Daily Request

When you want something what do you do? If I want something and Sean is headed to the kitchen anyway I'll say "Honey? Could you get me a coke on the way back from the kitchen?" If I'm in my classroom I say "Hey Jessica, could you bring me that stack of papers pretty please with sugar on top?"

When Cleo wants to go outside she dances around very ansy-like and will run the length of the living room back and forth between you and the door until you let her out. When Sommer wants the empty plastic bottle or the people food she'll lay her head on your lap as you sit at the desk or paw you...over and over again very annoyingly. When Roxy wants to go to sleep she lays her head on the back of my thigh.

However...when the dogs want water...they do this:

They lick and lick and lick and lick and lick at the self watering water dish. I sometimes wonder if they think that the water will just magically appear if they lick hard enough. Even though they watch me refill it. If we're in the office we can't see or hear them licking. So then when we get back into the kitchen we find that they've licked and licked to the point of moving the water dish about 8 feet from the back door to the middle of the kitchen. Funny dogs!

We had our church's annual Chili and Cinnamon Roll Feed tonight. Mmmmm...super good chili and mmmm...super gooey cinnamon rolls. I had tons of fun with my two little waitress helpers. They looked up at me about 20 minutes into their shift and said..you know this is kinda fun! Too cute:-)

P.S. To Mark...Deal!
P.P.S. Edited to read CHILI...not CHILD...no we do not feed on Children at my church :-)

Daily Hmm..

About 13 years ago there was a movie that, at this time of year, was so massively hyped that Sean and I couldn't wait to see it. It went on to win many many awards. We'd seen it before the Oscars...back then we saw so many more movies than we do now. There was a time when we would've seen every Best Picture nominee movie...not because we set out to but because that was what our tastes and time dictated. There were even some times that we'd seen close to all of the performances that'd been nominated. I digress :-)

So, we went to see The English Patient with high, HIGH, expectations. And we were so...SO...SOOOOO...disappointed. What? Were you expecting us to have liked it? I remember thinking at the time "how many times can we look at the undulating sands of Africa from an airplane?"...or "Wait, what? Did they jump back in time again?"...or "Who is this black haired bearded guy hitting on Juliette Binoche?" Ugh. We did NOT like it...and then that year as we watched the Oscars we felt so gypped when it won all these awards. I mean, I guess I could appreciate Juliette's performance...but ugh! What a stinker of a movie :-)

SO..I was apprehensive when we went to see The Reader tonight. I really wanted to see it (and it turns out I used to own the book...but never finished it) and Kate Winslet is a pretty big deal around our house. She's been Sean's girlfriend for going on 12 or so years..and I've been known to offer ...well, nevermind. :-) Let's just say she's my movie-star BFF.

Now...I wouldn't say I didn't like it. Sean for sure wasn't bowled over. But it definitely has stuck with me. I can't stop thinking about it...four hours later. I can tell when something like that affects me because I pore over the internet to find out stuff about it. So, I've read the IMDB.com stuff on this movie, I've consulted Wikipedia, I've watched the cast interviews on the movie's site, and I've even watched the Official Trailer on YouTube...even though I JUST saw the movie.

It's fascinating to think of what makes people fall in love, what forces from the past and present affect that, what forces from the world around you affect that, how do you reconcile what you feel for someone if and when you learn a secret from their prior life, does that change what you had, does that change how you feel now.

I love stories and movies that don't give you the "Right" answer. I do, really. I sometimes get frustrated but ultimately I love it because it lingers with you. It keeps you thinking. I mean, I loved the book Bridges of Madison County and I remember finishing it in a weekend. But at the end I'm pretty sure that the housewife doesn't go with the rogue traveling photog and I'm pretty sure she's completely tortured yet stoic about that decision. I love LOVE Nicholas Sparks novels...mostly because I love Kevin Costner and he's in Message in a Bottle. But when Kevin's character's story runs its arc...I'm not really questioning anything.

In fact I just finished a novel with my students where at the end they asked me the "so what does that ending mean?" question. It's fun to say "I don't know, what do you think?". That's how I feel about The Reader...does Hanna see him?...did he ever love her?...did she know about the trial when she left?...was he able to love anyone else?...why the tapes?...what was his motivation with the tapes?...I don't know; what do you think?

The Reader is a slow-moving but absorbing story of sexual awakening and moral dilemmas. Director Stephen Daldry (The Hours) has intelligently adapted Bernhard Schlink's novel set in post-World War II Germany. Though the effort is uneven, it's a well-acted romance that becomes a less compelling courtroom drama...The Reader raises thorny questions and avoids simple answers. Michael's morality is left disturbingly unclear. This tale of eroticism, secrecy and guilt is bound to stir discussion.
---Claudia Puig, USA Today

**FYI...when you attend an R-rated movie whose reviews says things like "sexual awakening...DO NOT take your 8 year old and then HARUMPH as you leave the theater**

Daily Stump

So...I ask my students to write all the time and to be honest I don't have much patience when they tell me they don't know what to write about. Now, granted, some of the students who have this complaint have been hard at work for all of two minutes so my lack of patience is warranted. But; tonight I kinda know what they mean. I think in this case, though, it is a case of being tired and still having stuff to do...also; I'm getting kind of tired of doing this Project 365 thing. I keep thinking on the one hand it's cool to document a tiny part of every day of your life for a year...what a thing to look back on. But, on the other hand what could I possibly have to say still? Woke up...again. Had a vanilla latte...again. Stayed at school too late...again. Organized and stacked piles of papers...again. Demanded that Sommer stop licking...again. Ate dinner and watched Ghost Hunters...again. Washed dishes...again. Coerced Sommer to stop pawing me...again. Got after Cleo for barking...again. Wondered why Roxy looks at us as though we're about to kick her out...again. Slacked on laundry...again. Left dinner on the counter...again. Blogged...again :-)

Daily Peace

Hi world. Hi *release*. Hi stranger who I got to pray for. Hi unashamed concern. Hi sincere prayer. Hi Body of Christ who prays together. Hi friend who went to dinner with me. Hi hubby who got a milkshake with me. Hi Friends! Hi blogworld. Hi better days to come. Hi small successes. Hi inquisitive students. Hi connections with kids! Hi good times. Hi comfy bed!

Daily Hooky

I have been serving as an Elder in my church for six years. Most of the time I was on the Christian Education Team. The Christian Ed. team is in charge of Youth Group and Sunday School and Nursery. In the Presbyterian church you can serve as an Elder for a term of three years and you can serve two terms back to back. It's a good thing to serve...I believe it is a good thing to serve. But...it's also really tiring because of all the meetings and sub meetings and emails and readings. And it's also stressful sometimes when there are big decisions...I want so badly to be doing what God wants for my church family.

This past Sunday we elected new elders. Now, technically I'm still an elder until the new ones are installed...BUT...I had SO much work to do and it was my students' first home basketball game...so I made the uncomfortable email to ask if I could skip it. So, now...I'm at home and there's a meeting going on and I'm not there...and I TOTALLY feel like I'm skipping school. :-)

Also...today in the mail I received the TITLE TO MY CAR...what a nice surprise! I knew we were getting close with all the payments but I thought I still had a couple of months to go. Woo Hoo!

Daily Regret

Do the blog.
No; I'm tired.
You know you'll regret it if you don't.
C'mon...it's just one blog on one day what's the ha...
The harm? The harm is it'll be a day later and you know you won't remember what to type.
Remember? It's just a day...how I could I NOT remember?

Hmm..good question. You know another good question? What the heck happened yesterday?

This is the conversation that Evil Chelle had with Angel Chelle. Just so you know...Evil Chelle won out so I'm blogging about two days on one day...*sad tear*

*I'm sure I ate some breakfast...oh yeah...it was Sean's birthday and I made cinnamon rolls while he was in the shower
*Ummm...I watched some Judge Judy...and some Good Eats...I think I fell asleep to Good Eats.
*I had dinner with Sean...Eli & Kathy's Drive In (his birthday choice...and watched Cities of the Underworld about the Egyptian Pyramids.

Okay. But if your Project 365 gets messed up don't coming crying to me!

Daily Procrastination

So I went to church and straight from church I went to Yakima for PTP interviews and from there straight home to get going on some work as I get ready for this week at school. Ugh...Don't ya hate it when as you drive home you make a list of ALL the stuff you have to do and ALL the time you have to do it in but in the end the list never gets tackled?...me too!

Well...I guess that's what Monday mornings are for right...cuz I totally always wake up on time on Mondays to tie up loose ends!...Ugh :-)

Daily Par-Tay!

Today was my friend's baby shower. We've been friends for a really long time. Today I was going through my mind all the ways I could describe how long we've been friends. Each one brings about a different reaction or emotion. Try these on for size:
*We've known each other since we were five...awww...that's such a sweet memory.
*We've known each other since 1980...wow; I remember the 80's...good times.
*We've known each other for every stage of our lives...wow; you must have a deep friendship.
*We've known each other through our awkward years...wow; those must be some stories.
*We've known each other since (and after) the Great Spaghetti Sauce Fight of 7th grade...wow; a fight so big it had a name?
And then I started counting exactly how long we've known each other. I used to say:
*We've known each other for twenty years...wow; that's an impressive history.
And then I started to RE-count and so I present the

piece de resistance:

*We've known each other for *ALMOST THIRTY YEARS*...which begs the comment wow; you must have met in the womb!...*LOL*.
Seriously; thirty is so much more than twenty! Wow...we've really known each other for almost thirty years. As I looked up on Wikipedia the meaning of the French phrase I used above I learned it meant "the best part or feature of something" but I also came across this one *coup de gras* which means the death blow meant to end the final suffering of a wounded creature. So...I'll leave it up to you to decide if it's a coup de gras or the piece de resistance.

I also got to talk with her mom for a long time...that was fun...plus I got to have lunch with my other friend...and listen to her son laugh when we told him he came from Mommy's tummy...he thinks we're totally joking him...oh...and the icing on the cake?...I ran out of gas on the side of the road. My good friend to the rescue and I was on my way!

Daily Competition

Once upon a time ago a girl graduated from college intent on changing the world...one student at a time. That's what teacher-college feels like, BTW, you are singularly equipped and gifted to cause all of those pre-pubescent beings to stand in awe of you as the ONE teacher they'll remember...the ONE teacher who'll be the subject of that college-application essay "The person who made the most impact on my life".

Don't get me wrong...I LOVE my job...but there are times when the bubble I blew in that first paragraph gets totally burst and I find myself saying and doing things MY teachers used to do and I swore I'd NEVER do...Liiiikkkkeee...raising my eyebrow to my students (a'la Mrs. Bowden) or "yesterday when we left off..." (close to Mr. Fuerst's "Last...Yesterday") or the ever popular "would you like to share that with the rest of the class?" (akin to EVERY teacher I had who put the comment socializes too much on my report card).

I digress...once upon a time ago a girl graduated from college and looked for a job. She found one in North Bend and applied but she didn't have any team teaching experience. The only other job she found was a High School in Yakima. She'd never taught high school...and still felt a little too close in age...plus Yakima was a long way away. Well, she thought, that's okay...I'll just work at East Valley High School for a year or two until something closer comes available.

So for nine years she drove 500 miles a week to work and back. This girl who'd sleep til way past noon...who couldn't make it to her 8:00 History 102 class even when she lived on campus...who once made her mom break open their back door because she'd slept walked and accidentally chained it shut...left her house every morning by 6 AM to get to work. This girl never saw the light of day from Monday thru Friday during the winter months as it was dark when she left for school and dark when she left for home. This girl sometimes drove as slow as 40 or 50 MPH when road conditions worsened...for nine years.

Then one day a job came available...a mere two minutes from her house...and she took it. It would be an easy transition...she *thought*. She'd never lived in East Valley; she rarely did staff get-togethers because she'd always get home too late. It was *just a job*...or so she thought. The new job started and she missed her colleagues...and the more she missed them the more she realized that unbeknownst to her...over the last nine years...they'd become so much more than colleagues...and this job had become so much more than a job until something closer comes available.

Fast forward to tonight and my hometown gym is host to the East Valley Red Devils...so many of the Varsity girls and boys were my students over the last 3 or 4 years that they'd been at the high school and a part of me still considers myself a Red Devil. I found myself looking with disgust as they missed their shots or muttering under my breath that they were better than this. It was definitely bittersweet. But it also made me so appreciative that my very first job was SUCH a good experience.

The distance will get easier...those students of mine will eventually graduate and I'll no longer know any of the EV kids at all...but for now...it helps me still feel a little connected while I'm still healing from the loss of my first great job!

Daily Fix

MMMmmmmm...Patrick Dempsey...*sigh*...me likey!

Tonight was the third episode in a mini-arc that has been playing out on Grey's Anatomy. Last week was intense given the final scene of a death-row inmate/patient doing himself in by slamming his newly-opened skull against the back of his hospital bed.

Then tonight it was one gut-check after another with a heart wrenching fight between Izzy and her dead ex-fiance, the 10 year old on death's door, the inmate who Derek thinks is pure evil and Meredith sees some redeeming qualities in (when he's really somewhere in between the two), the organ donor's wife, and the lines that were crossed...phew...

I cried...I'll admit it...I'm a big girl...I cried. To which Sean incredulously questioned "You cried? It's a TV show." Oh...did I mention this statement came as he was playing his game World of Warcraft...with people he assures me are real...but I say the jury's still out. So to Sean I say...*ring*ring*ring* "Hello, Pot? This is the Kettle. You're black!"

Also...big news...Sean's staples are out! It was so cool to watch that...his staple remover was exactly like mine at school :-) So, we'll see how he progresses...he's certainly feeling a whole lot better!

MMMmmmm....Fridays!...*sigh*...me likey!

Daily Lists

What I ate today...Breakfast: Apple Bran Muffin and Vanilla latte from Starbucks
Lunch: Roast Turkey and stuffing Lean Cuisine and a Coke
Dinner: Apple Chai Tea Latte and Oatmeal cookie from Starbucks, one hot dog at church, left over spaghetti at home

What I wore today...
Brown "Toms Shoes" boots
Khaki leggings
99350 Prosser long sleeve shirt
Italia sweatshirt/Boise sweatshirt

Who I talked to today...
Sean
Paul
Jacki
my students (at school)
Wendy (at school)
Connie (at school)
Ellen (at school)
Colin
my youth group kids
Kim (at school)
Vivian (at school)
Mark (at school)
Brock (at school)

Who I got emails from today...Sarah
Carrie
Youth Specialties
Christianbook.com

What my dogs are doing right now...
Sommer...in a time out on the couch
Roxy...sleeping on the dog bed RIGHT NEXT to Sean's chair
Cleo...barking up a storm outside

TV I've watched in part or whole (or at least listened to)...
Judge Judy
Good Morning America
Today show
The Patriot (with Mel Gibson...not Steven Segal)
My House Is Worth What?
HBO Inauguration special

Daily History

On a day like today I want to sound poetic...and inspirational...I want to sound profound. But I find myself not even wanting to articulate what I feel on inauguration days because I think it will pale in comparison to more gifted writers or it will not ring so true when I become the umpteenth (thanks for the word mom) person to talk about how it feels to be part of history.

So...I will talk about what I like about inaugurations. I like all the pomp and circumstance, I like the show of patriotism, I like the history and symbolism. I like that there's a band that dresses up as colonial soldiers and plays the fife and drum. I like that the oath of office doesn't change. I like that he used a former president's Bible. I like that we still use poets as Poet Laureates to speak at the inauguration. I like the anticipation of what her dress will look like. I like that the old president leaves the new president a personal note on personalized stationary for him to find when he gets back there. I like the old first couple and the new first couple meet for coffee on that morning. I like (and chuckle) that they attend church on a weekday morning at St. John's Episcopal church...even though they're not Episcopalian.

I like all that stuff...I like that all the stuff that used to be done gets done one more time. It makes me feel nostalgic. If you know me then you know well that I appreciate traditions...especially traditions that make me feel warm and fuzzy. I like sweet pictures like this one, too. A picture that was viewed live by thousands and will be viewed over time by millions. A picture that shows a private moment in the midst of a public celebration.



And...here's another private moment picture. Sean and I took our niece and nephew out for dinner tonight. L is 10 AND A HALF and D is 2. Once he got the hang of it he LOVED the McDonald's playland. Man that kid can scream...but it was all screaming with glee!

Daily Bother

So; tonight I read something that I can only describe as *disturbing*. It was written by someone whose life seems in a dead-end and has been that way for some time. You can tell it really made an effect on me because I'm still quite bothered. By all accounts some of the bummer-ness is self inflicted...some; not so much. I can think of ways that this person could've altered her life or her response to it but I don't think that would be the most helpful. And anyway...pointing fingers at this point is useless. The really disturbing part were phrases she'd written like "a happy day seems like a black and white picture from yester year" or "the only thing that is happening with the lemons are that they are being squeezed into my eyes and already open wounds" or "I have a demon pirched on my shoulders pulling my puppet strings of stupidity and misery". See what I mean?

I was and am still very truly bothered by this...but it also got me to thinking about ways to help. You always hear about friends helping friends and on the rare occasion that the situation had escalated beyond help and then the friends say things like "if only" or "I wish I'd known...". So, what's the tipping point? And if the people don't know you are searching for ways to help then how do you tactfully offer the help...or does tact have anything to do with it? Hmmm...clearly I'll still be bothered by this for some time. And I have ideas in my head and a burden on my heart to continue my part in this. And if you are of like mind and heart you might want to add this at*this*early*date*un-named "Blogger-Girl" to your prayer list...or me...as I search for ways to help.

On a more mundane note:
Today I...
completed four loads of laundry
emptied the dishwasher
put away all the hand-washed dishes
met with Colin to design a Youth Group poster
had Starbucks!
Facebooked
Emailed
Watched Grey's Anatomy on Tivo...Go Eric Stoltz!...I smell Emmy :-)
Was frustrated by my dogs
Was driven to an "awww..." moment by my dogs...they're so CUTE!
Made spaghetti...why did it taste SO good tonight?

This is my dog Sommer getting her favorite chew toy...an empty plastic bottle...it's the little things:-)

This is my lunch...a chicken salad sandwich just the way we made them at Jennifer's when I was in college!

Daily Release

This morning I got to participate in my good friend's son's baptism. It was so sweet...I've known him for so many years and I love that I have been able to see his faith grow and ultimately be a part of this decision he's made. Church was extra long today...but it was good...watching our students join the church, good songs, good fellowship, good message. It was more than 30 minutes longer than usual...but that's okay...it was a good day at church!


I skipped out on the Miss Prosser pageant tonight. I usually do like to go with my mother-in-law (who was Miss Prosser herself) but tonight I had gotten so into finishing straightening my desk area and finishing those scrapbook projects that I've had laying around so I bagged it. And it turns out I didn't get quite as much done as I thought I did...but that's okay. I did find and sort all the stuff for those unfinished projects. I did finish cutting and making my Word of the Year. My desk top is a bit messy again..mostly with my newly sorted stuff that is just waiting to be put away...but that's okay because I got a lot of stuff done.

I'm going to bed later than I want to...but that's okay. Church was longer today...but that's okay. My desk is a tad messy...but that's okay. My living room is still not all the way clean...but that's okay. See how good I'm doing with my Word of the Year...see all the stuff I've RELEASED..because it's okay :-)

Daily Dailies

So...technically I did post for yesterday(Happiness is...) but I didn't do a "Daily" post. I have a good reason though! Last night was our church's youth group Lock In for the Thirty Hour Famine. The Thirty Hour Famine is a World Vision program to raise awareness of and funds for African poverty and hunger. We challenge our students to fast for 30 Hours and during those 30 hours we have a lock in, play games, have worship music time, watch movies, play games, do service projects, and sleep...a little. So from noon Friday until six Saturday night I only drank water and tea. Last night we played games and watched Prince Caspian and Kung Fu Panda and had GREAT worship time with Rob. Today we woke up around 8:40 and got out around 9:50 for our service projects. We cleaned alleys, helped at Jubilee, volunteered at a chess tournament, and cleaned up some parks. It was good...but cold..so we ended a bit early.

Some things I'd like to remember:
*how selling concessions at the chess tournament is SO hard when you're fasting
*how cool I think it is for a student to organize this as her senior project
*how slick it was this morning...freezing fog
*how fast everyone cleaned up and how full the city dumpsters got
*how Lindsey and I sat up until 2 AM talking before we fell asleep
*how GREAT it was to worship in the sanctuary under the cross
*how satisfying it is to make it all thirty hours without eating and to know that the void you feel is filled by communing...during those hungry times...with a living God whose heart breaks for the pains of this world.

Happier Happiness is...

finding out twenty minutes before you leave to get the "extra work" done at school during your two hour delay that you actually have a complete cancellation of school and now you have a four-day weekend!

Clean desk and paid bills...here I come!

Happiness is...

I have a good friend who does many of her posts with this Happiness title. It's a lot of fun and a quick peek into her day. I already wrote this in the comments of her blog but it bears repeating.

Happiness is...finding out you have a two hour delay (which you DON'T make up) after you get out of the shower!

Sure...I as the lover of all things sleep-related would've LOVED a couple extra hours of sleep. But I also LOVE a couple hours of extra "work and/or goof off" time :-)

Daily List

What I did today...
Woke up late=6:40 vs. 6:00
Debated Editorial topics with my students
Complained about stuff at lunch
Listened to "The Giver" with my students
Rushed home to get scrapbook supplies
Had fun sharing scrapbooking with the Crafters Club at school
Made (or rather...heated up) Orange Chicken and French Fries
Started to clean my desk...really I had started already but tonight is the first night I can see the dent that was made
Talked on the phone with FIVE people...Barb, Kristin, Susan, David, Mark, Heather...make that SIX people.
Facebooked...blogged...played my computer game...in general wasted time :-)
Set up a PTP interview
Watched Friends
Got to bed an hour later than I'd wanted...:-( 10:00 vs. 9:00

It's getting there...

Daily Ouch

Ohhh...man alive (as my mom used to say) my dogs are barkin'! And by dogs I mean my feet...and by barkin' I mean my feet are SO SORE! Although...a little bit ago my real dog was really barkin' :-) I don't what it was about today but my whole lower body is sore. My lower back is sore, my hips are sore (one is left over sore from two nights ago when Roxy slept against me all weird), my knees are sore, my ankles are sore...Holey Moley! I guess I just really full-body taught today...hmm :-)

The one thing that is feeling better is my left heel. For the past six months my left heel has been unbearably painful and I can't figure out why. Like when I get out of bed I'm limping...picture an old lady and you'd have the image. So, through a strangely coincidental story I shall share later I was scrapbooking with my 8th grade PE teacher and was mentioning this pain. She said right away that she thought it was *fasciitis* (sp?)...and she started telling me my symptoms and she was so right it was creepy. Turns out fasciitis is caused by arches falling or feet flattening out and that pulls the Achilles tendon taught...that is what causes the heel pain. She suggested taping my arches up...but what I really did was bought an arch insert and darned if she wasn't right. My heel, although not all the way cured, does feel better.

Still sore though...Jacki and I were talking that maybe it's because Wednesdays are just so busy...you know I go from school straight to church...sometimes with just a short break in between. Phew..it's exhausting!...but not a bad way to spend an evening. It's tiring, they're loud, there's a lot of them...but all the while building relationships with kids and God...Suh-Weet!

Daily Hmm...

You know how they say there is power in words...words mean a lot...choose your words wisely for they may come back to bite you...once you say it you can't get it back...blah blah blah. Blogging, so often especially, makes one think about words. Mark and I even use word choice as a criterion for joke-quality...if there is an efficient use of words then it may make the joke funnier.

But I'm also wondering about the power of word timing, who the words are spoken to, or (even more telling perhaps) who the words are *not* spoken to. You know what I mean? Those things that you think need to be spoken...but you're not sure IF they should be spoken...and if you do speak them who do you speak them to? Because again...once they're out there you can't take them back. *I know this is sounding very convoluted...refer to the "Choices" post from a few weeks ago...this post was precipitated by something but I'm not going to get specific so it's no use trying to figure out the underlying meaning :-)*

Tonight I'm wondering if there are times we feel burdened by info we have and a way to release that burden is sharing said info...only we chicken out and share it with someone who it's easy to share with. In some cases, convincing ourselves that our choice is the right thing to do. When in reality the right thing to do would be to shift who the words are spoken to or not speaking them at all. Yet...now you have shared that info so your burden is TOTALLY taken care of. You've kind of let yourself off the hook of the really difficult thing to say because you've said it...just not to the right person.

This is what I'm wondering about lately :-)

My photo of the day...btw...is of me and our three dogs on the couch. But I still need to load it off my camera...so TO BE CONTINUED :-)

P.S. *patting herself on the back* when I clicked the spell check it came back with "no mis-spellings found"...YAY me :-)

Daily Cut

After giving him the worst time about what a bad patient he was for not letting me help him more I must say I'm pretty proud of Mr. Room 1114. We got there at 6:30...they took him back around 8:50...he was out of recovery around 10:30...and we were home by 4. Plus...he'd yet to take a pain pill until about 20 minutes ago. Seriously...the nurses kept calling him their *rock star* because he was doing so well. The surgery went well too...just as they expected it would and so far he doesn't seem to be feeling the gall bladder pain he'd been experiencing...so it seems to have worked!

It was good to have our minister and his mom with me too. Paul prayed with us before the surgery...that always helps me feel better. And Linda sat with me through the whole surgery...it was a big help because I wasn't so much nervous but the time would've passed so much slower had I not had anyone to talk with. In fact; I'm so glad Paul came and prayed with us because I had anticipated being super nervous and anxious. I usually am in most medical situations...I think my childhood has totally skewed my reactions when it comes to medical issues. So...I was so at ease knowing he was in great hands and knowing he would feel so much better when it was all said and done.

Ahh...now this really was a good day!

Daily Difference

What is the difference between me and all those other teachers who can get ready for a sub in an hour or less? I was at school until almost 5:30 on Friday and then spent another three or four hours getting ready for my sub today and when I got home I still had to email a friend of mine at school because I forgot something...what is the difference?

What is the difference between a life not obsessing about a clean house and a living room I'd be comfortable inviting people into? In my quest to get ready for my sub my living room is still a pig sty...and my poor sick husband will be recovering in a mess.

So...tomorrow is Sean's surgery. It'll be a good day...I'm glad he'll finally be pain free of his gall bladder. I asked him today if he could remember what it even felt like before this chronic pain. I was counting it out today and he's been feeling this way for about a month now.

On my way home from school tonight (notice the darkness outside) I stopped at the recycle center to make a *difference*. At my old school we actively collected recycling. At my new school we don't...but I still do. So, I had to drop off my recycling...it had accumulated to a big bag full so it was definitely time :-)

Daily Meeting

So...today we had a People to People meeting in Yakima. It was another informational meeting to share with people the ins and outs of traveling with our program. Usually this meeting takes place in the fall; but it was kind of nice to do another one. It was super great because I got to spend some time with my friend Susan. Susan and I met at East Valley High School when we were Social Studies colleagues. I adore her...she's super cool. We had the most fun collaborating together...and talking with each other...and complaining about the boys.

When I decided to leave EV and take the job in Prosser I knew it was going to be difficult to leave my beloved job after nine years. It was different because I wasn't leaving EV because of anything wrong with EV...I was leaving EV because it was so far away. It was a great job and I knew I'd miss it. But I didn't know I was going to miss my colleagues as much as I do. I hadn't ever really called them my friends...my EV colleagues had always been friend-ly...but because we were colleagues first I never really put them in the *friend* category.

But...boy...when I see them after so long I LOVE it. And I loved hanging out with Susan today. After our meeting we went over to her house and scrapbooked...which felt good too:-)

*picture coming soon*
*BTW...ever notice how I start these Project 365 posts with the word SO...?*

Daily Game

I like to play this little game...I call it "How long is TOO long to stay at work?" Today is FRIDAY and I was still at work past five o'clock! In my defense I was doing actual work...not like sometimes when I get distracted looking at online curriculum and get side tracked. With Sean's surgery coming up I'm taking Monday and Tuesday off to care for my beloved. Getting ready for a sub to be in my room takes SO MUCH work! The lesson plans for the day are one thing but you have to think of every little thing about your students..who needs to leave early to serve at lunch...who needs to go to the library...etc. etc. etc. And I'm still not done; I'll need to go to school on Sunday to finish things up for her.

Also tonight we watched our Prosser Mustangs take on the Selah Vikings...girls won 45-34 and the boys lost 62-52.

Coming home so late and with a game to go watch I cooked dinner tonight at our friends the McDonald's :-)

Daily Doctor

So...Sean is having surgery on Mon. the 12th. Today was his pre-op appointmet. We got into the exam room really quickly and then promptly *waited* for about twenty or thirty minutes inside. After buzzing down from Prosser...leaving school as soon as the bell rang...and we waited. So, after a while there wasn't a ton of stuff to do. But there was a very detailed poster of the digestive system...hence began a lesson from Professor Sean. The more I looked at the poster the more questions I had...the more questions I had the funnier it became that Sean knew every single thing I asked. At one point I said "Wow, you're really smart!" To which he sarcastically said "Thanks". I then declared that I could never have been successful in his studies because I am pretty sure you'd have to memorize every thing of human anatomy and though I am a teacher I'm not so good with the memorizing. I'm more of a conceptual thinker and I'm pretty sure the medical field is looking for you to know more than just the conceptual version of human anatomy.

So...here...let the lesson begin...the green part is the gall bladder which Sean will be free of in less than four days!

Daily Group

So in youth group we are in a series called "Teens vs. Parents". And tonight I was WAY unprepared. The thing is the curriculum is really user friendly...copy the worksheet and pop in the DVD. But I was totally unable to direct the small group time. I would love to say..hmmm...guess they were really out of it....maybe they weren't back in the swing o'things after winter break...maybe the topic didn't *speak* to them. But...I think that's only partially true. I was way unprepared. I don't think I even looked at the lesson until 30 minutes before small group. So...deep down...deep deep down...I know that I can't blame it on exterior things. I know it didn't excel because I didn't put the effort into it. It's like I tell my students that you only get out of it what you put into it. And here...I need to remind myself of that...every once in a while...:-)

Also...we're starting the 30 Hour Famine...it's Heather's senior project. So cool that she wants to do something that benefits others for her senior project!

Daily Nap

Today was my second day back to school from our unusually long break. And I'm even more tired today than I was yesterday. Why is that? I wish my body would just automatically get back into the swing of things. It is currently 7:47 and according my original plan I am 47 minutes late for my bedtime :-) Ahhh...bedtime...

Today I made some more plans for my kids to pen pal with Ann-Jean's students in Denmark...they are so excited. Here are some of their questions...what sports do they play? Do they know how to say hello? Will they know how to say my name? What do you mean football is soccer to them? Well, then what do they call football? What..they don't play football?

It's pretty funny and cute...they can't figure out what to write and so I'll say "well, what do you want to know about them?"...I get the response..."I want to know if they're hot..." Good grief :-)

No picture for today...forgot my camera at school. We were taking Next Top Role Model pictures.

Daily Soup

So...I've had this recipe for a LOOOONNNNGG time but have never gotten around to trying it. I'll back up...Sean and I LOVE Olive Garden. We don't care for the salad so we always get the soup. Our favorite is Zuppa Toscana (in my limited knowledge of Italian I think it means Tuscan Soup). Today we had our own Zuppa Toscana. It wasn't quite like Olive Garden's soup...but it was pretty darn close and BOY did it taste good. I've got quite a bit left...maybe I'll bring it to school for lunch for everybody. Mmmmm...mmmmm...good!



Zuppa Toscana
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 t. chopped garlic
6-8 slices of bacon (use a kitchen shears to cut into small pieces)
1/2 to 1 lb. of Italian sausage
2 qts. water
4 chicken bouillon cubes
2/3 c. heavy whipping cream
3-6 potatoes, chopped (I leave the skins on and slice into skinny disks)
2 c. kale, chopped into bite size pieces

1. In a large soup or stock pot; cook onion and bacon until onions are translucent and bacon bits are browned
2. add sausage; crumble and brown as it cooks
3. add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes
4. drain this mixture and set aside
5. in the same large soup pan add the water, cream, bouillon, and potatoes; bring to a rolling boil
6. reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes
7. add in the browned sausage mixture and kale and simmer for an additional 4-6 minutes

Daily Something

So...today I woke up a bit late and went to church at the late service. I had a meeting after church so it made more sense. It was kinda nice to go to the late service. It's like the service was when I was a kid. Nowadays I like to go to the early service because it's the contemporary style...but I like the nostalgia of the late service.

My first meeting went great...kinda long...but we were deciding budget stuff for the church for the coming year...so you know...that takes some time.

My second meeting was fun, too. We were meeting about doing a 30 Hour Famine Lock In. One of our seniors is doing it for her senior project. I'd done a 30 Hour Famine a few years ago and it is surprisingly fun. And the whole *not eating* thing is really not as hard as I thought it was. Once you get to hour six or seven it starts to not be an issue. We fast for thirty hours to raise awareness of famine in Africa and around the world. Plus, our youth group kids have been DIEING to do a lock-in. They've been waiting and waiting...so it should be a good time.

So, it's off to do my laundry and my last minute planning for school to start back up again tomorrow. It's been a nice break and I sure would love some more chunks of time to finish up some projects...but it will feel better to get back into the swing of things too.


sadly...I got to bed WAY too late for the night before back to school :-(