How to summarize five years?

That indeed is the question. It's an impossible task. As I write, I'm sitting in our family's time share which we've had for more than 35 years. It's been a wonderful week to get away and celebrate Christmas, with great weather and lots of sun.... but today is wet and dreary. There is a winter storm warning with freezing rain and over a half inch of ice accumulated on literally everything. As the temperature slowly rises, the rain continues to fall and the ice covering every surface will slowly melt away. And the winds are picking up. The grey clouds are speeding on by, and a few brave souls are chipping ice off their cars or walking by, presumably with a destination in mind. Life is like this. There are ups and downs, sunny days and rainy ones, sometimes in balance and sometimes in excess, windy days (with potential power outages), beauty and sorrow, warnings and storms, glory and light, hard work and relaxing moments, all intertwined. 

The past five years have been a blur. The kids have grown older, and apparently Papa Bear and I have as well. Two have graduated and moved on and out, two still reside with us officially, but are in college and rarely at home. Vivace turned 20 and we are no longer parents of teenagers. Papa Bear is talking about retirement (though it's still years away). I'm happily teaching, but that home/work balance is still elusive. I do less work at home than I used to - usually - but it's always on my mind. Many of my students struggle with real and imagined needs. Some of those needs are significant, like homelessness, a parent deployed or in prison, immigration status, death, and more. Some in our extended family struggle with similar things. Our dreams are sometimes realized, like my trip to France with Constance the summer of 2023. (This French teacher finally saw the Eiffel Tower with her own eyes!) But more often it seems they are buried in the dullness of daily life and potentially forgotten.

Visiting Paris was definitely on my so-called bucket list, but it was the time with my daughter that truly fulfilled my dream. Together, we plotted and planned, spoke and listened and learned, shopped and cooked and ate and cleaned up. We had adventures, saw new things, problem-solved, laughed and shared our thoughts. We were tired and got grumpy. We laughed and cooked and made memories. We took time and space apart as well, which helped keep it from becoming too much time together. It was a gift. Being able to do something I really wanted to do and having someone to share it with was the dream realized. 

I think that as I've grown older, and as I'm learning what really matters to me, my dreams are taking on new forms to reflect that. They are seemingly more general in nature, as in dreaming of time together for the holidays rather than going somewhere or doing something in particular. In some ways, they're bigger even if less specific. And I increasingly delight in dreary, quiet days like today. These are now part of my dreams. I cherish moments to stare out the window and watch the clouds go by and the roof drip. To watch tree branches bend under the weight of ice and bow and pause and wonder. And consider the impossibility of summarizing five years and leave it at that. Suffice it to say they have been a gift.

Ecclesiastes 3 (NIV) - A time for everything 

9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.

We are still here - three years later.

I would like to resume posting here from time to time, though it has been several years since I last did so.  Time has flown.  Children have grown and our hair has greyed.  The one who graduated from high school in my last post will shortly graduate from college.  The others have transitioned to new schools in the time that has passed, and already I'm in my third year teaching world language at the local middle school. We still enjoy time with my mom, with whom we try to connect in person weekly.  COVID-19 has changed many of the details of our lives, but 2020 was actually a good, if challenging, year. There were many blessings and lessons and some day I will write of these.  As this new year commences, there is a fresh page ready to record what God is doing in our lives.  I hope to make time for writing, for reading, for gardening and tending my home, and for building relationships.  My body craves nourishment of the Word, of nourishing food, and of exercise. Somehow we need to make room for these things even in the busyness of work and the needs of caring for a large family.  

This Christmas season, we are particularly enjoying our star 

as it beautifully lights up the new bay window installed in September.  

Jesus says in John 12:46: 

"I have come as Light into the world, 

so that no one who believes in Me will remain in darkness."

As we behold the light, may we know Him who sent it.

Graduation

Really it must be said that one of our biggest milestones of 2017 was our oldest graduating from high school.... and then heading off to college!  What a change for us to send one off, and to have one less at home.  She did great.  She chose well.  She has great roomies, great friends, isn't too far away, nor is she too close to home.  Our neighbor (we can see their house right out our front window) also goes there so we can carpool (go figure).  They actually took her back to school a few days ago for Jan Plan - that was a gift and a half!  It's a wonderful blessing to have her so well situated and happy.

Les Miserables

One of the "ups" of 2017 was the boys performance in Les Mis at the local high school.  It was very well done.  Vivace played Gavroche and Andante played Enjolras.  They worked very hard to put this together and all the actors were terrific, which made it a stellar production.  Patience rented a car and drove with three friends home from college just to see them.  They were not disappointed and declared it to have been totally worth it.  All this meant a LOT to the boys.  Our director is amazing and the show received compliments from many who know this production well. 

Among the comments I heard were:

-Never seen a high school production this good.
-Professionally done
-The caliber of the singing was amazing.
-Stunning choreography
-Love the live pit orchestra - made it real.
-Everyone did well (referring to all the actors) and that made it particularly good.  It can't be done well if only some (of the actors) sing or act well.  (Implication is that it would be lopsided and one person's excellent performance would just make the others' seem to be of lesser quality).
-I saw it in Boston done professionally, and this was far better.

Suffice it to say that it wowed people, many of whom knew the show and had certain expectations because of that, and I'm not sure how any acting our boys will do in the future will compare.  It was a "once in a lifetime" experience, and was worth every minute of practice, and every ounce of exhaustion.  Bravo.

The link to the video is below, but please keep in mind (after all that praise) that the recording does not do justice either to the music or to the acting.  This recording emphasizes everyone's faults and you can't hear the orchestra well. I hope you will not be disappointed.  Note also that Vivace had been sick for two weeks (roughly) and was just getting his voice back the night this was filmed.  Normally his voice would be much stronger (and more on key).

Check it out here. https://vimeo.com/246959243 Password: musical2017 (if needed).

If you just want to check out the boys, they are in the opening scene (chain gang), and then again from roughly 50 min on.  

At 1:09.50 ish (start a little before - song starts 1:07?), both boys are prominent and on the risers shouting "Vive la France" at the end of an impassioned song... fabulous moment for me as a mom to have them both together on stage like that.    And again, at 1:22 and many points following that (song starts ~1:20) before intermission...

Welcome to 2018

It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating the start of a new millennium, and now it's 2018.  We'll officially have four teenagers this year, and we work a lot.  But we're employed, our needs are met, and God is still - and always will be, no matter what happens - good.  

Last year had a lot of ups and downs.  I prefer to look at and consider the "ups," but losing my dad was rough.  Still is.  We miss him.  The day he died, he spent with Vivace and Papa Bear, shopping for a glove.  He ate dinner with his beloved.  It was a full and wonderful day - such a blessing.  And then he was gone.  

I've learned a lot about enjoying the moment because we just don't know what tomorrow will bring.   But living in the moment is often a challenge. I guess if I have a New Year's Resolution, it relates to this.  I want to make time for what's important in the "bigger" and "longer-term" view of my present life and simply put the work down, no matter how important it might be.  I want to set aside time to be with and enjoy doing things with my immediate family, even when work screams for my attention, which it always does and probably always will.  The tyranny of the urgent is tough, and with all the transitions and needs of the past couple years, there has been a lot of urgent that could not be ignored.  But even in the midst of that, I need to set aside time to spend with my family when I'm not distracted or working (or both). Exercise is key, as is playing games - something I love to do.  I want to make these a priority.  Over our Christmas vacation in Stowe, I swam with my youngest, we baked and cooked together, and we played poker (Texas Hold 'Em), Clue, Apples to Apples, "basketball," and Stock Market. These are good memories and time well spent.  

I also need to bathe all of this in prayer and root all that I do firmly in God's word and will, whether it be work at home, teaching, caring for my mom, or time with my family and friends.  Reading the Bible regularly - not just from time to time - is a necessity and is also something I want to improve on this year.  It is in the Bible and in personal worship time with God that I usually find comfort, encouragement, wisdom, and understanding, gifts that God generously bestows and which I desperately need.  He has sustained me this past year, and I am thankful for Him and for His mercy and faithfulness every single day.  

We wish you all a happy 2018!

Do you love me?

It's been a whirlwind of a year.  I am struggling to process the simple fact that six months of 2017 are already behind me.  Literally, I do not know where the time went.  That said, the two weeks since school got out have been heavenly.  I have so needed to be home.  Unfortunately, there is much still to be done for this to be deemed a "successful" summer.

One of the things I need to make time for is my children, especially Constance.  Last night, she curled up next to me on the couch, and essentially told me she wants me to spend more time with her and to stop thinking about my students and classroom.  She's jealous - quite literally - for my attention.  When I ask her for her thoughts on classroom arrangement etc, instead of feeling included and that her opinion is valued, she seems to feel threatened, as though I could possibly care more for them than her.  While this is not at all the case, I need to recognize her need, which is very real and very appropriate. She is still young, and wants to know she is cherished and important enough that I will think about and spend time with her.  I remain thankful that she takes the time to speak to me that I may know her concerns and her heart.  May God grant me wisdom as I interact with her this summer and may she be reassured of my love and affection in ways she can understand and feel.

Still Ringing True

I was just doing some research regarding setting up my classroom for next year (anyone out there familiar with flexible seating?)... and somehow rather than connecting me with a middle school blog, I ended up on my own blog.

So I read it - or at least my latest post (which was a year ago).  And wow.  So much has happened!  And yet so much of that blog post still rings true today.

Without attempting in one post to review a whole year, the 2016-2017 academic year is over.  I had other interviews last summer and was hired right before school started as the 7th & 8th grade classroom teacher for a private Christian school 30 miles south of where we live. There wasn't much time to get my feet under me before school began, but with a great administrator and co-workers, all went well.   It was a great fit, and a full and satisfying year, yet I'm thankful for the summer break.

Teaching all the core subjects, with little planning time ahead of the school year, was a challenge.  I enjoyed it, but there is much I can and will do differently next year.  The transition of me going back to work full-time, and at a distance from home, required adjustment from and for everyone in the family.  There was a lot going on personally as well, with my parents settling in, Patience manoeuvring through her senior year and college decisions, everyone getting sick, Andante's theatrical involvement, Vivace's sports injuries, Constance's academic ambitions, and more.  My dad passed away suddenly and unexpectedly (though peacefully) in January, and there wasn't much spare time or energy with which to handle that emotionally or practically - but of course God provided what we needed.  Frankly, however, it was a hard year.

Last summer was a time of transition, of regrouping, of reflecting on the prior year, and of forward-planning without knowing quite what I'd be doing in the fall.  This summer will also be a time of regrouping, reflecting, and forward planning.  There are still tasks at home to complete, boxes to be gone through, baseball games to attend, taxes and finances to work on - none of that has changed, though we are a year older and wiser and certainly more experienced.  I think I successfully stole second, and it was a wild whirlwind of a play.  This summer will hopefully offer a bit of a breather before moving on.  Indeed, the TS Elliot quote from a year ago still rings true:

And to make an end is to make a beginning.  

The end is where we start from.

This time, I know I'm going back to the middle school classroom I left a few weeks ago.  Taking what I learned and accomplished last year, I can move forward with more confidence as well as more time to plan.  I'm already ahead of where I began last year! And the Lord will guide and direct, as he always has and always does.  Proverbs 16:9 states:

The mind of man plans his way, 

But the Lord directs his steps."  

I'm thankful indeed that this is true and that I can trust him every step of the way.  

"The End"

I'm feeling a little nostalgic today.  It's probably "nothing," but I finished school yesterday, two of the kids are off at school in the throes of the "last days of the year," my freshman is taking his last two exams and will be done around noon, and my newly minted senior is upstairs asleep.  It made me think of my beloved Pooh Bear at the end of his many adventures....

The end of "Winnie the Pooh"

My student teaching is over, I graduated from the TAP program in good standing, my portfolio is done and approved, I have my teaching license in hand, I have worked full-time all year (unpaid in the fall, paid in the spring), I've prepped resumes, applied for teaching positions, had interviews, and been told others have been selected. My position in the computer lab has been cut so I have no job to go back to in the fall. I'm done with this year. Completed successfully. The End.

I loved this year. I loved classroom teaching. I loved learning how to do it "properly" and much better than before. I loved the training I received and the people I met along the way. I loved the school I worked and taught at. I loved the students. I loved my co-workers. Lest you think I wear rose-colored glasses, there were challenging times, difficult students, heart-breaking concerns to address, and personal and professional issues to resolve. But there is little I would change; I learned much and grew a lot and will miss it all.

A student came into the lab yesterday while I was wrapping up some grading for one of the French teachers. She was done w/her exams and I congratulated her on finishing the year and asked her how it felt to be a junior. She expressed what we all often feel - growing up is hard and she didn't want this year to end. We had a great conversation. We spoke of hope, and of positive growth, and of not really wanting things to be the same - but of fear and trepidation at what is new and unknown. She may "never want to leave high school," but nor would she really want to stay. You outgrow it - you change - and this can be for good. We talked about innocence and wisdom. We talked about progress and stagnation. We agreed that change is not in and of itself good or bad. And we also agreed it is often difficult. I shared several quotes (I've been collecting them). One relates to baseball. All progress is risk; you can't steal second if you keep a foot on first. (Corollary: If you stay on first, it's an automatic out when the next man up gets a base hit - a no win situation!) There are many life lessons in baseball. But I digress.

It's been a good year, but it has come to an end. It's time to regroup, to enjoy the summer, and to get some much needed work done around the house. There are boxes to be gone through, parents to help settle in, taxes to be completed, people to spend time with, much baseball to be played, children to help with assignments and jobs, and business tasks to accomplish. I'm unemployed - but I have plenty to do. And I'm far from lonely; I'm surrounded by a very beloved group of people, most notably my kids and husband. Not sure if this summer is me hanging out on the base and getting ready for the steal, or if it's me stepping off the base and taking the risk. We'll see; either way, the year is now complete, and it's been great. God has taken care of all our needs and I am going to choose to trust him with this next step. Meanwhile, it's time to go do the laundry. I will leave you with this thought from TS Eliot:

And to make an end is to make a beginning. 

The end is where we start from.

Certification

And today I was approved as a licensed educator in the state of Vermont.  :-)

Submission

Today was another big day.  I officially applied for licensure to teach French (grades 7-12) in the state of VT.  I am now officially able to say that my license is "pending".  Transcripts have been ordered, tests have been taken, fingerprints done (tho' might have to do those again), and all ducks in a row.  I need to upload a couple more supporting documents this weekend, but it's officially "in".

A graduation

Friday, April 1st, I officially graduated from the TAP program.  I'm not sure if my portfolio needs another reviewing or not, but either way, they've mailed out the letter to the state saying I've officially finished and am recommended for licensure.

It was a lovely time and I was very blessed to have my entire family in attendance.  My kids cheered, probably more because they have me back than because I am done, but either way is fine, since the two things go together.

Progression

I began tracking my portfolio progress on March 11th (the left most thermometer).  I finished on March 29th (the right most thermometer).  There was far more than just portfolio writing going on during that time too, including kids, work, home, doctor's appts, and the like.  That's 18 days.  Very full days.  Plus that's a lot of writing.  I am physically exhausted.  For the past 48 hours I've had trouble focusing and haven't felt well.  Last night, I managed to get the closing thoughts done.  What a relief.  Today there was tutoring and dinner and meetings... I keep wanting to move on and clean up the mess that is my house, do laundry, clean bathrooms, and work on my budgets and business income so I can get to my taxes (two weeks 'til those are due - another deadline!).  I can't think straight.  It is likely I'll have revisions to make, especially on the Part II sections.  But I'm done. I want to declare it here and now that I.AM.DONE.  Honestly, I don't like work like this.  But it is good for me and forces me to grow because of the thinking processes that it entails.  I'll share more about that later (like in several weeks, after the taxes are done) - maybe (not likely given my track record of past years but one can always hope).  Today I say thank you.  Thank you!  I appreciate you all.

The downhill stretch

The roller coaster has definitely crested the hill and begun its downward descent.

Today I was able to focus and completed the last two official sections of the portfolio.

After my reviewers read it, there will likely be some revisions and changes to make.
While I wait to hear from them, I will compose my "Closing thoughts and acknowledgments".
That is my work for tomorrow.

 That means it's largely done.  I guess I'm still running down the hill, but soon the coaster will come to a stop and I'll get off and it will be time to go to the next thing.

Thank you all for praying.  I so appreciate you!

Almost there!

So much I could say.  

But here is what matters: 

Today it's Easter.

Christ came to Earth to save sinners like me.

He was born, lived a sinless life, died unjustly - in my place - and rose again to give me new life.

Somehow this portfolio just doesn't compare.

Yet he has helped me to grow in so many ways through this process of teacher training,

and this portfolio has been a source of learning, just as the seminars and student teaching were.

As I've had to think through the things I needed to write about, I have synthesized

my learning and it has become much deeper and more personal.  

I am a better teacher,

and a better person,

because of this portfolio.

And I thank God for helping me through this process,

and for His work in me, which is not yet done.

He has used this to make me more like him, 

and I hope that as a teacher, I will bring honor and glory to him in all I do.

The details?  My second reader actually read what I had completed thus far today 

and I was able to make the tiny changes she requested, 

so I am DONE with the Intro, Part I, Part III, the Bibliography and half of Part II.

I have drafts of everything I have not yet finished.

I have turned in half of Part II Analysis (5 sections) 

and plan to turn in the rest tomorrow (5 more sections).

I hope to have the reflection and closing thoughts done tomorrow too, but if not, Tuesday for sure.

Thanks for praying!

Final stretch - I hope

Final portfolio stretch today - I hope. Woke up and wrote for an hour. Took a shower, Went to church.

†  Happy Easter!  †

Now home again and settling in (I hope).

• Need to draft 3 more subsections. 
• Then review 9 and submit as many as are ready. 
• Then draft one more section. 
• Go back and review and submit whatever needs reviewing and submitting. 
• Then one more round of "Whatever still needs reviewing, do it and submit it." 
• Then closing thoughts - draft, review, submit. .... 

Can it be done in what's left of today?

Please pray that it will. I'm sure going to try. I need this much done today if there is any possible way. And that is where focus and perseverance - which God alone can give me - will come in. Really needing Him to help me avoid the distractions that not only surround me but which are honestly "more important" and "why I'm doing this" in the first place They are real - and so is the need to get this done.... so that I can pay proper attention to them again. They need it. I need it. And I can only do it with His help. This is not something that is deep within me somewhere to be summoned up and applied to the situation - it is as far from my natural giftings as it gets. But God can do it, if it's what He wills. Please pray along those lines, and for contentment as well with whatever happens.

[After I submit everything, it will be read and reviewed by two readers, and then I'll need to respond to comments and make revisions after my readers give their input. So I'll still not be quite "done"... but that's not on today's plate.]

Note: the light at the end of the tunnel is definitely getting bigger. Hoping to come over the crest of the hill and begin the final descent by dinner time. Thanks for praying!!!!! ♥♫♪♪♫♥

A draft

No thermometer this evening.  Just a quick update.  I worked on all the subsections of Part II Analysis this afternoon/evening.  Several are very close to being ready to submit.  I still have a couple that are still at relatively early stages of the draft, but the way it all weaves together, the thinking is there and it will hopefully come quickly tomorrow.

Aiming for completed drafts of Analysis and Reflection for Part II tomorrow.
ALL of Part II turned in if possible, if not turn it all in on Monday.

The climb is not quite as steep, indicating we're approaching the crest of the upward climb ont he roller coaster.  The light is now visible way off in the distance.  And it's not a train.

Part III is mostly done

Today I finished the last of the changes and additions I needed to take care of for Part III of the portfolio.  So the big change is that Part III on the thermometer is now blue, except for the final part which will remain green until my 2nd reviewer has had chance to do so.  I also added one more source to the bibliography and turned that in this evening.

I have but the analysis of Part II to tackle and then the reflection for Part II (generally these are very straightforward) and the closing thoughts. I did turn in section 5.1 of the Analysis.  I am still struggling to write the other sections, even drafts, but tomorrow that is what's on my plate.  Time to churn those out!  I hope to have a draft of the entirety of Part II Analysis by tomorrow evening, and perhaps a couple ready to turn in.  That said, I do have a tendency to prefer to sleep on them one night before turning them in, so I won't be surprised if I'm not up to that tomorrow.

Please pray for proper balancing of time on this and time w/family.  It is Easter after all...  I don't want even the priority of this to make us "skip Easter".

Progressing again...

The changes are there.  Part I is done (except for 2nd review).  I have made most of the requested changes for the two sections in Part III.  I just need to finish with preparing that one piece of evidence and link it and comment on it (briefly) and then Part III is done.  Maybe an hour or two of work?

That will be done tomorrow for sure.

I am almost ready to turn in section 5.1.  Want to sleep on it, review, and submit tomorrow AM. Maybe 30 min?

5.2 is almost there (but not quite).  Maybe an hour?

My goal tomorrow is to get those things done and THEN to work on 6.1, 6.2, 6.3 the same way.

Maybe an hour per section?  

Maybe they'll be ready to finalize and submit, maybe almost and I'll review Sat AM and then submit.  We'll see how they look/feel this time tomorrow.

And I really should put some time into 7.1ff.  Even 10-20 min each would propel me forward

Persistence and Perseverence

I am struggling a little (ok, it's been a hard couple days - difficult to focus) and appreciate folks praying.  I think the long, hard, road has worn me out and the "final push" has taken a bit of a mental toll.

I am making headway.
I will not "finish" tomorrow.
It really is "ok" but we (my family and I) need me to finish as soon as I can.  We really do have other things we need to do as well.

I have received excellent feedback on Part III (last night and this morning) and while I definitely have a few things to add and fix, it looks good.

As for what I've done w/Part II (description and evidence), the news is really encouraging and warms my heart.  There was one comment on the description:  "Wow."  So I reread it to understand what was so "wow" (what is her definition of this).  I found spelling mistakes.  I guess I'm kind of perfectionistic.....  But it's good to know that not only is she pleased, but I have figured out what they're looking for.

Her comments on the evidence made me cry - happy crying.
Here is what she says:

1. 1.

2. I love your videos with annotations. Your honest self-assessments and insights show your reflective practice.
   03/24/16, 09:55 am

1. 2.

   can I share some of your videos with other teacher prep programs as we continue to calibrate our new level I portfolio?
   03/24/16, 10:02 am

My turn to say "Wow."  Who knew?  I was just doing what I was asked.

All this to say that I'm struggling to write the analysis section.  I don't know how to do it any differently than the way I do it.  I don't feel like I'm being particular - I'm honestly just writing what comes into my head and then looking up references in our texts that support it.  It's not like I'm trying to be super thorough, or reflective.  I am "doing what I'm told."  I'm taking a piece of evidence (a video for example) and then saying why it's evidence, and how it relates to what we've studied (as in when I say I wish I'd used XYZ technique - what book is that mentioned in...).  And when I say "here are the standards on which I based XYZ learning goal for the day" - I need to link the standards and then tie them into why I did the lesson plan that way.  Why do we need a goal?  Because best practice says it's a good idea.  (quote who says that).  Not exactly rocket science here.  Just time consuming, and I'm tired.  It's simply hard to say anything at all.  I feel like I'm not even able to babble about it, nevermind say anything coherent.

So please as you pray:
(a) thank God with me that what I'm doing is what they're looking for
(b) ask that I'd be content and encouraged by the feedback
(c) pray for perseverance - that I'd keep on going, even if slowly, do not stop.  One section at a time.  I feel like the Little Engine that Could or the Winter Warlock, needing to keep putting one foot in front of the other....  And it's hard.
(d) pray that I'd accomplish today's goals:  make requested changes/edits, add the missing evidence (that will take a while to type up and compile into something coherent), and then "finish" and submit analysis for parts 5.1 and 5.2 (that sounds manageable and gives me something that feels a little smaller to shoot for).

The last (long) climb

Turned in Part II Description today.

Tackling Part II Analysis.

I think this will take me at least until Thursday.  I'll post a thermometer tonight, but unless something unexpected happens tomorrow, I probably won't post until Thursday.

The news is good overall.  I'm getting there.  I worked on about half of the Analysis section - none are really complete drafts, but they're definitely drafts with concrete thoughts and notes for what to add and consider.  Need to consult the literature more and tie it to my evidence.

Want to get a couple sections done tomorrow if I can (maybe 5.1 and 5.2?).  But more importantly I want to have decent drafts of all ten and then spend Thursday elaborating, polishing, reviewing, and submitting.  It is realistic at this juncture to predict that by Thursday evening I should have at least 4/10 done.  I'd like to see that number higher.  Please do pray for focus, and stamina.  I can tell I'm getting weary and I need someone to hold up my arms (like Moses at the Red Sea)....