A lost art...

Disclaimer: ranting ahead...

There are several things that are pet peeves of mine about wedding/social etiquette:
1. Not RSVP-ing to weddings, showers, birthday parties, dinners, etc. This especially bothers me when someone shows up that did not RSVP. It is a simple common courtesy to let a host/hostess know whether you can attend the specified event so that they can plan accordingly. I have not always been the best at this, but after showers I have hosted and our wedding, I have vowed to pay that respect.
2. Not sending a gift after receiving an invitation. It's just rude and lazy.
3. Not sending a thank you note. This is probably my biggest pet peeve and current rant. While numbers 1-2 can be frustrating social faux pas, not sending a thank you note is simply unacceptable. Don't you think? Both Emily Post and Amy Vanderbilt agree that thank you notes for wedding gifts should be sent within 6-8 weeks after a wedding. They even suggest that for gifts received prior to a wedding, one should send a thank you within 2-3 weeks. I will even go as far to say, though, that a thank you note is always better late than never.

Many people get overwhelmed at writing thank you notes because they want to make them personal. I definitely appreciate a note that makes me feel special and my gift valued over a generic "blah" note; however, the overwhelming feeling is not an excuse to not write a note. And if it does take you (*someone*) over a year to write your thank you's, please make your note dang good. A once close friend sent her thank you note 10 months after her wedding, and it was so impersonal, you would think we hadn't even known each other.

One of the last mini-lessons that I shared with my seniors this year was the "how-to's" of writing a thank you note. I emphasized to them that graduation gifts that go unthanked will not lead to future gifts for college graduation, weddings, babies, etc. We talked about 1) acknowledging the gift; 2) its use; 3) and the hope for a future meeting with the giver. It's that simple.

I realized today that 5 out of the last 8 wedding/baby gifts that I have given (some to friends and others to aquaintances) have gone unthanked. This is problematic to me for a couple of reasons:
1. Did they get my gift? Some were sent in the mail, and what if they got lost? I even asked one of the girls over Christmas if she did, indeed, receive the gift... She did. Still no thank you.
2. Is thank you note writing a lost art? I hope not...
3. Do people in general appreciate others' generosity? I hope so...

I think I am going to write a thank you note to a friend for her personal, appreciative thank you note... sigh.

Disclaimer: ranting ahead...

There are several things that are pet peeves of mine about wedding/social etiquette:
1. Not RSVP-ing to weddings, showers, birthday parties, dinners, etc. This especially bothers me when someone shows up that did not RSVP. It is a simple common courtesy to let a host/hostess know whether you can attend the specified event so that they can plan accordingly. I have not always been the best at this, but after showers I have hosted and our wedding, I have vowed to pay that respect.
2. Not sending a gift after receiving an invitation. It's just rude and lazy.
3. Not sending a thank you note. This is probably my biggest pet peeve and current rant. While numbers 1-2 can be frustrating social faux pas, not sending a thank you note is simply unacceptable. Don't you think? Both Emily Post and Amy Vanderbilt agree that thank you notes for wedding gifts should be sent within 6-8 weeks after a wedding. They even suggest that for gifts received prior to a wedding, one should send a thank you within 2-3 weeks. I will even go as far to say, though, that a thank you note is always better late than never.

Many people get overwhelmed at writing thank you notes because they want to make them personal. I definitely appreciate a note that makes me feel special and my gift valued over a generic "blah" note; however, the overwhelming feeling is not an excuse to not write a note. And if it does take you (*someone*) over a year to write your thank you's, please make your note dang good. A once close friend sent her thank you note 10 months after her wedding, and it was so impersonal, you would think we hadn't even known each other.

One of the last mini-lessons that I shared with my seniors this year was the "how-to's" of writing a thank you note. I emphasized to them that graduation gifts that go unthanked will not lead to future gifts for college graduation, weddings, babies, etc. We talked about 1) acknowledging the gift; 2) its use; 3) and the hope for a future meeting with the giver. It's that simple.

I realized today that 5 out of the last 8 wedding/baby gifts that I have given (some to friends and others to aquaintances) have gone unthanked. This is problematic to me for a couple of reasons:
1. Did they get my gift? Some were sent in the mail, and what if they got lost? I even asked one of the girls over Christmas if she did, indeed, receive the gift... She did. Still no thank you.
2. Is thank you note writing a lost art? I hope not...
3. Do people in general appreciate others' generosity? I hope so...

I think I am going to write a thank you note to a friend for her personal, appreciative thank you note... sigh.

Opened Eyes!!!

Maggie has been born!!! These are the 3 girls from the litter. They are 18 days old and have just opened their eyes. I cannot wait!!! I have been waking up thinking about her... Lindsay and I held two little bichon puppies today at the flea market, and we played with Sugar (our cousin's pup) Tuesday night. Both times I have melted. So we're deliberating over her registered name... I have a slight aversion to anything with Margaret. No offense, just not for my puppy. Mom mentioned Maggie Magdalene. Patrick vetoed it. I love Maggie Moo ice cream, but isn't that sort of cliche? Any ideas for a unique registed name, pass them along!

Maggie has been born!!! These are the 3 girls from the litter. They are 18 days old and have just opened their eyes. I cannot wait!!! I have been waking up thinking about her... Lindsay and I held two little bichon puppies today at the flea market, and we played with Sugar (our cousin's pup) Tuesday night. Both times I have melted. So we're deliberating over her registered name... I have a slight aversion to anything with Margaret. No offense, just not for my puppy. Mom mentioned Maggie Magdalene. Patrick vetoed it. I love Maggie Moo ice cream, but isn't that sort of cliche? Any ideas for a unique registed name, pass them along!

bathing suits and pajamas

I love my friends! This weekend is going down in the books as one of my favorite EVER. 4 of my best girls (Lia, Kelly, Andrea, and Mindy) made the trip down to Fun-gomery this weekend to reunite, and I had been looking forward to it for months... Now that it is over, I am a little sad, but still laughing at all of the fun that was had. At good ole' DLHS, I was blessed to be a part of the class of 97. I loved so many things about our class and have so many great memories of unique friendships, and that is what made high school not just bearable, but SO much fun for me. There were 9 of us girls who were pretty tight, and we still get together for holidays, weddings and babies, summer trips, and random spontaneous events. These girls are so special to me!

This weekend we celebrated Andrea's pregnancy (she finds out boy/girl news today!) and Kelly's upcoming adventure to Japan (she is going on an 18-month stint there with her cool husband who is an engineer for Nissan). We also brought recent pictures and videos of vacations, weddings, and babies to just laugh, cry, and share the special things in each others' lives. We definitely missed Tara, Nicole, Jenny, and Kristen, who were unable to come, but I promise you, girls, you were definitely there in all of the conversations and walks down memory lane that we went through... And we pretty much covered them all from...

• Spring Break trips
• Tara's campout
• Stewart and Brad's lakehouse weekend
• Spartan Cheerleader
• Lia's bachelorette weekend
• our fateful Gatlinburg trip
• the Charleston summer
• New Year's at Karkau's
• STARS Spunky and the cigar
• 8th grade Washington and the bus mess
• Basketball with BA
• sleepovers at Nicole's
• Class Days
• Homecoming dress disasters
• Junior/Senior dates
• old boyfriends
• all our crazy guy friends
• our Senior song... All the places I remember...
• Getting pulled over in Panama city, sun roofs

and so many others that I can't remember. All weekend was spent staying up late talking and laughing, wearing only bathing suits and pajamas, grilling out, sitting on the back porch, and swimming. We did take a nickel tour of Montgomery, and we all just had fun. One of our main goals was to name all of the 124 graduating seniors in our class. We got to 109 and then stonewalled. I've got one more to add girls, Cliff Chunn... If you think of others, let me know.
My favorite thing about the weekend is that no matter how we all change and go our own directions, our friendships remain the same. We pick up where we leave off, and we laugh until we cry.

I love my friends! This weekend is going down in the books as one of my favorite EVER. 4 of my best girls (Lia, Kelly, Andrea, and Mindy) made the trip down to Fun-gomery this weekend to reunite, and I had been looking forward to it for months... Now that it is over, I am a little sad, but still laughing at all of the fun that was had. At good ole' DLHS, I was blessed to be a part of the class of 97. I loved so many things about our class and have so many great memories of unique friendships, and that is what made high school not just bearable, but SO much fun for me. There were 9 of us girls who were pretty tight, and we still get together for holidays, weddings and babies, summer trips, and random spontaneous events. These girls are so special to me!

This weekend we celebrated Andrea's pregnancy (she finds out boy/girl news today!) and Kelly's upcoming adventure to Japan (she is going on an 18-month stint there with her cool husband who is an engineer for Nissan). We also brought recent pictures and videos of vacations, weddings, and babies to just laugh, cry, and share the special things in each others' lives. We definitely missed Tara, Nicole, Jenny, and Kristen, who were unable to come, but I promise you, girls, you were definitely there in all of the conversations and walks down memory lane that we went through... And we pretty much covered them all from...

• Spring Break trips
• Tara's campout
• Stewart and Brad's lakehouse weekend
• Spartan Cheerleader
• Lia's bachelorette weekend
• our fateful Gatlinburg trip
• the Charleston summer
• New Year's at Karkau's
• STARS Spunky and the cigar
• 8th grade Washington and the bus mess
• Basketball with BA
• sleepovers at Nicole's
• Class Days
• Homecoming dress disasters
• Junior/Senior dates
• old boyfriends
• all our crazy guy friends
• our Senior song... All the places I remember...
• Getting pulled over in Panama city, sun roofs

and so many others that I can't remember. All weekend was spent staying up late talking and laughing, wearing only bathing suits and pajamas, grilling out, sitting on the back porch, and swimming. We did take a nickel tour of Montgomery, and we all just had fun. One of our main goals was to name all of the 124 graduating seniors in our class. We got to 109 and then stonewalled. I've got one more to add girls, Cliff Chunn... If you think of others, let me know.
My favorite thing about the weekend is that no matter how we all change and go our own directions, our friendships remain the same. We pick up where we leave off, and we laugh until we cry.

Shout outs!

Lindsay and Daniel Meek just celebrated their 1-year annniversary, and Mom and Dad just celebrated their 30th year of marriage!

Thank you for being good examples of marriages. Can't wait to see you ALL next week.

Lindsay and Daniel Meek just celebrated their 1-year annniversary, and Mom and Dad just celebrated their 30th year of marriage!

Thank you for being good examples of marriages. Can't wait to see you ALL next week.

Pool Party via the "Calypso"

I am whipped. So is Patrick. He got back from camp late Friday afternoon; we had an intense work-filled Mexico meeting for several hours on Saturday; and then well went full-force in planning our "Summer Kick-off" party for the teens at Landmark. We did not sleep this weekend.

Just before he left for camp, we realized that our Kreepy Krawler, i.e. pool cleaner, was broken... Not what we wanted to hear. We priced these contraptions, and to our dismay, regular-priced they were in the $400- 500 range, and even on Ebay, they were going for around $350. A huge would-be dent in our "Maggie fund." That's when we were charmed by the Calypso pool cleaner... We bid on this product on ebay and got it for about 1/3 what we would have paid for anything else. Thank goodness! Our lifesaver product arrived just in time for Patrick to come home from camp. (Yes, I swam in a dirty pool last week...) It was amazing what a difference a working cleaner made on the lining of our pool, and now it's so clean you can't get me out of it.

Our summer kick-off turned out great. We had around 40 teens, grilled hamburgers and hotdogs, ate homemade ice cream made by Jeremy and Hannah, and swam, played 4-square (sort-of), and volleyball/badmitten. It was a good bonding time dunking kids in the pool, playing "Categories" and catch off the diving board, and hanging out. A fun time was had by all.

Then we crashed, and we're still recovering. We are, however, grateful for our Calypso which made the whole thing possible.

I am whipped. So is Patrick. He got back from camp late Friday afternoon; we had an intense work-filled Mexico meeting for several hours on Saturday; and then well went full-force in planning our "Summer Kick-off" party for the teens at Landmark. We did not sleep this weekend.

Just before he left for camp, we realized that our Kreepy Krawler, i.e. pool cleaner, was broken... Not what we wanted to hear. We priced these contraptions, and to our dismay, regular-priced they were in the $400- 500 range, and even on Ebay, they were going for around $350. A huge would-be dent in our "Maggie fund." That's when we were charmed by the Calypso pool cleaner... We bid on this product on ebay and got it for about 1/3 what we would have paid for anything else. Thank goodness! Our lifesaver product arrived just in time for Patrick to come home from camp. (Yes, I swam in a dirty pool last week...) It was amazing what a difference a working cleaner made on the lining of our pool, and now it's so clean you can't get me out of it.

Our summer kick-off turned out great. We had around 40 teens, grilled hamburgers and hotdogs, ate homemade ice cream made by Jeremy and Hannah, and swam, played 4-square (sort-of), and volleyball/badmitten. It was a good bonding time dunking kids in the pool, playing "Categories" and catch off the diving board, and hanging out. A fun time was had by all.

Then we crashed, and we're still recovering. We are, however, grateful for our Calypso which made the whole thing possible.

Eating out without packing it on...

This post goes out to all of you weight watchers out there...

In following through with one of my summer goals of eating healthy, I have been researching nutritional values and figuring out how to eat out without putting on the pounds. I walk with a dietitian on Thursdays who I have been pumping for tips; I have a friend who has been on Weight Watchers for a year who has lost 28 pounds, and I asked her how she planned her meals. She gave me several helpful websites that have been a springboard of information. During the summer, I like to eat out for lunch pretty often since during the school year I am locked in at Lee; it's also a good time to get together with teens or friends. However, I stress out at restaurants because I want to be healthy and make good choices without being annoying. Well, I will worry no longer thanks to Dottie's Weight Loss Zone. Looks can be deceiving, so just scroll down to the button that says, "Restaurants." Included in this list are almost all of the restaurants that I frequent, and I am now able to make informed choices. Hope this helps any of you who are interested.

This post goes out to all of you weight watchers out there...

In following through with one of my summer goals of eating healthy, I have been researching nutritional values and figuring out how to eat out without putting on the pounds. I walk with a dietitian on Thursdays who I have been pumping for tips; I have a friend who has been on Weight Watchers for a year who has lost 28 pounds, and I asked her how she planned her meals. She gave me several helpful websites that have been a springboard of information. During the summer, I like to eat out for lunch pretty often since during the school year I am locked in at Lee; it's also a good time to get together with teens or friends. However, I stress out at restaurants because I want to be healthy and make good choices without being annoying. Well, I will worry no longer thanks to Dottie's Weight Loss Zone. Looks can be deceiving, so just scroll down to the button that says, "Restaurants." Included in this list are almost all of the restaurants that I frequent, and I am now able to make informed choices. Hope this helps any of you who are interested.

Windfall: My Summer Filler?

Thursday night I watched NBC's new summer show, Windfall. I was intrigued by the show because I am familiar with several of the characters: Dylan McKay from 90210--yes!; Kate Warner from second season 24--the girl whose sister is a terrorist and woos Jack; and Sarah from 24 Season 3--the girl who is wrongly framed for being an insider mole and then demands "two pay grades" in a saucy little voice... Then there is the premise of the show: 20 friends go in for lottery tickets and when they win, they split their winnings of 380,000,000. The show is basically about how the money affects their lives and relationships. I was glued to the tv Thursday night. The jury is still out on how I feel about it, but it will provide me with a summer filler from my tv withdrawals... I hope.

Thursday night I watched NBC's new summer show, Windfall. I was intrigued by the show because I am familiar with several of the characters: Dylan McKay from 90210--yes!; Kate Warner from second season 24--the girl whose sister is a terrorist and woos Jack; and Sarah from 24 Season 3--the girl who is wrongly framed for being an insider mole and then demands "two pay grades" in a saucy little voice... Then there is the premise of the show: 20 friends go in for lottery tickets and when they win, they split their winnings of 380,000,000. The show is basically about how the money affects their lives and relationships. I was glued to the tv Thursday night. The jury is still out on how I feel about it, but it will provide me with a summer filler from my tv withdrawals... I hope.

In Cold Blood

I just finished watching Capote. It took me three times, and he really creeped me out, but I'm glad I watched it. I loved that Harper Lee, a fellow Chi Omega and a major reason for me pledging, was in it. I plan on rereading To Kill a Mockingbird and then following up with Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. My mom and dad both really enjoyed it...

I just finished watching Capote. It took me three times, and he really creeped me out, but I'm glad I watched it. I loved that Harper Lee, a fellow Chi Omega and a major reason for me pledging, was in it. I plan on rereading To Kill a Mockingbird and then following up with Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. My mom and dad both really enjoyed it...

Some of my favorite things...

Yesterday I spent the day in Auburn. I get a good feeling every time I drive on campus--something just clicks and makes me peacefully reflect; it's quite inspiring. :) Living in Montgomery, you'd think I'd visit quite often. Sadly, it's not often enough. I had a gift card to use from speaking at a retreat, a free day since Patrick is at camp this week, and some friends to catch up with... It was a good, refreshing, fun day, and I thought I'd write about some of my favorite things about the place. Disclaimer: This list is inconclusive; it just includes things I did yesterday...

1. The Auburn Christian Student Center: I don't really know how to begin to put into words how this place impacted my life. I thought I knew what being a Christian looked like before I came to Auburn, but I say with conviction that my faith was solidified through my involvement with this ministry. Jim and Mary are spiritual heroes to me. I learned that being a Christian didn't mean being perfect or even "good." I learned how to share my faith and study with someone who was seeking to know God. I saw lives transformed. In this imperfect, but genuine place I learned a little more about what I wanted my life to be like. Yesterday, I got to see Jim and Mary and spend time with one of my best friends who is interning there for the summer. It was good.



2. Chi Omega : Before coming to Auburn, I had all of those Lifetime movie channel preconceived notions about sororities. I went through RUSH to meet people (since I knew no one), and I was surprised by Chi-O. It was not carbon copies of girls, but unique individuals who intrigued me. I pledged, and my life has been blessed through that organization with some of the coolest friendships I have experienced... All of my roommates in undergraduate years were Chi-O's, and during our Junior and Senior year, we were privileged (at the time we really believed this :)) to live at this big old house called the Chi-O mansion that had been passed down from pledge class to pledge class. I have so many fond memories from there, and I spent a big part of yesterday with one of the "mansion girls"--as we were called.

3. Amsterdams: The home of the famous "turkey wrap" with honey mustard and sweet potato chips. I'm salivating as I write this...

4. Heartstrings: The best gift shop on the planet... and the place where my gift card from the retreat was from. I remember thinking during my last days at Auburn, "IS there life after Heartstrings...?"

5. Momma G's: There's not much better than a Momma's Love combined with the famous nachos... (doritos with melted pepper jack cheese... I've tried to recreate them at the house, and I can never do it...) Yes, I ate the whole thing by myself, and, yes, I'm salivating once again!

Anyway, it was a good summer day, and it helped me not miss Patrick so much... Sigh.

Yesterday I spent the day in Auburn. I get a good feeling every time I drive on campus--something just clicks and makes me peacefully reflect; it's quite inspiring. :) Living in Montgomery, you'd think I'd visit quite often. Sadly, it's not often enough. I had a gift card to use from speaking at a retreat, a free day since Patrick is at camp this week, and some friends to catch up with... It was a good, refreshing, fun day, and I thought I'd write about some of my favorite things about the place. Disclaimer: This list is inconclusive; it just includes things I did yesterday...

1. The Auburn Christian Student Center: I don't really know how to begin to put into words how this place impacted my life. I thought I knew what being a Christian looked like before I came to Auburn, but I say with conviction that my faith was solidified through my involvement with this ministry. Jim and Mary are spiritual heroes to me. I learned that being a Christian didn't mean being perfect or even "good." I learned how to share my faith and study with someone who was seeking to know God. I saw lives transformed. In this imperfect, but genuine place I learned a little more about what I wanted my life to be like. Yesterday, I got to see Jim and Mary and spend time with one of my best friends who is interning there for the summer. It was good.



2. Chi Omega : Before coming to Auburn, I had all of those Lifetime movie channel preconceived notions about sororities. I went through RUSH to meet people (since I knew no one), and I was surprised by Chi-O. It was not carbon copies of girls, but unique individuals who intrigued me. I pledged, and my life has been blessed through that organization with some of the coolest friendships I have experienced... All of my roommates in undergraduate years were Chi-O's, and during our Junior and Senior year, we were privileged (at the time we really believed this :)) to live at this big old house called the Chi-O mansion that had been passed down from pledge class to pledge class. I have so many fond memories from there, and I spent a big part of yesterday with one of the "mansion girls"--as we were called.

3. Amsterdams: The home of the famous "turkey wrap" with honey mustard and sweet potato chips. I'm salivating as I write this...

4. Heartstrings: The best gift shop on the planet... and the place where my gift card from the retreat was from. I remember thinking during my last days at Auburn, "IS there life after Heartstrings...?"

5. Momma G's: There's not much better than a Momma's Love combined with the famous nachos... (doritos with melted pepper jack cheese... I've tried to recreate them at the house, and I can never do it...) Yes, I ate the whole thing by myself, and, yes, I'm salivating once again!

Anyway, it was a good summer day, and it helped me not miss Patrick so much... Sigh.

UnAmerican!!!

That's me.

I didn't vote yesterday in the primaries.

It's not that I just didn't get around to it; around noon I intentionally decided not to vote. I felt angry at the whole idea for some reason...

What does this say about me? What happened to all of my SGA/politically active days from college?

Did you vote?

That's me.

I didn't vote yesterday in the primaries.

It's not that I just didn't get around to it; around noon I intentionally decided not to vote. I felt angry at the whole idea for some reason...

What does this say about me? What happened to all of my SGA/politically active days from college?

Did you vote?

what kind of coffee are you?

Rainy afternoon drinking some coffee... yum.

You are a Black Coffee

At your best, you are: low maintenance, friendly, and adaptable At your worst, you are: cheap and angsty You drink coffee when: you can get your hands on it Your caffeine addiction level: high

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

Rainy afternoon drinking some coffee... yum.

You are a Black Coffee

At your best, you are: low maintenance, friendly, and adaptable At your worst, you are: cheap and angsty You drink coffee when: you can get your hands on it Your caffeine addiction level: high

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

Graduation Completed.

(Pic taken from Jen's page... thanks :))
Deep breath. School year 2005-2006 is finally completed. Today was my last day of work, and I feel complete closure with the class of '06 after graduation last night. I told myself this last year, but I forgot, so I am reminding myself again this year: I need to always remember the positive, sentimental feeling that I get at graduation. It's those types of feelings, and bringing them to mind, that get me through rough times. I have been down about my job lately, and last night reminded me why I was in education. The smiles on those kids faces are priceless. They are so proud of themselves and so appreciative of their teachers--especially the ones who know they barely made it (i.e. needing a 79 on the final exam to pass the class and making an 80... I had three of those) and that they owe you big time. For the past two years, I have been a "line leader" for the ceremony, and while it can be quite chaotic, it is so cool to get to see and wave and hug every kid as they are about to walk on the stage for their "big moment"--for some, the biggest moment of their lives... Warm fuzzy, definitely! I am excited about my summer away, and I'll be ready for a brand new crop of students and a new school year come August...

(Pic taken from Jen's page... thanks :))
Deep breath. School year 2005-2006 is finally completed. Today was my last day of work, and I feel complete closure with the class of '06 after graduation last night. I told myself this last year, but I forgot, so I am reminding myself again this year: I need to always remember the positive, sentimental feeling that I get at graduation. It's those types of feelings, and bringing them to mind, that get me through rough times. I have been down about my job lately, and last night reminded me why I was in education. The smiles on those kids faces are priceless. They are so proud of themselves and so appreciative of their teachers--especially the ones who know they barely made it (i.e. needing a 79 on the final exam to pass the class and making an 80... I had three of those) and that they owe you big time. For the past two years, I have been a "line leader" for the ceremony, and while it can be quite chaotic, it is so cool to get to see and wave and hug every kid as they are about to walk on the stage for their "big moment"--for some, the biggest moment of their lives... Warm fuzzy, definitely! I am excited about my summer away, and I'll be ready for a brand new crop of students and a new school year come August...

Circa 1999

7 years ago, 3 friends and I embarked on a summer adventure to Charleston, South Carolina. We sublet an apartment from some College of Charleston girls(see pink building picture), took off from our respective colleges (none of which were the same), and made a life for ourselves in this spectacular city. We all got jobs, worked as little as possible to pay the bills, and enjoyed every facet of the city, beaches, and surrounding areas. We made a list of all the things that we wanted to do during our time there, checked them off one by one, and had a blast doing every single thing. There were more good times than bad, and the summer of 1999 was a defining time in my life and in my friendships with these women. I absolutely fell in love with the city and have since then read every book I can find that is set there. (Pat Conroy being my all-time favorite author!) Since our adventure there, I have only been back to visit once, but I have thought about it so often...

In just a few days, Patrick and I are going to Charleston!!! We have had our trip planned for several months now, and we cannot wait. I am going to get to do all the romantic things with him that I dreamed of doing with someone I loved that summer... :) We have a list of restaurants in which to dine, places to visit and tour, and walks to take. I can't wait to show him the Citadel, the CoC, the beautiful antebellum homes, Rainbow Row, Isle of Palms, Folley Beach, and so much more!!! We are staying at a Bed and Breakfast on the Battery (pictured below), and our view is amazing. I'll try to take some good pictures and post them when we get back!

7 years ago, 3 friends and I embarked on a summer adventure to Charleston, South Carolina. We sublet an apartment from some College of Charleston girls(see pink building picture), took off from our respective colleges (none of which were the same), and made a life for ourselves in this spectacular city. We all got jobs, worked as little as possible to pay the bills, and enjoyed every facet of the city, beaches, and surrounding areas. We made a list of all the things that we wanted to do during our time there, checked them off one by one, and had a blast doing every single thing. There were more good times than bad, and the summer of 1999 was a defining time in my life and in my friendships with these women. I absolutely fell in love with the city and have since then read every book I can find that is set there. (Pat Conroy being my all-time favorite author!) Since our adventure there, I have only been back to visit once, but I have thought about it so often...

In just a few days, Patrick and I are going to Charleston!!! We have had our trip planned for several months now, and we cannot wait. I am going to get to do all the romantic things with him that I dreamed of doing with someone I loved that summer... :) We have a list of restaurants in which to dine, places to visit and tour, and walks to take. I can't wait to show him the Citadel, the CoC, the beautiful antebellum homes, Rainbow Row, Isle of Palms, Folley Beach, and so much more!!! We are staying at a Bed and Breakfast on the Battery (pictured below), and our view is amazing. I'll try to take some good pictures and post them when we get back!

puppy dogs and codes

Well... Patrick and I have been doing a lot of thinking, praying, researching, and we think we are ready to add a puppy dog to our family! What in the world!!! Since Patrick has yucky allergies, we need a dog who won't shed or bother his sinuses. We have decided on getting a Bichon Frise. Sugar Sweet, my cousin's dog, has greatly influenced our decision, and we spoke today with the owner of her parents. Our "Maggie" will be born in 2 weeks, and we'll get her in 9 weeks if all goes as planned. I really miss my "Cassie," and I love my sister's "Sadie," and I'm going to be obsessed with my sweet little "Maggie."

In other news, we went to see The DaVinci Code this weekend. It was a good thriller with cool cinematography tricks. There has been so much controversy about first the novel, and now the movie. When I was doing campus ministry at The University of Alabama, this book was all the rage because it was shaking so many people's faith. I was particularly interested in the book since I was in the middle of my Masters in Biblical Studies. The truth is that the book is purely fiction, and while interesting, it is based on inaccuracies and simple fallacies. We heard a sermon yesterday on "Cracking the DaVinci Code," and I was worried that it was going to be one of those, "Christians should stay away from this movie and boycott it lalalala stuff." It wasn't. I appreciated Buddy's approach. He said from the start that he had read the book and seen the movie. He gave our members some facts to help dialogue with those who might be struggling with some of the ideas that were presented. Then, he focused on how people today aren't influenced as much by Christian or non-Christian evidences as much as they are by watching others live out their faith with authenticity. I agree completely, and I recommend the movie. Then, call me and let's talk about it over coffee or tea...

Well... Patrick and I have been doing a lot of thinking, praying, researching, and we think we are ready to add a puppy dog to our family! What in the world!!! Since Patrick has yucky allergies, we need a dog who won't shed or bother his sinuses. We have decided on getting a Bichon Frise. Sugar Sweet, my cousin's dog, has greatly influenced our decision, and we spoke today with the owner of her parents. Our "Maggie" will be born in 2 weeks, and we'll get her in 9 weeks if all goes as planned. I really miss my "Cassie," and I love my sister's "Sadie," and I'm going to be obsessed with my sweet little "Maggie."

In other news, we went to see The DaVinci Code this weekend. It was a good thriller with cool cinematography tricks. There has been so much controversy about first the novel, and now the movie. When I was doing campus ministry at The University of Alabama, this book was all the rage because it was shaking so many people's faith. I was particularly interested in the book since I was in the middle of my Masters in Biblical Studies. The truth is that the book is purely fiction, and while interesting, it is based on inaccuracies and simple fallacies. We heard a sermon yesterday on "Cracking the DaVinci Code," and I was worried that it was going to be one of those, "Christians should stay away from this movie and boycott it lalalala stuff." It wasn't. I appreciated Buddy's approach. He said from the start that he had read the book and seen the movie. He gave our members some facts to help dialogue with those who might be struggling with some of the ideas that were presented. Then, he focused on how people today aren't influenced as much by Christian or non-Christian evidences as much as they are by watching others live out their faith with authenticity. I agree completely, and I recommend the movie. Then, call me and let's talk about it over coffee or tea...

So close I can taste it...

Summer, come quick! I have 3 more "pseudo" work days, and then summer will have arrived. Thank the Lord, it couldn't come at a better time. This weekend has felt like summer. I've just felt more relaxed, spent some time outside, and enjoyed life. I've also had a chance to reflect and gather some thoughts and goals for how I want to use these 10 weeks of my life with no Lee High...
1. Time with family. We have a trip planned to Louisville to spend time with the Crawfords, a week in Nashville with the Deans, and an end-of-summer trip to Atlanta with the Crawford, Dean, Meek clan. I'm sure missing my family, so this chunk of time is extremely valuable to me. 2. Vaca... And that's coming quick. Patrick and I will be spending the last few days of May in my favorite city in the US, Charleston. More to come on that later...
3. Get in shape. I'm sick of eating crap and feeling bloaty and lethargic. I WILL do something about it this summer... Get ready, Ash and Aiden, I'll be calling...
4. Get back on track spiritually. I've been stuck and stagnant for too long. I'm ready to live the joy of my Lord. I'm excited about my new "Kristy Crawford" Bible that Patrick got me for "Teacher Appreciation Week" and 7 months of marriage. I'm also excited about a Beth Moore study that I'm planning to be a part of this summer on Thursday nights. It's Patriarchs, and my mom said it was excellent. Any of you Fungomery girls who are interested, let me know, and we'll make a girls' night out of it.
5. Read and Write. I have my list of books for the summer that I'll share with any of you who are interested, and I have an article for Teen Life Ministries that is long overdue. Sorry, Al. It's on "The Value of Women in Ministry."
6. Get Tan! Last summer I hardly used our pool. This summer, it will be a daily occurence. Come swim with me!
7. Use our home and my time for ministry and fellowship. I'm planning Mondays with Landmark teen girls, different age groups each week, swimming, or shopping, or lunching... I hope to have friends and reach-out friends over for cookouts and pool parties too.
8. Friend time. My DLHS homegirls are coming one weekend in June to send Kelly off to Japan, celebrate Andrea's pregnancy, Mindy's new motherhood experiences, and get caught up on our babies and marriages, jobs and interestes and lives in general. Can't wait!!! I'm also looking forward to time with my friends here who I see so rarely.
9. Youth Ministry! I'm going to Cozumel with the Landmark teens. It's my second year to go and work with Ciudad de Angeles. We have a great group going this year, and I can't wait.
10. Cook. I got some great cookbooks as wedding presents, and I'm excited about trying new recipes... Get ready, Patty Crawdy!
11. Learn Spanish. See #9. Last year in Cozumel, I just smiled and giggled. This year I hope to communicate a little better...

Think that's enough? Well, I am excited, and I hope that my excitement drives this! I hope everyone is getting excited about summer...

Summer, come quick! I have 3 more "pseudo" work days, and then summer will have arrived. Thank the Lord, it couldn't come at a better time. This weekend has felt like summer. I've just felt more relaxed, spent some time outside, and enjoyed life. I've also had a chance to reflect and gather some thoughts and goals for how I want to use these 10 weeks of my life with no Lee High...
1. Time with family. We have a trip planned to Louisville to spend time with the Crawfords, a week in Nashville with the Deans, and an end-of-summer trip to Atlanta with the Crawford, Dean, Meek clan. I'm sure missing my family, so this chunk of time is extremely valuable to me. 2. Vaca... And that's coming quick. Patrick and I will be spending the last few days of May in my favorite city in the US, Charleston. More to come on that later...
3. Get in shape. I'm sick of eating crap and feeling bloaty and lethargic. I WILL do something about it this summer... Get ready, Ash and Aiden, I'll be calling...
4. Get back on track spiritually. I've been stuck and stagnant for too long. I'm ready to live the joy of my Lord. I'm excited about my new "Kristy Crawford" Bible that Patrick got me for "Teacher Appreciation Week" and 7 months of marriage. I'm also excited about a Beth Moore study that I'm planning to be a part of this summer on Thursday nights. It's Patriarchs, and my mom said it was excellent. Any of you Fungomery girls who are interested, let me know, and we'll make a girls' night out of it.
5. Read and Write. I have my list of books for the summer that I'll share with any of you who are interested, and I have an article for Teen Life Ministries that is long overdue. Sorry, Al. It's on "The Value of Women in Ministry."
6. Get Tan! Last summer I hardly used our pool. This summer, it will be a daily occurence. Come swim with me!
7. Use our home and my time for ministry and fellowship. I'm planning Mondays with Landmark teen girls, different age groups each week, swimming, or shopping, or lunching... I hope to have friends and reach-out friends over for cookouts and pool parties too.
8. Friend time. My DLHS homegirls are coming one weekend in June to send Kelly off to Japan, celebrate Andrea's pregnancy, Mindy's new motherhood experiences, and get caught up on our babies and marriages, jobs and interestes and lives in general. Can't wait!!! I'm also looking forward to time with my friends here who I see so rarely.
9. Youth Ministry! I'm going to Cozumel with the Landmark teens. It's my second year to go and work with Ciudad de Angeles. We have a great group going this year, and I can't wait.
10. Cook. I got some great cookbooks as wedding presents, and I'm excited about trying new recipes... Get ready, Patty Crawdy!
11. Learn Spanish. See #9. Last year in Cozumel, I just smiled and giggled. This year I hope to communicate a little better...

Think that's enough? Well, I am excited, and I hope that my excitement drives this! I hope everyone is getting excited about summer...

Grey's Anatomy... whoa!

Anybody see the finale last night? What did you think? Who should she choose? What about Izzy? thoughts, predictions, opinions welcomed. I was floored... and a little embarassed at one point... I think I'm going to watch it again right now!

(BTW, I'm home early today because our school had to let out due to backed up raw sewage! What in the world...)

Anybody see the finale last night? What did you think? Who should she choose? What about Izzy? thoughts, predictions, opinions welcomed. I was floored... and a little embarassed at one point... I think I'm going to watch it again right now!

(BTW, I'm home early today because our school had to let out due to backed up raw sewage! What in the world...)

little here... little there...

I haven't had much to say this week. It seems like a lot has happened, but I've been too tired to even try to articulate it here on this blog... So, here is my week in a list.

1. Research Papers completed!!! This has been a major highlight of my week. Toward the end, the grading went faster because the papers were worse. Sad, but true.
2. Personal/Mental health day... I took Wednesday off because I couldn't deal with the jungle 5 whole days this week. It was a great day that started off with a rainy morning spent reading in the bed, a lunch date with Patrick, Mother's Day card and gift shopping, and a rainiy afternoon at Starbucks... grading research papers...
3. Babies Galore!!! First 3 new expectant mothers... now 4 new little friends! Amy Hall Reynolds is now the proud mother of Rylee Grace Reynolds; Katie Stewart Holliday gave "little Robert" a little sister, Lillian Louise Holliday (Lilly); Jennifer Corwin Brewer gave birth to little Davis Brewer; and my sweet little Shar'keia gave birth to a sweet little girl with a full head of hair! Plus, we had a baby shower for a teacher at school... babies, babies, babies!
4. I did something I never thought I would do... (see #3) I went to visit one of my 17-year-old students at the hospital after giving birth. Sweet Shar'keia, who is not only my student but also my wonderful teacher's aide, had a baby girl Thursday afternoon. I took her some "Baby's first books" to the hospital and was greeted by a room full of young women and babies. She was adorable... She will be a wonderful mother... I pray for her and that her life will be blessed. She has taken a rough path, but she is smart and kind and motivated. Her mother made me cry.
5. Read three books: A Moveable Feast, White Hot, and Promise Me. I'm currently zipping through Annie Freemen's Fabulous Traveling Funeral. Good stuff.
6. Visited the Adullum House. Last night our LIFEgroup went to the Adullum House, an orphanage/foster home that cares for children whose mothers are in Tutwiler Prison. There are 26 kids there. Last night, we cleaned the rooms and bathrooms, did laundry, and held babies. The older kids were out on a "field trip," so we had the 9 youngest to play with, feed bottles, and burp. It was truly humbling.
7. Slept in. After falling asleep last night on Kevin and Britani's floor, this morning Patrick and I slept LATE. We woke to a rainy Saturday morning, and we have just enjoyed our day together. What a blessing!

Next week my main goal is to live out my faith. I felt negative last week. Tired. Drained. I pray that my joy will shine through this upcoming week to everyone I come across. God has been good to me. I need to remember that.

I haven't had much to say this week. It seems like a lot has happened, but I've been too tired to even try to articulate it here on this blog... So, here is my week in a list.

1. Research Papers completed!!! This has been a major highlight of my week. Toward the end, the grading went faster because the papers were worse. Sad, but true.
2. Personal/Mental health day... I took Wednesday off because I couldn't deal with the jungle 5 whole days this week. It was a great day that started off with a rainy morning spent reading in the bed, a lunch date with Patrick, Mother's Day card and gift shopping, and a rainiy afternoon at Starbucks... grading research papers...
3. Babies Galore!!! First 3 new expectant mothers... now 4 new little friends! Amy Hall Reynolds is now the proud mother of Rylee Grace Reynolds; Katie Stewart Holliday gave "little Robert" a little sister, Lillian Louise Holliday (Lilly); Jennifer Corwin Brewer gave birth to little Davis Brewer; and my sweet little Shar'keia gave birth to a sweet little girl with a full head of hair! Plus, we had a baby shower for a teacher at school... babies, babies, babies!
4. I did something I never thought I would do... (see #3) I went to visit one of my 17-year-old students at the hospital after giving birth. Sweet Shar'keia, who is not only my student but also my wonderful teacher's aide, had a baby girl Thursday afternoon. I took her some "Baby's first books" to the hospital and was greeted by a room full of young women and babies. She was adorable... She will be a wonderful mother... I pray for her and that her life will be blessed. She has taken a rough path, but she is smart and kind and motivated. Her mother made me cry.
5. Read three books: A Moveable Feast, White Hot, and Promise Me. I'm currently zipping through Annie Freemen's Fabulous Traveling Funeral. Good stuff.
6. Visited the Adullum House. Last night our LIFEgroup went to the Adullum House, an orphanage/foster home that cares for children whose mothers are in Tutwiler Prison. There are 26 kids there. Last night, we cleaned the rooms and bathrooms, did laundry, and held babies. The older kids were out on a "field trip," so we had the 9 youngest to play with, feed bottles, and burp. It was truly humbling.
7. Slept in. After falling asleep last night on Kevin and Britani's floor, this morning Patrick and I slept LATE. We woke to a rainy Saturday morning, and we have just enjoyed our day together. What a blessing!

Next week my main goal is to live out my faith. I felt negative last week. Tired. Drained. I pray that my joy will shine through this upcoming week to everyone I come across. God has been good to me. I need to remember that.

Baby Fever

So, the saying really is true: Things come in 3's. On the same day, I had 3 friends (extremely close friends, at that) call to tell me that they are pregnant! What in the world?! All three of these women are spectacular, and they will all make incredible, Godly mothers. I just want to know their babies! I am not ready to have a baby. I'm not. But whoa...

So, the saying really is true: Things come in 3's. On the same day, I had 3 friends (extremely close friends, at that) call to tell me that they are pregnant! What in the world?! All three of these women are spectacular, and they will all make incredible, Godly mothers. I just want to know their babies! I am not ready to have a baby. I'm not. But whoa...

R.A.K.s

So, it went something like this... I'm sitting in my classroom talking to my fun, funky, smart, creative friend/coworker about how I've been enjoying my afternoons at Barnes & Noble, drinking a cup of green tea and reading a chapter of A Moveable Feast (continuing in my literary obsession with Hemingway, I am). She asked why I had not bought the book, and I told her my hangup about buying lots of books, my feelings about Trade Books and the library, and that I had to really LOVE a book to buy it for full price. We continued on in our conversation and said our good-byes for the day. (She leaves after 5th period.)

Fast-forward to 7th period. I'm sitting in the library with my class as they take their STAR reading tests, and in my lap falls a wrapped package with a sweet card. I turned around to my friend, and she said, "I hope you don't mind... but I couldn't stand the thought of you not having a book that you absolutely love." STINKIN' MADE MY WHOLE WEEK! (p.s. Barnes & Noble has the coolest wrapping paper ever!)

What an awesome Random Act of Kindness... It really got me thinking about taking the time to notice things in people I am around, what they like, what they need. It made me think about becoming a better friend to those who have befriended me so selflessly. So, I thought I'd open up a conversation... What are some random kindnesses that have been shown to you? What are some things that you've done, or would like to do, for those around you?

Thank you so much, Carrie! Love you, girl...

My Hemingway quote of the day... "Do not worry. You have always written before, and you will write now. All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know." ~my inspiration for the moment...

So, it went something like this... I'm sitting in my classroom talking to my fun, funky, smart, creative friend/coworker about how I've been enjoying my afternoons at Barnes & Noble, drinking a cup of green tea and reading a chapter of A Moveable Feast (continuing in my literary obsession with Hemingway, I am). She asked why I had not bought the book, and I told her my hangup about buying lots of books, my feelings about Trade Books and the library, and that I had to really LOVE a book to buy it for full price. We continued on in our conversation and said our good-byes for the day. (She leaves after 5th period.)

Fast-forward to 7th period. I'm sitting in the library with my class as they take their STAR reading tests, and in my lap falls a wrapped package with a sweet card. I turned around to my friend, and she said, "I hope you don't mind... but I couldn't stand the thought of you not having a book that you absolutely love." STINKIN' MADE MY WHOLE WEEK! (p.s. Barnes & Noble has the coolest wrapping paper ever!)

What an awesome Random Act of Kindness... It really got me thinking about taking the time to notice things in people I am around, what they like, what they need. It made me think about becoming a better friend to those who have befriended me so selflessly. So, I thought I'd open up a conversation... What are some random kindnesses that have been shown to you? What are some things that you've done, or would like to do, for those around you?

Thank you so much, Carrie! Love you, girl...

My Hemingway quote of the day... "Do not worry. You have always written before, and you will write now. All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know." ~my inspiration for the moment...

My weekend=My "new" kitchen!

So...this post is to inform you of how Patrick and I, along with our dear friends Britani and Kevin, spent our weekend--redoing the kitchen!!! Please indulge me with some before and after photos:
Ok, so notice the beautiful fruit wallpaper, the mongo fan/light fixture, the overwhelming 80's feel... (If you can't tell, click the image so that you can see it all on a detailed level.) Now, let me just preface all these details by emphasizing how grateful I am to have a house, a kitchen, etc... I was determined to not jump in and change anything when we first bought the house because of several reasons: 1)Most of our available funds went toward the down payment; 2) My sister got married a month later; 3)I then planned a wedding and got married. In addition, I wanted to spend some time in the house and decide what was important to me and unimportant. The kitchen was fine and spacious, but as the months went on, I became certain of one thing: The fruit had to go! So, our weekend went as follows:

1. Choosing a paint color: Home Depot's "Shy Blossom," a pleasant green hue that both brightens and calms the room.

2. Removing the existing wall fungus (consisting of 4, and in some places 5, layers of wallpaper). This process consisted of renting a steamer, scraping, sanding, using emulsifying glue, spacling (sp), sanding some more, and, sigh, FINALLY painting. Actually, the painting turned out to be the easiest part...

3. Replacing our white ceramic plastic knobs with knobs with a dull nickel finish.

4. Changing out light fixtures (Patrick, again, impressed me with his handyman skills).

5. Purchasing new kitchen chairs (on sale at Pier 1) to go with our lovely hand-me-down ratan table base from the beloved parentals

6. Purchasing chair cushions (again at Pier 1)

7. Purchasing a curtain valance

8. Purchasing some wall art to complete the overall mood of the room... And TADA!!!













Well, it may not be quite Trading Spaces, but we are very pleased. Come over, and we'll cook you dinner! One note: We definitely underestimated how long this project would take... so if you ever consider putting up wallpaper, call me so that I can talk you out of it. We are going to take some time off before Project number 2...

So...this post is to inform you of how Patrick and I, along with our dear friends Britani and Kevin, spent our weekend--redoing the kitchen!!! Please indulge me with some before and after photos:
Ok, so notice the beautiful fruit wallpaper, the mongo fan/light fixture, the overwhelming 80's feel... (If you can't tell, click the image so that you can see it all on a detailed level.) Now, let me just preface all these details by emphasizing how grateful I am to have a house, a kitchen, etc... I was determined to not jump in and change anything when we first bought the house because of several reasons: 1)Most of our available funds went toward the down payment; 2) My sister got married a month later; 3)I then planned a wedding and got married. In addition, I wanted to spend some time in the house and decide what was important to me and unimportant. The kitchen was fine and spacious, but as the months went on, I became certain of one thing: The fruit had to go! So, our weekend went as follows:

1. Choosing a paint color: Home Depot's "Shy Blossom," a pleasant green hue that both brightens and calms the room.

2. Removing the existing wall fungus (consisting of 4, and in some places 5, layers of wallpaper). This process consisted of renting a steamer, scraping, sanding, using emulsifying glue, spacling (sp), sanding some more, and, sigh, FINALLY painting. Actually, the painting turned out to be the easiest part...

3. Replacing our white ceramic plastic knobs with knobs with a dull nickel finish.

4. Changing out light fixtures (Patrick, again, impressed me with his handyman skills).

5. Purchasing new kitchen chairs (on sale at Pier 1) to go with our lovely hand-me-down ratan table base from the beloved parentals

6. Purchasing chair cushions (again at Pier 1)

7. Purchasing a curtain valance

8. Purchasing some wall art to complete the overall mood of the room... And TADA!!!













Well, it may not be quite Trading Spaces, but we are very pleased. Come over, and we'll cook you dinner! One note: We definitely underestimated how long this project would take... so if you ever consider putting up wallpaper, call me so that I can talk you out of it. We are going to take some time off before Project number 2...

Come on, ABC!

So, here's my rant for the evening... My number 2 and 3 shows, Grey's Anatomy and Lost, respectively, are a weekly inspiration to me. Seriously. However, I have lost all patience with ABC this season because of its inconsistency in showing the new episodes. It seems like I get totally into a show one week, and get ready to watch my TiVo'ed episode the next, only to find that it was a repeat of a previous season, an "overview of the series" (That's why the first seasons are out on DVD, people!), or a 2-hour Alias special. Bump that. (No offense, Alias fans. Love ya.)

I truly believe that 2 of the best shows on television are losing ground because they haven't had the chance to get into any kind of flow this season, and that is a shame. Tonight, for example, I was looking forward to coming home from church to enjoy what I thought to be a riveting new episode of Lost, yet it turned out to be another season recap. Same deal Sunday night with Grey's Anatomy. I have seriously contemplated writing ABC as a disgruntled fan to complain about the whole ordeal. I plan to continue to be a faithful watcher--I've invested a lot into Meredith, McDreamy, Kristina, Jack, Sawyer, and Kate, but my patience is running thin... Is anyone out there with me? Get with the program, ABC! Give us our shows!

Thank goodness there is no break in the seasons of 24. I'm afraid I'd claw someone's eye(s) out with all that pent up suspense.

So, here's my rant for the evening... My number 2 and 3 shows, Grey's Anatomy and Lost, respectively, are a weekly inspiration to me. Seriously. However, I have lost all patience with ABC this season because of its inconsistency in showing the new episodes. It seems like I get totally into a show one week, and get ready to watch my TiVo'ed episode the next, only to find that it was a repeat of a previous season, an "overview of the series" (That's why the first seasons are out on DVD, people!), or a 2-hour Alias special. Bump that. (No offense, Alias fans. Love ya.)

I truly believe that 2 of the best shows on television are losing ground because they haven't had the chance to get into any kind of flow this season, and that is a shame. Tonight, for example, I was looking forward to coming home from church to enjoy what I thought to be a riveting new episode of Lost, yet it turned out to be another season recap. Same deal Sunday night with Grey's Anatomy. I have seriously contemplated writing ABC as a disgruntled fan to complain about the whole ordeal. I plan to continue to be a faithful watcher--I've invested a lot into Meredith, McDreamy, Kristina, Jack, Sawyer, and Kate, but my patience is running thin... Is anyone out there with me? Get with the program, ABC! Give us our shows!

Thank goodness there is no break in the seasons of 24. I'm afraid I'd claw someone's eye(s) out with all that pent up suspense.

shout out to Hemingway

I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching Ernest Hemingway to my 11th graders during the last few days--so much so that I think I am going to make him my new literary obsession. We read and studied his short story, "In Another Country," and watched the A&E biography of him (thanks, Jen). Previously, I only read this particular short story and The Old Man and the Sea. Now, I am on a mission to find A Moveable Feast because I am particularly interested in his love for Hadley and their time in Paris. I looked at Trade Books today, and I had no luck. Amazon, I'm on my way... Anyway, to honor the late Mr. Hemingway, I have chosen some of my favorite of his quotes to pay my respects... Humor me.

"All my life I've looked at words as though I was seeing them for the first time."

"Courage is grace under pressure."

"Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another."

"If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast."

"We are all apprentices in a craft where noone ever becomes a master."
My kids actually enjoyed and appreciated our study of Hemingway. I think they liked the life of adventure that he lived--especially his 4 wives... What a womanizer! But what a writer!

I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching Ernest Hemingway to my 11th graders during the last few days--so much so that I think I am going to make him my new literary obsession. We read and studied his short story, "In Another Country," and watched the A&E biography of him (thanks, Jen). Previously, I only read this particular short story and The Old Man and the Sea. Now, I am on a mission to find A Moveable Feast because I am particularly interested in his love for Hadley and their time in Paris. I looked at Trade Books today, and I had no luck. Amazon, I'm on my way... Anyway, to honor the late Mr. Hemingway, I have chosen some of my favorite of his quotes to pay my respects... Humor me.

"All my life I've looked at words as though I was seeing them for the first time."

"Courage is grace under pressure."

"Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another."

"If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast."

"We are all apprentices in a craft where noone ever becomes a master."
My kids actually enjoyed and appreciated our study of Hemingway. I think they liked the life of adventure that he lived--especially his 4 wives... What a womanizer! But what a writer!

On the Wings of Love

R.E. Lee Prom 2006: On the wings of love, and what a love fest it was! This was my first prom experience since my own 1997 Jr.-Sr. Banquet at ole DLHS. I must admit the two events couldn't have been more polar opposites, and I definitely had more fun last night than I did at my own "prom." It was funny because I don't remember one single teacher or adult at my prom, but all night long these kids kept coming up to us wanting to make sure that we saw them all dressed up and take their pictures. I have never seen my kids look so beautiful and handsome, and I have never seen them break it down any harder. I had to hold myself back from hitting the dance floor myself... :) They played all the classic rap songs, and when they started playing country, everyone left! The above picture is of my English department friends: Lisa, Marie, and Jen. We were doing our "prom pose" giving a shout-out to the theme... hence our wings of love. I'll let the rest of the pictures speak for themselves.

R.E. Lee Prom 2006: On the wings of love, and what a love fest it was! This was my first prom experience since my own 1997 Jr.-Sr. Banquet at ole DLHS. I must admit the two events couldn't have been more polar opposites, and I definitely had more fun last night than I did at my own "prom." It was funny because I don't remember one single teacher or adult at my prom, but all night long these kids kept coming up to us wanting to make sure that we saw them all dressed up and take their pictures. I have never seen my kids look so beautiful and handsome, and I have never seen them break it down any harder. I had to hold myself back from hitting the dance floor myself... :) They played all the classic rap songs, and when they started playing country, everyone left! The above picture is of my English department friends: Lisa, Marie, and Jen. We were doing our "prom pose" giving a shout-out to the theme... hence our wings of love. I'll let the rest of the pictures speak for themselves.

You GOTTA to be kidding me!

So, today I finally bit the bullet and began grading my stack of research papers. I am averaging about 15 minutes per paper, and I have graded 18 of the 85 that were turned in. (Sadly, I have 91 seniors, and not turning in a research paper usually equals not graduating since the paper carries such a heavy weight.) Some of those 15 minutes have been pretty grueling, so I have been trying to keep some humor running throughout the process. I have been jotting down the ludicrous, hilarious, pitiful, bogus things that my students have been writing, and I thought I would share some of the best ones with you.

Now, before you think I am a horribly mean person, let me make this disclaimer: I love my students. They know that I love them. HOWEVER, we spent 6 weeks on this paper, and I covered every detail repeatedly--so much so that I felt like a broken record. Before you judge me too harshly, remember that I have spent about 4.5 hours drudging through these things. I have graded 5 "A" papers that I was supremely pleased with... but onto the goods...

"The author's attitude, stated or implied, is toward the subject."

"The way Chaucer's style was, it was amazing."

"Wordsworth received a good grounding for this classic poem."

"The type of style that Coleridge used for this poem was strangeness and awkwardness."

"Romeo and Juliet were basically two lovers at first sight--they went threw a lot together."

"All through his life he wrote, wrote, and wrote."

"On the other hand man versus nature is like when a dog appears before all of the jailors and prisoners."

"There are really only 6 main characters: Quasimodo, the hunchback of Notre Dame."

"After reading the book, many realize that it is suspenseful."

"This British Literature Research focuses on a poem. The chosen poem was chose, because it seemed easy to research a simple poem."

"This poem has a nine point five rating."

Comment on which one of these strikes your particular interest, funny bone, gag reflex... Well, I'm back to some more happy readings...

So, today I finally bit the bullet and began grading my stack of research papers. I am averaging about 15 minutes per paper, and I have graded 18 of the 85 that were turned in. (Sadly, I have 91 seniors, and not turning in a research paper usually equals not graduating since the paper carries such a heavy weight.) Some of those 15 minutes have been pretty grueling, so I have been trying to keep some humor running throughout the process. I have been jotting down the ludicrous, hilarious, pitiful, bogus things that my students have been writing, and I thought I would share some of the best ones with you.

Now, before you think I am a horribly mean person, let me make this disclaimer: I love my students. They know that I love them. HOWEVER, we spent 6 weeks on this paper, and I covered every detail repeatedly--so much so that I felt like a broken record. Before you judge me too harshly, remember that I have spent about 4.5 hours drudging through these things. I have graded 5 "A" papers that I was supremely pleased with... but onto the goods...

"The author's attitude, stated or implied, is toward the subject."

"The way Chaucer's style was, it was amazing."

"Wordsworth received a good grounding for this classic poem."

"The type of style that Coleridge used for this poem was strangeness and awkwardness."

"Romeo and Juliet were basically two lovers at first sight--they went threw a lot together."

"All through his life he wrote, wrote, and wrote."

"On the other hand man versus nature is like when a dog appears before all of the jailors and prisoners."

"There are really only 6 main characters: Quasimodo, the hunchback of Notre Dame."

"After reading the book, many realize that it is suspenseful."

"This British Literature Research focuses on a poem. The chosen poem was chose, because it seemed easy to research a simple poem."

"This poem has a nine point five rating."

Comment on which one of these strikes your particular interest, funny bone, gag reflex... Well, I'm back to some more happy readings...

Back to reality... already?

So, we're back from the beach... already. Our vacation flew by, but it was so wonderful while it lasted. I don't know if I will ever get tired of going to Destin because of all of the fun memories I have with family and friends. This being our first vacation together since our honeymoon, we learned a lot about how we envision beach trips and how compatible we are on those trips. (I actually gave him a run through of all of my "friend" beach trips along with several "family" stories our first night at dinner. He obliged me by listening and smiling...) Luckily, we learned that our ideas of "fun at the beach" are very closely aligned.

A few learning moments... First, in our excitement about getting away and our rush out of the house after an extremely busy week, we forgot some important equipment. #1) Our bikes. We got bikes for our birthdays 2 years ago and have ridden them about twice each and never together. Bikes would have been perfect for this trip. We seriously thought about turning around to get them an hour out of Montgomery, but seafood was calling our names more loudy. #2) Our camera. Who goes off to the beach and forgets their camera? Well, the Crawfords did this weekend. Patrick is usually "Mr. Camera" as he catches every photo opportunity. This weekend we saw beautiful sunsets. We dressed up in our new springy beach attire. We got a tan. We were on our first married vacation. There will be no pictures to document this event.
How sad, but we learned a valuable lesson. #3) No tennis rackets. We always talk about playing tennis, but we never do. We missed another opportunity. Oh well.

A few wondeful moments... Well, Patrick and I both agree that a good vacation has to be marked by one thing: GOOD FOOD. And good food we did enjoy. The Back Porch's fish sandwiches, twiced baked potatoes, and cole slaw, Baytowne Wharf's (at Acme's) fried shrimp and oysters, oyster po-boys, fries, and hushpuppies, and ultimately the Red Bar's Saturday night special: Crab Cakes, pasta, and salad. Um, my mouth is watering in sweet remembrance. We also splurged on Key Lime pie for dessert and continued a Dean tradition by stopping off in Andalusia to pick up a 7-layer caramel cake at Dean's Cake House. (But we walked it off every morning to avoid the pooch/bulge on the beach.) We walked every morning and afternoon to talk, dream, laugh, and people watch which we both enjoyed doing. We read for pleasure. There is nothing better than an escape read at the beach. Patrick, who usually reads nonfiction, informative books, even got hooked on a Vince Flynn book. (His books are like reading a season of 24...) I must admit that him reading pleasure fiction thrilled me beyond belief... We shopped at the outlets and found great deals at BP and JCrew. We just got away and relaxed, and it was so good for our marriage.

Now it is back to the real world, and though we were sad to leave, we were excited to have something to come home to... Thank God for good weekends!

So, we're back from the beach... already. Our vacation flew by, but it was so wonderful while it lasted. I don't know if I will ever get tired of going to Destin because of all of the fun memories I have with family and friends. This being our first vacation together since our honeymoon, we learned a lot about how we envision beach trips and how compatible we are on those trips. (I actually gave him a run through of all of my "friend" beach trips along with several "family" stories our first night at dinner. He obliged me by listening and smiling...) Luckily, we learned that our ideas of "fun at the beach" are very closely aligned.

A few learning moments... First, in our excitement about getting away and our rush out of the house after an extremely busy week, we forgot some important equipment. #1) Our bikes. We got bikes for our birthdays 2 years ago and have ridden them about twice each and never together. Bikes would have been perfect for this trip. We seriously thought about turning around to get them an hour out of Montgomery, but seafood was calling our names more loudy. #2) Our camera. Who goes off to the beach and forgets their camera? Well, the Crawfords did this weekend. Patrick is usually "Mr. Camera" as he catches every photo opportunity. This weekend we saw beautiful sunsets. We dressed up in our new springy beach attire. We got a tan. We were on our first married vacation. There will be no pictures to document this event.
How sad, but we learned a valuable lesson. #3) No tennis rackets. We always talk about playing tennis, but we never do. We missed another opportunity. Oh well.

A few wondeful moments... Well, Patrick and I both agree that a good vacation has to be marked by one thing: GOOD FOOD. And good food we did enjoy. The Back Porch's fish sandwiches, twiced baked potatoes, and cole slaw, Baytowne Wharf's (at Acme's) fried shrimp and oysters, oyster po-boys, fries, and hushpuppies, and ultimately the Red Bar's Saturday night special: Crab Cakes, pasta, and salad. Um, my mouth is watering in sweet remembrance. We also splurged on Key Lime pie for dessert and continued a Dean tradition by stopping off in Andalusia to pick up a 7-layer caramel cake at Dean's Cake House. (But we walked it off every morning to avoid the pooch/bulge on the beach.) We walked every morning and afternoon to talk, dream, laugh, and people watch which we both enjoyed doing. We read for pleasure. There is nothing better than an escape read at the beach. Patrick, who usually reads nonfiction, informative books, even got hooked on a Vince Flynn book. (His books are like reading a season of 24...) I must admit that him reading pleasure fiction thrilled me beyond belief... We shopped at the outlets and found great deals at BP and JCrew. We just got away and relaxed, and it was so good for our marriage.

Now it is back to the real world, and though we were sad to leave, we were excited to have something to come home to... Thank God for good weekends!

Sun, Sun, Sun! Here we come!

This is the day that I have been WAITING for!!! At 3:30 Patrick and I are getting in the car and heading south! TO the beach. All I've been thinking about is getting tan, eating seafood, and shopping at my favorite outlets. We have budgeted our whole month's date money for this fun weekend trip, and we are ready to live it up. :) Red Bar, here we come... Get those crab cakes ready! Also, this trip is kind of sentimental cool because it's our first vacation together as married people, and it's also taking us back to the destination of our wedding--nearly 6 months ago. I'm so thankful that we have this opportunity to get away and celebrate what the Lord is doing in our marriage, relive our favorite memory, and enjoy our favorite place in the world. Castaway Cottage, here we come! (This picture was taken on our honeymoon in Seaside right outside our honeymoon cottage.)

This is the day that I have been WAITING for!!! At 3:30 Patrick and I are getting in the car and heading south! TO the beach. All I've been thinking about is getting tan, eating seafood, and shopping at my favorite outlets. We have budgeted our whole month's date money for this fun weekend trip, and we are ready to live it up. :) Red Bar, here we come... Get those crab cakes ready! Also, this trip is kind of sentimental cool because it's our first vacation together as married people, and it's also taking us back to the destination of our wedding--nearly 6 months ago. I'm so thankful that we have this opportunity to get away and celebrate what the Lord is doing in our marriage, relive our favorite memory, and enjoy our favorite place in the world. Castaway Cottage, here we come! (This picture was taken on our honeymoon in Seaside right outside our honeymoon cottage.)

What's your theme song?

This result couldn't have been more perfect! It has made my afternoon very happy. Think I'll go sit outside and enjoy the sun... Take this quiz, and tell me what song you got!

Your Theme Song is Beautiful Day by U2

"Sky falls, you feel like It's a beautiful day Don't let it get away" You see the beauty in life, especially in ordinary everyday moments. And if you're feeling down, even that seems a little beautiful too.

What's Your Theme Song?

This result couldn't have been more perfect! It has made my afternoon very happy. Think I'll go sit outside and enjoy the sun... Take this quiz, and tell me what song you got!

Your Theme Song is Beautiful Day by U2

"Sky falls, you feel like It's a beautiful day Don't let it get away" You see the beauty in life, especially in ordinary everyday moments. And if you're feeling down, even that seems a little beautiful too.

What's Your Theme Song?

Home Makeover

Patrick and I are approaching one year of home ownership. It is a strange feeling but also an empowering feeling. That first year was so wild, and we were lucky to just get settled in. We had looked for a house in good condition that we wouldn't have to do much to to make it liveable, and we were extremely blessed in our find. The Evans family had lived in this house for 30 years and they were immaculate housekeepers, landscapers, blinds-cleaners, painters, etc... I have really just been trying to maintain all of their hard work and not kill any of the plants. Now that we have settled into our life, our home, our marriage, we are starting to dream of the things that we want to do with our peaceful abode. Of course, we will be "designing on a dime" since we don't know how long we will be here--and since our funds have a definite limit (...although our tax refund has enabled us to even dare dream. Thanks, Dad). But we want to do things to increase the value of our home and to try our hand at decorating.

Project #1 has been our yard. Patrick is an excellent yard boy(MAN), and last weekend we worked around the clock trying to get our yard/pool in Spring/Summer shape. We planted flowers, pulled weeds, trimmed shrubs and monkey grass, added all the necessary pool chemicals, flushed the dead algae, etc. Needless to say... it was quite a task and whipped us pretty good. It also sparked my interest in plants and flowers (which I usually kill without even trying), and I am going to pay more attention to those sections in my Southern Living. My grandmother Holt is a "Master Gardner" as well, so I know I can get some help from her.

Project #2 has been fixing bathroom appliances. We replaced a toilet seat and both faucets in our bathrooms. (I was quite impressed with Patty's plumbing skills as well.) We've also decided to freshen up the look of our kitchen cabinet knobs and bathroom knobs. Simple. Inexpensive. Fresh.

Project #3 is going to be painting the kitchen. I've tolerated the fruit wallpaper for a year, but it is beginning to wear on me. I'm thinking a soft olive green... something in that family. We are also gearing up for Project #4: the floor. We are in the research process right now as this will be the most costly of our improvements. I'm even thinking of consulting with my mom's decorator, Nan, on the matter. We are thinking laminate flooring in the living room/ dining room/ hallway, tile in the kitchen and bathrooms, and carpet in the family room and bedrooms. We are looking for deals and timing and advice, so if you have anything to offer, please comment. Linds and Daniel just finished their floors, and they look great! If you talk to Linds, ask her about her cool screened in porch floor that she and Daniel painted themselves!

In other news... I haven't had much creativity lately, so I've been slacking on the blog. But I have been enjoying this beautiful Spring weather and keeping myself VERY busy. Our yardwork/housecleaning weekend proved to be purposeful because this past weekend I hosted a baby shower for my friend Valerie. We took some hilarious pictures that I'll post later. Patrick and I also had our Lifegroup (a small group Bible study compiled of our married and single friends at church) over for lunch on Sunday. We had a blast, but it was another exhausting weekend. We're going to the beach this weekend since we have Friday off, and I can't wait for some SUN! I'm in the process of grading final research papers, so I'll try to post some funny lines from those in the near future... Until then, peace out.

Patrick and I are approaching one year of home ownership. It is a strange feeling but also an empowering feeling. That first year was so wild, and we were lucky to just get settled in. We had looked for a house in good condition that we wouldn't have to do much to to make it liveable, and we were extremely blessed in our find. The Evans family had lived in this house for 30 years and they were immaculate housekeepers, landscapers, blinds-cleaners, painters, etc... I have really just been trying to maintain all of their hard work and not kill any of the plants. Now that we have settled into our life, our home, our marriage, we are starting to dream of the things that we want to do with our peaceful abode. Of course, we will be "designing on a dime" since we don't know how long we will be here--and since our funds have a definite limit (...although our tax refund has enabled us to even dare dream. Thanks, Dad). But we want to do things to increase the value of our home and to try our hand at decorating.

Project #1 has been our yard. Patrick is an excellent yard boy(MAN), and last weekend we worked around the clock trying to get our yard/pool in Spring/Summer shape. We planted flowers, pulled weeds, trimmed shrubs and monkey grass, added all the necessary pool chemicals, flushed the dead algae, etc. Needless to say... it was quite a task and whipped us pretty good. It also sparked my interest in plants and flowers (which I usually kill without even trying), and I am going to pay more attention to those sections in my Southern Living. My grandmother Holt is a "Master Gardner" as well, so I know I can get some help from her.

Project #2 has been fixing bathroom appliances. We replaced a toilet seat and both faucets in our bathrooms. (I was quite impressed with Patty's plumbing skills as well.) We've also decided to freshen up the look of our kitchen cabinet knobs and bathroom knobs. Simple. Inexpensive. Fresh.

Project #3 is going to be painting the kitchen. I've tolerated the fruit wallpaper for a year, but it is beginning to wear on me. I'm thinking a soft olive green... something in that family. We are also gearing up for Project #4: the floor. We are in the research process right now as this will be the most costly of our improvements. I'm even thinking of consulting with my mom's decorator, Nan, on the matter. We are thinking laminate flooring in the living room/ dining room/ hallway, tile in the kitchen and bathrooms, and carpet in the family room and bedrooms. We are looking for deals and timing and advice, so if you have anything to offer, please comment. Linds and Daniel just finished their floors, and they look great! If you talk to Linds, ask her about her cool screened in porch floor that she and Daniel painted themselves!

In other news... I haven't had much creativity lately, so I've been slacking on the blog. But I have been enjoying this beautiful Spring weather and keeping myself VERY busy. Our yardwork/housecleaning weekend proved to be purposeful because this past weekend I hosted a baby shower for my friend Valerie. We took some hilarious pictures that I'll post later. Patrick and I also had our Lifegroup (a small group Bible study compiled of our married and single friends at church) over for lunch on Sunday. We had a blast, but it was another exhausting weekend. We're going to the beach this weekend since we have Friday off, and I can't wait for some SUN! I'm in the process of grading final research papers, so I'll try to post some funny lines from those in the near future... Until then, peace out.

Deal or No Deal

Anybody into this show? It quite possibly could be my new addiction...(like I need another TV show...) Anyway, a friend of mine from high school, Laura Karkau, will be on the show that airs this Monday night. She has been stonefaced about how it all went (She tried out for the show in Nashville and the Wildhorse and then flew to LA to tape it.) because of all of the network's threats of lawsuits. I hope she takes home a million. Tune in to NBC at 7 p.m. to see...

Anybody into this show? It quite possibly could be my new addiction...(like I need another TV show...) Anyway, a friend of mine from high school, Laura Karkau, will be on the show that airs this Monday night. She has been stonefaced about how it all went (She tried out for the show in Nashville and the Wildhorse and then flew to LA to tape it.) because of all of the network's threats of lawsuits. I hope she takes home a million. Tune in to NBC at 7 p.m. to see...

Top Ten List: Spring Break 2006

So, Spring Break is officially over. My reality check has set in, and I return to 130 students at Lee High School tomorrow. Deep sigh... This has been the 1st Spring Break since 8th grade that I have not been beach-bound. That's 13 beach trips in a row until this year. A big chunk of my Spring Break has been spent getting over being sick and looking over research rough drafts. I did have a little bit of fun, and here's my top ten list:

10. March Madness: Although my teams (Duke and UNC) fell out in an untimely manner, it has been nice to watch some good basketball. This tournament has been full of upsets and Cinderella stories, and that always adds excitement, but it's safe to say that most brackets are messed up at this point. I jumped on the Memphis bandwagon for awhile, but with their loss last night and UConn's today, I'm out. I guess my SEC loyalties kick in at this point, and all I can say is "Geaux Tigers" and "Get 'em Gators."

9. My Space-- The first weekend of my Spring Break I spent couchbound as I was still coughing with every breath, and I succumbed to the My Space pressure. I caged my interest with wanting to connect with Landmark kids, but I was quickly sucked into the abysmal plethora of searching for old friends, music groups, etc. It is hilarious to laugh at what people will put out there. My most intriguing friends at this point are Moana from the Bachelor, Imogen Heap, and two of my students, A Dwelling Place for Demons and the Urban Purkfektionist. Yes, scary, I know. After a weekend of OD-ing, my interest has tapered off, but my good friend Ashley Mills keeps sparking my interest with her cool page! FYI: I heard that employers are searching MySpace to search about potential employees, so be careful...

8. Cooking and Cleaning: After a long hiatus, I am trying to regain my identity as a functioning wife. No more take-out, no more mess. I deep cleaned the house and cooked two good meals for Patrick and me. Man, I hope it takes this time as I enter the real world again tomorrow.

7. Movie Catch-up: I finally watched "Walk the Line" and the new "Pride and Prejudice." Both were excellent and come with a high recommendation from me.

6. Reading for Pleasure: Most of my reading is "Reading to teach" as I prepare for school and "Reading to Learn" as I read my Bible and spiritual literature. This week I decided to read for me. I read Judith McNaught's new book which was a suspence/romance/escape book. I also read my Southern Living, Reader's Digest, and Marriage magazines, caught up on the newspapers, and caught up on everyone's blogs.

5. The Flea Market: Nashville has the best flea market that I've ever been to. I was very thrilled be in town for the monthly event and to go with the expert, my mom. I found great deals and purchased several baby gifts, goodies for me, and Lindsay's birthday present.

4. Nashville Restaurants: While visiting the fam, I dined at some of my favorites: Green Hills Grille (has the best spinach dip and fruit tea ever), Merede's (in Franklin square, yummy chicken salad), Rotiers (West End by my dad's office, greasy cheeseburgers on french bread and the best milkshakes ever), and the Puffy Muffin (a girl favorite).

3. Grey's Anatomy: Mom bought the first season, and we watched it in its entirety in between basketball games. I, personally, got hooked into the show during the second season, but the first season is excellent and makes me anxious to keep watching. My favorite part is the Felicity-like narration by Meredith and the quotes/proverbs that she reflects on.

2. Going Home: It had been 2 and a half months since I had been home to visit my family. It felt so good. It made me miss them even more though, and it made me strongly consider wanting to make the move north in future years. While home, I got to spend some good time with Mom, Lindsay, Dad, Daniel, and Sadie. I also got to eat a pre flea market breakfast with Grandmama and Aunt J. I planned on visiting with Lia and Kelly and Katie, but with my lingering cough and low energy level, I laid low.

1. Going to Church: Today was my first time in church doors in 3 weeks. I didn't even realize it until this morning as I was flipping through my note-taking journal. I haven't not been to church on purpose (although many of you who know me know that I have been struggling with buying in to "church" and "organized religion" as we've made it)--it was out-of-town trips, Patrick being sick, me being sick, Jesse's wedding, etc. At first, I got discouraged because despite my lack of interest, I know that being a part of God's family is integral to my spiritual growth as well as my contribution to the kingdom. I was also sad to realize that my lack of church attendance has really paralleled my lack of worship of God in my personal life. I stopped and asked myself, how have I been praising God in my life? I needed to reflect on that. I needed to praise God this morning because He is amazing. This morning my attitude was better. I really believe that God has worked through my church break to change my heart, to take away some bitterness, and to remind me of my purpose on this earth. It felt good.

If you made it all the way through this, thanks for reading. Have a great week!

So, Spring Break is officially over. My reality check has set in, and I return to 130 students at Lee High School tomorrow. Deep sigh... This has been the 1st Spring Break since 8th grade that I have not been beach-bound. That's 13 beach trips in a row until this year. A big chunk of my Spring Break has been spent getting over being sick and looking over research rough drafts. I did have a little bit of fun, and here's my top ten list:

10. March Madness: Although my teams (Duke and UNC) fell out in an untimely manner, it has been nice to watch some good basketball. This tournament has been full of upsets and Cinderella stories, and that always adds excitement, but it's safe to say that most brackets are messed up at this point. I jumped on the Memphis bandwagon for awhile, but with their loss last night and UConn's today, I'm out. I guess my SEC loyalties kick in at this point, and all I can say is "Geaux Tigers" and "Get 'em Gators."

9. My Space-- The first weekend of my Spring Break I spent couchbound as I was still coughing with every breath, and I succumbed to the My Space pressure. I caged my interest with wanting to connect with Landmark kids, but I was quickly sucked into the abysmal plethora of searching for old friends, music groups, etc. It is hilarious to laugh at what people will put out there. My most intriguing friends at this point are Moana from the Bachelor, Imogen Heap, and two of my students, A Dwelling Place for Demons and the Urban Purkfektionist. Yes, scary, I know. After a weekend of OD-ing, my interest has tapered off, but my good friend Ashley Mills keeps sparking my interest with her cool page! FYI: I heard that employers are searching MySpace to search about potential employees, so be careful...

8. Cooking and Cleaning: After a long hiatus, I am trying to regain my identity as a functioning wife. No more take-out, no more mess. I deep cleaned the house and cooked two good meals for Patrick and me. Man, I hope it takes this time as I enter the real world again tomorrow.

7. Movie Catch-up: I finally watched "Walk the Line" and the new "Pride and Prejudice." Both were excellent and come with a high recommendation from me.

6. Reading for Pleasure: Most of my reading is "Reading to teach" as I prepare for school and "Reading to Learn" as I read my Bible and spiritual literature. This week I decided to read for me. I read Judith McNaught's new book which was a suspence/romance/escape book. I also read my Southern Living, Reader's Digest, and Marriage magazines, caught up on the newspapers, and caught up on everyone's blogs.

5. The Flea Market: Nashville has the best flea market that I've ever been to. I was very thrilled be in town for the monthly event and to go with the expert, my mom. I found great deals and purchased several baby gifts, goodies for me, and Lindsay's birthday present.

4. Nashville Restaurants: While visiting the fam, I dined at some of my favorites: Green Hills Grille (has the best spinach dip and fruit tea ever), Merede's (in Franklin square, yummy chicken salad), Rotiers (West End by my dad's office, greasy cheeseburgers on french bread and the best milkshakes ever), and the Puffy Muffin (a girl favorite).

3. Grey's Anatomy: Mom bought the first season, and we watched it in its entirety in between basketball games. I, personally, got hooked into the show during the second season, but the first season is excellent and makes me anxious to keep watching. My favorite part is the Felicity-like narration by Meredith and the quotes/proverbs that she reflects on.

2. Going Home: It had been 2 and a half months since I had been home to visit my family. It felt so good. It made me miss them even more though, and it made me strongly consider wanting to make the move north in future years. While home, I got to spend some good time with Mom, Lindsay, Dad, Daniel, and Sadie. I also got to eat a pre flea market breakfast with Grandmama and Aunt J. I planned on visiting with Lia and Kelly and Katie, but with my lingering cough and low energy level, I laid low.

1. Going to Church: Today was my first time in church doors in 3 weeks. I didn't even realize it until this morning as I was flipping through my note-taking journal. I haven't not been to church on purpose (although many of you who know me know that I have been struggling with buying in to "church" and "organized religion" as we've made it)--it was out-of-town trips, Patrick being sick, me being sick, Jesse's wedding, etc. At first, I got discouraged because despite my lack of interest, I know that being a part of God's family is integral to my spiritual growth as well as my contribution to the kingdom. I was also sad to realize that my lack of church attendance has really paralleled my lack of worship of God in my personal life. I stopped and asked myself, how have I been praising God in my life? I needed to reflect on that. I needed to praise God this morning because He is amazing. This morning my attitude was better. I really believe that God has worked through my church break to change my heart, to take away some bitterness, and to remind me of my purpose on this earth. It felt good.

If you made it all the way through this, thanks for reading. Have a great week!

Good Music

My closest friend from Tuscaloosa days, Sarah Cornelson Greer, is married to a Campus Minister/musician, David Greer, who is putting the finishing touches on his first CD. If you need some spiritual encouragement and good listening go here . My personal favorite is "This Story."

My closest friend from Tuscaloosa days, Sarah Cornelson Greer, is married to a Campus Minister/musician, David Greer, who is putting the finishing touches on his first CD. If you need some spiritual encouragement and good listening go here . My personal favorite is "This Story."

In honor of St. Patrick's Day...

and my Patrick (ha!), I thought this was a fun one...

You Are Teal Green

You are a one of a kind, original person. There's no one even close to being like you. Expressive and creative, you have a knack for making the impossible possible. While you are a bit offbeat, you don't scare people away with your quirks. Your warm personality nicely counteracts and strange habits you may have.

What Color Green Are You?

and my Patrick (ha!), I thought this was a fun one...

You Are Teal Green

You are a one of a kind, original person. There's no one even close to being like you. Expressive and creative, you have a knack for making the impossible possible. While you are a bit offbeat, you don't scare people away with your quirks. Your warm personality nicely counteracts and strange habits you may have.

What Color Green Are You?

The Agony of Research Papers...

Thank goodness for Spring Break! ...although I'll be spending much of mine grading research paper rough drafts. Grr...

Today was the deadline for my 93 seniors to turn in their rough drafts for their research papers. This rough draft counts as a major test grade as it is an integral part of the writing process and shows a month's worth of work. RIGHT! Guess how many of them actually turned in something? 56. So that means that 37 of them took a big fat zero for a test grade. Of the 56 papers that were turned in, only about half of them were complete. In fact, they were about the worst group of papers I have ever seen. Here are a couple of the worst, but funniest, ones:

(Don't know if this should make me laugh or cry or scream... So far it's made me laugh and explode into coughing fits.)

Example #1: As I'm perusing a girl's paper who I knew had not done squat for her research, I found a hilarious pattern of nonsense. For each time she used the pronoun "I" (which is extremely faux pas in formal writing), the computer inserted, "You are a pathetic loser" in her paper. I highlighted all of the times it was mentioned (12), and began showing my friends. We looked it up on Google for one of those spoof sites where you think you are cleverly stealing someone's essay, but there are all kinds of subliminal messages throughout the paper. No finds. Then we start hypothesizing, "Is she calling ME a pathetic loser?" or "Does she know that SHE is pathetic loser for not working harder on her paper?" (Picture me and my friends turning red in the face, doubled over, me coughing because we are laughing so hysterically.) Finally, the librarian shed some light that a computer has been malfunctioning, and it has been programmed to automatically insert this phrase. Honestly, I was kind of disappointed because I was looking forward to writing this girl an office referral. I can't wait to see the look on her face when I ask for an explanation. Proofread, what?

Example #2: OK, plagiarism at its worst: A student who skipped school today (Today is Senior Skip Day.) drops her paper off this afternoon because she has been "working on her paper all day." Right. However, I notice an interesting shading throughout her paper. Direct copy and paste from a website. She didn't even take the time to reformat it into something that looked like a paper. It was arial font, single spaced, no indentions, citations, works cited. I plugged it into Google and found the direct website. She'll receive a Zero and an interesting note from me.

These seniors are killing me. They will not do work to save their lives. I remember feeling the Senior Slide. In fact, after the research paper, I had planned on backing off somewhat. Now, it looks like I am going to have to keep giving them work and tests so they can bring their grades up to graduate. I tell you what!

I hope this brought you some laughs... I hope I keep laughing... P.S. And if you are one of my students who happens by this blog, DO YOUR RESEARCH PAPER!

Thank goodness for Spring Break! ...although I'll be spending much of mine grading research paper rough drafts. Grr...

Today was the deadline for my 93 seniors to turn in their rough drafts for their research papers. This rough draft counts as a major test grade as it is an integral part of the writing process and shows a month's worth of work. RIGHT! Guess how many of them actually turned in something? 56. So that means that 37 of them took a big fat zero for a test grade. Of the 56 papers that were turned in, only about half of them were complete. In fact, they were about the worst group of papers I have ever seen. Here are a couple of the worst, but funniest, ones:

(Don't know if this should make me laugh or cry or scream... So far it's made me laugh and explode into coughing fits.)

Example #1: As I'm perusing a girl's paper who I knew had not done squat for her research, I found a hilarious pattern of nonsense. For each time she used the pronoun "I" (which is extremely faux pas in formal writing), the computer inserted, "You are a pathetic loser" in her paper. I highlighted all of the times it was mentioned (12), and began showing my friends. We looked it up on Google for one of those spoof sites where you think you are cleverly stealing someone's essay, but there are all kinds of subliminal messages throughout the paper. No finds. Then we start hypothesizing, "Is she calling ME a pathetic loser?" or "Does she know that SHE is pathetic loser for not working harder on her paper?" (Picture me and my friends turning red in the face, doubled over, me coughing because we are laughing so hysterically.) Finally, the librarian shed some light that a computer has been malfunctioning, and it has been programmed to automatically insert this phrase. Honestly, I was kind of disappointed because I was looking forward to writing this girl an office referral. I can't wait to see the look on her face when I ask for an explanation. Proofread, what?

Example #2: OK, plagiarism at its worst: A student who skipped school today (Today is Senior Skip Day.) drops her paper off this afternoon because she has been "working on her paper all day." Right. However, I notice an interesting shading throughout her paper. Direct copy and paste from a website. She didn't even take the time to reformat it into something that looked like a paper. It was arial font, single spaced, no indentions, citations, works cited. I plugged it into Google and found the direct website. She'll receive a Zero and an interesting note from me.

These seniors are killing me. They will not do work to save their lives. I remember feeling the Senior Slide. In fact, after the research paper, I had planned on backing off somewhat. Now, it looks like I am going to have to keep giving them work and tests so they can bring their grades up to graduate. I tell you what!

I hope this brought you some laughs... I hope I keep laughing... P.S. And if you are one of my students who happens by this blog, DO YOUR RESEARCH PAPER!

Jesse's wedding

The wedding this weekend turned out beautifully. It felt so good to celebrate a couple full of love and commitment that you just KNOW are right for each other, and it was such an honor to be a part of it all. Jesse's uniqueness and talent showed through in every aspect of her special day, but my favorite part of the wedding was the song for the processional: Coldplay's "Fix You." I cried every time I saw the slideshow, every time I heard the song, and especially when her dad, who is in a wheelchair, walked her down the aisle... Definitely have listened to the song a million times since! I also echo what my co-matron of honor said about marriage and just renewing my own commitment to Patrick. Here are a couple of pictures, and I'll post more soon--once I get them: One of our traditions at Auburn weddings is to take an Auburn picture of all of our friends and family who are there.














Lindsay was at the wedding too. One of Jesse's unique ideas was collecting her bouquet from special friends and family as she walked down the aisle. She had each of them sitting in an aisle seat, and at the end of the aisle, her mom tied her flowers together. Lindsay was a special friend/flower girl, and it was a great bonus for Patrick and me to get to spend some time with her and Daniel (as well as Brad, Ben, and Lori--the other flower people) and the rest of the wedding party. It was also wonderful to get to spend some time with the Brinkerhoffs this weekend. Made me miss Auburn. I think I've even got Patrick ready to go for a day during my Spring Break. He loves the Brinks too. I want to post some more pictures of the beautiful bride when I get them, so check back soon!

Jesse and Nick, hope you're having a blast in Hawaii! Love you!

The wedding this weekend turned out beautifully. It felt so good to celebrate a couple full of love and commitment that you just KNOW are right for each other, and it was such an honor to be a part of it all. Jesse's uniqueness and talent showed through in every aspect of her special day, but my favorite part of the wedding was the song for the processional: Coldplay's "Fix You." I cried every time I saw the slideshow, every time I heard the song, and especially when her dad, who is in a wheelchair, walked her down the aisle... Definitely have listened to the song a million times since! I also echo what my co-matron of honor said about marriage and just renewing my own commitment to Patrick. Here are a couple of pictures, and I'll post more soon--once I get them: One of our traditions at Auburn weddings is to take an Auburn picture of all of our friends and family who are there.














Lindsay was at the wedding too. One of Jesse's unique ideas was collecting her bouquet from special friends and family as she walked down the aisle. She had each of them sitting in an aisle seat, and at the end of the aisle, her mom tied her flowers together. Lindsay was a special friend/flower girl, and it was a great bonus for Patrick and me to get to spend some time with her and Daniel (as well as Brad, Ben, and Lori--the other flower people) and the rest of the wedding party. It was also wonderful to get to spend some time with the Brinkerhoffs this weekend. Made me miss Auburn. I think I've even got Patrick ready to go for a day during my Spring Break. He loves the Brinks too. I want to post some more pictures of the beautiful bride when I get them, so check back soon!

Jesse and Nick, hope you're having a blast in Hawaii! Love you!

24

In respect to my obsession, I thought I would pay tribute to TV's best drama, 24. The following is from an email I just received. Here's to you Jack Bauer:

Some random facts about Jack Bauer:

1) If you wake up in the morning, it's because Jack Bauer spared your life.
2) If Jack Bauer was in a room with Hitler, Stalin, and Nina Meyers, and he had a gun with 2 bullets, he'd shoot Nina twice.
3) Upon hearing that he was played by Kiefer Sutherland, Jack Bauer killed Sutherland. Jack Bauer gets played by no man.
4) Jack Bauer's favorite color is severe terror alert red. His second favorite color is violet, but just because it sounds like violent.
5) Jack Bauer once forgot where he put his keys. He then spent the next half-hour torturing himself until he gave up the location of the keys.
6) Jack Bauer got Hellen Keller to talk.
7) Jack Bauer killed 93 people in just 4 days time. Wait, that is a real fact.
8) Jack Bauer was never addicted to heroin. Heroin was addicted to Jack Bauer.
9) 1.6 billion Chinese are angry with Jack Bauer. Sounds like a fair fight.
10) Superman wears Jack Bauer pajamas.
11) Jack Bauer doesn't miss. If he didn't hit you it's because he was shooting at another terrorist twelve miles away.
12) Lets get one thing straight, the only reason you are conscious right now is because Jack Bauer does not feel like carrying you.
13) When you open a can of whoop-ass, Jack Bauer jumps out.
14) If Jack says "I just want to talk to him/her" and that him/her is you... well amigo, you're screwed.
15) Killing Jack Bauer doesn't make him dead. It just makes him angry.
16) When life gave Jack Bauer lemons, he used them to kill terrorists. Jack Bauer hates lemonade.
17) In grade school, a little boy punched Kimberly Bauer, and Kimberly ran home to tell her dad. That little boy's name? Stephen Hawking.
18) Jack Bauer does not sleep. The only rest he needs is what he gets when he's knocked out or temporarily killed.
19) No man has ever used the phrase, "Jack Bauer is a wuss" in a sentence and lived to tell
20) In kindergarten, Jack Bauer killed a terrorist for Show and Tell.
21) Jack Bauer literally died for his country, and lived to tell about it.
22) As a child, Jack Bauer's first words were "There's no time!"
23) Jack Bauer's family threw him a surprise birthday party when he was a child. Once.
24) If you are still conscious, it is because Jack Bauer doesn't want to carry you.
25) Guns dont kill people, Jack Bauer kills people.
26) Everytime Jack Bauer yells "NOW!" at the end of a sentence, a terrorist dies.
27) If you send someone to kill Jack Bauer, the only thing you accomplish is supplying him a fresh set of weapons to kill you with.
28) Jack Bauer could get off the Lost island in 24 hours.

Tune in tonight to Fox at 8 p.m. for more excitement!

In respect to my obsession, I thought I would pay tribute to TV's best drama, 24. The following is from an email I just received. Here's to you Jack Bauer:

Some random facts about Jack Bauer:

1) If you wake up in the morning, it's because Jack Bauer spared your life.
2) If Jack Bauer was in a room with Hitler, Stalin, and Nina Meyers, and he had a gun with 2 bullets, he'd shoot Nina twice.
3) Upon hearing that he was played by Kiefer Sutherland, Jack Bauer killed Sutherland. Jack Bauer gets played by no man.
4) Jack Bauer's favorite color is severe terror alert red. His second favorite color is violet, but just because it sounds like violent.
5) Jack Bauer once forgot where he put his keys. He then spent the next half-hour torturing himself until he gave up the location of the keys.
6) Jack Bauer got Hellen Keller to talk.
7) Jack Bauer killed 93 people in just 4 days time. Wait, that is a real fact.
8) Jack Bauer was never addicted to heroin. Heroin was addicted to Jack Bauer.
9) 1.6 billion Chinese are angry with Jack Bauer. Sounds like a fair fight.
10) Superman wears Jack Bauer pajamas.
11) Jack Bauer doesn't miss. If he didn't hit you it's because he was shooting at another terrorist twelve miles away.
12) Lets get one thing straight, the only reason you are conscious right now is because Jack Bauer does not feel like carrying you.
13) When you open a can of whoop-ass, Jack Bauer jumps out.
14) If Jack says "I just want to talk to him/her" and that him/her is you... well amigo, you're screwed.
15) Killing Jack Bauer doesn't make him dead. It just makes him angry.
16) When life gave Jack Bauer lemons, he used them to kill terrorists. Jack Bauer hates lemonade.
17) In grade school, a little boy punched Kimberly Bauer, and Kimberly ran home to tell her dad. That little boy's name? Stephen Hawking.
18) Jack Bauer does not sleep. The only rest he needs is what he gets when he's knocked out or temporarily killed.
19) No man has ever used the phrase, "Jack Bauer is a wuss" in a sentence and lived to tell
20) In kindergarten, Jack Bauer killed a terrorist for Show and Tell.
21) Jack Bauer literally died for his country, and lived to tell about it.
22) As a child, Jack Bauer's first words were "There's no time!"
23) Jack Bauer's family threw him a surprise birthday party when he was a child. Once.
24) If you are still conscious, it is because Jack Bauer doesn't want to carry you.
25) Guns dont kill people, Jack Bauer kills people.
26) Everytime Jack Bauer yells "NOW!" at the end of a sentence, a terrorist dies.
27) If you send someone to kill Jack Bauer, the only thing you accomplish is supplying him a fresh set of weapons to kill you with.
28) Jack Bauer could get off the Lost island in 24 hours.

Tune in tonight to Fox at 8 p.m. for more excitement!

Some recent thoughts

This is going to be a doozy...

1. GRADUATION EXAMS: The last couple of weeks at work I have been consumed with the Alabama High School Graduation Exam, a test that all students must pass to graduate high school. This test is made on an 11th-grade academic level and has 5 parts: Reading, Language, Science, Social Studies, and Math. Students begin this testing in the Spring of their 10th grade years and can repeat specific parts during the Spring of their 11th grade year, the summer before their Senior year, and 3 times during their Senior year. 92 of my 130 students are Seniors, and this week is their last opportunity to pass in time for graduation. I love my Seniors. I have 11 students who have not passed the Language part and several more who are still retaking the Reading part, and I have spent all of my free moments tutoring them lately. It is so difficult to teach subject-verb agreement to a 12th-grader who has not experienced it in his or her previous English classes; it is even more difficult to teach "main idea" and "supporting details" to students who have never read on their own because everything has always been read to them. It has heightened my frustration of public education in Alabama, but it has given me purpose as a teacher--which is good considering I've been having those, "I don't know how much longer I can do this..." types of feelings lately. I have a lot invested in these students who are testing this week. I truly love them and want them to beat the odds and have the bright future that is just beyond their grasp of reality. I will be devestated for those that do not pass, and I just pray that they will not give up on themselves.

2. MY SPACE, FACEBOOK, AND THE LIKE: So I like to surf the internet. So I'm not doing anything harmful while I'm on the computer. So I probably waste some good sweet precious time online. So, I lose out on good intentions sometime... Well, there are lots of people, more than I even want to acknowledge that exist, that are on the computer with BAD intentions. I think that there are many cool aspects to Facebook and Myspace--networking, keeping in touch, laughing at the funny/stupid stuff people put out there, but lately Patrick and, in turn, I have been made aware by some friends of some extremely dangerous things some of our youth group girls are putting out there. Skimpily clad, "liking to party," soft porn images, and CELL PHONE NUMBERS, emails, contacts. Whoa! Could we be any more ignorant, naive, stupid? I have been thinking and praying about how to make the internet a venue for good positive things for these teens. I like what Jamin and Buster have done with their teen websites--linking it to their blogs and other cool places to visit... Because teens are going to be on the computer. That's it. Any good ideas, pass them along. Patrick and I would be grateful.

3. WEDDINGS: This weekend a very dear friend of mine is getting married. Cool story, even cooler girl. Very lucky guy! This is the first wedding that I'll have been in since mine, 4 and a half months ago. Very fun and a little strange. I remember how stressed out I was about being stressed out. Because it is fun, or at least, it is supposed to be. I was never all that into "being the bride" as some people say. It took me a long time to decide that I was ready to get married, and then I was just ready...to GET MARRIED. Now, looking back, I really loved my wedding. I loved everything, everyone about it. Don't get me wrong, I loved and appreciated it in the moment too, but in a way, I was just ready for it to be over. I am excited about getting to be a part of a wonderful, family and friend-filled, and more importantly, God-filled, wedding celebration. Sure I wish that I'd lost some of my holiday weight and that my dress wasn't so tight and that I didn't get so fried at the tanning bed last Saturday (There's a story--ask me!), but I'm just excited and want to help the bride soak it all in and enjoy it. After all, it is the day little girls are supposed to dream about all of their lives...

This is going to be a doozy...

1. GRADUATION EXAMS: The last couple of weeks at work I have been consumed with the Alabama High School Graduation Exam, a test that all students must pass to graduate high school. This test is made on an 11th-grade academic level and has 5 parts: Reading, Language, Science, Social Studies, and Math. Students begin this testing in the Spring of their 10th grade years and can repeat specific parts during the Spring of their 11th grade year, the summer before their Senior year, and 3 times during their Senior year. 92 of my 130 students are Seniors, and this week is their last opportunity to pass in time for graduation. I love my Seniors. I have 11 students who have not passed the Language part and several more who are still retaking the Reading part, and I have spent all of my free moments tutoring them lately. It is so difficult to teach subject-verb agreement to a 12th-grader who has not experienced it in his or her previous English classes; it is even more difficult to teach "main idea" and "supporting details" to students who have never read on their own because everything has always been read to them. It has heightened my frustration of public education in Alabama, but it has given me purpose as a teacher--which is good considering I've been having those, "I don't know how much longer I can do this..." types of feelings lately. I have a lot invested in these students who are testing this week. I truly love them and want them to beat the odds and have the bright future that is just beyond their grasp of reality. I will be devestated for those that do not pass, and I just pray that they will not give up on themselves.

2. MY SPACE, FACEBOOK, AND THE LIKE: So I like to surf the internet. So I'm not doing anything harmful while I'm on the computer. So I probably waste some good sweet precious time online. So, I lose out on good intentions sometime... Well, there are lots of people, more than I even want to acknowledge that exist, that are on the computer with BAD intentions. I think that there are many cool aspects to Facebook and Myspace--networking, keeping in touch, laughing at the funny/stupid stuff people put out there, but lately Patrick and, in turn, I have been made aware by some friends of some extremely dangerous things some of our youth group girls are putting out there. Skimpily clad, "liking to party," soft porn images, and CELL PHONE NUMBERS, emails, contacts. Whoa! Could we be any more ignorant, naive, stupid? I have been thinking and praying about how to make the internet a venue for good positive things for these teens. I like what Jamin and Buster have done with their teen websites--linking it to their blogs and other cool places to visit... Because teens are going to be on the computer. That's it. Any good ideas, pass them along. Patrick and I would be grateful.

3. WEDDINGS: This weekend a very dear friend of mine is getting married. Cool story, even cooler girl. Very lucky guy! This is the first wedding that I'll have been in since mine, 4 and a half months ago. Very fun and a little strange. I remember how stressed out I was about being stressed out. Because it is fun, or at least, it is supposed to be. I was never all that into "being the bride" as some people say. It took me a long time to decide that I was ready to get married, and then I was just ready...to GET MARRIED. Now, looking back, I really loved my wedding. I loved everything, everyone about it. Don't get me wrong, I loved and appreciated it in the moment too, but in a way, I was just ready for it to be over. I am excited about getting to be a part of a wonderful, family and friend-filled, and more importantly, God-filled, wedding celebration. Sure I wish that I'd lost some of my holiday weight and that my dress wasn't so tight and that I didn't get so fried at the tanning bed last Saturday (There's a story--ask me!), but I'm just excited and want to help the bride soak it all in and enjoy it. After all, it is the day little girls are supposed to dream about all of their lives...

Ok, just one more...

and I love these results!

You Are New York

Cosmopolitan and sophisticated, you enjoy the newest in food, art, and culture. You also appreciate a good amount of grit - and very little shocks you. You're competitive, driven, and very likely to succeed. Famous people from New York: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Tupac Shakur, Woody Allen

What American City Are You?

and I love these results!

You Are New York

Cosmopolitan and sophisticated, you enjoy the newest in food, art, and culture. You also appreciate a good amount of grit - and very little shocks you. You're competitive, driven, and very likely to succeed. Famous people from New York: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Tupac Shakur, Woody Allen

What American City Are You?

Lindsay will be proud

or at least she used-to-would-have-been

You Are Dr. Pepper

You're very unique and funky, yet you still have a bit of traditionalism to you.People who like you think they have great taste... and they usually do. Your best soda match: Root Beer Stay away from: 7 Up

What Kind of Soda Are You?

or at least she used-to-would-have-been

You Are Dr. Pepper

You're very unique and funky, yet you still have a bit of traditionalism to you.People who like you think they have great taste... and they usually do. Your best soda match: Root Beer Stay away from: 7 Up

What Kind of Soda Are You?

My "Book Nook"

In my classroom I have an area with a bookshelf/magazine rack (the kind that you'd find in the back of Books-A-Million) filled with all sorts of books, magazines, comic books for my students to read (an idea that I got from my friend across the hall, Jen). I have a rug with a bean bag and floor pillow, a table with two chairs tucked away in a comfortable area of my room--all as an effort to create a mood that subtly encourages my students to WANT to read. (Some days this effort is met with more success than others.) Throughout my teaching career, I have frequented thrift stores, yard sales, and second-hand bookstores to find suitable books of interest for my diverse students. I have become addicted to "Young adult Literature," and I want to provide my students with the opportunity to read ANYTHING. Recently, I've noticed that my book supply is dwindling... We have a check out system similar to the library, but the popular books are being passed around so fast that I'm losing track. I never know whether to be frustrated by my disappearing books or kind of excited that my kids are actually reading them and wanting them.

If you happen to have any extra books lying around, stashed away in trunks or attics, please consider donating them to Lee High School, room 107 (my classroom). Here is a small sampling of my wish list as well as another great place to look for book reviews. Let me know if you are interested! Thanks for the support.

In my classroom I have an area with a bookshelf/magazine rack (the kind that you'd find in the back of Books-A-Million) filled with all sorts of books, magazines, comic books for my students to read (an idea that I got from my friend across the hall, Jen). I have a rug with a bean bag and floor pillow, a table with two chairs tucked away in a comfortable area of my room--all as an effort to create a mood that subtly encourages my students to WANT to read. (Some days this effort is met with more success than others.) Throughout my teaching career, I have frequented thrift stores, yard sales, and second-hand bookstores to find suitable books of interest for my diverse students. I have become addicted to "Young adult Literature," and I want to provide my students with the opportunity to read ANYTHING. Recently, I've noticed that my book supply is dwindling... We have a check out system similar to the library, but the popular books are being passed around so fast that I'm losing track. I never know whether to be frustrated by my disappearing books or kind of excited that my kids are actually reading them and wanting them.

If you happen to have any extra books lying around, stashed away in trunks or attics, please consider donating them to Lee High School, room 107 (my classroom). Here is a small sampling of my wish list as well as another great place to look for book reviews. Let me know if you are interested! Thanks for the support.

Whose face do you have? or... Who has your face?

I got this link off of my friend Jen's blog, and it is great, so I thought I'd pass it along. Go here:
my heritage to see what celebrity face structures match with yours. I got Judy Garland, Kirsten Dunst, and Cameron Diaz. I wish! I'm about to check Patrick, Mom, Dad, Lindsay, and Daniel. Go there, and see who you resemble. It's addictive!

I got this link off of my friend Jen's blog, and it is great, so I thought I'd pass it along. Go here:
my heritage to see what celebrity face structures match with yours. I got Judy Garland, Kirsten Dunst, and Cameron Diaz. I wish! I'm about to check Patrick, Mom, Dad, Lindsay, and Daniel. Go there, and see who you resemble. It's addictive!

My Guilty Pleasure

The Bachelor.

Sadly but true. I've been into 4 of the seasons and all 3 of the Bachelorette seasons. Especially this one since "Mc Hottie" was a Nashville doctor, and my favorite girl was from there too. Props to Nashville for making me homesick this season and for representing so well. If you missed this season, check out the recaps on this hilariously witty blog:

www.thebachelorrecaps.blogspot.com

Also check out recent articles about Miss Sarah Stone on

www.thetennessean.com

The Bachelor.

Sadly but true. I've been into 4 of the seasons and all 3 of the Bachelorette seasons. Especially this one since "Mc Hottie" was a Nashville doctor, and my favorite girl was from there too. Props to Nashville for making me homesick this season and for representing so well. If you missed this season, check out the recaps on this hilariously witty blog:

www.thebachelorrecaps.blogspot.com

Also check out recent articles about Miss Sarah Stone on

www.thetennessean.com

The First Part Last

Well, after a long hiatus, I have decided to rejoin (if I ever did officially join) the blogging culture. In making a website for my classes at school, I came back to this one, and decided I needed something like this... I don't know if anyone will read it. I don't know if I want anyone to, but here's another shot at it.

Some things I have been thinking about lately:

1. My job. I am a teacher at a semi-inner city school in Montgomery. My first semester was difficult in many ways, but it was also the "honeymoon" phase of teaching... Where I was under a grace period with my administrators, where I was being introduced into the interesting, funny, uniques things that go along with this sort of an urban culture, where I came home with hilarious stories of things that my students would say and do. Well, that period is over. Reality has struck with a vengeance. Many days I feel helpless. I have an interesting mix of students--some of them are brilliant, with dreams and aspirations + the determination to make "it" happen. Unfortunately, those are few and far between. Most of my students do not care about learning; they are looking for a free ride, a free ticket out of high school, and many of them will not earn that ticket via graduation. I can spend hours preparing for a lesson that I believe will be both fun and beneficial, and my students will groan and say, "Mrs. Crawford, can we have a free day? You always make us do so much work." Talk about deflation. I refuse to give up hope that I can make a difference though. There has to be a way to motivate them. If I ever do give up, then I need to consider changing jobs or something. So, right now I am looking for ways to get in my students' minds...

2. T.V. Since I began teaching, I have never been more tired, and I have never enjoyed coming home and engaging in some mindless entertainment more! Let me tell you about what I believe to be the 3 top shows on T.V. right now. 1)24. If you haven't seen it, go to Blockbuster and rent the 1st Season. It will blow your mind. I cannot believe the geniuses who can create such a nailbiting show week in and week out. If you check out the whole season, be prepared to get lost in the abyss. 2) Lost. There is so much depth to this show, and with the way that it is set up, the creators can go anywhere with it. There is some incredible religious symbolism, and each character is intertwined in pre-island life with another one. It has an all-star cast with familiar faces, and even if you pick up mid-season, you can catch up in no time. 3) Grey's Anatomy. It's like Felicity meets medical residency. I like this show because you can be hilariously laughing one minute and crying the next. I must also mention several honorable mentions: Smallville. This is Patrick's favorite, and I must admit I'm hooked too. Who wouldn't fall for Superman in pre-Metropolis days. It also hints at some religious ideas as well. My Name is Earl. Mindless blue collar comedy at its best. And, lastly, the Bachelor. Mainly because he's a Nashville doctor, and I'm rooting for the Nashville girl. Tune in Monday night for the season finale!

3. Marriage. It has been over 4 months, and it seems like yesterday. It baffles me how two individuals, both strong in their individuality and independence, can form into one unit so easily and even effortlessly. (I sure thought I'd be hanging onto my independence more than I have. :)) Sure it's not perfect, and some days we have to work harder than others, but the hard work makes it that much better. I can't imagine what it will be like after 4 or 40 years. God and his perfect plans...

Well, after a long hiatus, I have decided to rejoin (if I ever did officially join) the blogging culture. In making a website for my classes at school, I came back to this one, and decided I needed something like this... I don't know if anyone will read it. I don't know if I want anyone to, but here's another shot at it.

Some things I have been thinking about lately:

1. My job. I am a teacher at a semi-inner city school in Montgomery. My first semester was difficult in many ways, but it was also the "honeymoon" phase of teaching... Where I was under a grace period with my administrators, where I was being introduced into the interesting, funny, uniques things that go along with this sort of an urban culture, where I came home with hilarious stories of things that my students would say and do. Well, that period is over. Reality has struck with a vengeance. Many days I feel helpless. I have an interesting mix of students--some of them are brilliant, with dreams and aspirations + the determination to make "it" happen. Unfortunately, those are few and far between. Most of my students do not care about learning; they are looking for a free ride, a free ticket out of high school, and many of them will not earn that ticket via graduation. I can spend hours preparing for a lesson that I believe will be both fun and beneficial, and my students will groan and say, "Mrs. Crawford, can we have a free day? You always make us do so much work." Talk about deflation. I refuse to give up hope that I can make a difference though. There has to be a way to motivate them. If I ever do give up, then I need to consider changing jobs or something. So, right now I am looking for ways to get in my students' minds...

2. T.V. Since I began teaching, I have never been more tired, and I have never enjoyed coming home and engaging in some mindless entertainment more! Let me tell you about what I believe to be the 3 top shows on T.V. right now. 1)24. If you haven't seen it, go to Blockbuster and rent the 1st Season. It will blow your mind. I cannot believe the geniuses who can create such a nailbiting show week in and week out. If you check out the whole season, be prepared to get lost in the abyss. 2) Lost. There is so much depth to this show, and with the way that it is set up, the creators can go anywhere with it. There is some incredible religious symbolism, and each character is intertwined in pre-island life with another one. It has an all-star cast with familiar faces, and even if you pick up mid-season, you can catch up in no time. 3) Grey's Anatomy. It's like Felicity meets medical residency. I like this show because you can be hilariously laughing one minute and crying the next. I must also mention several honorable mentions: Smallville. This is Patrick's favorite, and I must admit I'm hooked too. Who wouldn't fall for Superman in pre-Metropolis days. It also hints at some religious ideas as well. My Name is Earl. Mindless blue collar comedy at its best. And, lastly, the Bachelor. Mainly because he's a Nashville doctor, and I'm rooting for the Nashville girl. Tune in Monday night for the season finale!

3. Marriage. It has been over 4 months, and it seems like yesterday. It baffles me how two individuals, both strong in their individuality and independence, can form into one unit so easily and even effortlessly. (I sure thought I'd be hanging onto my independence more than I have. :)) Sure it's not perfect, and some days we have to work harder than others, but the hard work makes it that much better. I can't imagine what it will be like after 4 or 40 years. God and his perfect plans...

narnia

This weekend Patrick surprised me with Saturday morning tickets to Narnia. I've never been to a Saturday morning show before, but it was pretty cool. I am a huge fan of C.S. Lewis and everything that he writes, but The Chronicles of Narnia have always been especially dear to my heart because I read them when I was a little girl. A couple of years ago, I read them again after finishing John Eldridge's Waking the Dead. In this book, he refers to a little boy crying to his mom one night after she had finished reading aloud a chapter in the book to him. She asks him why he is crying to which he replies, "I feel really guilty because I think I love Aslan more than I love Jesus." His mother then explained to him that everything that he loved about Aslan WAS Jesus. I remember feeling that way when I read the books. There is just something so powerful about the way Aslan captures your heart. Anyway, the movie did not disappoint. It followed the book extremely closely, and several tears were shed on my part--and some others in the audience as well. I'd highly recommend catching this one!

This weekend Patrick surprised me with Saturday morning tickets to Narnia. I've never been to a Saturday morning show before, but it was pretty cool. I am a huge fan of C.S. Lewis and everything that he writes, but The Chronicles of Narnia have always been especially dear to my heart because I read them when I was a little girl. A couple of years ago, I read them again after finishing John Eldridge's Waking the Dead. In this book, he refers to a little boy crying to his mom one night after she had finished reading aloud a chapter in the book to him. She asks him why he is crying to which he replies, "I feel really guilty because I think I love Aslan more than I love Jesus." His mother then explained to him that everything that he loved about Aslan WAS Jesus. I remember feeling that way when I read the books. There is just something so powerful about the way Aslan captures your heart. Anyway, the movie did not disappoint. It followed the book extremely closely, and several tears were shed on my part--and some others in the audience as well. I'd highly recommend catching this one!

code red

This afternoon at a faculty meeting, we learned that the fallout from Tookie Williams' (co-founder of the Crips gang) execution tonight might stretch to our area with an increased threat of violence at school. We were instructed on emergency procedures and precautions to take tomorrow through Thursday. I am a little freaked out. If you read this, please pray for me and my students tomorrow, this week, and throughout. Apparently we have a significant number of Crips, Bloods, and Folks at our school...completely unbeknownst to me... Anyway, we'll see how this all plays out! Fill you in later...

This afternoon at a faculty meeting, we learned that the fallout from Tookie Williams' (co-founder of the Crips gang) execution tonight might stretch to our area with an increased threat of violence at school. We were instructed on emergency procedures and precautions to take tomorrow through Thursday. I am a little freaked out. If you read this, please pray for me and my students tomorrow, this week, and throughout. Apparently we have a significant number of Crips, Bloods, and Folks at our school...completely unbeknownst to me... Anyway, we'll see how this all plays out! Fill you in later...