Uphill idealist

This Saturday the youth that are attending the ELCA Youth Gathering will be hosting a Car Dry and tire polish to help raise more funds for our trip to New Orleans July 21-27. We will be drying car washed cars and polishing tires for tips from 10am-2pm at ROBO wash directly off of Foote Ave. in Jamestown NY on Marion Street. Help ups reach our goal so that we don't have to find out what it means to miss New Orleans! If you would like to help sponsor our group of 10 to attend the ELCA Gathering , contact me at eastman_tara@yahoo.com or visit First Lutheran Church's website for more information.

This Friday and next Friday I have opportunities to play some of my music, and haven't had that chance for a while. Tonight I played a Buskers Festival (street musician fest), to benefit Family Services the counseling agency that my husband works for. It was a good time where I saw some old friends from Warren PA, where I used to work, and received some very kind comments from the folks who listened to part of my set at 5:30 to 6:30. One lady even said my voice reminded her of Lisa Loeb - and she is her favorite. I suppose you can't get a better comment than that. One man, who I hadn't seen in years, now runs a local music production company and asked if I'd like to come and perform at one of their upcoming events. One other gentleman was listening to my ballad, "I need to know your here." and shouted at the end..." I'm here for you Tara!" What makes this really funny is he is one of the counselors at Family Services. Nice to know his empathy...

Last week I was introduced to a young teaching musician from Birmingham England, Clifford Harding , or NK for short. NK teaches multiplication math facts via rap rhymes (Tunes times tables) to help primary students learn and better retain math information, as well as making it more fun. He began this method of teaching after his son came home from school frustrated because he did not know his math facts. At that point, NK admits, " I did not know my times tables either! So how could I help my son with a problem I had not mastered?" NK began the process of writing rhymes to the times tables, set them to a beat and now has been teaching them since 1998. In the times we spoke during his visit to the Jamestown area last week, NK spoke of the shift in his own attitude in life when he became motivated to help others. NK had grown up in a working class city environment and faced the challenges of choosing the high road, when so many of his friends did not. At youth group last Wedne...

On Thursday June 11th, my church (First Lutheran Church of Jamestown) hosted an end of the school year tail gate party for the high school students and neighbors that surround our church. We were able to give away 120 gift cup favors and provided lots of hot dogs and sno cones too. Here is the video footage from our local news channel, Time Warner Cable 8 , that came out to do a story on the event. Thanks to James at Cable 8 for helping to get this story some local notice. PS> By the way, check out our newly updated website at firstlutheranjamestown.com!

Image found at Mikkell Productions. Ripples reach out to touch the next point of contact and reaction. Sometimes the ripples are distracted or delayed by rocks and fallen tree branches, but in the end... the ripples never stop moving. One leads to the other, unique in it's own way and creating an atmosphere of promise and change. Change sometimes frightens or sets us off balance. Change has a way of making us ask the big questions, that without it we would become settled in the familiarity of life's comforts. We might forget the ripples if we become to wrapped up in comforts embrace. Wake up. Drip, ripple, flutter, change. Drop, react, shudder, and wave. Ask the big questions. Made the ripples of life and you just might change the world with ripples. T.L. Eastman 2009

Image found at Gaiafield Project. When I was in grade school I remember getting a consistent mark on my report card throughout my primary years. One particular teacher comment usually had something to do with my penmanship. I remember trying so hard to achieve the perfect slat to my cursive letters, but due to the fact that I was left-handed and my letters were to tall and straight - I would end up with an A- or a B+ in penmanship. The other, actually more common comment went something like this... " Tara is a bright student, but is distracted easily by continually talking with her neighbors." From day one, talking is something I was good at. My mom used to tell me before and after social and extended family gatherings... " Tara, you don't have to tell everyone your whole life story!" By the status of my childhood report cards as well as my tendency to chat to strangers in line at the grocery store... I'm a talker. Always have been and probably will always b...