September 11, 2012

9/11: Status of World Trade Center site 11 years later photo from this link    http://www.indystar.com/viewart/20120910/NEWS01/120910007/9-11-Status-World-Trade-Center-site-11-years-later

It was the morning of September 11, 2001 and I dropped my four-year-old daughter Sabrina off a North Shore Head Start on Bridge Street in Beverly, Massachusetts just on the Salem/Beverly line and I headed over to work at the Salem Y.M.C.A. where I taught swimming lessons to all ages and aquasize to the "active older adults".

I was in the ladies locker room with the Salem Y's Executive Director Linda and some other staff as we began watching the planes that left from Boston Logan International Airport hit the New York Twin Towers on the large television screen that was bolted to the wall.  We were all STUNNED by the first one plane, mortified by the second plane and were at a loss for words when we heard a third plane was heading for the Pentagon. We soon learned it was a "Terrorist Attack".

I decided stay at work until the end of my shift later in the afternoon and when I went to pick up Sabrina there was only one other child with her as all the other children's parents picked them up early in a panic.

Sabrina was four-years-old on September 11, 2001 and in pre-school.  She is now fourteen and just begging her freshman year in high school - WoW!  Eleven 911's have past and still as I watch the videos and hear the stories I feel the pain and remorse for those we lost, for the buildings that were destroyed, for a skyline that changed.  God Bless the USA.

God Bless the USA - "Proud to Be an America" - Lee Green

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q65KZIqay4E

Here is what Boston is doing at the Boston Public Garden to pay tribute:

Boston Public Garden 9/11 Memorial - Voices of September 11th

voicesofseptember11.org/dev/memorials.php?mem_id=133Share

Purpose: To memorialize the victims of September 11, 2001 from Massachusetts and New England. This memorial will be a remembrance space for 250 families ...

http://voicesofseptember11.org/dev/memorials.php?mem_id=133

World Trade Center Status - 11 years later!

NEW YORK — Eleven years after terrorists attacked the World Trade Center, the new multibillion-dollar World Trade Center once again dominates the lower Manhattan skyline. Hundreds of construction workers are at the 16-acre site every day, and tourists snap thousands of photos of the two towers that are nearing completion.

Read More this link:

 http://www.indystar.com/viewart/20120910/NEWS01/120910007/9-11-Status-World-Trade-Center-site-11-years-later

"I am so sure that the collective karma given out by  Toastmasters

all over the world, literally...the world...is what sustained my life". 

LaShunda M. Rundles, 2008 WCPS 

Lv you Lady! YOU worked that stage and you changed our lives and you let us know about your journey with Lupus thank you for taking us with YOU Sweet Soul SiStha!

Donations can be made to the Lupus Foundation in  LaShunda M. Rundles name.

http://www.lupusne.org/

LaShunda Celebrates her 40h Bbday
http://sherriraftery.blogspot.com/2009/11/2008-wcps-lashundle-rundles-celebrates.html

From Sonya Rundles Facebook Page

"A Celebration of Life Service" will be held for our Toastmasters 2008 WCPS LaShunda M. Rundles on Saturday August 25th, 2012 at 11:00 am at Friendship West Baptist Church, 2020 W. Wheatland Rd. Dallas, TX 75232.

Cards can be sent to:
P.O

. 593 Desoto, TX.

Donations can be made in LaShunda's name to the Lupus Foundation.

Flowers can be sent to the Church address.

If you have questions, please contact her amazing sister Sonya Rundles 972-333-3867 or 469-337-5891

www.toastmasters.org

 — with LaShunda M. Rundles and Sonya Rundles.

From the Toastmasters International Website:

The Toastmasters community honors the memory of LaShunda Rundles, 2008 World Champion of Public Speaking. Rundles passed away on Aug. 21, 2012, after a long battle with lupus.

Rundles was a member of the Town North Trendsetters club in Dallas. Read a message from District 50 honoring her.

The October 2008 Toastmaster magazine article, "A Winner in Many Ways," profiled Rundles.

Watch a segment of Rundles' winning 2008 speech.(Rundles' segment follows that of Vikas Jhingran from 2007.)

www.toastmasters.org 

http://www.toastmasters.org/InMemoriamLaShundaRundles

Mrs. Cook's - 4th Grade Wolcott School

Sherry Raftery - Mrs. Cook's 4th Grade Class - Walcott School Revere, Massachusetts

Graduates from 8th Grade!

SR Rosey & Jasmarie graduate from the Belmonte Middle School 8th Grade!  

 One proud MaMa! She will be a Freshman in High School in September 2012!

ABC's Public Speaking Workshop!

ABC's of Public Speaking Workshop

http://saugus.advocatenews.net/sherri-rafterys-public-speaking-workshop-at-spl-a-success/

Sherri Raftery’s Public Speaking workshop at SPL a success


January 6, 2012   By Saugus News

On Wednesday December 21, 2011 at the Saugus Public Library Sherri Raftery, M. Ed. presented an interactive ABCs of Public Speaking Workshop to a diverse group of people who came from Saugus and surrounding towns of Lynn, Swampscott, Malden and Everett Massachusetts to learn tips and tricks that will help them speak in front of large and small audiences.

Sherri invited each person to come to the front of the room,” Take Center Stage” and speak, then she provided them with valuable feedback, encouragement and constructive evaluations to help them feel more confident and improve their speaking and presentation skills.

If you missed it you can make this your 2012 New Year’s Resolution and attend the “ABC’s of Public Speaking Workshop” on Tuesday January 31, 2012 at the Saugus Public Library from 6:30PM-8:00PM.

Here are some testimonials from those who attended:

“Sherri, I thought your ABC’s of Public Speaking program last night was great!! I had positive feedback today from Ann Condon who also enjoyed it and we should definitely set up some more programs for 2012”. Diane Wallace, Director, Saugus Public Library.

“Sherri was awesome! She had great individual advice and excellent mannerisms in communicating her ideas on public Speaking” “I will follow the advice of not dancing on stage”. Zach Duca, College Student, Saugus

“Sherrri was calm and positive, she made me feel at ease…please have this again in January” Debbie Ann, Children/Student Advocate, Malden

“Good Excel presentation, worth the time”. Wayne Brooks, Saugus Town Meeting Member, Saugus,

If you would like to learn more about improving your public speaking skills Sherri Raftery can be reached at: rafterysher@aol.com or 978-235-2035

Handsome Blue Afghan!

This is an afghan that I crocheted for a friend and it looks like he is putting it to great use! VERY HANDSOME - eh?

I have started another one and am almost done with another one for friends cabin in New Hampshire. Will post photo when it is complete!

Afghan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghan_(blanket)

Crochet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crocheting

Theatre Co. of Saugus OLIVER!

Sherri, Michael (up & coming SuperStar!), Amanda (TCS President), Kosi, Molly, Yesenia, Kathy

Theatre Co of Saugus cast of OLIVER!
http://www.itemlive.com/articles/2011/11/17/news/news19.txt

Oliver was an amazing production with the Theatre Co. of Saugus. I met and friended new peeps and also reconnected with former peeps. I was happy that Sabrina worked back stage but hope that she tries to "Take Center Stage" for our next Holiday Show and 12 Months of Music Revue. Auditions were last nite and are next Tuesday.

See the little superstar in front with the black top hat and blue coat - Michael S? He played the Artful Dodger and is an amazing amazing singer and performer! He hit all his marks, new all his lines and sang all of his lyrics - incredibly impressive!

Last year my daughter went on a field trip with her school at the time (St. Pius V) to see Joseph and the Amazing Techincolor Dream Coat. She came home and expressed how well she thought the lead singer who played Joseph (Michael S.) did. If Sabs is impressed then I too am impressed. Well, at the Oliver auditions I finally met Michael and now I am REALLY impressed!

Let me just say this on the record now - Michael is a star and could very well become a professional star if he keeps going as he is! I told his parents that if I ever had a son - he is the son that I would be proud to have because in addition to performing he is also a three seasoned athelete (plays baseball and hockey on three hockey leagues !), does well academically (just earned a Math award) and to top all of this off is a very down to earn kid with a great personality, sense of humor and EVERYBODY loves him! APPLAUSE & BRAVO!

But let me also say that I am proud of my daughter and I support what she choses to do too!