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?
Author: Maria Johnson
three strikes…yer out!
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…
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?
teehee
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
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?
too much?
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
ALL the things in 2011
There’s something about the human condition that begs for reflection. Just as we are wired to seek God…to love…to dream, we also ponder things deeply. Blogs will surely be full of these year-in-review posts, some trite, some profoundly and achingly raw, and others funny.
Mine have been all of the above, and to be sure, could easily fit any of those categories again. It’s that human condition thing.
An end of the year examination of conscience sends me running for the confessional, and well it should…but I’m not inclined to expose myself in such a way here. Not because I haven’t already done so in snippets throughout the year, but because I’ve had a fundamental shift in my attitude. As Robert Frost said, that has made all the difference.
It’s been a year like any other year, wrought with loss and filled with blessings. What I never considered was the blessing to be found within the hurt.
I can’t refuse to love for fear of loss. I can’t refuse to try for fear of failure. And I can’t refuse to take the kinds of leaps of faith I’ve taken this year precisely because it cuts me off from God’s plan for me. It took me more than a minute to get that.
To live is to risk. The alternative, as they say, is not terribly appealing at the moment.
To risk opens us to failure and disappointment, but it also opens us to opportunities for growth and beautiful experiences.
I found this illumination in a rather simple little exercise: the #gratefultweet. I’ve written about it before, here, but in a nutshell, it’s all about predisposing ourselves to see God’s merciful hand in all we do.
In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. ~ 1 Thess: 18
It’s not easy. In fact, it’s pretty hard when we face difficult things such as the death of a loved one or a disappointment so profound it temporarily takes us down.
And yet, those are the moments when we really test our mettle as Christians. Are we going to be children of the light, as that chapter of Thessalonians reminds us, or are we going to let the allure of the darkness hold us in its grasp?
I’ve much to be grateful for this year. Some of it is pretty heavy, and some of it is light and playful, but all of it, all the things for which I am grateful, have brought me closer to God, and that has been worth every tear and every smile.
ah, the day after
I love the day after Christmas. It’s kind of business as usual … and not.
There’s a little bit of cleaning up to do although I have to say that having a low-key Christmas made everything so, well, low-key around here that there’s very little in the actual clean-up department. Of course, four people can really make a mess around here.
Anyway, it’s a day for leftovers, and laundry, and putting away dishes.
It’s a day for hanging out with family with no agenda other than naps and coffee and puttering around.
It’s also a day for chocolate treats.
Merry Christmas!
another cup of coffee 