I don’t know what’s on the other side…
…but it looks inviting, doesn’t it?
I took a little vacation…
…in a little corner of heaven.
I know this because there was cheescake.
I aim for being nondescript
Filed under: fun | Tags: accents, American English, time-wasting quizzes that act as writing prompts
Comments (6) 
As it happens, I am from Florida and Atlanta. But the real pressing question for me is why do Boston and Philadelphia get their own classification?
OK, nerds, here’s the quiz: http://www.lewrockwell.com/spl3/american-accent-quiz.html
three strikes…yer out!
Filed under: that damn dog | Tags: little annoyances, we can stop this now
Comments (6) Fantastic.
I’ve managed to set off the alarm THREE TIMES THIS WEEK. It’s only Thursday.
Besides feeling put out and totally stupid, I’ve now become that guy at the alarm company. I called to report the false alarm, and the agent laughed, laughed, and asked if I was walking the dog again.
Well, it’s nice to know that I bring some joy to other people’s day.
Meanwhile, I now know who to really blame…
happiness is…
Filed under: good for the soul | Tags: happiness, Joy!, Norman Lear
Comments (9) This morning I got up before anybody else, ran a pot of coffee, and sat down at the kitchen table to read a little and enjoy the silence. It’s one of those little pleasures that I’m grateful for in this time of my life. No more racing out the door trying to get little ones to school or church or activities…just me. And the dog.
That damn dog has wriggled her way into my heart in a rather unexpected way. It’s hard not to smile when she presses herself against my leg, wanting to be petted. It’s a little moment of happiness we share.
I’ve been making an effort to find these moments more often, and recognize them for what they are … little expressions of joy that fill my day, and fill up my spiritual and emotional tank.
“Life is made up of small pleasures. Happiness is made up of those tiny successes. The big ones come too infrequently. And if you don’t collect all these tiny successes, the big ones don’t really mean anything.” ~ Norman Lear
A stolen kiss in the kitchen. A favorite song that pops up on the radio. That delicious feeling of sliding between freshly laundered sheets. Getting through the green light at a busy intersection. I’m not particularly discerning about these things (well, maybe about those kisses in the kitchen — there shouldn’t be a limit on those).
I am, however, becoming more and more intentional about noting these moments and being grateful for them. Somehow, they’ve seemed to multiply because of it. Maybe…they were there all along.
What little things make you happy?
three things about me…just because
1. I was almost a geologist. That makes me laugh. A lot. English is so similar to geology, doncha know.
2. I’m afraid to cross the street by myself.
3. This is one of my favorite candy bars.
what about you?
And so it goes
Filed under: work | Tags: Love-hate relationship, Student, Teacher
Comments (2) I have this love/hate relationship with my vocation as teacher. Most days my prayers sound like this: Oh God, what am I to do today? And then I go in and love my students.
Other days it’s a lament: Oh gawd, what am I to do today? And then I go in and love my students, but I don’t have to like them, right?
I entered this field kicking and screaming, and have been in various levels of denial ever since. Still, if you met me at a party and asked me what I do, teacher would roll off my tongue pretty naturally.
I do other things…important things…things that give my life meaning. Anchor me. Keep me sane. They probably make me a better teacher when all is said and done.
But nothing, nothing, makes me crazy like teaching. I’ve tried to walk away from it three times, and failed. I can laugh a little now and say I’m like St. Peter…denying this about myself before finally seeing the truth.
It’s easy to love teaching when I love it. But here’s the wild part: I still love it when I’m busy hating it.
I’m too drawn to the people, the students, to really walk away. I’d miss too many opportunities to meet people like Miss Ethel and Miss Warnell (they gave me permission for this picture!). They’ve been best friends since before I was born. They’ve raised their kids and their grand kids, and now, they’re in school pursuing their dreams of college.
How could I walk away from smiles like these?
what I loved in 2011
abundance * adoration * adventures * afgans * afternoons * ambition * applesauce * artichoke dip * astropops * balloons * bands * bankrolls * baseball caps * basketball * baubles * beaches * blackouts * blogs * blueberries * books * breakfasts on the go * brownies * bubble baths * bubbly * bunnies * cameras * candidness * cartoons * Catan * champions * cheese puffs * chili * chocolate * chocolate covered strawberries * Christy * church choirs * clean floors * clothes out of the dryer * cnmc! * coffee * coke floats * comforters * comfy shoes * cooking * cuban food * daiquiris * dancing * deadlines * deep conversations * dew on the grass * facebook * friends * family * fishing trips * friends * fuzzy socks * games of fetch * giggles * girls night * gizmos * glad tidings * glee clubs * goobers * good books * gummi bears * hand and foot * hand holding * his and hers and ours * hubby * hugs * ice cream * ice pops * icicles * imps * instagrams * ironed linen * John * Jonathan * kids * kisses * laughter * line dances * losing * loud music * manicures * martini lunches * massages * Mexican Train * milkshakes * Momma Mary * moonbeams *moonlight * movie nights * naps * patios * PB & J * sammiches * peaches * peanuts * penpals * perfect jeans * phone calls *pictures * pie * pilgrimages * pillow talk * pizza * podcasts * poems * quiet dinners * rain * raucous lunches * reading * retreats * risks * road trips * rocket ships * rocks * rosaries * roses * sand * scotch * scripture * sea * seedless watermelons * shells * shenanigans * shit-eating grins * shooting stars * silence * silly trips * skype calls * smiles * snow * snowballs * snuggles * sodas * soft music * stars * stone mountain daisies * sunbeams * sunrises * sunsets sunshine * tea * tears * tenderness * texts * the Lord * thunderstorms * tides * toes wiggling in the sand * tom foolery * travel * trees * twitter peeps * umbrellas * understanding * values * veggies * Venus * Vicky * Waffle House * walks on the beach * waves * whispers * wine * winning * words with friends * writing * yellow roses * yes * yo-yo * zabaglione * zanyness * zest * zingers * zombies
