being comfortable in your own skin. Her touch will turn one into ice. Yet she discovered how to be true to herself. Elsa stopped worrying about what others had to say, trying to please everyone, and decided to love herself, now there is a powerful message. We should all take a page out of her playbook.

Many of you have heard my little Jackyisms.

“If it doesn’t matter in five years, it doesn’t matter now”
“Faith, trust and a little bit of pixie dust”
“Be Nike, just Do it”
And the ever popular “Make Good Choices”

But I think it might be time to add a new phrase that sums up the story of Elsa and embracing the inner you. It might be the late 1940’s when Dior designed the “New Look”, or Audry Hepburn playing the part of Holly Golightly, or even Elsa letting her hair down, the point is embrace who you are and celebrate it from the inside out.

Besides, the cold never bothered me anyway

Doris & Floris

Morning class in Adelaide

Do you want to build a snowman

Aunt Diana wedding day

Lilly, Payton and Julia – Project Comp Winners

Beach Fun

San Francisco Trip

Wine Classes in Adelaide

The Girls

Love you all 🙂

February 8, 2015 2

I Beg Your Pardon, I Never Promised you a Rose Garden or Even a Rose Garland

I grew up with a giant poster of Secretariat on my bedroom wall. Horse racing and me have a long history together. From the first race my mother took me to at LA County Fair to my dad working for Pa Finley, the majesty of the experience has always had a soft spot in my heart. Now don’t get me wrong, it is a great spectators sport, but could never replace college basketball as my all time number one. But since college basketball isn’t big in Australia and March Madness is weeks away, why not go to the races.

In AGB 314, Introduction to Fair Management, the students learn about the Pari Mutuel Act in 1933 that legalized the betting on horse races. The monies gained by the state of California went on to build the California Fair Network and enhance the agriculture learning opportunities at Cal Poly and UC Davis. It was only fitting that the senior project class took a field trip to Morphettville. The cultural and formality was unlike I have ever witness state side, short of a triple crown event. Hopefully my photos will give a you a glimpse into Australia Thoroughbred racing. From the turf track (only the low rent district tracks would have dirt), to the book makers, to the dress code, the day at the races was one of my favorites here Down Under.

As much as I marveled at the differences from the industry at home, Jim Ahern and Stephen Chambers would have noticed so much more. There is no winner’s circle or rose garlands, but there is a love of the sport and a deep appreciation for pomp and circumstance. There is a rose garden, actually many of them and as the song goes, so smile for a while and let’s be jolly love shouldn’t be so melancholy, come along and share the good times while we can, we shared a day of traditional Australian fun. If only you got paid if your horse finished fourth, it would have been perfect!