Building a tiny house this summer has been anything but tiny.  It’s really building all of the aspects of a conventional house, but on a really small scale.  Will completed the subfloor last week, and he is framing the first floor (there’s a loft with a dormer that makes up the second floor) this week.  He wakes up each morning raring to go and has recruited his friends to help during the week and his parents on the weekend.  Being a perfectionist with an engineer’s brain, Will is crafting probably one of the most perfect (square) framings I’ve ever seen. 

Will measures, then measures again to make all of his cuts exactly correct.  He’s learned that wood isn’t straight (not even close!) and even with his father’s weight pulling down on the wood it doesn’t budge.  But that’s when Will pulled out the pipe clamp and used it to move the wood so he could perfectly align his top plates.  Will’s lucky that his friends are fascinated by the project and they’re looking for community service hours, and that his parents are supportive even though they know nothing about construction, building, or tools (his dad is an oral surgeon and his mother is a nurse). 

During this past week, Will learned how to use a chop saw, circular saw, nail gun, and the good ol’ hammer.  He insists on removing any nails that bend and keeping a clean workplace.  Cliff Bixler, Will’s mentor, has given him many pearls of wisdom and helps Will think through each step.  Will is in awe of how Cliff can take a circular saw with one hand while holding a huge sheet of plywood with the other to make a perfect cut.  The plans assume that the builder knows how to use power tools, understands building lingo, and comprehends how to build.  Remember Will is just 17 years old and has never built anything before this. Cliff is an expert builder and a good teacher. 

For you wanna-be-tiny-house builders, Will is creating an instructional video for non-builders.  He’s giving his pearls of wisdom from the perspective of someone who’s never used a hammer before.  By describing how the sound of the air compressor shocked him when he first turned it on to how exciting it was to use the nail gun, he’ll give the novice tips to get them started and through the entire process of building a tiny house.  I’ll keep you posted!

Kids find it impossible to not look at a text message or answer calls while they’re driving.  It’s like an addiction.  THEY SIMPLY CAN’T IGNORE THEM. 

But while they’re under your control and guidance, require that they either turn off their phones or place them in the backseat or trunk while they’re driving. 

If they want to check their phones, they’ll have to pull over to do so. Sounds mean or controlling?  Maybe.  But it will probably save their lives. 

Thanks to Logan Conover, over 1,000 lbs of carbon did NOT go into the atmosphere over the past 3 months. 

Kudos to Logan! His campaign, WHEN NOT, IF, encourages people to stop driving one day each month to reduce the CO2 that’s released by driving cars. He started with the Santa Cruz County area, and now he’s now reaching out to people across America. 

Please share this so we can help Logan reach his new goal of 10,000 lbs by the end of the year. 

Remember to NOT drive tomorrow, July 23^rd, and go to www.WhenNotIf.org to enter your stats so you can be part of this climate-changing movement!

Grammy Camp is a great way to get the kids together and make memories that will last a lifetime!

Okay, I’m not a grammy but my good friend Julie Monroe is, and she hosts Grammy Camp for her lucky grandkids each summer.  Her grandkids come from her stepson, ex-inlaw, ex-inlaws new husband, adopted child, and a good friend – you know, the all-American family — so it’s quite an eclectic group of campers.  By hosting these Granny Camps each year since 2006, she’s created a wonderful reason for all of the grandkids to communicate together while planning their activities.  It’s really brilliant. 

In the past, the kids have played at the beach (she lives on Seabright!), explored redwood forests, and done the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.  Living in Santa Cruz is a big bonus! They also cook together, roast marshmallows at a beach bonfire, or stayed in their jammies for a “down day” to just hang out.  Their favorite is going to the Boardwalk and getting wristbands so they can go on every ride – all day long!  Julie’s favorite is hanging out with them as they wind down at the end of the day because that’s the time they open up and share their thoughts and feelings.  On their drive back home at the end of Grammy Camp, they talk about and make plans for the next Grammy Camp.

This year, Julie also brought them to Merit Academy to learn about aquaponics, permaculture, beehives, and water catchment systems.  Their grandpa is a key player in the beehive systems so they have heard all kinds of stories about our adventures in beekeeping. While they were here, they did a treasure hunt on our 2 acres to make it even more fun. 

For those with grandkids who want to do Grammy Camps, Julie suggests that choosing activities that the kids will enjoy, but not filling up the days with too many activities.  By allowing some down time, there’ll be more opportunities for getting to know one another.  And, after all, isn’t that what this is all about?  Creating memories and reconnecting with one another.  Kudos to Julie and her Grammy Camps!

This is a Letter to the Editor of the Santa Cruz Sentinel that was written by Laina Farhat-Holzman on July 16th, 2016.  I am posting it here because as an educator, I believe that words have meaning, and that we should use them with care.

Listening to Donald Trump’s latest speech (introducing his VP candidate), I was struck by how many times he used the words “incredible” and “unbelievable.”  In context, he meant “terrific” or “wonderful.” But as a Freudian Slip, he was telling us that everything he was saying was “not credible” and “not to be believed.”

Also, repeating the mantra: “to tell the truth,” and “in all honesty” really means “I don’t usually tell the truth” and “I am less than honest.”

Believe the sub-text.

I used to think it was just me.  I need absolute silence to think and to center myself. That’s why I get to my office before staff and clients arrive so I can take care of important tasks.  The silence gives me peace and helps me regenerate so I can be fully energized all day.  I just read about a study by Duke University’s Imke Kirste who found that 2 hours of silence per day prompted cell development in the hippocampus region of the brain.  So what’s all this chatter about silence?

Back in 1859, Florence Nightingale (British nurse and social reformer) wrote that “Unnecessary noise is the most cruel absence of care that can be inflicted on sick or well.”  Every sound can be a source of alarm, distress, and sleep deprivation for recovering patients. And, “sudden noises” can cause death among sick children. Recent research actually supports Nightingale’s zealous claims. Epidemiologists discovered correlations between high blood pressure and chronic noise sources like highways and airports.  People who live in consistently loud environments often have elevated levels of stress hormones (cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline).

According to the European Heart Journal, long-term exposure to high levels of noise dramatically boosts heart risk.  Men exposed to prolonged noise have a 50% higher risk of having a heart attack, and in women, the risk is much greater, almost 300%! And the psychological strain experienced by people exposed to constant noise includes distraction, lack of focus, and slower mental processes. That might explain why so many children, teens, and adults have difficulty staying on task.  Hmmm.

Kirste even suggests that silence may be used in therapeutic treatment for dementia and depression.  Because both dementia and depression are associated with decreasing rates of neurogenesis in the hippocampus, maybe a few hours of silence can help in this realm too.  Could the over stimulation and constant noise from watching TV from the crack of dawn until they pass out at the end of the day be the cause of depression? I know people have the TV on 24/7.

So, it might help you, your spouse, and your children if you created regular periods of silence in your home. Turn off the TVs, video games, and music for 2 hours each day. You might need to get noise-cancelling headphones if you have ambient noise issues. If creating silence in your home isn’t possible, then take regular walks in areas away from traffic. Choose restaurants that are quiet and have a calm setting. In our very busy social lives, you’ll probably have to schedule time for silence.

Sounds like silence can help heal the mind and body.

[Source 1]

[Source 2]

It makes me crazy that nobody uses commas anymore!  Commas help clarify communication, and without them, we could be sending the wrong message. 

I love this comic strip below.  Pass this along to kids who don’t think punctuation and grammar matters!

Over the last 11 years, we’ve hosted the D’Arcy Treasure Hunt in Golden Gate Park.  It has been a great way to discover the many treasures hidden in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. 

On bikes, we spend 4-5 hours finding Shakespeare’s gardens, bison, and even windmills! 

We’re planning another Treasure Hunt in Golden Gate Park this weekend and it’s going to be epic!  Going to use our GoPro. 

If you’d like to join us, email me at info@meritworld.com!

With all the violent outbreaks being blamed on gun control, mental health, religious interests, black lives matter, or other scapegoats, I believe that in our harried lifestyles because we’re so busy keeping up with the Joneses that we’ve lost the vital skill of communication.  When you think about the root of most problems, it’s usually something that can be solved with an open discussion. Granted, getting both parties to agree to an open discussion may ultimately be the downfall, but nonetheless, it’s important to note that the communication piece is really the culprit.   Look at the Black Lives Matter and the police brutality problem that has plagued our lives over the past few years.  We’re all struggling to see the issues from both perspectives.  Yes, there are a ridiculous number of young black men and boys who are murdered simply because they’re black. Yes, if they were white, they probably wouldn’t be profiled and live with constant fear that they may be the next victim.  And yes, a few white cops have killed innocent black men and boys.  And yes, police brutality stems from a few bad cops who keep working in a broken system.     But, we can fix this system.  We need to communicate with our adversaries. Yup, not easy to do but here’s the conversation that needs to happen.  If you’re black (or whatever color you are), assume that cops (teachers, bank tellers, or anyone) don’t know you.  So be congenial.  Why?  It’s like paying it forward.  If you greet and interact with others with respect, there’s a really good chance they’ll do the same to you.  Don’t assume that they’re going to mistreat you because if you do, your vibe will make them put up their guard and your interaction will undoubtedly be negative.    Let me give you an example.  I realize that I am not black, but I am Asian, and not everyone likes Asians, right?  One of my Asian colleagues told me that she’s tired of being treated like a second-class citizen when she goes to banks and stores.  I was so surprised by her comment that I inquired further.  I wanted to know just how she was mistreated and more about the circumstances around it because I didn’t feel the same way.  As she described her recent experience with a bank teller, it became clear to me what was happening.  She had already put up her guard and was ready for the teller to be confrontational. She created the energy that was off-putting to the teller.  So when she stepped up to the teller window, the teller reacted and responded to her negative energy by doing the same.    When I told my colleague that I’ve never experienced prejudice here, she didn’t believe me.  We actually bank at the same bank and I have never been mistreated in 30 years!  So I stepped out of my comfort zone and told her why I believed she was having trouble, and recommended specific things for her to do to change this dynamic.  This wasn’t easy because she was so set in her ways and actually not wanting to believe that others weren’t prejudiced against her because she was Asian.  Once I got her to see that they were reacting to her negative predisposition, I started to see her come around.  First, I showed her that her natural relaxed expression looked like a frown.  Not good.  That would make anyone uneasy.  So I told her that she needs to smile – consciously smile – before interacting with anyone.  Next, she worked on saying something nice to open up a conversation that worked to everyone’s benefit.    I know that there is a big difference between blacks and Asians in the eyes of law enforcement, and I’m not so naïve to think that a little smile and pleasantries will change the world.  But these tips have helped me and may help others.     Now let’s look at the police brutality piece.  Cops have a really difficult and dangerous job.  Think about it.  They go into the worst neighborhoods, go out on calls without knowing what to expect, and they have to make split-second life threatening decisions.  When they make a mistake or a lapse in judgment, they’re scrutinized.  But we need them.  Right? Imagine a society without law enforcement?  But I recognize that we do have a problem.  There are a few bad cops who bring to their occupation their prejudice or power issues.  Undoubtedly, these cops need to be removed from their posts and prosecuted if they’ve broken laws.  All cops know who these weak links are – the ones who are in it to wield guns and drive fast cars – the ones whose personal baggage interferes with their ability to fulfill their jobs.  Cops should be able to communicate their concerns about fellow officers to minimize their department’s liability without repercussions of being a whistle blower.  The Chief of Police and higher ranking officers should investigate and counsel cops who might pose future risks.  Again, it comes down to communicating concerns BEFORE they become our next headline news.    In addition to removing the bad cops from the beat, there are a couple of things police officers can do to minimize these terrible altercations.  First, they can shoot to disable and not to kill.  I realize that this is a very unpopular idea amongst cops because they need to protect themselves, and others, should the person start killing others. But hear me out – if an unidentified person (maybe even someone wearing a hoodie) is walking down the street, or even running, is it necessary to shoot 10, 15, or more bullets into his/her back?  Protection doesn’t seem to be an issue if they’re shooting at the person’s back, right? If it’s concern about them getting away, wouldn’t shooting them in the leg or abdomen stop them in their tracks? Of course there are definitely times when officers want to take out (kill) a perpetrator, and they should. Still not sure that more than one bullet needs to be fired.     Second, when a police officer pulls over a driver in a vehicle, address them with respect, and a smile (okay, maybe I’m pushing it here).  Just like the recommendation I made for the people of color above, cops could also create better interactions if they demonstrated respectful.  I realize that they risk their lives every time they approach a vehicle – I wouldn’t want to do that!  The driver could be holding a gun or something worse.  But what if cops asked questions to improve communication and assessment? By learning more about the person in question, we might avoid unnecessary bloodshed and violence.    It all comes down to communicating with others. Don’t assume everyone knows what you’re thinking or understands your situation.  Make the first move by smiling and being friendly; it’s certainly better than being antagonist or negative.  So let’s work together to improve communication and stop unnecessary violence.