Thursday, November 3, 2011
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Danke
Today I am thankful for my Snuffleupagus who wakes up and smiles at me every morning even though she has cancer and a bulging aorta.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Thankful
Today I am thankful for the safety of my sister Mindy, niece Aubrey, and friend Jenn when a brutal murder occured at the Walmart that they were all at.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Buddy Walk for Down Syndrome
I am reaching out to all of you who might happen across this page.
Last year, my beautiful niece Aubrey was born with Down Syndrome. The diagnosis brought a lot of different emotions to my family.
This year we are participating in the Buddy Walk to help raise money for the Down Syndrome Association of Orange County. With this money, the Down Syndrome Association of Orange County will help people with Down Syndrome reach their full potential, as well as provide activities, seminars, and support groups.
My niece was born with a blockage in her stomach, two holes in her heart, as well as the need for tubes in her ears. She has made great strides and is doing amazing since her surgeries. The DSAOC has helped my sister and her husband (as well as my whole family) through this time period by providing support and information that we should know.
My wish is this:
If you have the means, please support this wonderful and amazing organization by making a donation. The Buddy Walk is November 6th. Your donation is greatly appreciated! Thank you so much!
http://www.buddywalk.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=487312&lis=1&kntae487312=B8D4DBA67D2442138A9A7AFBF9D65FBF&supId=336070775
Last year, my beautiful niece Aubrey was born with Down Syndrome. The diagnosis brought a lot of different emotions to my family.
This year we are participating in the Buddy Walk to help raise money for the Down Syndrome Association of Orange County. With this money, the Down Syndrome Association of Orange County will help people with Down Syndrome reach their full potential, as well as provide activities, seminars, and support groups.
My niece was born with a blockage in her stomach, two holes in her heart, as well as the need for tubes in her ears. She has made great strides and is doing amazing since her surgeries. The DSAOC has helped my sister and her husband (as well as my whole family) through this time period by providing support and information that we should know.
My wish is this:
If you have the means, please support this wonderful and amazing organization by making a donation. The Buddy Walk is November 6th. Your donation is greatly appreciated! Thank you so much!
http://www.buddywalk.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=487312&lis=1&kntae487312=B8D4DBA67D2442138A9A7AFBF9D65FBF&supId=336070775
Monday, October 10, 2011
Purgatory
I’ll be straight. The place I work is full of negativity. Every day there is something new in the bad news pile. Last week, the death of a student. Last month, the most caring teacher this school has seen was not brought back after being laid off. Seeing people who don’t give a crap about what goes on with the students that they are in charge of is aggravating to say the least.
Today was my first day back in the middle school classroom. It is a big adjustment for me, going from high school Biology and Environmental Science to middle school Physical and Life Science, English, History, and Math. Yes, Math. The pressure to contain what comes out of my mouth and bring myself back down to the middle school level as opposed to talking to 19-20 year old students is immense.
I am stressed out. It is evident by the amount of nail biting I have been doing. I have had to relearn how to teach middle school, learn the habits and idiosyncrasies of my new students, and figure out what a function is.
I am one of those people who plans, has things worked out, is prepared for what is going to happen. I have been thrown into a situation where I don’t know what is going to happen next. It is a scary place to be. I am trying to bring my students happiness, but it is difficult when decisions have been made that affect my ability to do that.
My writing has always reflected how I felt on any given day. Hopefully tomorrow it will be more cheerful. Hopefully tomorrow better decisions will be made.
Today was my first day back in the middle school classroom. It is a big adjustment for me, going from high school Biology and Environmental Science to middle school Physical and Life Science, English, History, and Math. Yes, Math. The pressure to contain what comes out of my mouth and bring myself back down to the middle school level as opposed to talking to 19-20 year old students is immense.
I am stressed out. It is evident by the amount of nail biting I have been doing. I have had to relearn how to teach middle school, learn the habits and idiosyncrasies of my new students, and figure out what a function is.
I am one of those people who plans, has things worked out, is prepared for what is going to happen. I have been thrown into a situation where I don’t know what is going to happen next. It is a scary place to be. I am trying to bring my students happiness, but it is difficult when decisions have been made that affect my ability to do that.
My writing has always reflected how I felt on any given day. Hopefully tomorrow it will be more cheerful. Hopefully tomorrow better decisions will be made.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Crash like a wave
I don’t remember the first time I discovered a magical place. But I do know of a few. Maybe they won’t bring magic into your life, but the feeling I get when I am at these places, it’s amazing. It’s as if the whole world disappears and there is just me and this place, this huge, ever-changing world that was made just for me to explore. This place with all of it’s out of place belongings---things that should be in one box, but during the move got placed in the wrong room. It all ends up being ok, because I like it the way it is, out of place and all. My places are places to be explored, territories that are ready to be discovered, but not rearranged. My places are fine the way they are.
My mind has been absent lately. A lot has happened to make my thoughts run so wild that they seemed to have run away to their own magical places.
I got married. I know, right? As unplanned and last minute as it was, well, yeah, I have no excuse for that. I told my mom the night before. Everyone else found out the next morning, some not until 2 hours before, and many not until after. We tried to do the courthouse thing, but they told us it was a 2 week wait. Huh? Is it not the point of the courthouse wedding to do it the same day? No one was even there! Whatever. We ended up getting married in a little wedding chapel, and it couldn’t have been better (so there, courthouse!). We were surrounded by our families, and well, all of my “sisters”. I wouldn’t change it for the world. Not even the walking down Ocean Blvd. barefoot in the rain afterwards part!
Early in the morning on December 24 I received a phone call from my sister that there was an emergency and I needed to come get Aubrey. Jarod fell and had severe brain trauma and was going into surgery.
Great plans for the holidays were put on hold as we waited to hear of any progress that Jarod made. Sadly, we said goodbye to him four days into the New Year. In his death, people were both brought together and torn apart. Jarod affected each of us in his own special way and we will always remember the good times that we had.
There are many other things that have happened since my last blog. Part of me is telling me to write them, but my mind is telling them to let them get lost in their magical place.
As for life today, I’m alive. I’m trying to get my students to discover their magical places to be explored for the rest of their lives. Places that bring them joy and peace and happiness. I have even introduced them to and told them about a few of my magical places, willing to share with them the amazing feelings of wonderment that come from those places. I am moving into new, unchartered magical places now, in hopes of being delighted by what I find.
Sometimes the wave needs to crash.
My mind has been absent lately. A lot has happened to make my thoughts run so wild that they seemed to have run away to their own magical places.
I got married. I know, right? As unplanned and last minute as it was, well, yeah, I have no excuse for that. I told my mom the night before. Everyone else found out the next morning, some not until 2 hours before, and many not until after. We tried to do the courthouse thing, but they told us it was a 2 week wait. Huh? Is it not the point of the courthouse wedding to do it the same day? No one was even there! Whatever. We ended up getting married in a little wedding chapel, and it couldn’t have been better (so there, courthouse!). We were surrounded by our families, and well, all of my “sisters”. I wouldn’t change it for the world. Not even the walking down Ocean Blvd. barefoot in the rain afterwards part!
Early in the morning on December 24 I received a phone call from my sister that there was an emergency and I needed to come get Aubrey. Jarod fell and had severe brain trauma and was going into surgery.
Great plans for the holidays were put on hold as we waited to hear of any progress that Jarod made. Sadly, we said goodbye to him four days into the New Year. In his death, people were both brought together and torn apart. Jarod affected each of us in his own special way and we will always remember the good times that we had.
There are many other things that have happened since my last blog. Part of me is telling me to write them, but my mind is telling them to let them get lost in their magical place.
As for life today, I’m alive. I’m trying to get my students to discover their magical places to be explored for the rest of their lives. Places that bring them joy and peace and happiness. I have even introduced them to and told them about a few of my magical places, willing to share with them the amazing feelings of wonderment that come from those places. I am moving into new, unchartered magical places now, in hopes of being delighted by what I find.
Sometimes the wave needs to crash.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
these will be the best memories
Once upon a time on an April 20th afternoon, I sat in the back porch room at the Studebaker house with my brother Jarod. Maybe it was more than once. Maybe it has been every April 20th for the past 5 or 6 years. When Jarod left us in January, I thought about the things I would miss...the things that would remind me of him. I never thought that April 20th would be one of those things. It’s the little memories that make a big impact. I miss you brother.
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