The "Snow Day Suggestions" Saga Continues...

Over the past week, the Star News published several new responses and articles related to my letter to the editor, both online and in print. Here are the links to all of them:

Article in Response

"School systems have hands tied when it comes to makeup days" is the headline that accompanies this article, which, of course, drew my attention. But it was the first sentence that assured me my letter was at least part of the impetus for its creation:

"This winter's snowy weather left some parents questioning how area school systems plan for missed days and schedule make-up days."

I believe "some parents" refers to the moms I spoke of in my letter. Thanks for the answers, Mr. Gonzales! (2/2/11)

Editorial (in agreement)

Headline: "When Mother Nature (or electrical problems) cause havoc, schools need flexibility" (2/7/11)

The Snarkiness Continues

For those of you who read the response from my last blog post and thought it was uncalled for, you may not want to read this one. It's written by a fellow Northerner and it is not very friendly. (2/10/11)

Southern Hospitality?

This letter was written by my mom, under her maiden name. She was tired of the nevative responses and decided to write a rebuttal. Her prose is biting as always, and only matched by her sharp wit. I think she put the nay-sayers in their place quite well. What do you think, readers? (2/10/11)


Thank you for your interest in my letter and the responses it received! I greatly appreciated all of those who read it for themselves.

Happy Valentines Day,

})i({ Renee Tutterfly })i({

Letter to the Editor

This morning, I was reading the opinion section of the Wilmington Star News when I stumbled upon a letter to the editor that appeared to be in response to a letter I had submitted. However, I thought it must be a coincidence, since I had not received notification that my letter had been published online, and I knew from reading the paper that it had not been published in print.

But just to be sure, I went to the Star News website and searched my name - and there it was, my letter to the editor! I was very excited to see my name on the byline, especially since I had long given up the hope of seeing it published. Even though I had to submit my e-mail and home address, and even my phone number, I did not recieve any form of notification that my piece had been selected for online publication. That may be the subject of my next letter...

Letter to the Editor: Snow Day Suggestions

Anyway, I hope you enjoy my letter. I certainly enjoyed writing it! The only thing I didn't like about it was how much I had to cut out - only 1500 characters are allowed, and the letter I submitted to my Journalism teacher was fleshed out quite a bit more. Still, I think I got my main idea across.

Oh, and here is the (somewhat snitty) response that helped me discover my letter's publication:

Response: How they did it up North

Happy reading,
})i({ Tutterfly })i({

EchoLoud

I wrote this poem for my college Bible study, EchoLoud. I read it a few months ago for the whole group (around 50 college students) on the first night we moved into our new room. I felt very inspired when our group leader asked me to write it for the occasion. He named my poet laureat of the group, which pleased me to no end. This is what I came up with for our anthem:

Echo Loud

Seemingly insignificant whispers of His grace collect, appearing to be forgotten.

Collectively, they create a symphony; a many-layered, richly woven tapestry

Of what God intends our lives to be. Every word is orchestrated, divinely coordinated,

By the One who has called Himself the Beginning and the End, Redeemer, and ever-present Friend.

We are called to declare the mighty works of His hands, we must make the world aware

That nothing has escaped the grasp of His outstretched palm. Even the smallest act of kindess,

The softest whisper of encouragement can overpower the silence

That seems to swallow the world whole. The smallest voice, magnified in God’s magnificent power

Overpowers, conquers, devours cultural influence;

The conscious incongruence between the people we present at church

And who we are when we leave behind the Sunday morning steeples and become the Church.

More than a voice, more than words, our actions Echo Loud:

Will we transform the lives of the lost and broken, or will we watch as the world’s wounds

Are left untended, open to the lies of the enemy?

Any He has called his own, as God’s beloved children, we are the hands, the feet – will we echo loud

And broadcast his heart’s beat for all to hear? Will we turn away, consumed by fear?

Or will we raise our voices in praise, declaring to the world we will not be ashamed

To Echo, loudly, to display our salvation proudly and to change the world

One godly voice, one silent prayer, one righteous choice at a time.

Now is the time for us to gather as believers, lifting our voices in a refrain of truth,

Knowing, trusting, that our God always forgives, never forgets – promises joy and erases regrets.

Starting today, we will declare, we will make the world aware that no voice is too small

To Echo, Loud.

Swamp Man: Friend or Foe?

While my mom and I were driving down the road leading out of our development, we saw a very interesting sight. At first, we weren't sure if our eyes were playing tricks on us, until we both saw a pair of high top sneakers on what appeared to be a moving, man-shaped tuft of grass.

Yes, we saw none other than SWAMP MAN. Clothed in rather dense vegetation (or a very good imitation thereof), he was strolling along the undeveloped fields beside several newly built houses. His gait was more of a meandering stroll than a determined stride, so we assume he was merely enjoying an afternoon jaunt. Perhaps a distant relative of Oscar the Grouch, there was litle else to distinguish him from the surrounding countryside other than his with high tops.

Since the road was an open stretch for about a mile after we sighted Swamp Man, I craned my neck to keep him in my sight for as long as possible. Still, I was unable to glean anything further than whatever he was wearing really did look like some variety of long-stem grass. However, I did note that not only was the texture very lifelike, the coloration of the vegetation was quite convincing. If his get-up was of his own design, I can't help but admire the realistic impression of a grassy knoll he succeeded at creating.

Sadly, when we came back about three hours later, Swamp Man was nowhere to be seen. All we can do now is watch and wait for his return. Swamp Man, whoever you are, whatever your aim, we commend you for flouting convention and throwing caution to the wind. Good luck and watch out for lawnmowers!

Tutterfly Beginnings

Those of you who don't know me, and even some of those who do, may not know the origin of the name "Tutterfly." Well, it all started with a musical...and a birthday party.

When I was 13 and in 8th grade, our homeschool group's production of Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Pirates of Penzance" boasted no less than 57 cast members. Those of you unfamiliar with the plot of the story, all you need to know is that there are three groups of characters: policemen, pirates, and daughters of the Major General. I was a "daughter," along with 16 lovely young ladies. I was close with many of my "sisters," but two in particular play an important role in the story of Lady Tutterfly.

To set the stage for the coming action, it is important that I share with you that I have always had a passion for butterflies. Since I was only a little girl, my friends showered me with butterfly gifts and often called me such endearing names as "little butterfly" and "butterfly girl."

That is why one of my "sisters," Nicole, thought of me when her neice brought her a moth and said, "Auntie Nicole, I caught a tutterfly!" Nicole came to rehearsal the next day and told me that I was "her little tutterfly." She related the story of her neice's moth and I was henceforth known to the entire cast as "tutterfly."

Our musical debuted at the local high school, and though the 57 of us were sad to say goodbye to rehearsals, we consoled ourselves with many cast reunions throughout the summer. When September rolled around, it was time for my 14th birthday party. Of course, all of my "sisters" were invited.

Holly, my "sister" and friend, gave me a portrait of Lady Tutterfly. She did a marvelous job, and I still have the gorgeous original proudly displayed on my wall. I've also expanded the realm of Lady Tutterfly's fame by having her portrait reproduced on mousepads, posters and even adopting it as the logo for my jewelry business, Tutterfly Designs.

Tutterfly Designs Facebook Group

Tutterfly Says Hello

Hello, and thank you for viewing my newly created blog, The Tutterfly Times. I've never created a blog post before, so please bear with me as I learn the ways of the accomplished blogger.

Don't worry, I promise not to plague you with the inconsequential, unimportant details of my everyday life. I hate reading blogs that include such fabulous headlines as "I washed my dog today" or " I went grocery shopping and used 173 coupons" or the ever-"rivetting" home improvement blogs with such posts as "stapled my hand to the headboard...oops! off the the emergency room." Frankly, aside from a friendly concern that my friend survive his hand-stapling ordeal, I have no interest in the ordinary, unusual and in every way dull goings on that each and every human being must deal with on a daily basis.

That being said, I hereby promise to post interesting and/or meaningful posts about things that are relevant...or just plain hilarious. My mission is to bring to my followers, official and unofficial alike, a collection of thought-provoking, or at the very least entertaining, material.

Renee Tutterfly })i({