The Schneider Times

New Year’s Day, 2001

Greetings to One and All

Happy New Year to all! We hope that 2001 will bring you happiness, health, and the fulfillment of at least a dream or two.

Our family is maturing, busy as usual. We are already starting to see the days ahead when the kids will be away—so making memories now seems even more important. Sue kept reminding Walt that he was over the hill for the 5 months that he was an “old” 50 while she was still a youthful 49. Now 16, Jean has started driving lessons—and looking at college choices. David has entered high school. Chelsea, our dog, is into her second decade.

El Gran Viaje a Bolivia (The Great Bolivia Trip)

Jean spent July in Bolivia on a community service trip with AFS (American Field Service). She stayed with a host family in the capital city of La Paz. In the Velarde family, she had for the first time two sisters: Natalia (13) and Camila (4) and another brother: Esteban (9). Even though they were on another continent, Jean got to play Legos and Barbie and enjoyed chatting with Natalia and her friends about the cute guys in the neighborhood.

As the community service portion, she traveled, along with thirteen other students from around the United States, to various ‘casas’ and painted benches and tables. The ‘casas’ (see picture) are part of an organization called Fundacion La Paz where low-income children from the neighborhood make a commitment to attend school and in return are given three meals a day. Since school only meets half the day, the group got a chance to interact with the kids. While the boys would play soccer, the girls learned a traditional game similar to jump rope. Jean says, “It was quite a surprise to find that a kid half your size could easily jump twice as high.”

Between visits to the Fundacion, the students traveled to different regions of the country to do some sightseeing and a bit of work. In the Chapare lowlands where the effect of being near the equator is definitely felt, they helped out around a pisciculture station. The purpose of the station was to study fish growth and development, which translated into some interesting duties. On the first night they accompanied the Bolivians as they went alligator hunting, searching for tiny reflective eyes in the lake-sized fish tanks. Later Jean delved into those tanks to help round up the fish for weighing. As she and others dragged the net across the tank, she tried to avoid the little silvery fish that kept leaping over the net into her face.

Near the end of the trip, they visited the cold, but stunningly beautiful Island of the Sun on Lake Titicaca. From the mountain-top hostel where they stayed, the stars seemed to stretch in perfect clarity across the sky and down to their feet. The next morning they saw the sunrise shoot like flame from the crevice of a mountain. It was clear why the Inca believed that the sun had been born there.

Whether it was sharing a meal with the Velarde’s, playing games at the Fundacion, or seeing ancient ruins, it was an eye-opening journey.

David Moves On To High School

The introduction to my education at Central Catholic High School was overwhelming. When the first bell of the day rang and the students flooded up the stairs, it seemed like the starting call of a horserace. The halls were lined with seemingly endless amounts of lockers, each belonging to its own caretaker. I came from Falk School, which contained a grand total of about 300 students from kindergarten through eighth grade. My freshmen class has almost as many students as my entire elementary school. When the bell sounded, the rooms erupted as students gushed into the halls. When I went to lunch no matter how fast I got there, there was always a line of 40 people or more ahead of me. The cafeteria was enormous, at least compared to Falk’s cafetorium (cafeteria, auditorium, and music room), but somehow Central’s always seemed full. With the crowded halls, the nearly endless corridors, and platoons of students, Central is a colossal school.

David likes Central, is adapting quickly and made the honor roll first term. He’s on the novice rowing team—where they beat all the competition in their first (and only, so far) race, in spite of the fact that their eight-man team all wore their mascot Viking helmets!

“Fish Fear Me”: David’s New Mantra

The excitement of fishing has been spawning for some time. From its beginning when I was young fishing in the children’s pond at Cook Forest where I was the one who knew the least, and at Boy Scout summer camps, my skills in fishing have developed into the best fisherman in our family. I have fished in multiple states and for many different species: bass, bluegill and perch being the main ones. Now I am learning and preparing for the next year of fishing, with dreams of catching the Big One.

No More Bon-bons and Novels—like who ever had time for those anyway??? Sue takes on full-time arts job.

We are all trying to adjust to having Sue in the full-time work force, as of the first week in December. She is now the “Intergenerational Arts and Education Director” for University of Pittsburgh’s Generations Together program (www.pitt.edu/~gti/).

Working with schools and other community organizations, she develops and administers interdisciplinary programs that link senior artists with school students in short and long term residencies. In May, she’ll be in charge of a four-day intergenerational arts festival involving more than a thousand students and artists in workshops and performances on campus. From puppets to pottery, weaving to writing poetry, it’s a job that utilizes her arts administration, grants writing, and networking skills.

Walt’s Research On Learning Advances

Walt’s University research is a challenge to understand how the brain learns. He is using functional Magnetic Resonance imaging to get pictures of what parts of the human brain light up during learning. In the last year, he and his students have found an area in the visual system that changes as children learn to read. In studies of learning, he has found that there is a network of five parts of the brain that work together to support learning. Walt hopes to identify the role of each of these areas to better understand how they work to perhaps understand mechanisms and pathologies of learning.

Progress & Change at Psychology Software Tools

Walt runs Psychology Software Tools (PST) (www.pstnet.com). It has been both a difficult and positive year. It is difficult to pay the bills while products are being developed. The major product, E-Prime is now nearly in a thousand laboratories in the paid beta release and will ship Version 1 this year. Walt is glad to see it becoming the standard for behavioral experimental research.

ßThe second product, the Integrated Functional Imaging System (IFIS) for brain imaging has continued to grow. In August, PST sold the product line to MRI Devices Corporation (MRIDC). This brought in much needed capital and expertise to speed IFIS development. Ten IFIS-related PST staff in Pittsburgh will continue to work on the product. With a major company taking on the tasks of production and clinical marketing, Walt will continue to work on research development. It is taking some adjusting to corporate management, but it’s going well. A major MRI vendor (Marconi) has incorporated IFIS into their product; there’s a good chance that the other two largest vendors (Siemens and GE) will do so in the next year.

Walt is seeing the methods he’s developed in behavioral research and experimentation become the choice of researchers world-wide to advance their laboratories.

Dune Delights

Our family vacation this year was spent in Michigan visiting our friends, the Hendersens and camping at Sleeping Bear Dunes. Northern Michigan is a cool place even in August. The dunes go on for miles and rise up hundreds of feet. We took seven-mile hikes, barefoot, walking along the beach with painted patterns from the waves, or running down 300 foot dune mountains in a race to the bottom. The park has many mostly deserted but beautiful beaches. Brilliant sunsets, crashing waves, warm campfires, plus a few restaurant dinners (hey, roughing it is only good in moderation). It was a time for us to be a family away from the hectic pulls of school and jobs. We got our first taste of

kayaking on the Platte River—a good supplement to our regular canoeing back home. David avidly fished Michigan’s waters. Good relaxing fun.

Ten Thousand Villages Continues to Flourish

Ten Thousand Villages, a non-profit store run primarily by volunteers, sells fair-traded handcrafts from artisans in some 30 developing countries around the world as a mission to provide them and their families with fair employment, food, housing, education and medical care. Our Pittsburgh store celebrated its second anniversary in October. So far we have supported more than 600 artisans and their families at the equivalent of full-time annual salaries.

A great staff, outstanding volunteers, and excellent sales have made Ten Thousand Villages in Pittsburgh a continuing success. Sue serves as President of the Board of Directors, as well as a weekly volunteer. Jean also volunteers at the store. She has just learned the cash register—trial by fire on a busy holiday sales day.

There are more than 200 Ten Thousand Villages stores and affiliates in the United States and Canada. There’s probably one near you. Check at www.tenthousandvillages.com for store locations. Beautiful gifts, home décor, jewelry, and more baskets than you’d know what to do with—all for a good cause and at very reasonable prices.

Sue caught up in political fervor at a Labor Day campaign rally for Gore.

The Schneider Times

Published almost annually. Correspondence may be directed to: Sue, Jean, Walt and David Schneider, 511 Bevington Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15221. Electronic updates, puzzler entries, etc: sues1514@hotmail.com

Telephone: (412) 242-6751

The Puzzler

Ok, so NO ONE entered last year’s contest! This one is pretty easy—and we really do give out a prize. So try your hand at it. Mail entry to The Puzzler, 511 Bevington Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15221. All correct entries received by Feb. 15, 2001, will be entered in a random drawing to select the winner.

Fill in the missing letters to complete words or phrases related to the season. (Clues listed below.)

1. Y __ __ m y __ r __ __ __ s

2. U __ __ __ __ the __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

3. L __ __ __ __ s __ __ __ h __ __ __ __ __

4. E __ __ __ __ __ __ __

5. T __ __ __ __ __

6. I __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

7. D __ __ __

8. E __ __, __ __ i __ __,& __ __ __ __ __ __ __

9. G __ __ __ __

10. R __ __ __ __ __ __ __

11. E __ __ __ __

12. E __ __ __ __ r __ __ __ __ r __ __ __ h

13. T __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

14. I __ __ __ __ __ __ a __ __ __

15. N __ __

16. G __ __ __ __ __

17. S __ __ __

Clues:

1. “Oh, they’re so tasty…”

2. Where you might get kissed

3. They add a special glow

4. Hebrew for “God with us”

5. Silvery stuff hung on the tree, bane to pussy cats

6. Where Mary lay baby Jesus

7. What we do in January if we had too much of #1

8. Until #7, we indulge, with this admonishment

9. Found under the tree

10. Prancer, Dancer and friends

11. Santa’s helpers

12. Druid symbol for eternal life

13. Poem by Clement Moore

14. Where we should “keep Christmas” all year

15. Festive drink made with eggs

16. “He, he himself, carved the roast beast.”

17. Bing sings about this with every Christmas card he writes

Your name: __________________________________

Address, if changed: ___________________________

____________________________________________

Wanna know where your money goes?

Find out at www.wheresgeorge.com. After an introduction by brother-in-law Charles last July, Sue has been tracking our money by entering bills on this website, marking them and then sending them on their way. So far, bills have shown up in 25 states, Canada and Puerto Rico. Our favorite “release” of a bill was when we buried one in a bottle in a giant sandcastle in Michigan last summer, along with a return mail postcard—hasn’t turned up yet—but we’ll be shouting when it does!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Dieters’ Lament
 
'Twas the month after Christmas, and all through the house,
Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.
The cookies I'd nibbled, the eggnog I'd tasted,
At the holiday parties had gone to my waist.
 
When I got on the scales there arose such a number!
When I walked to the store (less a walk than a lumber),
I'd remember the marvelous meals I'd prepared,
The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared;
 
The wine and the rum balls; the bread and the cheese,
And the way I'd never said, "No thank you, please."
As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt, 
And prepared once again to do battle with dirt,
I said to myself, as only I can, 
"You can't spend a winter disguised as a man!"
 
So, away with the last of the sour cream dip.
Get rid of the fruitcake, every cracker and chip.
Every last bit of food that I like must be banished,
'Til all the additional ounces have vanished.
 
I won't have a cookie--not even a lick.
I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick.
I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie,
I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.
 
I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore,
But isn't that what January is for?
Unable to giggle, no longer a riot.
Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!
 
(Thanks to friend, and fellow waist-watcher Valerie Westcott for emailing this contribution, attributed to Mark Anchor.)