Mi Mundo

Chapter 10 Content-Area Learning

2011-04-24T23:50:00.001-05:00

In reading content-area learning, I was disappointed about one thing, the arts are not mentioned. I understand that they are not considered a “core subject” but one can always hope. I feel that motivation and self-regulation, and language comprehension are items that I take into consideration when designing lesson plans. Having said that, the section of this chapter that intrigued me was the “writing to learn” idea mentioned on page 430. The book states that writing has been credited with improving student learning capacity and academic achievement. The language arts teachers at our school are firm believers of this theory. They require students to actively participate in the world that surrounds them, by commenting on events in the form of editorials. Some topics covered were, the border wall, the recycling ban and the Arizona law. The teacher then submitted the articles to the local paper’s “Letters to the Editor”. Over the past couple of months, a good portion of that classes’ letters were published. The students increase in self-efficacy in their potential to be published writers is quite evident. Students were in the computer lab researching literary magazines and online student sites for opportunities to publish more of their work. I couldn’t help but think, this is an excellent example of “writing to learn” and its benefits on student self-efficacy and academic achievement.
Do any of you, have any examples of instances similar to this, or other programs that exist out there?

Chapter 11- Motivational Theories

2011-03-28T08:47:00.000-05:00

An amusing side note I must include, is that I thought the reading for this week was chapter 9, the Neuroscience of Learning. Wow, did I have to filter through that a couple of times only to realize that we were supposed to be reading Ch. 11. The theme of Motivation in Chapter 11 is an ideal subject for a teacher. This is one thing I constantly struggle with when designing lesson plans, “how will I motivate my students to learn?” In my teaching experience of almost two years, I have noticed that if the students are motivated the learning comes naturally. The section that appealed to me most in this chapter, was the one devoted to Social cognitive theory. My literature review topic is self efficacy. It makes complete sense to me that a student needs to have confidence in his or her ability to learn before they can start to set goals and expectations. So what are we as teachers doing in our classrooms to try to increase this “Self efficacy” within our students?

Chapter 8- Development and Learning

2011-03-20T14:28:00.001-05:00

Chapter 8 discusses development and its affects on child learning. While theories and ideas from familiar names, such as Bruner and Piaget were revisited, the child study movement and the familial influence on learning concept were introduced. One aspect of this chapter that I found very interesting was the section on SES located under familial influences. The book is clear to state that the SES or the socio economic status of a student’s family is not the reason for a student’s lag in development but rather a contributing factor to difficulties in development. (Schunk pg. 350). I work at a school that is specifically geared towards educating the students of lower income families and providing these students with the education and opportunities needed to break the cycle of poverty. I never fully understood the concept of “breaking the cycle” until I started teaching and was able to witness firsthand the affects of a student’s SES on their education. Consider the unfortunately common scenario that applies to a student who lives in a low income home. The student is also the oldest of five children and must help his/her mother/father with feeding, bathing and putting the younger children to sleep. After doing all this, the student must still find the time and energy to complete his/her homework. The next day in class the student has trouble staying awake during a lecture and misses important information concerning an upcoming test. Now this student could be right where he/she is supposed to be developmentally speaking, but because of his/her family’s current financial situation, he/she is experiencing much difficulty. As educators it’s our duty to be aware of our students’ engagement in class and to develop engaging lessons that will increase students’ motivation to learn, but I do feel it is important to maintain a relationship with students’ parents.

Consider the previously mentioned scenario. What are some actions that we, as teachers, could take to aid this student?

Cognition and Instruction

2011-03-06T21:40:00.003-06:00

Chapter 7 focuses on cognition and instruction. I found myself most vested in the section concerning technological applications. I am a technology applications instructor for middle school. Two examples of computer based instruction that I implement in my class's curriculum is Mavis Beacon (A typing program) and Learning.com (An online program). The typing program has proved to be an important tool in students reaching their typing goals. Along with lessons, the program tracks student's progress and rewards them with occasional games. After having observed students working with this program over the past year and a half, I have noticed that if a student is having trouble with certain keys on the keyboard, the program will redirect their lessons. Learning.com is an online program in which students log on and complete online lessons that have been assigned by myself. These lessons are standard and have been created by Easytech(If I am correct), all I do is scroll through the list and select the lessons that I feel relate to the current unit. One problem that I have with this program, is that there is no way to differentiate the lessons on the program. I use this program more as a supplement to other modes of instruction, so I am able to differentiate in other areas. However, my concern would be with those who solely use the online lessons. There are also other lessons that have been uploaded by educators around the country, which are extended activities for these lessons. I think it is a valuable tool, but I guess my concern with computer base instruction without instructor added supplementary activities, is the lack of potential for differentiation. My feelings are that this might prove to be a disservice for some students.

My questions for you all out there concerning Computer based instruction are:
Do any form of computer based instruction in your classrooms? If so, what type?

Do you any supplementary material to accompany the lessons?

Do any of you share the same concern that I do concerning differentiation and computer based programs?

Chapter 6- Constructivism

2011-02-27T16:18:00.002-06:00

My interest was immediately peaked when I read the names Vygotsky, Bruner and Piaget in the first couple of pages of Chapter 6. My background is in Art Education and these three individuals' theories influenced the very standards that compile the expectations of art education. I supposed it is the relation of the learner to their social environment, the procedural problem solving , and the role of the facilitator that pioneers in art education related to with regards to constructivist theory. Art education has always been struggling to find a way to secure its spot in the curriculum, so when Vygotsky's ,"The Psychology of Art" surfaced, art educators incorporated it into its advocacy arsenal.

Moving on in the chapter, I found the section on "private speech" to extremely interesting as well. "However, overt verbalization can occur at any age when people encounter problems or difficulties"(pg. 250), this sentence made me laugh out loud. As I was reading the various stages of "private speech", I kept thinking to myself, "well I still do this when I lose something". If I can't find my keys, I speak out loud the entire time I am looking for them.

I also agree completely with the the role of the teacher in a constructivist setting. I fully believe that we should be facilitators as much as possible. I feel that if we don't allow students to problem solve on their own, they will never develop those cognitive skills that are necessary to function in society. I am a Digital Arts teacher, as well as art and ceramics; most of my lessons begin with a modeling of a skill and then the students work on their own. If they get stuck, I try to guide them through a series of questions that most of the time leads them to their answer.

My question for you all in other subject areas, Is how do you or how could you approach your lesson in a constructivist manner?

Chapter 5- Cognitive Learning Processes

2011-02-20T19:43:00.003-06:00

In chapter 4 we were introduced to Cognitive Information Processing, how our minds or brains process, store, and filter acquired information. Chapter 5 discusses various cognitive learning processes that exist. The underlying them of this chapter, for me, is that in order to reach goals, one must be able to problem solve. In order to efficiently problem solve, one must be aware of one's cognitive process. Self regulation is key to the problem solving process. One must be able to identify a goal, monitor progress towards that goal, and if necessary make changes to meet said goal.
As a teacher, I feel that one of the most important tasks that I must do on a daily basis is problem solve. For example, in planning my lessons, I constantly backward plan. The book mentions that "backward planning" is a problem solving method typical of the novice,as a novice, this statement does not surprise me. I have been teaching for almost two years now, so naturally I find backward planning to be a vital tool. In planning backwards, I am able to avoid leaving out pertinent steps and/or information, that may be necessary for my students to meet and accomplish their goals for my lessons.

Questions for my peers:
Do any of you use backward planning in their classrooms? If so, what are some examples?

Did anyone recognize any strategies that they already incorporate, either in their personal education and/or classrooms? If so, which one(s)?

In reading the section on "Concept Learning", I could not help but wonder, Did the "concept map" develop out of this learning process? What are your thoughts?

Chapter 4-Cognitive Information Processing Theory

2011-02-13T13:21:00.002-06:00

While reading chapter 4, there were several instances in which I forgot I was reading about human cognition and thought I was reading about computers. After having read this chapter and filtering through its numerous acronyms (LTM, WM, SM) , I was most intrigued with the process of elaboration that is explained on page 161. Elaboration is described as the process in which information is added to new information to be learned. The book leads us to believe that this is beneficial to the student because it enhances their retention of new knowledge. This process appealed to me, because as I was reading about it, it instantly made me think about how I introduce new lessons in my classroom. At the start of a new lesson, I always begin with a brief recap of the previous lesson and ask the students to remind me of what they learned. I then pick one aspect of the previous lesson which relates to the new one, and begin my introduction there. I also like to ask the students how they think this next skill that they are about to learn will apply to their everyday lives. I have always thought that having the students relate new information to something in their lives would further engage them in the lesson, and now I have learned that this also aids in their retention of the new knowledge. This Chapter served as an "A-ha!" moment for me, my question is....Did any of you experience something similiar as you read it?

Content Literacy Journal Entry No. 4

2010-02-18T08:05:00.002-06:00

This fourth section of the module introduced various forms of writing techniques. When incorporated into the class these techniques serve as a point of reflection and recall on the day's or perhaps a unit's lesson. As a teacher, I appreciate the fact that these techniques can also serve as an indicator of student understanding of a lesson. This can be a very useful tool in rewriting lesson plans in order to increase student understanding of key points.

Content Literacy Journal Entry No. 3

2010-02-05T07:58:00.001-06:00

The strategies that were introduced this week all centered on vocabulary. Vocabulary is a very important part of our world and day to day lives. My parents were always adamant about my bother and I reading to broaden our minds. In reading, we constantly came across words that were unfamiliar to us. We learned very quickly to keep a dictionary close by, so that we could look up these words. I suppose this is why I found these strategies so fascinating. I just really enjoyed learning about the different formats that vocabulary can be introduced: before, during, and after a lesson.

Content Literacy Journal Entry No. 2

2010-02-05T07:57:00.000-06:00

I found this week’s topic on student comprehension to be quite interesting. I keep noticing that the recurring theme of all these strategies is the importance of increasing student anticipation and engagement in lessons. As an art educator I found the pattern guide strategy to be the most appealing. I think that it is a great way to enlist the students’ critical thinking skills. The students must call upon these skills in order to place the events or facts in the correct chronological order. While doing this the students are also recalling the lesson, so it also provides a format for review.

My teaching Philosophy...so far

2010-01-31T14:30:00.002-06:00

I feel that the education of tomorrow's society is an important and crucial task. I feel that we, as learners, learn best through our own personal experiences...both successful and not. I think we as teachers should remember this and address the education of today's youth in a similar manner. In my opinion, teaching should imitate a partnership; a partnership between educator and student. Both parties must be present and engaged in the task at hand, in order for the learning process to occur. As a teacher, is it my responsibility to present the resources and information in the best format possible to my students in order to engage them in their learning. Through guided practice the students will learn important concepts critical to their further developement as well educated citizens of our society.

Journal Entry No. 1 for Content Area Strategies

2010-01-20T06:29:00.002-06:00

The most significant point that kept circulating through my mind as I went through this week's readings and videos, was that the start of every good lesson should begin with grabbing the student's attention. The various strategies that I read about addressed various content areas, but they all were set up to do the same thing, ignite the student's curiosity. In doing this the instructor has successfully created a classroom of students eager to learn. As an art teacher I found the questionnaire/interest-survey strategy to be quite useful. I think administering a questionnaire at the beginning of the term, would be an extremely useful guide in educating the instructor on what level of art the incoming students are at.

Lesson PLanning and Student Learning

2009-12-17T09:49:00.003-06:00

Planning lessons ahead of time is very beneficial to student learning. In being prepared, the instructor is able to use the majority of the time allotted to a lesson for instruction. A good lesson plan should take various factors into consideration, such as the student who finishes early. A well planned lesson will include instructions for the early finisher. Unfortunately a student who is left without anything to do will resort to chit chatting, resulting in the distraction of other students. The lesson planning is also beneficial because it aids in the portrayal of the instructor as a well organized and efficient individual, students are receptive to this.

Culture and Student Learning

2009-12-17T09:41:00.002-06:00

The United States is a huge compilation of cultures. Due to this fact, it is crucial that we as teachers, try to familiarize ourselves with our students' cultures. Based on their culture, students will have different learning styles. For example, here in the valley, a larger amount of our students' first language is Spanish. Instructions for assignments may be misunderstood by these students. I think when planning lessons it is important that we keep this in mind and make sure to include visually oriented portions into the discipline. In addition to this, the incorporation of culturally common images, would also aid in engaging the students in the lesson.

The importance of effective classroom management

2009-12-15T08:02:00.002-06:00

Effective classroom management and/or procedure plan are both essential tools in maintaining a successful classroom. Classroom Procedures instill responsibility in students. The procedures clearly state exactly what the students are responsible for in the classroom. Classroom management is key because it aids in the elimination of wasted time and ensures that every minute of the class is devoted to the instruction and learning of its' students.

What is effective teaching and how do you know when it is occurring in the classroom?

2009-11-23T22:54:00.003-06:00

When a student has acquired knowledge of new information and can accurately apply said new knowledge to everyday life as a result of active engagement set forth by a teacher; then in my opinion, effective teaching has taken place. Personally speaking, I feel that effective teaching is taking place in my classroom(art class), when ....one student correctly explains the steps of a new project to a fellow classmate.....when I look around the classroom and all the students are engaged in the creation of their pieces....when a student uses "art vocabulary" correctly in either asking a question or explaining a desired color combination...but my favorite is witnessing a student admire his or her finished art work with apparent pride in his or her eyes.

99% complete mural

2009-11-11T10:03:00.001-06:00

99% complete mural
Originally uploaded by jenrosesegrest

I have been working on this mural since late August. If all goes well we should be installing this coming Sunday. This has been a very educational experience for me, a labor of love. Wish us luck hanging it!
xoxox, jen

me at beachcombers art show

2009-07-27T13:45:00.001-05:00

me at beachcombers art show
Originally uploaded by jenrosesegrest

Hello, so its been forever and a day since i updated this blog. I have a goal and of course it includes keeping my blog up. Lots of news to share, but for now I will just post this pic of my booth from the latest art show I did. I now have a fancy schmancy new banner. I hope everyone is doing well, and if I keep up with my goal I should be talking to you very soon;)
xoxo-jen

Alorinna ..a metal smithing queen

2008-07-17T07:40:00.004-05:00

Hello all, I know it's been a while and I was rather M.I.A., but I am back and I wanted to give you a heads up on this super duper etsy shop.

Alorinna http://alorinna.etsy.com/

Cate(the creative force behind Alorinna) is my JET (Jewelry Etsy Team) partner. She handcrafts all her jewelry out of metal and wire. She creates some really elegant and timeless pieces. She incorporates copper, silver, and natural gemstones such as peruvian opal in her work.

The picture to the right features one of my favorites pair of earrings from Cate's Alorinna shop. They consist of hammered copper and contain the word "dream" on each of them....truly an uplifting message.

For the month of July, Cate and I have teamed up to help promote eachother's shop. So during the month of July anyone who purchases from both of our shops gets 20%. Leave a message in the notes to buyer stating that you have purchased from both shops and we will send you an updated invoice.

Oh one more thing that I find awesome about Cate is that she shares my love for animals. She is a vegan and donates items to the Etsy for Animals shop. So please stop by and check out her awesome shop and beautiful work.

Yo can also find her on the web here http://alorinna.blogspot.com/

Etsy
Buy Handmade
alorinna

Awesome article on artists helping animals

2008-05-02T09:58:00.001-05:00

This is an article found on Etsy(a website of artisan's shops). This article focuses on artists that use animal friendly products in their creations. A must read for all art lovers as well as animal lovers.

read more | digg story

The Graduate

2008-04-30T14:45:00.002-05:00

The Graduate
Originally uploaded by jenrosesegrest

Good Afternoon fellow blog readers, well it is about that time for graduation to fall upon us all. Elementary, middle school,high school, college, cosmetology school, etc etc etc...So keeping with the theme I figured I would create a graduation card. Actually etsygreetings, an etsy street team I belong to, is having a whole slew of promotions on grad cards. You should totally check it out, just go to etsy and search the tag "eggrad". Well everyone have a wonderful day,
xoxo jen

2008-04-23T16:42:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone, I know it has been FOREVER since I last updated here, but I have been like crazy busy. I am finishing up my senior year at the local university and I had my senior exhibit. The exhibit actually consisted of 4 students, but I have thrown together a lil video of my pieces to share with everyone. So sit back and enjoy and by all means, please give me feedback.

Hope everyone is doing well, and I should be a bit more regular at the updating of this blog now. xoxo, jen

The Art of Brownsville: "KALEIDOSCOPE" Senior Exhibit

2008-04-17T11:44:00.000-05:00

The Art of Brownsville: "KALEIDOSCOPE" Senior Exhibit

Raccoon "Jen-i-mal" Style

2008-03-13T15:12:00.001-05:00

Raccoon "Jen-i-mal" Style
Originally uploaded by jenrosesegrest

So I just finished her up today, I plan on painting her in watercolors as well. I will probably whip up some cards for her. I have been thinking of adding backgrounds to my creations, but the plan was to get all my characters lined up and then start showing them in different settings. I have begun to kind of do this with my cows.
xoxo jen

p.s. If anyone has any ideas for a name for this lil sweetheart feel free to shoot em my way.... I just thought of one "Mapache Linda"
Pretty Raccoon in Spanish

Lil Animal box type art

2008-03-11T09:57:00.001-05:00

Group shot
Originally uploaded by jenrosesegrest

This is part of a series of ceramic boxes I am creating. The bases on these four were created with extruded low temperature clay. I hand sculpted the figures and then attached them to the lids via score and slip method. I hand painted the figures with underglazes and then finished them off with an application of a clear glaze. The remaining other pieces I am working on are larger in scale and I will post them as soon as they are done. These range in size from 5" to 7" inches.
Just wanted to share a bit of the technical process.

Valentine's Day Sweetness

2008-02-14T13:21:00.001-06:00

Valentine's Day Sweetness
Originally uploaded by jenrosesegrest

What a perfect picture for Valentine's Day, wouldn't you all agree. Cooter loving on LuLu, such a sweet and cute moment.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!!!

Big hugs and Kisses from our family to yours
xoxox ,
jen

Tito el Tortuga

2008-02-13T16:15:00.001-06:00

Tito el Tortuga
Originally uploaded by jenrosesegrest

I am going to be listing blank note cards featuring a print of my Tito the Tortuga on it at my Etsy Shop... www.jenrosesegrest.etsy.com.
I am also having a BOGO sale at my shop. This sale will run through Valentine's Day at midnight. I am really just trying to get more of my jen-i-mals out there in circulation. My goal is to spread smiles throughout the world(pretty small goal huh?), via my jen-i-mal family.
I hope you all like them as much as I do.
xoxo jen

Blue, Popeye and Lili

2008-02-07T10:53:00.001-06:00

So our next three dogs that I have to blog about are Blue, Popeye and Lili. Now I will have to backtrack a bit. If you recall Lulu and Cooter from my previous posts, you will remember that they are female and male. Well despite being together in the same area for like 2 years they failed to get pregnant. People told us that we might have to place a book or step for Cooter to be able to reach Lulu. Well we figured it it happened it would happen. Once we moved down to Brownsville, I am not sure whether it was the country air or if Cooter just had more room, but low and behold Miss Lulu was pregnant.

Well I researched and researched many a website, and educated myself in all things Basset. Towards the end of her pregnancy Lulu was huge, poor baby her tummy would drag on the floor. We had no idea when she was going to go into labor. One of our dear friends,Lili, just so happened to be available to sit with LuLu during the day. She had some prior experience with birthing pups(pugs that is). I really dont know what we would have done without her, to this day we thank her.

The last week of her pregnancy, Lu would flop over on her side and you could see these lumps moving inside her, it was creepy because it reminded me of aliens or something. We could only guess how many babies she had in her. Lili called me one afternoon with the news that Lu's water had broken. Off I went, once home we waited and waited and waited, Lili decided to go home and change and get something to eat and them come back. I told her please hurry back becasue I have like no experience with this stuff, not to mention I am so queasy around blood.

Just to mention we had already prepared a spot for her to have the pups, I had gloves, and a heating pad all ready to go. Well as luck would have it(at least my luck), as soon as lili left i noticed Lulu licking and saw a small blobish looking thing poking out of her ,for lack of a better term, birth canal. Frantically I phoned my brother(Biology Grad) and told him to get to my house ASAP. So Lulu looked panicky, she didnt know what to do she kept looking at me like what's going on. The worst part of it is that she kept trying to sit down and I was so scared she was going to smoosh this lil one.

I decided I was going to have to react or this was all going to go bad fast. I threw on my surgical non powdered latex gloves and helped her wedged her baby out. Granted I had to be VERY careful, and if possible I would so recommend having a Vet to do this. Once Lulu pushed the lil one out, she kind of nudged it with her nose and kind of looked at me so I decided I would need to tear open the sac so that this baby could breathe(the only reason I knew to do this was because of all my research, Thank God for the internet). Once I had accomplished this Lulu started licking the pup and she started responding, but then Lu wasnt doing anything about the umbilical cord, so here I go again, so I took my sterilized scissors and proceeded to cut, this was so not working that freakin umbilical cord is like some sinewy texture, I finally had to use a knife to cut it. Finally, 40 minutes later pup #1 was born, she was a girl. Lili, my brother Phil and my husband finally got home to assist, I let out a big sigh of relief. With so many hands to help, I was able to convince our dear friend, and Godfather to Cooter and Lulu, Lupe that is was not necessary for him to drive 5 hours to assist.

The next pup came like 10 mintues later, same thing we had to cut the sac and umbilical cord as well, this pup was a boy and a lemon color. His tail was also turned at a right angle, I thought it was broken butit turns out it's just a small defect, we think it just makes him special, this lil pup is now called Blue. Lulu had two more pups and then nothing for like 4 hours, at midnight she gave birth to four more pups, by this time Lulu had gotten the hang of it, so we just had to watch the others while she was busy we these ones. We had to move her nto our closet,(this turned out to be the nursery for like the next 2 months). She had a total of 13 puppies inside her, unfortunatley 2 were still born and 1 passed away a lil after the first 24 hours.

We found good healthy home for the most of the pups we decided to stay with three of them. That is how we got Blue, Popeye and Lili.

Pictured above is Blue and Popeye all growed up

Blue is the one who was born with the turned tail.

Popeye got his name becasue he was the strongest pup, and the first to do everything
Lili originally was given to my Mother and Father in law, but when they moved down to Brownsville from San Antonio we took over Lili becasue we had more yard space for her.

The whole experience of birthing those puppies just goes to prove that you never know what you are capable of until you are put into these kind of situations. "I was up to my elbows in afterbirth"...that is my quote that Imost remember saying or thinking not quite sure which, that night.

Oh and that is probably the last time I breed a dog, it is a whole lot to put not only your momma dog through , but yourself if you are going to be serious about taking good care of her and the pups,a dnthen to find good homes, is another hurdle. So I strongly advise to seriously think not only twice about it, but like a hundred times about it.

I am now a firm believer in spaying and nuetering your dogs and cats.

xoxox, jen

if anyone has any questions regarding the whelping process and caringof the pups ie.. shots etc, feel free to email me. I am by no means an expert but I do know how much other's experiences aided me.

You can see Blue's tail here, he is the one in the far left of the pic.

Loookie at my new pins....

2008-02-01T13:59:00.001-06:00

How is everyone? I hope everyone is doing just swell. So I know I am supposed to talk about the next three doggies in my family but I had to share this with you all. So I finally got around to ordering button pins with some of my lil Jen-i-Mals on them. I came across Promos in a Snap's shop on Etsy. First of all she has the cutest lil' ferret as her avatar(which was my first attraction). Her shop is filled with all sorts of nifty promotional type stuff. You can order stickers, business cards, scratch cards, pins, if you aren't design oriented or your like me, and can never make up your mind. Crystal has no problem helping you out.
So I just wanted to give her the kudos she deserves. Look at the picture, aren't they just adorable. I really am in love with them. So make sure you stop by her shop and see what she has to offer.
www.promosinasnap.etsy.com.

I hope everyone has a great weekend, for those of you battling the cold stay warm.
xoxox, jen

cooter

2008-01-31T10:21:00.001-06:00

So I figured I would start my first blog by introducing my extended family of four-legged -friends. They all have their own unique stories on how we came to include them in our family. I hope you enjoy meeting them.

So this is Cooter, he was a gift to my husband ,from yours truly, for his birthday 5 years ago. He was a scraggly lil pup with space out and crooked teeth. We fell in love with him and we survived through his puppy hood, unfortunatley I can't say the same for a pair of my glasses, or our "The Green Mile" dvd.

After about a year with Cooter, just enough time had passed for us to forget all his destruction and we decided Cooter needed a buddy. So one cold, wet day at a flea market in San Antonio we met LuLu. We were at the flea market becasue I had gotten the ingenious idea that I would sell my own hand crafted jewelry there.....bad idea. Well the jewelry wasnt a success, perhaps due to either my prices or the cold, damp weather. That weekend wasnt a whole loss because we came across Lu. There was a breeder selling pups at the flea market. There was this continuous, loud, and obnoxious barking that we continued to hear. Upon further investigation,(my father-in-law went in for a closer look) we realized this bark belonged to a cute lil bassett hound.

So instead of a pocket full of cash from my jewelry sales, we went home that day with LuLu.

Lulu proved to be more of a handfull then Cooter ever was. Wow, she pulled up linoleum, she chewed the walls, the furniture, electrical cords. Not to mention the barking, at the top of her lungs and then Cooter decided he should join her. We had an uptight neighbor at the time who didnt find the basset hound choir very charming, so she was constantly harrassing us. Anyway we entually moved once we were married. We now live on 3 acres and the bassets have grown into wonderful, and loyal friends. They had puppies....that is a whole other Blog post....that will be my next and it can segway into the 3 next dogs. Well I hope this was semi enjoyable.

XOXO, Jen

One of my LuLu inspired Illustrations