§ol
I Notes To Dad
|o by
I Nancy Crago
g Allegheny County
g o Extension Agent
w 1
The Better Life
Last Saturday night I went
with a friend to see the movie,
World Traveler. It is a story
about a man who is struggling
with personal responsibility and
commitment
Some persons would think this
man has it all. He has the looks
of a movie star and is successful
in his career as an architect. He
has a beautiful wife and son who
adore him. But one day, in the
midst of preparations for his
son’s birthday party, he walks
out the door, leaving only a note.
He gets in his car and begins to
drive.
At his first stop, the man pur
chases a key chain with a small
globe attached, makes a small
mark on the globe to show his
son where he is traveling and
sends it to him for a birthday
present. As he travels westward
across the United States, the man
struggles with his past and pres
ent behaviors, encountering situ
ations and persons who bring
back images of his wife and son
and his past life.
His travels lead him to a log
home in the hills of Oregon. The
viewer soon realizes he knows
this place. It is his father’s home.
He had visited it as a small boy in
the summer, until he was old
enough to realize it wasn’t just a
summer place and that his father
was not a world traveler. His own
dad had walked out on him and
his mother when he was a young
child. Now he was doing the
same thing to his family.
Searching for answers and try
ing to understand his own behav
ior, he asks his father, “Why did
you do this?” The father thinks
for a moment, shrugs his shoul
ders and says, “I guess I was
looking for a better life.”
After the brief visit with his fa
ther, the man realizes that he has
“the better life,” not his father.
He returns to New York hoping
it is still there. When he enters
the home, his son welcomes him
with a big hug, just like he was
never gone. But guess what the
little son was clutching in his
hands as he hugged his dad? The
key chain with the little blue
globe!
This is a story had a happy
ending. Unfortunately, every
night one out of every three chil
dren in our country go to sleep in
a home without their biological
father. Research shows that fa
ther absence is associated with
numerous social problems includ
ing youth crime, teen pregnancy,
a decrease in educational
achievement and poverty.
If you are a dad and are choos
ing the “better life,” give yourself
a pat on the back for your com
mitment to stay involved in your
child’s life. If you know other
dads who are committed to the
“better life,” give them a pat on
the back, too. It does make a dif
ference.
As those TV public service an
nouncements sponsored by the
National Fatherhood Initiative
acclaim, “It takes a man to be a
dad.”
Pennsylvania is one of the first
states to establish a Fatherhood
Initiative to increase public
awareness of the importance of
fathers in children’s lives, to re
connect dads with their children,
and to strengthen the relation
ships between fathers, their chil
dren, and their families. If you
would like information about this
program, call
1-866-MY-PA-DAD
(1-866-697-2323).
Dads are important!
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Lancaster Extension Offers
Workshops For All Interests
LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.) Register now for any of the fol
lowing Better Kid Care workshops in May and June 2002.
Workshops are designed for all caregivers of young children par
ents, grandparents and others are also welcome to attend.
For more information, contact Debra Naumann at the Lancaster
County Penn State Cooperative Extension office at (717) 394-6851.
Child Care For Mixed Age
This is a great workshop for family home providers or those who
work with mixed-age groups of children. You’ll learn new ideas for
activities and spaces that can accommodate a wide range of age
groups. Ways to involve older children in teaching younger ones will
be shared, as well as safety considerations for mixed age groups.
Instructor: Debra Naumann, Family Strengths
Cost: $5
Date: Wednesday, June 26
Time: 7 p.m.-9 p.m.
Financial Planning For Retirement:
Getting An Early Start
Do you have big dreams but little savings for retirement? Maybe
you haven’t even thought about it yet.
It is never too early to start planning for your financial security in
retirement. Even if you delayed getting started, there are things you
can do to reclaim time.
Learn about setting goals, calculating retirement needs, determining
appropriate investments, and understanding risk.
Instructor: Robert J. Thee, Ph.D., CFP, Extension Agent, Housing
and Financial Management
Date: Thursdays, June 6 and 13
Time: 7 p.m.-9 p.m.
Mutual Funds: Getting A Start
If you are a participant in a retirement fund that offers mutual
funds or if you are looking to invest for other purposes, this workshop
will offer an opportunity to leant about types of mutual funds, re
searching and selecting a fund, reading a prospectus, and understand
ing fund volatility, fees and other expenses, and asset allocation strate
gies.
Instructor: Robert J. Thee, Ph.D, CFP, Extension Agent, Housing
and Financial Management
A deadline for registration has been included
for the heirloom sewing classes since special sup
plies need to be ordered and kits assembled. No
refunds or cancellations can be made after the
registration deadline.
Watch roses come alive under your fingertips
as the workshop shows how to embellish a knit
shirt with a cascade of dimensional silk ribbon
flora woven through with a ribbon bow. This silk
ribbon embroidered shirt will make a beautiful
addition to your summer wardrobe.
Some silk ribbon embroidery knowledge is use
ful although the basic stitches will be demonstrat
ed. Supply list: knit shirt, embroidery scissors,
washout marking pen, embroidery hoop.
Saturday, June 8
Time: 9 a.m.-noon
Class Limit: Min. 4, Max. 15
Fee: $2B (includes kit with all silk ribbon, floss,
needles, and stitch diagram)
Student needs to provide the shirt
(No refunds or cancellation made after the
deadline)
In this class, the student will learn the basics of
English Smocking preparation, stem/outline
stitch, cable stitch, wave and trellis stitches, start
ing and stopping and how to read smocking pat
terns.
The basic mechanics of pleating will be demon
strated by the instructor. The student will prac
tice on a prepleated sampler and will make a
smocked sampler. Going from smocking to con
struction will be discussed.
This is a handwork class. Supply list: embroi
dery scissors, optional: additional task lighting
and extension cord.
Time: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. (with hour break for
lunch)
Fee: $45 (includes kit with prepleated fabric,
needles, thread and tie off board)
Registration deadline: July 3
(No refunds or cancellations made after deadli
ne)
Instructor: Kristi Elkner
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 1.2002-B7
Date: Mondays, June 10 and 17
Time: 7 p.m.-9 p.m.
Heirloom Sewing Workshops
Ribbons And Roses
Instructor: Kristi Elkner
Beginning English Smocking Classes
Beginning English Smocking
Friday, July 12
Class Limit: Min. 3, Max 15
Beginning English Smocking
Saturday, July 13
Time: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
(with hour break for
lunch)
Class Limit: Min. 3,
Max. 15
Fee: $45 (includes kit
with prepleated fabric,
needles, thread and tie
off board)
Registration deadline:
July 3
(No refunds or
cancellations made after
deadline)
Instructor: Kristi
Elkner