From My Classroom Window

10 Years Ago...

2011-09-10T10:55:00.001-04:00

It's hard to believe that it's been 10 years. I'll never forget where I was and what I did all day that day.
I was 21, and in college. It was a Tuesday morning, so I had my my Foundations of Education class that morning. I was walking home from class when one of my roommates, Melissa, pulled up and picked me up. She told me what was happening. The planes had crashed into the World Trade Center buildings (they hadn't collapsed yet). We went home and I spent much of the day sitting at my desk trying to do homework, but I had the radio on and was listening to the news. It was suggested that everyone go to the gas station and fill up their cars. Melissa and I got in her car, sat in a long line of cars and filled her car with gas. Then we went back home, got my car, and did the same thing (we also went to the store and picked up a TV, since we hadn't gotten one for our house yet). By the time we got home and got the TV set up, I think it was late afternoon, early evening-ish. We turned the TV on, and finally saw the devastation. I think this is when it fully hit me what was going on.

A little while after 9/11, my mom found a place where you could order bracelets that had the name of a firefighter who lost his/her life during the events of that day. My bracelet was for a man named George C. Cain, who was a FDNY Firefighter with Ladder 7. I was curious about the man whose name I wore on my wrist, so I got online and searched his name and learned a little bit about him. He was 35 years old, loved his niece and nephews, and loved skiing. He was just getting ready to end his shift with Ladder 7 when the alarms went off. He was inside one of the buildings when it collapsed. His body was not recovered until a few months later.
In my searching, I found his mother, who I wrote to. She sent me a letter back and included George's prayer card, which I still have and look at often.

I wore my bracelet 24/7 for about 5 years. I finally took it off because after many, many times of it getting caught on things and being pulled open (it's a cuff style bracelet), I was afraid it was getting weak and would break. I've kept the bracelet, though, and have decided to put it back on for this 10th anniversary.

Ten years later, I think about the events of 9/11 often, and I never forget Firefighter George C. Cain, and the sacrifice he made to try to save others. He was a true hero (as were all the men and women who lost their lives on that day).

I went to New York for the first time near the 6 month mark after 9/11. I stood in the line to walk through ground zero. I knew the devastation was huge, but seeing it in person, helped me see just how massive it really was. They were shining the 2 beams of light during that 6 month mark, and we went up to the top of the Empire State Building to see the lights. Seeing it all in person was such a profound experience after having watched it all on that little 13 inch TV back home.

This year, I will be thinking about that dark day and praying for the almost 3000 lives lost and those who risked their lives to save others.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-08T07:17:00.000-04:00

Wordless Wednesday - a day late because I kinda fell asleep waiting for the pictures to load. ☺

Today, for your viewing pleasure, the reason I've been absent from blogging lately:

My new classroom when I first walked into the room (full of "stuff", some of which is older than me!):

Standing in the doorway to my room, I was literally met
with a wall of "stuff".

Don't be fooled by that big empty space there in the middle
of the floor! I forgot to take pictures before we had
already moved 4 tables out of that space.

Piled on the counters...stuff...

Art cabinet, stuffed with...stuff...

Construction paper...shoved all over...

An empty space! Except for the piles on top...

More stuff...piled to the ceiling...

Cabinet filled with stuff...

More stuff...

Long unit of shelves...stuffed with boxes of...stuff...

And now, the room after much (much, much, much) purging of "stuff" and organizing of what's left:

The new view from the doorway!

Again standing in the doorway.

Calendar/Circle area.

Organization!

Purged and reorganized art cabinet.

But I ask...How much paint (↓↑) does one classroom need?

I threw out half of the paint that was in the cabinet, and I
still have 2 whole shelves full of paint!

These books are now covered by a curtain to deter little
ones from pulling out every single book. ☺

View of the room from my desk!

A big thanks goes out to my mom, who spent 4 looooong days in this room with me! ♥ you Mom!!

And the winner is...

2011-08-22T20:08:00.000-04:00

My mom and I have drawn the winner and...drum roll please...she is Kathy from Just Stuff From A Boomer!
Congratulations and if you email my mom your address (asimplehappylife@gmail.com), we will get your Frankenmuth goodies out to you pronto. Thank you everyone who entered. You never know, we may just do this again sometime. After all, it would be a grand excuse to go to Frankenmuth again!

Giveaway Reminder!

2011-08-21T13:41:00.001-04:00

Just a friendly reminder that tomorrow is the last day to enter to win some Frankenmuth, Michigan goodies!

You can view my original post here.

Don't forget the rules!

1. Be or become a public follower of my blog AND,

2. Be or become a public follower of my mom's blog AND,

3. Comment either on my original giveaway post or my mom's giveaway post. You do not have to comment on both posts, just one or the other.

Giveaway Time!

2011-08-19T20:50:00.000-04:00

This here's my first giveaway, but it's not just an ordinary giveaway! It's a double-blog giveaway! Yep, that's right, my mom and I are co-hosting this giveaway!

A couple of weeks ago, my mom and I took a little trip to Frankenmuth to celebrate my new job (You can read about our trip on my mom's blog. I have plans for my own post about our trip, but just haven't had a chance to work on it yet). While we were there, we decided to do this cute little giveaway.

Here's what you'll get:

Gifts from Frankenmuth!
The ornament that Bronner's gave us (beautiful blue with sparkly snowflakes),
a Michigan bookmark,
Strawberry Rhubarb Jam (made at the Bavarian Inn),
and some Michigan Wild Cherry Tea.

Rules:

1. Be or become a public follower of my blog AND,

2. Be or become a public follower of my mom's blog AND,

3. Comment either on this post or my mom's giveaway post. You do not have to comment on both posts, just one or the other.

That's it! Easy as pie!

You have until 6:00 PM EST on Monday, August 22 to enter. We will put all the names in a hat and draw the lucky winner Monday night.

Good luck!!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-17T08:00:00.011-04:00

I've been cat sitting my brother and his girlfriend's cats.
This is their new kitten, Ethel (Their other cat is my Lucy. She loved
my brother so much, she moved with him when he bought his
house. There really was no other choice
when it came to picking out this kitty's name. ☺)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-03T08:00:00.002-04:00

Just had to put a school picture up, because I GOT A JOB!
Yep, I'm still pretty excited about finally having my own classroom
again! ☺

Novel Films Blogfest

2011-08-02T18:15:00.001-04:00

So Madeleine over at Scribble and Edit is hosting a fun blogfest...and I've decided to join in.
The blogfest is running from August 1-3 and asks:

How many works of fiction have you seen BOTH the film/TV drama and read the original book, play or comic story?

I started thinking and trying to make a list in my head of anything I could come up with on my own, but then I started thinking of books I've read, but not seen the film, or films I've seen, but not read the book (wow, did that make any sense at all?). Then, I did a little searching online and found even more. Some of the books I've listed are not fiction, yes I realize that, but I thought they were still worth a mention. ☺
So, here are my lists:

Books I've read and watched:

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare (no film, but saw live on stage in Stratford, ON)
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Charlie & Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank
The Five People you Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
Helen Keller by Helen Keller (film version The Miracle Worker)
Holes by Louis Sachar
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
Little House on the Prairie Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Polar Express by Chris von Allsburg
Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
The Tempest by William Shakespeare (again, no film, saw live on stage in Stratford, ON)
To Kill a Mocking Bird By Harper Lee *my absolute favorite book*
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer
Winnie-the-Pooh by AA Milne

Books I've read, but not watched:

Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Clearly
Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss
The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Books I've watched, but not read:

101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith
Beaches by Iris Rainer Dart
The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
Forrest Gump by Winston Groom
Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
It's a Wonderful Life by Philip Van Doren Stern
Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling (I'm sure I must have read this, but I just cannot remember)
Jurassic Park by Michael Chrichton
Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
Nanny McPhee by Christianna Brand
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux (I LOVED this live on stage, how have I never read it?!)
Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
Shrek by William Steig
Stuart Little by E.B. White
Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs
The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

This "watched, but not read" list is sadly longer than it should be, but honestly, there were some titles that I didn't even realize had started out as books! Well, my "To Read" list just got a bit longer! ☺

How many have you seen and read?

Any recommendations of books and/or their partner film/TV version to check out and then add to my list?

Today is a Very Good Day!!

2011-08-01T14:54:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to share some good news:

I GOT A TEACHING JOB!!!

I got a call last week on Monday for an interview, had my interview on Thursday, and got the call today!
It's teaching ECDD (Early Childhood Developmental Delay), special education preschool, which is exactly what my degree is. And it's local! It's right here in my own neighborhood, so I don't have to pack up all my things and move!

I may have done a bit of a happy dance when I got off the phone, and I may have a permanent grin plastered across my face this afternoon, but I think I deserve it! I've been searching for this job since I moved back from Georgia 2 loooooong years ago!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-27T15:19:00.000-04:00

I love this picture of my little Lucy! She had climbed into
my bag I took to work back then.
She must have wanted to see where I went every day!

My Beautiful Birthday Gift

2011-07-22T14:34:00.000-04:00

So, yesterday was my birthday. I'm thhhh.......I'm thhhhh.....shoot I can't say how old I am, the words just won't come out of my mouth! Let's just say a decade ago I was celebrating my 21st birthday.

It was sooooo hot yesterday (Michigan is not used to the triple digit temperatures we had yesterday!), so my mom and I decided to go to the mall to escape the heat. That plan didn't exactly work since the mall was hot and stuffy, but on the bright side, we found the Target exclusive The Best of I Love Lucy DVD set I wanted (thanks mom for buying it for me)!
We tried again at dinner to escape the heat by going out to dinner. Again, our plan didn't work since the restaurant's a/c was on the fritz. Oh well, my nachos were good anyway!
Back home after dinner, my parents gave me my gift...a real Ricky Jr. doll from the 50's! Of course this prompted us to have to watch my favorite episode ever of I Love Lucy - Lucy Goes to the Hospital (I love Ricky at the hospital when he's got his "woodoo" ("woodoo...woodoo...you know v-o-o-d-o-o- woodoo"...I love Ricky's accent!) make-up on!

Source

Anyway, back to my new little guy! There's a website I've found called Doll Reference and under their American Character (the company that made Ricky Jr.) section they have a description of the different Ricky Jr dolls made (they varied almost each year they were made from 1952-1956). My guy happens to be from 1954 and his description from Doll Reference is as follows:

1954 Ricky, 17 & 21" tall, all vinyl with rooted hair, wore shorts with suspenders in a hen print, white shirt with name embroidered and sandals.

Picture from
Doll Reference website.

My Ricky Jr.

Cute cheeks!

Full length

His sleep eyes still work!

His name is embroidered on his little shirt!

Ricky Jr. with a replica ad and hangtag (you know
the tag that hangs from the doll's wrist) from my book,
Lucille Ball Treasures.

Captions in my book for the ad and hangtag:

Ricky Jr. Doll Hangtag
"Little Ricky" truly was the world's most popular baby after his birth in January 1953. For young I Love Lucy fans, a doll was manufactured in his image, so lifelike it drank, blue bubbles, and even wet its diaper.
Ricky Jr. Doll Advertisement
Lucille and Desi are shown in this ad for the Little Ricky doll, and a child model demonstrates how fun it is to play "Mommy."

If you couldn't tell, I'm in LOVE with my gift! I'm not sure where he'll sit on display yet, so for now he's hanging out on my desk, on the shelf above my computer, so I can just glance up and admire him whenever I want!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-20T11:28:00.000-04:00

Someone's got a birthday tomorrow. Don't ask how old, because ~~I'll~~ she'll probably lie my her age. ☺

My brother, Dad, and I on my birthday a looooong time ago.
(Notice the beautiful toy earrings we're all wearing ☺)

For the Love of Harry Potter

2011-07-14T11:50:00.000-04:00

Hello, my name is Jamie, and...I'm addicted to Harry Potter. Wow, it feels good to get that off my chest! ☺

I've read - and own - all the books...

And, okay, yes, I've also just given away my secret
love of Twilight ☺

And, I've seen - and own - all the movies...

You may notice (if you're an HP fan too) that I'm missing
Year 5...I know it's around here somewhere, but in my
move from Georgia to Michigan a couple of years ago,
that DVD got separated from the rest of the set, and
since most of my things are still in storage, I haven't
found it yet... :^(

I'm just as excited (and a bit sad that it's all ending) as everyone else about the last movie opening. I've been watching all kinds of you tube videos. I won't put them all in this post for two reasons...1) If you are not a Harry Potter fan, it will just bore you ☺ and 2) If you are a fan, I'm sure you've either already seen most of them, or can go to you tube and watch the ones you want to see. ☺

I've loved watching the main trio of characters grow up - both in the books and the actors who play them. All of the actors they chose for the movies fit perfectly with what they looked like in my head while I read the books. My favorite character has always been Ron. He's just...Ron...He's funny, terribly afraid of spiders, and (even though he doesn't always show it) smart!

And doesn't Rupert Grint (the actor) make the best
faces for Ron? ☺

In the beginning, I was not a fan. I was in college, and one of my roommates had had to read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for her Children's Lit. class. I knew I had that class coming up the next semester, and with the popularity of the books, I figured it'd be required for my class as well. With the book being a bit longer than the rest of the required readings, I figured, I might as well get a head start on it. So, that summer, I bought that first book, and started reading. I read the first chapter, and thought how ridiculous is it that they have a cat who turns into a person. Most of all, it was the cigarette lighter "Put-Outer" that did it for me. I read that, and was done. This had to be the weirdest, stupidest book I'd ever read. (Turned out I didn't have to read this book for Children's Lit.).
Fast forward a couple of years. I don't remember exactly when I picked the books up again, but I think it was around the time the first movie came out. I decided to try again, and so I started rereading the first book, and made myself push past the "Put-Outer" nonsense and finish the book...Well, I was hooked before I was even half way through the book! Since then, I've bought and read every book, and seen (almost all) of the movies in the theater and then bought them when they came out on DVD. (By the way, I don't think the "Put-Outer", which is actually called a Deluminator, is such nonsense anymore!)
I will not be going on opening night tonight to see this last movie (too crazy!), but I will be seeing it at some point while it's in theaters. And I can't wait!

Are you a Harry Potter fan? Are you going to see the movie?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-13T20:55:00.000-04:00

Rainbow after some storms a few weeks ago.
If you look really closely, there's a double rainbow
(above the bright one).

I Think I Can!

2011-07-08T15:40:00.000-04:00

I've been crocheting a little bit for a couple of years. I can't do anything fancy, mostly dish clothes with simple stitches. Recently though, I came across a web site (I wish I had saved it so I could share it, but I forgot...I'm old, remember? ☺) that showed simple ways to make a cell phone cover. Hey, I can do that!

I really should have waited until I finish this class, but I was too excited, so I had to try it right away! I went to the store and picked up a couple different colors of yarn, and came home and got started.
I've been working on a crochet project for a couple of years (it really shouldn't take me that long, I just don't pick it up as much as I should!), so I only had the hook I use for that project, which is a larger hook, so my first try came out a bit too big to hold my phone...

...but it's okay for holding my camera!

Then, I searched and found a smaller hook and tried again...

...this one works pretty well for my mom's pretty pink phone!

But, I still didn't have one for my own phone. So, back at it for a third time...

I even got a little fancy and figured out how to make a flap to button down and hold my phone from falling out! It's not perfect, it's a bit crooked, but it works, it fits my phone, and I'm proud of it!

Then, when I finished with that, I made another dish cloth...because that's something I know how to do! I always manage to lose a stitch here and there (I started this cloth with 40 stitches and ended with 38...who knows where those 2 stitches went, but really, I'm not too worried about it ☺), but still, I end up with a functional dish cloth!

And, that's what I've been up to the last couple of days! ☺
There are a couple other things I want to try to make, but I really do have to finish this class first...I do, right?...but maybe I could just take a few minutes to try these projects...☺

Catching Up

2011-07-06T10:19:00.000-04:00

Okay, I know, I've been gone awhile...again...
I have a good excuse this time! I'm taking these classes in hopes to up my chances of getting a job I interviewed for recently. There are 2 classes that are both 6 week correspondence classes. I registered for the first class last week (you have to finish the first class before you can take the second class) and the next day I got a call from the coordinator for these classes. She tells me they are on a tight deadline and are not allowing anyone to register for either class after this week until October. So, I can either take the first class and wait until October to register for and take the second, or I can try to get through all 6 weeks worth of reading and homework in a couple of days so that I can register for the second class before the cut-off of July 11. Well, I worked my tail off and finished the class this morning! I am now working on the second class. I'm hoping that I can get this one done early too (not as quickly as the first class though!) so it's done and out of the way.
Anyway, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

While I was away, though, I was tagged by Tara at Tara Tyler Talks...

And, I got these two awards from Eliza over at Ellie's Couch

So, for the tag, I'm supposed to answer some questions and for the awards, I'm supposed to tell you seven things about myself. Then, I am supposed to tag people and pass the awards on to five people. I'll spare you the boredom of reading so much, and just give you seven random facts about myself ☺.

Here we go...my seven "facts":

I'm excited to become a Girl Scout leader this fall (I was in Girl Scouts from 1st - 12th grade and earned my Gold Award, but haven't really been involved since then).
I'm terrified about becoming a Girl Scout leader this fall (I can teach a classroom full of kids, but I have no idea what to do with a whole troop of girl scouts all by myself)!
I'm so information overloaded from finishing that entire class in such a short period of time, that I don't really know if I'm coming or going right now!
I'm tired of looking for a job...I so want to be back at work!
I have a cat named Ricky (Ricardo) and I had a cat named Lucy (Ricardo), but Lucy lives with my brother because she loves him so much. ☺ I also have a goldfish named Ethel. Do you see a theme here with my pets' names? The only one who doesn't fit is my dog, Sosha. She already had that name when I adopted her from the rescue group, so I didn't change her name...but she has a ton of nicknames (and answers to them all!).
I just found a new crochet project I want to try! I just have to get some yarn first...any probably finish my class too...
I'll be 31 in a couple of weeks. I'm officially OLD!

Wow, that was harder than I thought it'd be!

Okay, on to the five people I'm passing these awards on to and tagging in the blog tag:

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

This isn't any special color setting on my camera
(I don't have a fancy camera like that ☺).

It's the actual color of the sky after a round of bad storms
on Saturday night.

This one's my favorite!

I Love Getting Mail!

2011-07-05T21:43:00.000-04:00

Okay, well not all mail...I hate getting bills! But the mail I'm talking about today is a fun package I got in the mail recently.
Teresa, a.k.a Mama Hen, over at Hen Scratches sent me a lovely package. I was so very excited when it came because I knew she was passing along some books! Yay! I love reading, and these books are all books that I've never read before! How exciting! I can't wait to dig in! Oh, and check out the other fun surprises she sent me - a pack of book labels and a cute little pin!

I'm bummed that I have to wait to start reading these until I finish these classes I'm taking right now, but the payoff for finishing will definitely be worth it!

Thank you so much, Teresa, for this special package! Oh, by the way, my mom is also enjoying her new horse book!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-29T20:13:00.000-04:00

Our 6 little - but growing quickly - chickies!

Interview Day!

2011-06-22T19:18:00.000-04:00

So, I left this morning at about 8:00 for the 3.5 hour drive to my interview. The interview wasn't until 1:00, but I wanted to make sure I gave myself plenty of time to deal with construction and backups (there was plenty of construction, but thankfully no backups), so I ended up getting there at 11:30 - just a tad early! ☺
I found a grocery store where I could park and put my make up on (I wanted fresh make up for the interview!), change into my heels, put my suit coat on...and read...boy am I glad I brought my Kindle with me!
Finally, it's time to head to the interview. I walk in and immediately get a tour of the building and an explanation of the different programs located within this building. My interview went well (I think!) and long - 1.5 hours long! I'm not getting my hopes up about it though, because they are holding interviews for 2 whole days, so there's a lot of competition for this one job. I'm really glad I completely redid my portfolio, because for the first time ever, they actually took the time to look through my portfolio from cover to cover! Usually they either completely ignore it unless I specifically point something out, or they may flip through a couple of pages and be done. Not this time. They all looked at every page, and pointed out to the other members of the interview committee things that they noticed that they really liked.
In the middle of my interview a really loud alarm sounded - which scared the bejeebers out of all of us - to alert us that there was a thunderstorm warning. Just before the interview ended, the storm hit! Of course, so now, in my heels (which, by the way, refuse to actually stay on my feet!) I had to make a mad dash through the rain to my car.
Now begins my 3.5 hour drive home. It ~~rained~~ poured for the first few minutes, but then cleared up for the next little while. Then, when I got about half way home, the skies just opened up and it POURED! At one point, it got really windy and started blowing my car (and I drive an SUV, so it's not a light little thing) across the lanes, and I felt like I was being pulled backwards - the more I pushed on the gas pedal, the slower my car went...it was weird, and a bit frightening! For the next 1.5 hours, my drive was filled with off and on downpours with horrible looking skies. I talked to my mom for a couple of minutes and found out there was a tornado warning at home! Luckily, I was behind that, so I didn't have to drive through the tornadoes to get home!
I did see a very pretty double rainbow between downpours, though!
I finally made it home at about 6:00. It's been a long day, ~~just a tad bit~~ tremendously stressful, and a bit scary.
I think I'm ready for bed!

Big Day Tomorrow

2011-06-21T10:28:00.000-04:00

I have a job interview tomorrow! This is very exciting because my job search for a full time teaching position hasn't gone well since I moved back to Michigan 2 years ago. I've only gotten a couple of interviews since the move. Tomorrow's interview is for a special education teaching position (which is what I'm certified in). I've spent the past several days completely redoing my portfolio, studying up on the district, getting my suit out and ready, finding my good "interview" jewelry (necklace and earrings my grandma gave me before my very first interview).
Physically, I'm ready.

Mentally, psychologically, I'm not.

I'm nervous...

I'm scared...

I couldn't sleep last night, because every time I closed my eyes, I thought of another interview question that will probably be asked...and then I had to try to come up with the perfect answer. Concise, to the point, accurate, honest, shows I know what I'm doing, but not too long and rambly.

I've (somewhat) enjoyed subbing - it's given me the opportunity to see a variety of classrooms, meet a variety of teachers, and get lots of new ideas to bring into a classroom of my own. However, subbing isn't consistent. It's sporadic - some weeks I work a full 5 days; other weeks, I get just a 1/2 day. It's a new group of students, new names, new faces, new situations, every day. I need something more than that. I need my own classroom, my own students, a consistent schedule...I need the stability of a full time teaching position.

Sorry for the long, rambling post (gee, I hope I don't ramble like this tomorrow!), I just needed to get it out. I'm done now.

Meet Me On Monday

2011-06-20T07:00:00.001-04:00

It's that time again!

1. What feature of the opposite sex do you notice first?

Definitely the eyes!
They are the window to the soul!

2. Do you talk to yourself?

Yes! Sometimes out loud for all to hear
and sometimes it's all in my head...
my inner monologue!

3. What is your current relationship status?

Hmm...well, I guess it's technically still "single",
but I did meet someone recently...☺

4. Do you have a garden?

Yes! For the first time in...well, I don't
really remember...probably over 10 years!

5. What is your favorite licorice flavor?

No licorice for me, thank you.
I think it's gross!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-15T08:00:00.002-04:00

Meet Me On Monday...er...Tuesday...

2011-06-14T09:57:00.000-04:00

Wow, maybe I need to look at my calendar more often, because I completely forgot that yesterday was Meet Me On Monday day! *duh*
Okay, well, a day late, but here we go!

1. What is your favorite yogurt flavor?

I love most flavors of Yoplait Light yogurts,
but if I had to pick one favorite flavor, I'd have to
say just plain old vanilla...it's the one I grab
if I don't have a taste for any other flavor ☺

2. Ankle or knee socks? and on the same theme, white socks or coloured??

Depends on the weather...
In the summer, I like ankle socks.

In the winter, I prefer nice warm and cozy
knee socks.

No matter the weather, I always love fun, colorful socks!

3. How is the weather right now?

At this very moment, it is sunny and 63 degrees (Fahrenheit),
but it's supposed to get up into the low 70's.
A little chilly feeling after being in the mid 90's a few days ago,
but it's perfect weather to be outside!!

4. Are you a fast typer?

I'm not super fast, but fast enough...probably 45-50 wpm...
I can type faster, but then I make a TON of mistakes that
I have to go back and fix, so what's the point... ☺

5. Red or White Wine?

Actually, I don't like any kind of wine...
I'm really not a big drinker at all.
I do like some of the Smirnoff Ice flavors...

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-09T14:13:00.000-04:00

Wordless Wednesday, a day late because I lost track of my days!

Sosha is daring to take a quick peek at the water.
Not for too long though, or someone might think
she actually wants to get near that water!

Meet Me On Monday and excuses for my long absence

2011-06-06T11:21:00.000-04:00

Wow! It's been awhile hasn't it? Sorry I've been MIA lately. But I have excuses (aren't there always excuses? But I swear, mine are good excuses! ☺)

First, I've decided to do summer tutoring and science workshops, so I've been busy planning how it all will work. I've created a website and I'm working on a flyer to be approved by some local elementary schools to send home (school ends on June 16, so I gotta get my butt in gear and finish this flyer!). Hopefully after all this, I'll actually get some kids signed up!

Also, a couple of weeks ago, I sent out a bunch of application packets to school districts all over the state applying for jobs for next year. Last week, I got a call for an interview at one of those districts! I haven't been called for an interview in about a year, so actually getting an interview is exciting. I've decided to revamp my teaching portfolio before this interview in 2 weeks. I had a plan for the theme and what I wanted to do, but of course couldn't find what I needed to fit the theme. So now, with a new theme, I'm planning how I want it to look...Phew!

Anyways, it's also Monday and time for Meet Me on Monday, so here we go:

1. What is was the last piece of candy that you ate?

Yum!

2. Do you "read" in the bathroom?

Nope, can't say that I do.

3. I can't stand when someone _________?

I hate when someone rides my rear!
If I have to hit the brakes, I really don't want you to slam
into me because you were riding my rear!

4. Do you do daily, weekly or monthly grocery shopping?

Well, right now, I usually go when I'm told
I need to pick up a few things.
When I lived on my own, though, I usually did my
grocery shopping either every week or
every other week.

It's a Happy Birthday kind of day!

2011-05-26T16:35:00.000-04:00

A very happy birthday to a very special person!

My Daddy!

I ♥ you, Dad!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-25T06:00:00.005-04:00

We got baby chickies!
6 of them! ☺

Missing Popop today

2011-05-23T10:11:00.000-04:00

Today would have been my grandpa, Popop's, 82nd birthday. He died December 23, 1992, when I was only 11 years old. I was young when he died, but I have many wonderful memories that I will never forget. So many things remind me of him on a daily basis.

Popop and I when I was maybe 7.

I love this picture. This is my Gigi and her mom, Ammie,
with my cousins Krissi and Brandi, and that's me in Gigi's lap.
But look behind us all. That's Popop peeking around the
doorway waving. ♥

I know I shared this picture on my Missing Gigi post, but
it fits this post too.

Popop

5/23/1929 - 12/23/1992

I love and miss you ♥

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-18T08:39:00.000-04:00

I love the way this tree grows sideways and dips into the lake.

Meet Me On Monday

2011-05-16T18:21:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Round 3 of Meet Me on Monday.
This week's questions:

1. Crunchy or smooth peanut butter?

Definitely smooth! I love peanut butter,
but hate peanuts (weird, I know), so no
chunks of peanuts for me!

2. What is your favorite color Rose?

I love both red and pink,
but I think pink roses would win as my favorite.

3. Do you remove your shoes when you walk into your home?

Usually, but not always. As a matter of fact,
I'm still wearing them right now, even though I got home
from taking Sosha to the Vet about an hour ago. ☺

4. What is your favorite season?

Spring!
New life is beginning on all the trees, and it's just so pretty!
My allergies and asthma are worst during spring, but I love it anyway.

5. Approximately how many hours a day do you spend blogging?

Well, since the A-Z Challenge is finished,
I haven't bee blogging every single day.
When I am blogging, I try to limit it to about an hour
per day. That doesn't mean I don't spend more time moving
around and reading other people's blogs, though! ☺

Missing Gigi today

2011-05-14T12:59:00.002-04:00

Today would have been my grandma, Gigi's, birthday.

Gigi and I, in 1980-81ish.

Gigi and Popop with all their grandkids
(minus the ones who were not born yet).
Popop is holding a baby Ami, Gigi is holding a fussy Derek,
I am sitting between them, and Brandi and Krissi are on the couch.
This one was taken in 1985.

Gigi
5/14/1933 - 7/26/2010
I love and miss you.
xoxo

Big Game Tonight!

2011-05-12T15:01:00.000-04:00

If' you've read my blog before, you may have discovered that I'm a big Detroit Red Wings fan. Tonight is Game 7 (in a 7 game series) against the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks won the first 3 games, but the Wings came back to win games 4, 5, and 6. Tonight's game will decide who goes on and who's season is finished.
When I lived in Georgia, Sosha (my pup) and I would watch every game that was televised in our area, which was really only Play-off games that showed on cable, or games against the Atlanta Thrashers.
I was possibly the only Wings fan (sporting my Detroit Red Wings shirt) in Georgia, but I wore my shirt on game day (and sometimes so did Sosha!).

Sosha is focused on that game!

Phew! These games can be stressful!
Sosha had to take a little rest. ☺

And sometimes the game just wore the puppy out!

Let's Go Wings!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-11T18:30:00.000-04:00

Meet Me On Monday

2011-05-09T07:45:00.000-04:00

There is no new Meet Me on Monday for this week, but since there are so many past MMOM's that I've missed, I decided just to pick an old one to do this week. ☺

Here are the questions:

1. If you had to eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Ooh, that's a hard one...I think I'd have to say either

Bread of any kind

Cheese

I love both! ☺

2. Do you write your blog posts in advance or the day you post them?
I do both. Usually, I write them the day I post them, but sometimes, if I have an idea in my head for a future post, I'll write it in advance and schedule it.

3. Have you ever ridden in an ambulance?
Once, just a couple of years ago. I was at work and doubled over in pain (on the floor, behind my desk, so that my students couldn't see me). My co-teacher, administrator, and our school nurse all came in and our nurse called for an ambulance to come take me to the hospital. Turned out to be an Ovarian Cyst.

4. What is your favorite candle scent?

Yankee Candle's Buttercream is my absolute favorite.
I also like coconut, strawberry, apple,
and pretty much any fruity scent. ☺

5. Coffee or tea?
Neither. I would love to drink coffee to help get me going in the morning, but I just can't stand the taste. I don't like tea either, hot or iced. I prefer hot chocolate for a hot drink in the winter or just plain cool, clear well water. ☺

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T13:13:00.000-04:00

Mom and I on her trip to visit me in GA a few years ago!

I have the best mom in the world! She's been there for me through it all, and for that I am truly thankful.

Mom has a great blog over at A Simple Happy Life and I've made a special Mother's Day award just for her.

♥ I love you Mom! ♥

What happened??

2011-05-06T08:29:00.000-04:00

I don't know what happened, but for the past 2 days, my blogger dashboard says I'm not following any blogs. I know I'm still following the blogs, but under my Reading List, none of the blogs I follow are listed. It just says:

You are not currently following any blogs. Use the "add" button below to enter blogs you'd like to follow in your Reading List.

I want my blogs back! I want to read what everyone has to say these days, but I can't! Is there a way to "fix" this, to get my list back?

I know, not much of a post today, but this is really bugging me! I've tried closing that tab and reopening in a new tab, I've tried opening a new window, I've even tried restarting the whole computer...nothing works :(

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-04T09:30:00.001-04:00

Christmas present from my Dad.
My favorite book, from when I was a child, put into a shadow box
(made by my Daddy) with Frances' little blue tea set!

Teaser Tuesday

2011-05-03T18:46:00.000-04:00

I found another fun sounding weekly event that I'm going to try out. This weekly reading event is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

Rules for participating:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title and author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser comes from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. This is one of my favorite "go-to" books when I'm between books, or have nothing else to read at the moment.

Far into the night, Miss Havisham's words, "Love her, love her, love her!" sounded in my ears. I adapted them for my own repetition, and said to my pillow, "I love her, I love her, I love her!" hundreds of times.

Meet Me On Monday

2011-05-02T15:44:00.000-04:00

I'm going to try something new! I found this while browsing blogs, and thought it might be fun to join in.
Every week, five questions are posted to allow the reader to get to know you better.
Here are the questions for this week:

1. What is your favorite kind of muffin?

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins!

2. What was the first car you ever owned?

1984 Nissan Datsun truck (mine was a baby blue color).
In 1997, it wasn't the "coolest" vehicle, but it got me around...most of the time. ☺

3. Which TV Show were you sad to see end?

I Love Lucy was actually waaaay before my time, but wouldn't it
be so cool if Lucy, Ricky, Fred, and Ethel were still around? ☺

4. What is your lucky number?

I don't really have a lucky number, but I guess for right now, I'd say the number 4.
That's the number of my favorite Nascar driver's car (Kasey Kahne)

5. Pretzels or Potato Chips?

I'm not a huge fan of either, but I definitely love
chocolate covered pretzels! ☺

Reflecting on the A to Z Challenge

2011-05-01T15:51:00.000-04:00

So, this is it...The A-Z Blogging Challenge is finished.

To all my fellow A to Z-er's: We made it. We've crossed the finish line!

First of all, I have to give another shout out to the hosts of the A to Z Blogging Challenge:
Arlee Bird at Tossing It Out
Jeffrey Beesler at World of the Scribe
Alex J. Cavanaugh at Alex J. Cavanaugh
Jen Daiker at Unedited
Candace Ganger at The Misadventures in Candyland
Karen J Gowen at Coming Down the Mountain
Talli Roland at Talli Roland
Stephen Tremp at Breakthrough Blogs
These people all did an amazing job of putting this challenge together!

I really enjoyed participating in the A-Z Challenge. My blog was only a few days old when the challenge started. I was excited to be joining, but a little nervous at the same time. I had (and still do have) very little experience with writing blog posts. Could I write a blog post every single day? Could I come up with something interesting enough to write about for each letter? I didn't know! But I did write every single day (okay, I did miss W and X due to illness, but I made them up!) I still don't know I I came up with interesting enough topics, but I don't think I did too bad on that front.

I started off trying to write something I like and something I don't like for every letter. Turns out I couldn't always think of a don't like for certain letters! But then, I had a couple of posts that were only "don't like" letters. Some days I wasn't sure I was going to get my post up before the day was over, but I made myself sit down and write my post.

I've met some new friends and found some really great blogs through this challenge. I've also gained a few new followers who have left me some very encouraging comments.

I'm a bit sad to see this challenge come to an end (but a little relieved that I can relax too!), but I'm excited to do it again next time! And in the mean time, don't worry, I'll keep writing! Whether you want to hear what I have to say or not! ☺

As for the April 2011 A to Z Blogging Challenge...

Z is for Ze End!

2011-04-30T18:35:00.001-04:00

Wow! I can't believe I made it all the way to the end of the A to Z Blogging Challenge!

I missed a couple of days towards the end, but I made them up (pneumonia really gets in the way!).
I slacked during some of my posts, and I'm sorry!
But, I finished it! I have written something about every letter of the alphabet! ☺

Thank you to the hosts of this Challenge:
Arlee Bird at Tossing It Out
Jeffrey Beesler at World of the Scribe
Alex J. Cavanaugh at Alex J. Cavanaugh
Jen Daiker at Unedited
Candace Ganger at The Misadventures in Candyland
Karen J Gowen at Coming Down the Mountain
Talli Roland at Talli Roland
Stephen Tremp at Breakthrough Blogs

Thanks to Elizabeth Mueller for awarding that cute zebra award up there for everyone who participated in the A-Z Challenge!

Y is for York

2011-04-29T15:53:00.000-04:00

I like York (as in New York).

I went to New York in the spring of 2002 for a conference. I fell in love with NYC! I was there 6 months after 9/11, so we visited the site of the World Trade Center. I still can't even express what it was like to see this in person, even 6 months later. During this time, they shone 2 beams of light into the sky to represent the 2 towers.

We went up to the top of the Empire State Building one night to see these lights. Again, no words can express the feeling appropriately.
We also went to other places throughout the city, including the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Battery Park, Little Italy (and went to a great Italian Restaurant!), Times Square, and we even made it to the Today Show (I stood right behind Al Roker on air!). Oh, yeah, we also saw Rod Stewart in the lobby of our hotel. Okay, maybe not the most ideal celebrity for a bunch of college students to see, but a celebrity nonetheless!
Unfortunately, this trip was pre-digital camera times, so all of my pictures are in an album, packed away for safe keeping, so I can't share any pictures from my trip.
I want to go back again someday!

X is for Xylophone

2011-04-29T15:01:00.000-04:00

I like xylophones.

Just the cute little kid xylophones. I'm not sure why I like them, but I do. ☺ They are cute, they are fun, and it's just fun to make music with little kids!

W is for Wow

2011-04-29T14:55:00.000-04:00

Wow, this pneumonia has kicked my butt! I'm starting to feel better now...slowly, but surely.

V is for Violin

2011-04-26T12:18:00.000-04:00

I like violins.

Actually, I more prefer fiddle music, but today is V day, not F day. ☺

One of my favorite, fun songs is this one. I love his fiddle playing!

U is for Under-the-weather

2011-04-25T20:42:00.000-04:00

I don't like feeling under-the-weather.

I finally went to see the doctor today. Thanks to my mom for sharing, I now have Bronchitis.
So, sorry, this is all I can come up with for today. :o(

T is for Teaching

2011-04-23T20:14:00.000-04:00

I like teaching!

Duh! What else could a teacher say for T day?
Unfortunately, I'm just not feeling up to par, so I'm taking the easy route today, and just linking you back to my E for Education post.
Sorry, I'll be back at full speed soon...just not today.

S is for Sick

2011-04-22T16:43:00.000-04:00

I don't like to be sick.

I started feeling the tickle in my throat while I was at work yesterday afternoon. My mom has been sick since last Friday with what ended up being bronchitis. I am refusing to get bronchitis, so I'm sticking to the story that my cough is just from allergies. Other than the cough, I feel fine for the most part. But the cough alone is wearing me out. Remember on C day when I said I don't like coughs? Yep, still don't!

R is for Rain

2011-04-21T20:41:00.000-04:00

I like and don't like rain.

Because I'm feeling kind of lazy today, I'm posting pictures of rain and rain clouds.
I don't know why, but I like taking pictures of rain and rain/storm clouds. The clouds kind of fascinate me.

This picture and the 5 above it are all from a trip to Frankenmuth, MI
a couple of year ago. This sudden rain storm lasted just a few
minutes, but came down so hard and so fast that the streets flooded.

The following pictures are just random pics I've taken over the last couple of years. All pictures were taken on my cell phone, so please excuse the poor quality. ☺

The End. ☺

Q is for Quilts

2011-04-20T08:30:00.001-04:00

I like quilts.

My Winnie the Pooh Quilt I've had since I was a baby.

I have 2 quilts that are quite special to me. The first is pictured above. My Pooh quilt has been with me since I was a baby. It's seen a lot throughout the years. When I was young, I loved the silky feel of the binding, so the entire top edge and part of the way down both sides, the binding is no longer attached to the quilt. For some reason, I never wanted my mom to fix it, so there it hangs. ☺

My second quilt is my I Love Lucy quilt that one of my best friends (M) made for me for my 30th birthday last year. I was completely surprised by my family and 2 best friends (M and J) with a little surprise party when I got home from work. Turns out my mom and M had been sneaking around behind my back to get all my Lucy fabric from me (I was really excited when I discovered all the Lucy fabric, and decided I was going to make a Lucy quilt...I was in a bit over my head with this plan since I'd never sewn before in my life! ☺) and pass it on to M so she could make the quilt. I got home from work that day and all of a sudden M and J were there, then my uncle showed up, and then Jon was there! It was a great surprise party, and I got my very special I Love Lucy quilt!

Holding up my new quilt!

Not a great picture, but here it is along with the
pillow that M made to go with it!

Side story, completely unrelated to quilts, but related to my 30th birthday: I woke up on my 30th birthday and was getting ready for work. After I showered, I was drying my hair, and could not figure out why it felt nasty, like it hadn't even been washed. I started cursing my hair that all of a sudden, I turned 30 and my hair gets all gross. Then I realized that I FORGOT TO WASH MY HAIR!!! I mean, for crying out loud, I've been doing this all my life, and all of a sudden I turn 30 and forget to wash my hair! I'm happy to report, that I haven't forgotten to wash my hair since then! ☺

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-20T05:45:00.000-04:00

For me?

2011-04-19T19:55:00.000-04:00

Thank you so much to Jenny at Pearson Report for giving me this wonderful award!

I truly appreciate your thoughtfulness!

P is for parents and phones

2011-04-19T06:00:00.001-04:00

I like (well, actually, love) my parents.

♥ Mom and Dad ♥

They're pretty great! I'm pretty positive they're the best parents a girl (and her brother) could ever have!

Mom and Dad with my on my college graduation day!

Even when times are tough, they stick together ☺
(or, this may have just been their Halloween costumes last year ☺)

I don't like phones.

I don't want to bore you with my phone woes again, so if you want to read about my phone problems, just go here. ☺

O is for Octopus

2011-04-18T06:06:00.000-04:00

I like octopus (or is it octopi? Or maybe it's octopuses?).

Actually, I don't really like all octopuses, I like one specific octopus named Al. Al is the official playoff mascot of the Detroit Red Wings.

Al the Octopus!

The Detroit Red Wings

Legend of the Octopus

There are few traditions in sports that compare to those in the game of hockey. One such tradition is the throwing of octopi onto the ice at Red Wings games. Ever wonder how it started?
The octopus first made its appearance on April 15, 1952, during the Red Wings' Stanley Cup playoff run.
Two Detroit brothers, Pete and Jerry Cusimano - storeowner's in Detroit's Eastern Market - threw the eight-legged cephalopod on the ice at Olympia Stadium. Each tentacle of the octopus was symbolic of a win in the playoffs. Back then, the NHL boasted only six teams, and eight wins (two best-of-seven series) were needed to win the Stanley Cup. The Red Wings swept the series that year, and the Octopus has come to be the good luck charm ever since.
The tradition carried over to Joe Louis Arena on opening night in 1979 when several found their way onto the ice.
During the 1995 playoffs, Bob Dubisky and Larry Shotwell, co-workers at a meat and seafood retail company near Detroit, tossed a 38-pound octopus onto the ice during the National Anthem prior to Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. The year after, the duo struck again with a 50-pounder in the Conference Finals. Although the feat received no airtime on the nationally broadcast game, the octopus was proudly displayed on the hood of the Zamboni between periods.

As of Saturday, the Wings are up 2-0 in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Let's go Red Wings!

Wow, thanks!

2011-04-17T13:11:00.000-04:00

Thank you so much to Ally over at Cancer and Baby Equals Chaos! for giving me such a wonderful award!

So, here are the rules:

Link back to the person who gave you the award. √
Tell 10 facts about myself... √

I am a huge I Love Lucy and Lucille Ball fan. Lucille Ball would have been 100 years old this coming August. Jamestown, NY is having a big celebration for her birthday. I want to go, but can't afford it (if anyone is willing to donate to my "Go to Jamestown to celebrate Lucille Ball's 100th birthday fund", I'm gladly accepting donations ☺) (I am just kidding about the donations, by the way ☺)
I love Nascar. My favorite racer is Kasey Kahne. I've been to 1 race, but it was before I cared about racing. I want to go back now!
I also love Hockey. Detroit Red Wings! I've never been to a game. It's on my list of things to do.
I get cravings for foods based on the snacks that the students bring in to school for their morning snacks. Most recently was Funyons (which I've never been a big fan of) and Cheez-its.
I love taking pictures of everything. I really want a DSLR camera. I would also love to take a photography class.
Some of my most treasured possessions have been made for me by my Daddy!
I'm having trouble coming up with 10 facts...I think this is proof that I lead a very boring life! ☺
I tend to use this →☺← a lot in my typing. Too much probably! ☺
I love substitute teaching, but would love a classroom of my own even more.
Seriously, I can't think of one last fact...

Give this award to others. √

N is for NCIS

2011-04-16T17:42:00.000-04:00

I like NCIS.

I don't watch a ton of television, but I do enjoy a couple of shows, including my favorite, NCIS.

M is for Music and Mice

2011-04-15T20:45:00.001-04:00

I like Music.

I've always like music. The earliest music I can remember listening to was New Kids on the Block. ☺ I have pictures somewhere of me at about 9 years old surrounded by all of my NKOTB "stuff". I'll spare myself the embarrassment by not sharing any of those pictures!
I enjoy almost any kind of music, except for the hard "head-banging" rock (sorry, it just gives me a headache! ☺).

Some of my favorites:

Oh, and can't forget my college days...loved these guys back then:

Not only have I always loved listening to music, but back in elementary school, I started playing the Clarinet. I played it all they way through high school. I also loved Kenny G and his Soprano Saxophone (not the clarinet, as many people have thought!), so I started playing that in high school. Sadly, I didn't continue with either of them after high school...but I've recently found both of my instruments! I took them out to see how much, if any, I remembered how to play, and only managed to scare my mom's dog and send my dog into a howling fit! It was quite funny, though. ☺

I don't like mice.

Especially when they are either A) in the house or, B) in my car. Both of which have happened this year. Several weeks ago, Ricky, who is great at detecting mice in the house, discovered that there was, indeed, a mouse in the entry of our house. He spent all day stalking the nasty little critter as it hid. Once he was able to get it out, we called in the big dogs (literally) to come finish the job (take it outside and take care of it).
Around that same time, I discovered that the empty raisin box I accidently left in my car was moved to the floor of my driver's seat and had little chew marks in it...I also discovered my tube of chapstick was chewed up...I freaked out (because all I could imagine was me, driving down the road and having a mouse start crawling up my leg!), gloved up, and cleaned out my entire car. Mouse "get-ridderers" were put in place and I moved my car out of the garage (in hopes that if my car wasn't in the cozy garage, it wouldn't be so tempting to the rodents). I haven't seen any evidence of a mouse since then, so I am just going to hope that little Mickey is gone, never to return again!

L is for Living with my parents

2011-04-14T20:38:00.000-04:00

I like and dislike living with my parents. ☺

Mom and Dad ringing in the new year a couple of years ago. ☺

Don't get me wrong, I love my parents...it's just that it's just a tad embarrassing to say that I'm 30 and I live with my parents!

I moved out of my parents' house shortly after graduating college several years ago, and then moved back in for a few months before I moved to Georgia a few years ago. I lived in Georgia for 2 fantastic years. When I was making my plans to move back to Michigan, I said I was going to move back in with my parents temporarily. My plan was to live with them for a couple of weeks...a month tops while I got everything going back here in Michigan. Well, that was 22 months ago! And here I am, still living here in my brother's old bedroom (it's even still decorated in his theme, with his furniture). If I could find a full time teaching job, I'd be able to afford to move out again, but until then...

I miss living on my own, and I know my parents miss their empty nest! Occasionally my mom will tell me that no one wants me to move out more than they (my parents) do, and I have to remind them that, no, no one wants me to move out more than ME! ☺

So, there ya go, I have combined my like and dislike into one topic today!

K is for Kindle!

2011-04-13T18:03:00.000-04:00

I like my Kindle!

I got my Kindle for Christmas this past year. I LOVE to read, and this is my very convenient way to bring a book along when I have to go somewhere where I'll spend time waiting (doctor's office, waiting for someone, etc.). Don't get me wrong, I still love real books and will keep buying them. This is just a convenient way to carry several books at once (you never know what book you'll be in the mood for while you're out!).

Santa brought my this pretty purple cover when he brought
my Kindle!

What am I reading right now?
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens!

I don't have any dislikes for letter K, sorry! ☺

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-12T21:58:00.000-04:00

I almost forgot!

J is for Jon and January.

2011-04-12T21:46:00.000-04:00

I like Jon.

That's me and Jon when he first came home from the hospital!

Jon is my younger brother. Actually, he's my only brother. Actually, he's my only sibling. ☺
When he was born, I really wanted a sister. After all, I was 8 and if I had to share my parents' attention with someone else, it better be a fun girl that I could play with!
Well, Jon wasn't a girl (thank goodness!), and I ended up liking him anyway (I may have still tried to play with his hair when he was really little, but you can't prove that!).
I may have been a little jealous of Jon when we were young (maybe), but as we've grown older, we've become pretty close.

Here are a few pictures of Jon (and some with me) throughout the years.

Jon's first birthday.

Not too sure how old he is here, toddler age though...
Helping sand the wood smooth. ☺

Jon holding my cousin's baby (that little girl is now in high school!).
If you couldn't tell, Jon's a bit uncomfortable about holding babies! ☺

Jon and I at Legoland (I think that's what it's called) in Florida.

Same trip to Florida.
Me, Gigi, Mom, Dad, Jon

Jon's 10th birthday. He had a Lego cake!

No clue what year this is...
Jon in Dad's lap, Mom is hiding behind Dad, me, Gigi, and Uncle Paul.

Again, not sure of the year...
Granny, Dad, Jon, and me.

In January 2000.
Me, Gigi, Jon.

Early 2000's.
Me, Mom, Gigi, Jon, Aunt Sylvia.

Jon when he became an Eagle Scout!

Jon and Dad.
This is Jon's senior year of high school. He was in the Precision Metal
Machining program. This picture was taken just after he had won 1st place
at the regional competition. He went on to take 1st in States and the 1st in the
Nationals. Jon was the best Metal Machining student in the entire country that year!
Yay Jon!!

And, that's all! ☺ Jon's a great guy!

I don't like January.

January is long and cold...and snowy and cold...and cold...Did I mention that January is cold?

My First Award!

2011-04-11T20:02:00.000-04:00

Well, wasn't I surprised and oh so very excited today to see the comment from Deirdra of A Storybook World telling me that she was giving me her Creative Blog Award! I am so very excited to receive this award! Thank you so much Deirdra!

I is for I Love Lucy

2011-04-11T15:32:00.000-04:00

I like I Love Lucy.

I own a lot of I Love Lucy collectible items! More than I have room for right now, so sadly, most of my Lucy things are in storage right now :o( I could fill an entire room with all my I Love Lucy "stuff"! And someday, I would love to be able to do just that! In addition to my I Love Lucy collections, I also collect anything to do with Lucille Ball (I just think she was absolutely beautiful!).

Not a great picture, but this is one of my favorite
Lucille Ball pictures.

So, back to I Love Lucy. I own 2 copies of the TV series. My parents were giving me the boxed set of each season for Christmas, and then the boxed set of the entire series came out...so, I have both!
My all-time favorite scene is when Lucy is at the hospital giving birth to Little Ricky. Ricky has a show to perform that evening at the Tropicana. He has to get ready for his Voodoo act, so to save time and stay at the hospital as long as he could, he puts his makeup on at the hospital. So funny!

Another favorite scene is when Lucy tells Ricky that she is "enceinte". Back then, they were not allowed to say the word "pregnant" on television, so they had to say she was having a baby and titled the episode "Lucy is Enceinte". Anyway, Lucy tries several times to tell Ricky that she is having a baby, but never gets a chance. In the end, she decides to surprise him by telling him while he's singing at the club. I love this scene because their emotions are real. They were expecting in real life as well as on the show, so when they get choked up during his song, that is real emotion, not acting.

I can't think of an "I don't like" for letter i, so I'm skipping that for today, cuz I want to!

Deer!

2011-04-10T12:12:00.000-04:00

My mom and I went to this little town about 30 minutes from home to go consignment shopping (I discovered consignment shopping last year, and I love it!). So, I took a wrong turn on our way to this store and we ended up on a little country road.
As I was driving past this house, I noticed that they had a bunch of very realistic deer statues all over their front lawn. I slowed down and started to say "Look at how real those deer look--wait, they ARE real!" As I was in the middle of my sentence, one of the deer looked up at my car (statues don't do that!). This house had 9 deer in it's front yard! 9 deer! So, of course, we had to stop and take pictures! I almost always carry my camera with me, but, of course, I left it at home this day. So, we were limited to taking pictures with our cell phones. I wasn't able to zoom in, so it's really hard to see the deer in some of the shots.

Really hard to see, but they are all across the front of the house.
There's a group of them right at the front corner of the house.

Again, hard to see, but they are all in front of the house.

This was on our way back by the second time. There is a deer hiding
behind the rock in the center of the picture. There's another one off to the
right, but he blends in almost perfectly with the woods behind him.

The one behind the rock is still there, but the other deer ran down the
driveway toward the back yard, so he's now in front of the barn.

H is for Hamlet and Hot Food

2011-04-09T11:24:00.001-04:00

I like Hamlet.

When I was still going to my local community college, I took a Shakespeare class. We read several pieces of Shakepeare's work, but Hamlet was, by far, my favorite.
I love Hamlet's soliloquies.
Of course, there is the famous "To be, or not to be" (Act 3 Scene 1):

Then there is my all time favorite soliloquy (Act 1 Scene 2):

And, although my mom isn't a huge Hamlet fan, I do have to include this scene just for her ☺ (sorry it's so big, if there is a way to make it smaller, I don't know...)

(I think she's a little freaked out by his glowing blue eyes, and the way he says "horrible" at about the 5:00 mark)

You may have noticed that all of my clips are from Kenneth Branagh's 1996 version of Hamlet. I am a big fan of Kenneth Branagh (he has been in several adaptations of William Shakespeare)!

I don't like hot (spicy) food.

You may be noticing a trend here with my A-Z dislikes...I'm a pretty picky eater! I don't like foods that are hot and spicy. I'm a bland person. I'm okay with that.

Now, if you will excuse me, I'm off to eat some bland food while reading Hamlet! ☺

G is for Georgia and Gravy

2011-04-08T17:27:00.000-04:00

I like Georgia.

I lived in Georgia for a couple of years. I absolutely LOVED it!

See that red circle just west of Atlanta?
That's Marietta.
That's where I lived and worked for 2 fabulous years! ☺

I had searched for a year for a teaching job up here in Michigan, but had had no luck, so I decided to check out Georgia! I made plans to fly down there for a week in May, do a few job interviews, hopefully get a job offer, and find a place to live. I arrived in Georgia on a Sunday afternoon, went to a teacher recruitment fair on Monday, spoke to several schools and set up an interview for one of the schools on Tuesday morning, went to the interview and fell in love with everything about the school, got the call Tuesday afternoon that I was being offered the job, accepted the job, and then spent the rest of the week looking at apartments (and found one that I loved!)! I got everything set for a moving date in July. I had 2 months to get everything packed and set to move to Georgia!
My mom and I left to drive to Georgia a day after my brother's high school graduation party. She spent a week helping me get moved into my apartment and at the end of the week, my dad and brother drove down for a couple of days to help with finishing touches (like putting together my entertainment center and helping me carry large pieces of furniture). I've gone through all my pictures on both of my computers and have realized that I didn't take any pictures of the inside of my apartment :o( I did find one picture of the outside of my building, though.

My apartment was on the first floor, just to the right of the open doorway/hall.
The dark SUV in the bottom right corner of the picture is mine ☺

I loved my job in Georgia! I taught Special Needs Preschool. I had a great group of kids both years I taught there! In January of my second year in Georgia, I made the (very difficult) decision to come back home to Michigan. My grandma was really sick by then. Whenever I would visit Michigan, I always hated the thought when I was leaving that that might be the last time I saw my grandma. I decided I needed to be back close to her. She passed away this past summer, and I am very glad that I came home. I do regret leaving Georgia, but I will never regret being able to spend time with my grandma in her last year.
I still look for job openings in my old district in Georgia, and also in other districts in the state. I would love to move back there some day!
I wanted to post a bunch of pictures of my life in Georgia, but I realized that almost all of my pictures are of my students, and legally, I cannot post any pictures of my students online...So, here are a few random pictures I found floating around in some of my albums.

The Big Chicken! His beak opens and closes and his eyes move up and down ☺

Jon came to visit me on his way back from California.
We went to the World of Coca-Cola Museum.

The Georgia Aquarium off in the distance
(I really wanted to go there, but I knew Jon wouldn't enjoy it, so I didn't drag him there) ☺

The building to the left of the tall skinny one is the CNN building!

More of Atlanta!

Our big winter snow storm! I loved laughing at everyone getting
so excited about the possibility of snow!
This was all the snow we got the entire winter
(and the total accumulation was about what you see in this picture!).

My sweet southern puppy trying to figure out what this cold, wet, white stuff is!
She was terrified the first time she experienced a big snowfall in Michigan!

Mom came down for Thanksgiving my second year in GA.
We took a trip to Savannah!

It's Paula Deen's restaurant! The Lady and Sons!
I ♥ Paula Deen!

Mom and I also went to the Coke Museum and Georgia Aquarium!
We could have stayed and watched the Beluga Whales all day long!

Getting ready to move back to Michigan...
Sosha was NOT happy that she was confined to just this little area,
instead of the entire backseat for the long trip north
(oh, and she didn't like having her seatbelt on either)!

I don't like gravy.

I find it gross. Sorry, I just do. That's all.

F is for Frankenmuth and Farting Dogs

2011-04-07T14:05:00.000-04:00

I like Frankenmuth, Michigan.

Back when I was away at college, my mom, grandma (Gigi), and I started a new tradition. Every winter I would drive from college, and they would drive from home, and we would meet in Frankenmuth for the weekend. We always had a BLAST! We laughed nonstop all weekend long! Several years ago, after my grandma was unable to make the trip anymore, my mom and I continued to make our yearly weekend trip to Frankenmuth. Inevitably, throughout our weekend, random funny memories of previous trips with Gigi would pop up and we would laugh all over again.
Gigi passed away this past summer. Trips to Frankenmuth will never be the same, but we will always have the memories.

I don't like farting dogs.
(talk about a complete turn around in subject matter!)

Sosha has a sensitive tummy. If she eats too many "treats", we all pay for it later. Sosha's gas can clear a room for hours! I keep "fart pills" on hand at all times. Sometimes they help; sometimes they don't. It's not pretty when they don't! I still love her...I just have to give her some (well ventilated) space sometimes! ☺

Because I'm old and I forgot...

2011-04-06T21:48:00.001-04:00

Okay, so I'm old, and I forget things sometimes.
Today is letter E in the A to Z Challenge, and I wrote about Education. I wanted to add this video by a teacher named Talyor Mali that I love, but well, I forgot. So, I decided to just make a whole new post for this video!

Here it is, Taylor Mali with "What Teachers Make":

But...when I got on YouTube to find that video, I came across this other video that he has about Miracle Workers. LOVE it!

E is for Education and Eggplant

2011-04-06T16:19:00.000-04:00

I like education!

Well of course I do, I'm a teacher!

My education (post secondary) came from Central Michigan University.

Fire Up Chips!

While at CMU, I worked hard, studied lots, and made a few friends along the way.☺ My major was Cognitive Impairments and my minor was Child Development. I graduated in 2004 (wow, I feel old!) and have taught or substitute taught for the majority of the past 7 years. I've lived and taught in Michigan and Georgia. I haven't found a teaching job since moving back to Michigan 2 years ago, but I keep looking. In the meantime, I fill my time with substitute teaching, volunteering, and spending time with family and friends.

Someday - soon, hopefully - I will find another teaching job (I'm willing to move again if anyone knows of any openings somewhere ☺). Until then I'll educate the children in this area one day and one classroom at a time!

I don't like eggplant!

I don't know why I don't like them. I've actually never tasted eggplant before, so I really have no right to form an opinion, but I just don't like them...

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-06T10:22:00.000-04:00

D is for Dogs and Drugs

2011-04-05T22:26:00.000-04:00

I like dogs.

Duke left, Sosha right.

We've had dogs all my life and I couldn't imagine life without any of them!

My first dog, and first friend was Ruby. She was around when I was born and was the first "friend" I ever had. We ran around the yard and played all afternoon together all the time. She was a great dog! Ruby died of old age when I was 7. I didn't quite get what had happened (she was my first experience with death), but I missed her a lot!

That's me and Ruby way back when!

A couple of years later, we got Otis. When he was a little puppy, he had a scrunched nose and looked, to me anyway, like Otis from the movie Milo and Otis. So, he became Otis. I loved Otis when he was a tiny pup, but as he grew bigger and stronger, I became quite scared of him. He was a great dog, just too strong for my 9 year old self. Once he calmed down, I loved him. He never liked coming in the house. He was an outdoor kinda guy. Unless something scary like fireworks, guns, or thunder could be heard...then he was in the house! Otis died of old age when I was away at college. It was sad. I miss him!

My brother and Otis.

A few months after Otis died, we adopted Bear from the Blue Water Area Humane Society. Bear was a Lab/Rottweiler mix. He was all black, but you could see a bit of the Rottie brown in his face and body if the sun hit him just right. His body was round like a barrel, and he had a little stub of a tail that wagged about 1,000 miles a minute. He was fun and sweet and an all around great dog. He never tried to run across the road (we live on a pretty busy, 2 lane road), but the first time he ever tried, he got hit and was killed. He was still a young guy with a lot of life left to live...it was sad.

Wasn't he handsome?

A few months before Bear died, my grandma's dog gave birth to a litter of puppies. Heidi's (grandma's dog) pregnancy was not planned, but it happened. She carried 5 babies, gave birth to 4, had a C-Section for number 5 (and was spayed at the same time). Only 2 puppies survived. She rejected them both. My mom and I took the itty-bitty puppies and bottle raised them. We watched their eyes start to open, we saw the first time they heard a noise after their ears opened. It was an amazing thing to be a part of!

Duke is the tiny ball of black fur.
Toby is the ball of white.

Look at how tiny!

They are now big, huge dogs! Duke is still around. He's my mom's "baby". Toby went to live with a great family in our area!

Most recent picture update of Toby! Still adorable!

Duke's pretty cute, too!

When I moved to Georgia, I was lonely for a dog, so I went to an adoption day event for an awesome animal rescue called Mostly Mutts. That's where I found my precious Sosha! She's a hyper, over-active, over-excited, over-everything almost 7 year old Lab mix. She growls if you get too close to her food or treats (previous to being rescued by Mostly Mutts, I believe it was survival of the fittest for her and the other dog in her home), and she hates being told it's "time for night-night", but she's the sweetest southern belle around!

Duke and Sosha are great friends now that we've moved back to Michigan!

Sosha's adoption day!

I don't like drugs!

Drug are bad. End of story!

Am I doing something wrong here?

2011-04-04T17:19:00.000-04:00

Seriously, am I? I mean, I think I'm pretty gentle when it comes to handling my cell phone. I don't throw it around, I don't drop it all the time (okay, well it has, on one or two occasions, slipped out of my hand, but it always lands on soft surfaces!), but I just cannot get a cell phone that will cooperate with me for the entire time until I am eligible for a new one.

Take, for instance, my last couple of phones. I was eligible for a new phone in December 2009. Great! I can't afford fancy phones like the iPhone, Android, or Blackberry (would love to someday, just not there yet), so I picked out the LG Chocolate Touch. It seemed like a decent phone for my purposes (phone calls and text messaging). This phone lasted just over a year and then text messages stopped coming through, phone calls didn't show up until several hours later, and voicemails came hours after they were left. As a substitute teacher, I rely on receiving these phone calls to be able to get a job each day. So, my mom offered to lend me her phone until I am eligible for my next new phone (August 2011, buy the way!). She had the same exact phone as me, but hated the touch screen, so she was happy to go back her her old pink Razr phone.

Twin phones.
Purple cover - my phone
Teal cover - mom's phone

This worked out well for me, and mom got her old favorite ringtone back. Perfect! Until a couple of weeks ago...My phone seemed really quiet for a couple of days, but I didn't think much of it. Until all my texts for 2 days came to my phone all at once! Talk about some missed messages, I had a few! I tried to text a friend to let her know that I didn't mean to ignore her, my phone just decided to "store" all my message for a couple of days before letting me see them all. That's when I realized I couldn't send messages either. ANNOYING! Oh, and did I mention that I also missed a handful of calls too because my phone decided not to let me know I had an incoming call. Great! Phone 2, down.

Enter Phone 3

Far right is my latest phone.

You see, in our family, my dad goes through a LOT of phones. He's hard on them. It happens in his line of work. They get wet, they get dropped, they get buried in trenches...they get broken. So we always hold on to our old phones when we get a new one so that when Dad inevitably kills another phone, he's got a few backups to choose from. ☺ This is where I picked phone 3 from. My brother's old Samsung Alias. The front screen is cracked and nonworking but the phone itself works fine. I had to order a new battery and charger for it, but this is still much cheaper than buying a whole new phone.

I'm on day one with phone 3, and so far, I'm getting used to it.

The keys are tiny, though!
I don't know how Jon's big "man fingers" managed to hit the right buttons
when I can't get them unless I use the tips of my nails!

In the meantime, I'll be counting down the days until August when I can go out and get a new phone!

C is for Cats and Coughing

2011-04-04T07:00:00.001-04:00

I like cats!

From left to right is Boo Kitty, Lucy, and Ricky.

We had a couple of cats throughout my childhood and I adopted a couple cats when I became a "real" adult.

My first cat was Bootsy.

This is me when I was probably about 7 years old with Bootsy.
When I was 11, Bootsy secretly jumped into a truck when we were moving
and jumped out when the truck got to our new house and ran away.
We never saw him again...

Then we got Boo Kitty.

We got Boo Kitty in October of 1993 (get it, Boo Kitty, black cat, October?)
Boo was a big, fat cat who got really cranky in her old age. She always loved the guys in the house, but never so much us girls. Boo died 2 summers ago. No one's ever admitted it, but I know we all miss her.

When I was setting up my classroom for my first year of teaching, I kept passing this cute little house that had a sign out front that said "Free Kittens". So, after many days of passing this house, I decided to stop and get a kitten. I found Ricky! Ricky (named after Ricky Ricardo from I Love Lucy, of course!) was very sick when I got him, so during his first week with me, I spent a considerably large sum of money (especially for someone who was only in her first weeks of her first job out of college) and got him all healthy. He has a few odd quirks that we attribute to his early "failure to thrive" conditions.

But isn't he just a handsome lil Ricky?

Ricky was a "curious" kitten, and got into EVERYTHING. Especially things he wasn't supposed to be in. I thought that maybe a second cat in the house would keep him company and maybe help him not get into so much trouble. Enter Lucy (named after Lucy Ricardo from I Love Lucy, of course). Cute and adorable, but certainly did not help Ricky to stay out of trouble (let's just say I now had double trouble).

Have you ever seen a cuter kitten face that this little ball of Lucy-ness?

After a short introduction period, they became best friends. When my brother, Jon, moved into his first house a couple of years ago, I let him take Lucy with him (she absolutely adored him, so I had to let her move with her favorite person). Jon brought Lucy over to visit Ricky this past Christmas. It was the first time they had seen each other since she moved out. They don't remember each other at all, and Lucy hissed and spat at Ricky every time he came near her. It was sad, really.

Ricky and Lucy cuddled for a nap shortly after we moved to Georgia.

I don't like coughing!

Luckily with all the colds and other sicknesses I've had in the last year, I haven't ended up with a long-lasting cough. As an asthmatic, coughs can be horrible (and painful!). I hate the elephant-on-my-chest feeling and the I-can't-get-any-air-in breathing. It's not fun. And that's all I have to say about that!

Misadventures in sap collecting

2011-04-03T21:16:00.000-04:00

Today my mom and I had to collect sap again. I won't take you through the whole thing again. If you want to relive it, you can go here and read about yesterday's adventures in sap collecting. Today's sap collecting was pretty much the same as yesterday's sap collecting, except for 2 changes.

Change #1:
My brother, Jon, came over and helped us collect sap (actually, he came over to have lunch with us, but we talked him into helping us collect sap too).

I didn't get a picture of Jon today, so I'm using the only one I can find on my computer right now.
This is Jon with his girlfriend, Brittany last summer. ☺

Change #2:
As I was stepping over a log, a branch jumped up and bit my ankle (through my big boots) causing me to trip over the log and fall.

See that horrible, awful bruise on my ankle?!?

See, it's right there!

Okay, so the bruise isn't really that bad (really, there is a bruise, it's just really hard to capture on the camera). The other thing that the pictures don't show is the big lump underneath that bruise.

But it hurts like a bugger!
And Dad's home, so this ends my sap collecting career. The end.

Adventures in sap collecting

2011-04-02T15:52:00.001-04:00

Several years ago, my brother, Jon, and his friend, Branden, decided they were going to start collecting sap to make maple syrup. Of course the dads had to get involved and now...well, you can read about the whole story here on my mom's blog.

Sap is a-runnin right now, but the men-folk are all up north putting in a new dock at the family cabin. We really needed a new dock!

I took this picture when my friend and I were at the cabin last summer. See the dock? It's pretty crooked. I think it may even tip over into the lake at some point. Yep, it needed replacing!

This leaves my mom and I to collect the sap. I've never taken part in any part of the maple syrup operation, except eating the yummy stuff when it's all made. So, this was my first time out there driving the four-wheeler around the woods and pouring the sap into the tank strapped to the four-wheeler. It's a messy job, but someone's gotta do it!

Are you ready to go sap collecting with us? Let's go!

This is the four-wheeler we drive around to collect the sap.

This is the tank we pour the sap into
that is strapped to the four-wheeler we drive around to collect the sap.
(This is beginning to sound like The House that Jack Build nursery rhyme. I'll stop that now!)

This is me driving the four-wheeler to collect the sap.

See all those white buckets on the trees? Those are all the buckets full of sap that we have to dump into the tank on the back of the four-wheeler. That's mom there hiding behind that tree ☺

There goes the sap into the tank!

Sosha says this looks like a good tree to empty!

Oops! I got a little sidetracked by the the pretty red berries. Don't mind the dog in the picture. She thought that since I was interested in something on the ground, there must be a mole or other small animal that must be caught. Moments after I snapped this picture, Duke noticed the ground party we were having and made his way over. All future attempts to snap a better picture of the berries was soon ruined by the berries being smooshed under dog feet.

Time to empty the tank we poured the sap into that is strapped to the four-wheeler we drove around to collect the sap. Oh, I wasn't supposed to channel my House that Jack Build mojo anymore. Sorry, I won't let it happen again!

First you attach the hosey thing to the tank.

Then you turn on the pump and open the tank.

And finally, you sit back, relax and watch all the sap you collected make it's way to the big holding tank until it's ready to be boiled.

And now, you go back and do it all over again with the second set of trees...I won't take you through it all over again.

But, here are some more random fun pictures from our sap collecting experience.

Mom making her way back from a hard-to-get-to tree.

This is my trying to us a dead tree branch to hammer a spile (spouty thing) that fell out of the tree when I tried to take a bucket off. Notice the dogs watching (and probably laughing at) me! ☺

I had to drive through a big, deep mud puddle without getting stuck. It was scary, but I did it with almost no screaming on my part ☺

A bucket full of sap. See that clear, water-like substance in there? Yep, that's the sap!

And that bucket came from this tree. We've named it the Giving Tree because it gives so much sap!

And that is the end of my story. I hope you've enjoyed coming along while we collected the sap! Now, I'm off to take a little nap! ☺

B is for Books (and Blue!) and Blood

2011-04-02T09:54:00.002-04:00

I like books!

My absolute favorite book is:

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I now own 3 copies of this book, including the special edition with the cloth slipcover and the original book jacket design! I LOVE it!

Other favorites include:

The Complete Works of Shakespeare

I no longer have this book because I had to pare down my books several years ago. I miss this book, but I know my cousin (another big Shakespeare fan) is enjoying it!

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

I loved this book when I first read it in late elementary school, so when I taught in my resource room, I read it to my 4th graders. They really enjoyed it too. We read, we talked, we asked questions, we had fun!

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

This is another one I read in late elementary. I read this one to my 5th graders. They would get lost in the world of Billy and his 2 coonhounds, Old Dan and Little Ann, while I read. I love everything about this book!

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

I first read this book in my high school literature class. I love Pip and Joe (and Biddy not so much) and Estella and, of course, Miss Havisham! I'm rereading this book again right now ☺

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

I don't remember when I first read this book...but I reread it this past Christmas. It's just a great book!

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

This is another book from High School. George and Lennie...I love it!

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

There's love and money, marriage and affairs, murder and suicide....oh and it's set in the 20's. All the makings for a great book!

The Monster at the End of This Book starring Lovable, Furry Old Grover

This book comes from the kid in me (and the preschool teacher in me). It's funny, it's cute, it has a surprise ending, it's great!

I also like blue!

In honor of Autism Awareness Month this month and World Autism Day today!

I don't like blood!

I can't stand the sight of blood! Now, I can deal with a little cut or something, but lots of blood...no way! During my last year of classes in college, I got a little nervous about graduating and becoming a "real" teacher, so I decided that I didn't want to teach anymore, I wanted to go back and become a nurse (I think I just wanted to stay a student forever!). And then I remembered that I don't like blood. And there ended my hopes of ever becoming a nurse. The end.

Stay tuned for letter C on Monday!

A is for Apples and Ants

2011-04-01T22:08:00.000-04:00

I like apples!

I'm a teacher! Of course I like apples, right? Actually, I love Jonathan apples! They're named after my brother, Jon ☺. My friends and I have gone to a nearby apple orchard for the past couple of Septembers to pick raspberries (yummy to eat and make into jam or a pie!) and I always have to pick a bag of my Jonathan Apples! YUM!

I don't like ants!

They are just creepy crawly and annoying! A few years ago, ants found their way into my apartment and into my cats' food dish! It was horrible! They had a never ending line of ants going from where they entered in my bedroom, where the floor meets the wall, to the cats' food dish! I bought ant poison and had the apartment's bug guy come out and spray. I poured baby powder (I read that somewhere online) where on my bedroom floor where they had found their way in. One or all of those methods worked, because I didn't have any more ants the rest of the time I lived there!

I'm participating in the A to Z Challenge!

2011-04-01T21:57:00.000-04:00

What is the A to Z Challenge? It’s blogging a letter of the alphabet every day the month of April (with Sundays off for good behavior.) To learn more about this challenge or to join it yourself, click on the A to Z picture above. It begins April First with the letter A and ends April 30 with the letter Z. Many bloggers use a theme.
My theme will be: Something I like vs. something I don't like.

From my dining room window

2011-04-01T14:59:00.002-04:00

My wonderful(ly over-hyper, over-excited, over-energized) pup is on a never-ending quest to catch those darn squirrels that like to run around the yard (when the dogs are in the house, of course) and eat from the bird feeder. Her buddy, Duke, although not quite as "outwardly excited" about catching them, will sometimes follow her lead.

Well, yesterday afternoon, I happened to glance out the window as I walked past, and saw this:

Notice the black arrows pointing to the 2 bird feeders and the red arrows pointing to the dog lying under each feeder ☺

"Those squirrels will NOT get in these feeders on our watch!"

What a day!

2011-03-31T08:30:00.001-04:00

I was going to blog about this yesterday when I got home from work, but I was too exhausted to think straight.
Yesterday, I subbed in a 5th grade classroom in a school that's not in the best part of town. So the day's about to start and there I was, standing with authority so the kids knew that I meant business, when the bell rang and everyone came bursting through the door.
The first thing I hear is from the little gangsta-wannabe boy who says to his buddy, "Dude, I hate my dad cuz he went back with that hoe again!" He didn't care that I was standing just a few feet from him, and in fact, none of the kids cared! To them, that is just part of their everyday language (as were a few other choice words that I probably didn't even know when I was that age).
As I stood there watching the kids as they put away their coats and unpacked their backpacks (what few kids that actually brought a backpack) and listened to their conversations, I came to the realization that this was going to be the longest (and probably toughest) day ever. I was right.
Besides gangsta-wannabe boy, there's wannabe goth girl who is wearing skin tight leggings, a tank-top (yes it's the end of March, but this is Michigan, it's still cold here), and Madonna-like fishnet-looking elbow length gloves. But, she still is one of my few that actually completes the work for the day and doesn't talk back, so I like her. Then there's grunge girl, who is quite proud of her greasy hair and unwashed self, wearing an oversized zip up sweatshirt over top of a spaghetti strap white tank and a bright pink training bra (she's not modest at all). She does not do her work, but spends the entire day rocking back and forth in her seat and singing to herself. Oy!
Before the day actually started, I had already picked out the several kids who were going to be my toughest challenges for the day, and had already learned their names (as a sub, I always say that if I know your name at the end of the day, it's probably not a good thing!).
This class goes to their special class, which happened to be music on this day, first thing in the morning, right after morning announcements (which I totally didn't hear because I couldn't get this class to quiet down enough to save my life!). Normally I don't like having specials classes first thing in the morning, because I like it to be able to break up the morning or afternoon a bit. Today, I didn't mind though, because I could use the time to pull out my "Smile Cards" and get ready for my long day ahead.
I went down a few minutes early to wait for the kids to be dismissed from music. As I'm walking down the hall, I see one of my students being sent out of class to stand in the hall while he's yelling at the teacher. He continues yelling at her even after she has gone back in the classroom and shut the door.
I get the class back to our classroom and finally get them to quiet down enough to hear me and explain to them what my "Smile Cards" are and how they work (when I catch someone doing good, doing their work, not being disruptive, not being disrespectful, etc. I give them a Smile Card. They write their name on the back, put it in the basket, and at the end of the day I will pull 5 cards out to pick a prize out of my prize bin). I also remind them that the more cards they get, the better their chances of getting their name picked. Most of the kids seem pretty receptive to this idea, so I'm hopeful.
We get through math with LOTS of stopping to wait for everyone to be quiet and listen, and then it's bathroom break time. My sub notes say that there is an assigned boy and girl to be the monitor for the boy's and girl's bathrooms respectively and then the entire class is dismissed together to use the restrooms while I stay in the room to wait for them. With what I've witnessed so far, that's not gonna happen. So I decide to dismiss half the class at a time. Boy do they all get mad! Remember that boy who got kicked out of music? Yeah, well he gets so mad and starts yelling at me so loudly that a teacher from down the hall hears him and comes down to pull him out and talk to him. I don't know what she said to him, but he came back in about 3 minutes later and is completely calm and tells me he's going to be good the rest of the day. I love that teacher, whoever she is!
Indoor recess went really well, actually (I was really worried letting this class have unstructured time inside the confines of the classroom, but I was pleasantly surprised!)
Then comes Spelling. I tell the kids what they have to do, which is an assignment they do every week, with every set of spelling words. There are about 5 kids who flat out refuse to do the assignment and want to argue with me about why they shouldn't do the work. I hear the same thing when I give them their Social Studies assignment. Is it time to go home yet? I'm worn out!
The kids go to the gym for a fitness program and all goes well there (and I'm hoping this has tired them out a bit for the afternoon! A girl can hope, right?). Then it's lunch time! 30 minutes of piece and quiet all for me! It's bliss!
The kids eat lunch so late in the day that they just do reading in the afternoon. We listen to the reading story on tape and then the kids have a worksheet to complete about the story. The worksheet asks questions about the story and even tells them what page in the story that answer can be found on. Can't get much easier than that. And, aside from a few, 'I don't wanna' and 'I don't get it' complaints, most of them work pretty nicely on this. Then comes handwriting, and again, several refusals to do the work. They only have to write the list of spelling words in cursive, 3 times each. It's not a long list, and they spent more time complaining about it then it would have taken to actually do the work, but whatever, I'm exhausted, and there's only 45 minutes left in the day.
Then we hear the sirens. The nearby high school has has been dismissed and the kids are walking home. My kids run to the window to see where the cop car is headed and of course, it stops right outside our 2nd floor windows (thank you very much for another reason to be distracted and off task!). There's a big crowd of high schoolers and police and an ambulance. It is apparently so commonplace that the kids casually announce that there was another fight and they had to call the cops again (that may or may not be what actually happened, that's just what these kids assume since it happens so often). One boy even announces that he heard gun shots. "No", I tell the class, "there were no gunshots, go sit down and get back to work." 25 minutes to go. I can do this!
I managed to give out several Smile Cards throughout the day, and a couple of times the fact the I had the cards in my hand were motivating enough to help some kids get to work. We drew the names (and my kicked-out-of-music-class-and-fight-with-me-about-bathroom-break-kid even managed to get his card drawn for a prize) and class dismissed. I'm done! I'm going home! Good-bye!

March of Dimes

2011-03-30T20:22:00.001-04:00

I will be walking in the March of Dimes March for Babies walk this year. My goal is to raise $75. If you are able to, please take a moment to click the March of Dimes March for Babies link on the right side of your screen to donate!

Thanks!!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-30T05:55:00.000-04:00

Okay, except this Wednesday! But only because I need to explain what "Wordless Wednesday" is...I realize it's pretty self explanatory, but still, I will explain.
My plan is to do this every Wednesday (or almost every ☺). I will post just a simple picture; one that shows something or someone who is an important part of my life.
This week:

My precious pup, Sosha! I adopted her from a rescue group while I was living in Georgia.

Adventures in subbing

2011-03-28T13:52:00.000-04:00

One of the drawbacks of substitute teaching is that I have no guarantee of working every day. Such is the case today, and why I have time to write a blog in the middle of the day ☺.
There are three school districts where I do the majority of my subbing, and one school within each district where I tend to do the majority of my subbing for that district.
The school in District A is the school where I taught my first year. It was only a half time teaching job, but I loved it and I loved the school. Of course, I couldn't continue to work half time and try to make it on my own, so I left that job at the end of my first year. I've missed it ever since. I now enjoy going back to visit! So much has changed since I worked there several years ago, but sometimes it's like I never left! I enjoy that feeling! Oh, and it's fun to see and hear about my former students! I taught special education preschool, so my students were only 3-5 years old back then! My students who were older, and getting ready to go to kindergarten after our year together are now in middle school (eek, I feel old!), but many of my younger students who still live in the district are still at the elementary school. The other day, I saw one of those students in the hall. Way back when she was in my classroom, she was one of my bigger "behavior issue" kids. Now, she functions perfectly well in her general education class! I love hearing that! She looks exactly the same as she did at 3, just a lot taller!
District B's school is a school I had never stepped foot in until I started subbing there in January. On this first day at the school, I was subbing in a first grade classroom with a student teacher (there's a funny story that goes with this classroom and the student teacher, but I'll save that for another time ☺). At some point during that morning, the school secretary popped her head in our classroom and asked us if one of us could pop in to the special education classroom next door in a few minutes to check on them. One of the students, I'll call him Tom, was having a major behavioral meltdown. So, a couple of minutes later, I stepped out of our classroom to go check on this teacher and the student. The secretary was running back to the room, so, of course, I ran after her (if someone is running, it must be urgent). Turns out one of the students had completely destroyed the room by throwing anything and everything he could get his hands on across the room (and at the teacher) and by the time the secretary and I got there, he was being restraint on the floor by the teacher and the principal. Luckily, all of the other students were in the cafeteria for lunch during this "crisis", so they were all safe. When they finished lunch, however, it was still not safe for them to come back into this classroom, so it was off to the computer lab for them. For the next hour or so, the para pro and I did our best to keep these kids calm (kids with autism plus changes in the schedule can cause lots of stress and meltdowns) and occupied on the computers until Tom was sent home and the room was put back enough to allow the students to come back. Ever since I helped them out with this "crisis", I've been requested quite a bit at this school! I love the school, so I'm always happy to sub there!
And District C...Well, I've interviewed countless times for teaching jobs at District C, but I never get the job. I thought subbing there might give me the foot in the door I need (actually, I'm hoping for the foot in the door for every district I sub with). I got a call from the subbing coordinator at this district just a day or two after I submitting my application to sub. She told me that the head of personnel (the woman who has conducted every interview I've had at this district, and knows me so well, we never have to do introductions anymore) saw my application in the pile and requested that mine be pulled to the top so I could be called right away (good sign right??). The first time I subbed for this district, I was in a 5th grade classroom just for a half day assignment. The teacher I was to be subbing for was in the building, she just had to test students throughout the morning. So, after she was finished testing, and the students had gone to lunch or special class (I can't remember which), we got to talking a bit. She is a great teacher and does terrific things with her classes. And I, who never wanted to teach any grade higher than second, now want to teach fifth grade! I love her ideas so much, and think it would be so fun to use these ideas in my own classroom! Thanks to this teacher spreading my name around with her fellow teachers, I have been called in to sub for several different teachers within the district, but that school (and her classroom) remain my favorite!

Now, cross your fingers that I'll get a job for tomorrow! ☺

Since I'm sitting here with time on my hands...

2011-03-28T07:21:00.000-04:00

And just in case there is anyone out there reading this blog, I thought I'd refer you to my mom's blog too. She's doing a giveaway of some of their sweet maple syrup!
Here's the link to her blog: A Simple Happy Life and her givewaway: A sweet giveaway.
She won't let me enter (not sure why...couldn't possibly be because I already get all the sweet maple syrup I could ever want ☺), but you can enter and enjoy some of the sweetness!

Welcome!

2011-03-27T13:26:00.001-04:00

Hello and welcome to my blog! As you've probably seen, I am a substitute teacher desperately searching for a classroom of my own. As I go about my life as a sub, I've decided to blog about my experiences, both in the classroom, and in my own personal life.
Most of what I'll blog about is just the mundane, everyday life "stuff", but it's my life, so it must still be interesting! Right? But, honestly, subbing does offer some amusing moments, which are worth sharing!
I've put off blogging for a long time thinking "Who wants to read this stuff anyhow?" Then I realized that it doesn't matter if no one reads it or if a million people read it! I'm writing for me, and if anyone else wants to come along for the ride, you're absolutely welcome to join me! Just be easy on me, I'm new at this, and not really sure what I'm doing quite yet! ☺