New Year...New Word

So...scrapbooker Ali Edwards encourages her readers to adopt a word for the year... Kind of a reminder of what you want your focus to be in the coming year. Last year was the first year I did it and my word was SIMPLIFY. In reflection; I'm glad I picked that word. I wouldn't say my life was simplified as much as I thought it would be but it did help to glance up at my word and remind myself to take a breath. I purchased the word SIMPLIFY in both wooden and wrought iron form and they are sitting above my desk as I speak...er...type.

So, this year I've decided that my word of the year will be...RELEASE. I mean it this way...release the things that I'm allowing to stress me out that I have no control over...release the things I beat myself up over...release the things I try to take back again and again...release myself from my fears and anxieties...release the things that just don't matter...wait; I think that last one is just a fancy way of saying SIMPLIFY...I digress :-)

Anyway...I made a photo collage of other people's online photos. Each photo shows some sort of release...from the Mandela's release from prison to the release of Stephenie Meyer's new book (which I haven't read and from which I'm releasing myself the pressure to read) to the release of a hawk back into the wild.



Release

One small step...

"...inspire others to look for simple tangible ways to make a difference. It is easy to be halted by the great hurdles of poverty and AIDS, but making an impact can begin as simply as giving someone a pair of shoes..."

So...almost a year ago good friends of ours traveled many many miles to Ethiopia and brought back with them their daughter. Little Miss M is the light of many lives here in Washington and in Michigan as well. We can't stop playing with her, holding her, laughing with her...you get the idea. Many of us were moved by the pictures and stories they brought back from Ethiopia as well. And now I think we all have a soft spot in our hearts for the children of that country.



I remember a few years ago another friend and I were in a conference and the key note speaker was talking about his work in alleviating poverty...I think he was specifically talking about India. He spoke with such fervent belief that world wide hunger could really be eradicated in our children's lifetimes. After we wiped our tears we sat there thinking how it was inspiring but also daunting to think of what it would take to make that happen. We felt like that quote at the top of this post...we wanted to know and feel like even our small offerings of time and money could make a difference.

So...back to Little Miss M...her mom told me of this neat shoemaker who will for every pair of shoes you buy donate a pair of shoes to a child who needs them. So far they have shared around 60,000 shoes around the world and they are getting ready for their next shoe drop to Ethiopia. If you are looking for a unique pair of shoes or for a way to be involved from halfway around the world please visit www.tomsshoes.com. Check out their styles and their story. You can take one small step and buy some funky shoes or an even bigger step and travel with them to make the drop...WOW...that really would be a giant leap for mankind!

**Not a bad way to celebrate my FIFTIETH post**

List Update

Referring to my modified Bucket List:
So...as my oldest and dearest friend pointed out....I probably have made a snow fort. There were many forts made in our neighborhood and she's probably right...I probably did engage in the making of at least one. I stand corrected!

Sarah remembering this reminds me of that movie "Beaches"...except she's not a famous singer and I'm not dying of congestive heart failure...but other than that. The movie is about these two best friends that have known each other for ages and CC says to Victoria "my memory is long" and Victoria says "I'm counting on it" :-)

Good things come to those who wait

Has there ever been something you really REALLY want? I mean *REALLY* want...want so badly that you were obsessed with wanting it, want so badly that all you saw around you was the thing that you want, want so badly that you wished for it and wished for it, want so badly that you began to envy those around you who had it, want so badly that you began to believe...truly believed...that you were meant to have that thing, want it so badly that you've managed to manipulate, trick, and finally convince yourself and those around you that there was no way the world could be right again unless you could possess the thing that you want, want so badly that you were blind to the realities of the possible consequences of said thing...want so badly?

Try not to read anything into this post...I mean..I will read into the post but that's because I'm writing it and I know what precipitated my musings. Don't knock yourself out reading between the lines; the overwhelming message is what's occupying my thoughts.

Things I've wanted; that I didn't wait for; and that didn't turn out so hot...
*Wearing make-up: I talked my mom down to 12 from 16 (man I was good) but ultimately the nuances of make-up application was lost on a sixth grader
*My first boyfriend: He was a nice enough kid; but honestly that's the story that everyone laughs about now.
*Pierced ears: My mom tried to wait until the right time by mandating that I reach a double digit birthday; but the starter earrings stayed in for a month because I was scared to take them out...then finally my grandmother declared that it be time I learned that "beauty is pain" and drug me into the bathroom to take those bad boys out!

Things I've wanted; that I DID wait for; and now can look back on and be thankful I waited...
*Disneyland: I went with Stacie when I was 13 and she was 11; I'd wanted it for a long time but it turns out that was about the perfect age. Old enough to ride all the rides and still young enough to be awed by my first trip to the Magic Kingdom.
*Working at Ghormley: I'd probably wanted to do that since I was an 8th grader; but it turns out that working that summer of 1997 was the best for me...my mom had just passed away so it kept me busy in a supportive and spiritual place and I met my super good friend Carrie.
*Marrying Sean: My friends all did it sooner and I was super jealous at the time but ultimately waiting until we were both working was such a much better decision. I don't know if I'd have finished school had we done it sooner.

So...my point...and I do have one...is this: There are so many things people want in this life...good things...things of value...things that are right. But; just because you want them and just because you can manipulate the situation to get that thing you want right when you want it doesn't mean you should. What if wresting control of the timing of a situation out of the hands of God really turns that wonderful thing into just an okay thing...or worse. I know you want that thing...I know you want that thing you really want...that thing that everyone else seems to have but you don't...I know you think you deserve that thing...I know you can even make it happen...but what would it hurt to just wait? Waiting is not so bad.

Bucket List

Have you seen the movie "Bucket List"?...it's cute. I don't know if I'd call this a real Bucket List; but it reminds me of it. I technically am stealing this from Amanda's blog and she stole it from someone else who stole it from someone else...and back and back. It was fun to contemplate this stuff! Try it...just copy my list and bold the stuff you've actually done in your life!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Held a praying mantis...it seems I would have…but I don’t think I have
9.Climbed a mountain
10. Sang a solo…but I did do a duet with Melissa in church!
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea…the storm was at sea…but I was across the street from the sea shore
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason…I have gotten several unexpected bouquets but they were all for a reason64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt…not very well…but I did it
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car…but my KIA was only a few months old
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day…the closest I can come is reading Bridges of Madison County in a weekend.
**101. Been such a cheater at a silly blog game that when you couldn't answer a question you qualified it with the closest thing you could come to without actually fulfilling the item:-)

Luck of the Draw

I asked Sean to pick a number from one to twelve and he picked TEN. So I went to the tenth folder in my pictures file. I asked him to pick a number from one to twelve again and he picked SIX. So...this is the sixth picture from my twelfth folder in my picture files.



This is a picture of Crater Lake Oregon. It's one of my highlights of our Oregon travels. I still remember the hushed awe as we walked up the slope of the crater and got our first glimpse of the impossibly blue water. Is it the reflections of the blue sky that makes it so blue? Is it the purity of the water that makes it so blue? Or is it the magic of that moment and the grandeur of how that was created that makes it so blue?

"I Voted"

A long time ago I used to wait for my mom to come home from the High School where she'd vote. What I remember I liked most was the way she made voting seem like some exclusive club that one day I'd be lucky enough to join. I always loved seeing where she'd put her little "I Voted" sticker. I remember feeling proud if she'd voted early and everyone could see her sticker and know she did her part. There are three things that her example left me with.

*#1...it's important to vote. No matter how late she'd been from work she always ALWAYS went to the polls.

*#2...it's no one's business who you voted for. It's your privilege to cast your secret ballot and if you want to share that info you can...but it's no one's business but yours. To this day I have NO IDEA how she ever voted. I could guess her political stance; but I'm guessing I'd be wrong. And I VERY rarely share my ballot contents...even with Sean. This year in fact; he very gingerly asked me...knowing that I'd be unlikely to share that info.
I shared some...but not all :-)

*#3...your vote is yours. Remember that sticker I talked about? It was always decorated with a flag and a little "I Voted" slogan. When she came home with her sticker still stuck to her lapel I so badly wanted to have it. I don't know if it was because I liked stickers or because it was so rare that she'd wear something on her clothes or that I knew there was something special about what that sticker represented. And you know what...my beyond-generous mother never ever gave me her sticker. Her vote was hers...my vote is mine...your vote is yours.

SO...that being said...I cast my ballot on Sunday morning. It's not as exciting as it used to be. It's all absentee so I don't go to the High School and amuse the old ladies by forgetting my precinct yet again. They don't even put the little sticker in your envelope anymore. And instead of stepping across the line to use the little hole-punchy thing all I had to do was roll my window down at the Post Office to deposit my stamped ballot envelope.

And now tonight as Sean and I sat in the living room watching most of the election coverage I felt important...I felt like I was part of that exclusive club my mom had been a part of. I've voted before...in other elections...local and national...and it's not important what my ballot said. What is important is how moving I felt as I watched both the concession speech and the acceptance speech. Now...I'm not going to lie...my emotions are easily manipulated...anything can get me to cry...the sad orphans on TV...the tune of my mom's favorite hymn...the swell of the opening song to Titanic...the A-Ha moment on Clean House...anything can get me to cry. And even tonight I wouldn't say I really cried...teared up would be a better way to say it.

I teared up as I realized that tonight would go on my "Where were you when" list. I'm sure you remember your folks saying they remembered where they were when...fill in the blank...Kennedy was shot...men landed on the moon...etc. etc. etc. When September 11Th occurred I remember telling my students that that day would do down in their memory as a "where you were when" moment. I started to list off the things already on my list...Princess Diana getting married (I was in the great room at the Wallowa Lake Lodge)...the Space Shuttle exploding (in my 5th grade classroom)...Princess Diana's car crash (Mark told me in the living room of my old house after we got back from stock car races)...the Twin Towers falling (sitting on top of a desk in my colleague Dave's classroom). And tonight I get to add where I was the night my country elected the first black president. I tear up even now...wow...to type it. I don't think I ever thought something different would happen in my lifetime.

#1...it was important for me to vote...I made sure to get my ballot done on time.

#2...it doesn't matter who I voted for...well it doesn't matter to you. In fact I kind of giggle to myself knowing that it's something only I know...and that maybe you're trying to guess who it was.

#3...my vote was mine...no matter how many cynical people will tell me that my vote doesn't count because "it all gets decided before our polls close anyway"...my vote is mine...and you don't get to know it...and it's important that I did it...even though I didn't get a sticker.

Learning

Do you think you learn somethng new everyday? Sometimes I'll see that on some people's blogs or New Year's Resolution list or life wish list. It's a committment to learn something new everyday. So part of me thinks...hmm...does that mean that you need to will yourself to learn something new? How do you turn learning off such that you need to commit to doing it?

The other part of me thinks...is there really something new to learn everyday? Something new...NEW...brand new...is there really something new to learn everyday. Lately it seems I'm not learning something new everyday. Lately it seems I'm having to REMIND myself of the things I've previously learned. Like...correcting papers will NEVER HAPPEN if they're brought home. Or brewed coffee at home is cheaper than Starbucks...it just is...oh if I could only remember that :-) Or why do I have to seemingly re-learn that water is good for me..therefore I'll "start" drinking it. My treadmill will serve me better as a treadmill than a sweater hanger. I know this already...why do I need to re-learn it?

Today...I don't think I learned anything new. I did however get a chance to go through some much needed motions of my life lately. EVERY notebook of my students' is corrected...YES! The rough drafts are partially done...but partially is better than not at all:-)

As*sem*bly (n): plural -lies

1. an assembling or coming together of a number of persons, usually for a particular purpose;

2. a group of persons gathered together, usually for a particular purpose, whether religious, political, educational, or social.

Part of my new job at Housel is the Leadership Teacher and ASB Advisor. Today was our first assembly...our FIRST assembly. So, last night I didn't sleep very well and this morning I did not even hit the snooze button! I ran around all day today trying to busy myself with stuff so I wouldn't get nervous. People would ask me if I was nervous and I'd always say it was like when I got married. You plan and you plan but ultimately what is going to happen happens...you don't have much control during the situation. The kids were nervous...I was nervous...none of us felt like we prepared enough...someone who'd never run the PA system did it for the first time...phew...

I was taking over after the long-time advisor had resigned the position. She is fabulous! And she'd been doing that for a LONG time...so no matter how much people told me not to...I couldn't help but feel like I had big shoes to fill. Ultimately what I learned is that I can lead this class the best I know how...without my own self-imposed constrictions.

You know what...it wasn't the MOST smooth assembly I've ever done...some of the competitions were messier than I thought they'd be...but the kids did SO good. They were nervous but they stepped up. Every single one of them helped clean up...it was AWESOME! And I love love LOVED that afterwards people were so pleased with the assembly. I've never seen their assemblies before so I have nothing to compare it to but I think all of the positive feedback is a good sign!

Marital disagreements

So...what do you argue about? They say (and when I say "they" I don't actually know who "they" are) that the two biggest disagreements in a marriage are money and...well..you know:-)

So...people who know us REALLY well know that one of the things about our marriage is that we don't really fight. We may be irritated with each other which usually ends in us being quiet with each other until someone cracks a joke. It's really quite funny how short lived our disagreements are:-)

So, last night quite possibly our biggest marital disagreement came up...the Lunar Landing and the NASA Space program. So, it's not important who's wrong or right (my REALLY good friends know how hard that is for me to type) and it's not important who is on what side of the argument (I think MARK is the only one who could guess that) but what matters is how fervent we each were in our arugments.

So, there we sat watching Mythbusters...which is what prompted our "discussion" and each time it went to commercial we would start up again. We would trade off this comment "Okay..but listen" (said in our calmest tone) with each exchange. We would trade off "let's just drop it..." and then in a slightly more irritated and voluminous tone "I just can't believe..."

So...there we sat...in disagreement...laughing that after ALL these years of knowing each other...and knowing a LOT about each other...sharing so many parts of our lives together...that it took a Discovery Channel show to finally reveal what our big disagreement would be. Someone should put this topic in the PreMarital Counseling curriculum!

Why?

Why do I comment on blogs?
Why do I not comment on blogs?
Why do I care if someone...or no one...comments on my blog?
Why do bad things happen to good people?
Why do I feel bad when I question God?
Why am I always amazed at how faithful God is?...you'd think I'd know by now:-)
Why does sleeping feel so good?
Why do kids come to youth group in droves?
Why does my dog chew plastic pop bottles?
Why does my other dog bark non-stop at what she cannot see?
Why does my other dog always have to rest her head on my rear end when sleeping?
Why is World of Warcraft so addictive?
Why is one contact blurrier than the other?
Why do I have SO much to catch up on?

The Little Things

What little things make your day? Here are a few that make my day...I try to remember the little things when I come upon what I perceive to be a major thing that threatens to steal my cheeriness.

*The Starbucks crew that not only knows my name and my drink...but even stuff about my life so they can ask me questions...I know it's a way for me to keep coming back to buy overpriced coffee and milk...but it still makes my day sometimes

*Jacob who EVERY day says goodbye to me and wishes me a good day when he leaves my class

*My dogs who greet me EVERY day as if I hadn't seen them in ages and they thought I was never coming back

*Good friends who know me so well that their emails are perfectly worded and perfectly timed

*Not just a full bank account on pay day...but a stack of PAID bills and the calm satisfaction and gratitude that we have jobs...jobs we like...jobs we've been blessed with

*Things Sean and I laugh at that NO ONE ELSE laughs at

*Being able to quote any Friends episode ALMOST word for word

What are you worth?

So...this post is supposed to be for Monday...so pretend it says Monday on the bottom.

Do you ever wonder what you're worth? No, I don't mean philosophically...like what is your value to God or your loved ones or whatever. I mean what is your time worth? What are your talents worth? A wise mentor once told me that there is an old saying among runners. I'm not a runner...I don't think I've quite got the saying correctly remembered...but here goes: "Never ask how much further your race is while you're going up hill." Does that even make sense...hmmm...it looks much less philosophical in type than when he's counseling me in his office...hmm. I digress :-)

I think it basically says that when you're in the middle of something that is challenging it does no good to muse, complain, or otherwise whine about the challenge because you are still going to be challenged. So...with this new job I'm trying not to complain or wallow in my realization that some days my worth dips way down. You know those days...the days when you've stayed at work for going on 12 hours...and you realize that with every tick of the clock your hourly wage goes way down and the value of your time descends along with it.

Instead I try to remember the real value of who I am...who I am as a teacher...who I am as a wife...who I am as a friend...who I am as a daughter of the Most High. Because when I remember that then my wage skyrockets...and that's much better than dipping after a twelve hour work day :-)

Everything old is new again

So, I haven't been to a Great Prosser Balloon Rally launching since I was in High School. For the past ten years I've never seen them lift off on a Friday because I'd always be on the road headed to school before they were up. Then, every year Sean and I ditch the Nightglow because seriously, we wager, how much different can it be each year. I mean, once you've seen one evening of lit-up tethered-to-the-football-field balloons you've seen them all, right?

But then on Friday morning I was headed out to get my Friday morning Starbucks before school and there they were...in all their glory...lifting off gracefully...almost silently (I even turned off the car radio)...just like my friend Jacki had reminded me they would be. I got all giddy...just like those first few years...to see the balloons launch.

So; I let myself sleep in on Saturday but then this morning I woke up and drove out to Starbucks and parked my car across from Chukar Cherries and snapped away on my little digital camera. I followed the crowd to the bridge and smiled quietly as they cheered the balloons that dipped down to the river. I don't know if it has inspired me to go every year like some of these die-hard balloon chasers...but it sure was a nice spot in my weekend!

Two for the Road

This came from my friend Susie...simple fun...the key word being simple...and fun:-)

Two names you go by:

1. Michelle 2. Chellie Bell (from my dad-in-law)

Two things you are wearing right now:
1. Creation 2007 shirt 2. My favorite Crocs

Two things you want very badly at the moment:

1. To have a completely planned semester of 8th grade Language Arts
2. To have 13 hours of sleep

Two things you did last night:
1. Grocery Shopping
2. Planned Curriculum

Two things you ate today:
1. Left over home-made pizza
2. Safeway Signature Potato Soup

Two people you last spoke to:

1. Connie 2. Sean

Two things you're doing tomorrow:

1. Going to the PHS vs. EVHS volleyball game
2. Going over my youth group lesson

Two longest car rides:

1. Prosser to Waldport, OR via the "scenic route"
2. Prosser to Oregon Coast to Sunriver to Crater Lake and back

Two favorite beverages:

1. Coca Cola
2. Iced Venti Non Fat Vanilla Latte

Blog Stalking

Blog stalking...what is it...who are its victims? It starts innocently enough with you checking up on a couple of friends of yours and pretty soon you are surfing the wonderworld of blogs. You don't even know who they are...just people who are listed on your friends' blogs and BAM they're on your list of people to read, too.

The interesting part is when you click on an unsuspecting blogger and discover you know said blogger...refer to my post below about people being connected via blogs:-)

What were you doing this day...

I know this day makes a lot of people think back to seven years ago. And rightly so. For the record: I was driving on my way to school in Yakima when I heard a blip of a report that a plane flew through one of the Twin Towers. I remember thinking how stupid could one pilot be to NOT be able to miss hitting that kind of huge building. Then, that morning I was in the UNOFFICAL faculty meeting in Cos' room and I watched the tower fall...LIVE. I remember thinking "Am I really seeing this?" The rest of the morning was a bunch of disbelief mixed in with curiosity. Later that night I remember thinking "Have I scarred my students by having the news on in my classroom?"

However...and I hope I'm not considered too un-American for saying this...but "9/11" is not what I automatically think of on "9/11".

On this day 15 years ago...
*I had spent a good 20-30 minutes picking out the "perfect" outfit...my Camp Ghormley "Topher" shirt and a pair of jean shorts (why it took that long to pick out jean shorts...I don't know).
*I had spent OVER AN HOUR making sure my hair was perfectly curled and styled and my make-up was just right
*Sean opened the door to his red Chevy Cavalier for me
*I was watching "So I Married An Axe Murderer" at the $2 Theater next to Chuck E. Cheese (I picked out the movie...not him)
*I was searching for the right thing to say when an uncomfortable silence came up
*I was nervously excited when Sean suggested we go back to his parents house for a homemade chocolate milkshake
*Sean scared me on the windy roads through Whitstran
*Sean drove me home from his house and dropped me off at my door
*I was bummed that we didn't kiss...but later glad that he was old fashioned enough to NOT kiss me on the first date:-)

On this day 9 years ago...
*I was wondering if I spoke too soon when I told Rene what I thought was going to happen on that night
*I was sitting in the dining room of Sean's new "bachelor pad" eating his specialty...baked Teriyaki chicken
*I was thinking how grown up I felt eating dinner, drinking wine, and listening to Classical Music with my boyfriend
*I snuggled with Sean on the couch to watch "So I Married an Axe Murderer" on laser disc
*I watched Sean get down on both knees
*I almost cried as he kissed both of my hands
*I giggled while he reminded me that we said we'd wait until we both finished college
*I still giggled while he opened the ring box
*I continued to giggle as he asked me and slid the ring on
*I remembered to stop giggling so I could say YES!
*I commented how I wished my mom was there...and Sean said she was:-)
*I sat on the couch with Sean for what seemed like hours admiring the beautiful ring he picked out all by himself...and dreamed together of what would be!

Do you ever wonder...part two

...what could've been done with the 5+ billion dollars it cost to build that big atom-smasher?
...why must we smash atoms anyway?
...if there will be a show as funny or quotable as "Friends"?
...who decided that corn would be a good vegetable to make a bread out of?...seriously...what was that first batch of cornbread like?
...how cute can one kid be?

Last weekend I saw my niece Maddie. She found a coin on the floor of the restaurant we were eating in. Sean commented to her that it was too bad she couldn't find a $100 bill. Without missing a beat Maddie said "I don't think you'd be finding that in a fast food restaurant!" Then one time Sean and I were visiting Wenatchee. He and I were sitting on the love seat playing with Mark's laptop and Cooper climbed in between us. He announced that "this is kinda fun". I said "Yeah! A little bit a coffee--a little bit of BBQ chips". Without missing a beat he said "a little bit of laptop."...too cute!

Do you ever wonder...

...if you stare at the computer screen long enough will your retinas burn out?
...if each person on this planet could truly be connected to every other person just by a string of strategically placed blogs?
...if it's okay to plan how early you can get to bed tonight before your feet even hit the floor this morning?
...if a giant atom-smasher could swallow the earth in a man-made black hole?
...the one thing you said today in passing was either a make-it or break-it comment for someone else?
...how funny one movie preview can be? (I busted up tonight about a trailer that I saw months ago---maybe even a year ago)
...if Meredith and Derek will find their happily ever after?
...how many times do you have to re-commit to DAILY reading your Bible--seriously--DAILY--with my great DAILY Bible?
...why dogs are so weird?
...why sleeping feels so good---mmmm---sleeping?
...what could they possibly make in the scrapbooking industry that is the next "must-have"?
...how much money is being saved by journaling this way instead of the old-fashioned paper journals?--mmmm---but I do love a pretty book!
...what it would feel like to truly have NOTHING on your To-Do List?--we're talking even a months-down-the-road list

To Do...

tonight or tomorrow:-)

*clean desk...check
*put away bills file folder...check
*email neglected friends...check
*copy Europe photos for Kate...check
*copy Europe photos so I don't accidentally lose them...check
*do enough laundry to last the week...tomorrow
*lesson plan for the week...tomorrow
*scope and sequence for the semester...tomorrow...hopefully
*GRADE PAPERS...tomorrow
*pick up the dogs...tomorrow
*plan the meals and go shopping for the week...tomorrow

How do you know when the ToDo list has reached capacity?...Hmmm...good question!

Differences

Some differences between my new school and my old school...A.K.A. New things I need to learn!

*The sound of the telephone ringer in my room
*The bell/class schedule
*The grading software program
*The attendance process
*The number of lunches
*The classroom instruction model
*The office TA policy

Hmmm...I figured learning a new way to do curriculum would be difficult...but you know it's bad when so far every time my phone has rung a student has to remind me that the sound I am hearing is in fact the phone:-)

That being said...what an amazing opportunity to challenge yourself...it makes me feel alive in my profession...seriously!

Once upon a time...

I was in Middle School. Remember that time...how it was so painful and how people were so mean to each other? I will never forget Sarah and I walking through the little half-hallway to the gym when 8th grade Becky Trimble grabbed our 6th grade arms to ask if we were going to vote for her for ASB president. I'm sure she was just passing through but in my memory casting a vote for Becky was casting a vote for my own personal safety. So...in 36-ish hours I will be beginning a phase of my career at Housel. Once upon a time I was a student at Housel..now I'm a teacher at Housel. Here's what I remember from my three years as a Colt.

*Mr. Fuerst...so many things...watching him hold his head during a wind gust; adjusting the volume on the movie projector that he'd set up; his phrase "Last...yesterday" to indicate what we'd done the day before; him reading "The Cay" to us and I remember really liking it!

*The big blue apple machine where you could buy a red delicious for a quarter

*An 8th grade girl posting on the bulletin board that her song request for the next dance was dedicated to her ex-boyfriend and she'd requested "I'm Looking For A New Love Baby" by Jody Whatley...shocking!

*The cardinal sin list of words to NOT include in your writing according to Mrs. Caplinger...be, am, is, are, was, were, being, and been. Not only do I remember this but I also use this in my own classroom teaching!

*The Dancing Unit in PE

What do you remember about Middle School?...Here's hoping I don't make the 6th graders cry:-)

No justice

**one update...in my haste to post pictures at 1 AM the night before we left for Oregon I mis-labeled one. So as you scroll through the slide show and come upon one that says "Arc de Triomphe" please know that it is really the opening gardens of the Louvre. If you look carefully you can see the large glass pyramid that is the modern hallmark of the Louvre. Sorry about the mix up...but after a while all the arcs began to look the same...and it was after all 1 AM as I tried to figure it out**

Okay...this small entry does not do justice to my three weeks away. However...Sean and I are leaving for the Oregon Coast AGAIN tomorrow and I wanted to get something posted...even if it is small.

Faves:
*The Colleseum
*Our conversation with the monk
*Versailles
*the Mediterranean Sea
*Climbing Mt. Etna

Least Faves:
*The "crazies"...more on that later...
*The heat...hottest I've ever been in my life!
*the smell of Paris

Enjoy these few pics and I'll get more on here later:-)
Ciao!

Is it me...

or have summers become shorter? I seem to remember when I was a kid that summers felt almost as long as the school year. Now...it feels like it's barely started and I'm already trying to figure out how to gear up for the new year. I'm kinda busy today but here are a few summer highlights so far...

*Went to a fun bridal shower for a super cool new member of our family...can't wait til you're our cousin Sunny:-)

*Had a fender bender at the McDonald's in North Bend...what is it with people hitting my cute red car when I'm out of town?...all in all it's okay. I wasn't injured, the guy was super nice, and my car runs even though it looks like a one-eyed pirate right now without it's headlight:-)

*Got hired at Housel here in the Prosser School District. It certainly wasn't what I expected to happen with my career this summer and I am really sad to leave East Valley...but I'm excited to see what the future holds.

*In 13 days I'll be flying to Europe with my 13 student delegation. I'm both super excited but also almost as anxious as I've ever been. It's already anxiety ridden when you travel to a new place but now we'll be trying to navigate on the Sea Tac shuttle to a Satellite Concourse...I've been looking at the online SeaTac interactive map a lot lately:-)

*Next week I'll be going to my old school to pack up and clean out my room...it'll be sad:-(

*After Europe we have a "family" vacation planned for Oregon...we'll see how it works out now with my new district's schedule.

Hope you have a super awesome summer day!

Do you ever wonder...

how much stuff is enough?...how much is too much? I adopted the word SIMPLIFY for my year...I even bought it twice; they're sitting on my shelves in my office. But I'm beginning to wonder if it's wishful thinking. What would it really take...really take...if simplified my life. I'm not buying clothes or scrapbooking supplies like I used to but I still look around my office and think "Man...I have got a lot of stuff." Now in my defense, some it isn't mine...some of it belongs to my parents that I'm unwilling to give up. But that can't be all of it...for instance I cleaned out a filng cabinet last night and actually kept the paperwork from an accident that ocurred in Oregon four years ago. Now what's more shocking...that I spent time fretting about it or that I did actually keep it?:-) Or how many half-used way-too-old eye shadow do I need? It's a ponderment...how one simplifies a life.

33 Ways to Love Your Lover

I think I got this from my friend Carrie several years ago...I'm kind of tired of just keeping it posted around...but don't want to lose it either. So...my digital answer is to enter it on my blog for all of posterity:-)
1. At the movies, share the armrest
2. Save the last cookie or last piece of cake for your spouse
3. Don't hog all the Jeopardy questions on TV
4. Squeeze toothpaste for your partner's toothbrush when you're doing your own
5. Get your spouse's pajamas out and lay them on the bed
6. Leave a favorite snack on the seat of your spouse's car
7. Compliment your mate in ront of friends or family
8. Light a candle in the bedroom
9. Put down everything to greet your spouse at the end of the day
10. Fill the gas tank in your mate's car...as a surprise
11. Light candles with dinner
12. Make a snack for both of you before bedtime
13. Turn your socks right side out before throwing them in the hamper
14. Be adventurous...meet for lunch at an ethnic restaraunt youve never tried
15. Choose a novel, then read it aloud to each other in the evenings
16. Rent a movie you watched during your courtship days
17. Buy an "I Love You" card and mail it to your spouse at work
18. Make plans to re-create your first date
19. When the dryer buzzes, instead of looking at your mate, volunteer to fold the clothes
20. When one of you is indoors and the other outside, knock on the window and blow a kiss
21. Don't put away stuff your spouse might want left out
22. When you're finished driving, put the seat back to your mate's preferred position
23. Hold hands instead of holding the remote control
24. On cold mornings, go ahead and bring in the paper
25. Kiss at stoplights
26. Hide love notes around the house where your spouse will find them
27. When you disgaree, always ackowledge the possibility you could be wrong
28. When stopping for gas while traveling, buy a treat for your partner without buying anything for yourself
29. Next time you shop for clothes, let your spouse vote on the outfit
30. Get involved in a new ministry together
31. Shower together and wash your spouse's back
32. When your mate lies down on the couch, get him or her a pillow
33. Get to know your in-laws

Happy Marriage-ing:-)

Speaking of my mom...

fifteen years ago I was getting ready to graduate high school...(really...did I really say fifteen years ago?). Anyway...we went to the end of the year Athletic Banquet and my mom was awarded the Gene Webb Memorial Award. It is named after a super PHS supporter and it is meant to honor an individual who supports PHS athletics. She'd been the Booster Club treasurer and a huge volunteer/supporter of most things Prosser. It was a surprise to her that she won it...but I knew it was coming and it is a fun memory.

Well, last night Sean and I went to the Athletic Banquet and he was honored with that same award. I kinda sorta thought it might be coming but it was still a fun surprise and he was really pleased and touched that he'd be recognized. Afterwards people were congratulating him and saying to me "aren't you so proud?"...and I would smile and say yes. I have told Sean many times that one of the things I value in him as a husband is that he is a good man...he's noble and honorable and kind. But last night it was fun to hear from everyone else those same sentiments.

Plus...given my previous post about my mom liking him more than me:-)...I think it is so fitting and precious and poignant that the two people I've loved most in my life have won the same award and for the same reason...selfless giving. Man...she would have loved to have seen the look on his face last night:-)

My mom...

...said column like this "call-yoom"
...called for "Michelle Jonna" if I was in trouble
...but called for "Jonna Michelle" if she was just looking for me
...had a HUGE key ring with so many keys that the steering column of one of our cars became loose
...had jet black hair
...would ask for a "taste" of your pop but then drink half of it
...once sent me to the bathroom for laughing too much at the dinner table
...took us on a spur of the moment vacation to Coulee Dam when I was in Middle School
...was the oldest sibling in her family
...had a missing tooth on her lower teeth...and it matches my missing tooth!
...taught me what was so important and reverent about taking communion
...liked Sean more than she liked me:-)
...loved watching the Lakers, the Michigan Spartans, Petey and Mike (tennis players Pete Sampras and Michael Chang)
...used old fashioned phrases like " stupid dame" and "dumb broad"
...let me and my friends drive her around at the State Basketball Tournament when we were seniors in high school
...took me out for a dinner just the two of us every year for my birthday
...worked really hard to pay for my cheer uniforms
...made a welcome home sign when I was done interning at West Side Church
...let me go to Oregon for my senior week with my friends (what was she thinking?...we were only 18)
...woke up with me in the middle of the night at a lodge at Wallowa Lake to watch Princess Di's wedding on live television when I was 6 years old
...made the funniest little clicking noise with her mouth when she thought she'd one-upped you
...always knew what I was up to
...helped me paint my room
...used fun dutch slang like "yunkin" and "cleeking" (I don't even know if I am spelling this right or if she said it right)
...really was pretty cool :-)

Newbie!

Might being an Auntie be the best thing ever? This is Mark and Jenny's new little one...no name yet...they're still in negotiations:-) Born 4/7/08 at 1:19 PM, 10 lbs. 2 oz., 21.5 inches long, lots 'o blonde hair! update: We have a name now!...Crosbie Lynn Peters

A new blog post...another beach trip

So...yesterday we got back from one of the best beach trips we've had in a long time. The condo was perfectly close to the beach, perfectly secluded, and perfectly priced during this value season. The weather was phenomenal! On the way there we drove through every type of weather...from rain, to sleet, to clouds, to even SNOW on Hwy. 26. But the whole time we were there it was perfectly clear and sunny with the usual beachy breeze! Super Awesome! Why is the beach so cool?...because it is!

Funny-isms

Have you seen "My Big Redneck Wedding" on CMT? It's a half-hour reality show following a couple on the way to the altar...but the couple is self-proclaimed as REDNECK. Sean and I watched it the other night and now it is perpetually TiVo'ed. Some highlights:
*when writing his vows: "I would like to put my love in a locket because you are hotter than a hot pocket."
*Granny's response:..."ooh...I love hotpockets!"
*When deciding what events to hold at their reception the two winners were "Mattress surfing" and "Mud Wraslin'"
*and finally...when explaining why he isn't using fancy words in his self-written vows...he explains that he doesn't have a "cle toris"...seriously...I never thought I'd stop laughing!

Not much else going on...trying to decide if we can get to the beach AGAIN...is it too soon since we just went in December? :-) We can NOT stop talking about moving there. It would be awesome! Trying to figure out what Sean's clinicals schedule will be...than he's done with the program and off to find another full time job!...maybe he'll find a job in Oregon?!?

Some pics