After publishing the "Come Now" post, I immediately started thinking of hypothetical people sitting in their hypothetical living rooms, judging me. "Ohhhh, that's just what she's telling herself. She's going to burn out eventually, and find her whole life was a big sham." I got a bit annoyed with the hypothetical people and their nerve in assuming they know anything about me and how I live my life. And then I was reminded of a conversation I had with TJ not too long ago.
We were driving up to Fairwood (prime conversation time, as long as one of us isn't planning on the time to get work done), and chatting about this and that. We got talking about differences of standards and such, and I said, "I just hate that other people might think that I'm judging them, because I'm not!" And he replied, "Isn't it kind of judging them to think that they're thinking of you as judging them?" I was quite taken aback, and have thought of it often since then.
My job isn't to think about how other people are perceiving me, or "judging" me. My job is just to live my life as God has led me, and not worry about what other people think that I'm thinking. How ridiculous is it to worry about what other people think that I'm thinking about them?! It takes "fear of man" to a whole new level. Good grief.
So the lesson to me was (and continues to be) digging a little deeper into what it means to walk "before the face of God." I need to be living for Him, and following His commandment to love God and love my neighbor. Anything beyond that is simply none of my business.
I just need to keep my eyes fixed on Him! Let those hypothetical living room dwellers think what they may...
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Come Now...
...When did it become such a crime to be a people pleaser?
In defense of people pleasers the world over, I'd like to make two statements:
#1. People pleasing is not wrong. It's okay to think of others!
#2. I do have a backbone. I can say no if I need to.
And no, no recent episode made me need to state this:) I've just been thinking of it off and on recently, and was scrambling for something to blog about. I decided on the short version of this post in order to, you know, not displease people.
In defense of people pleasers the world over, I'd like to make two statements:
#1. People pleasing is not wrong. It's okay to think of others!
#2. I do have a backbone. I can say no if I need to.
And no, no recent episode made me need to state this:) I've just been thinking of it off and on recently, and was scrambling for something to blog about. I decided on the short version of this post in order to, you know, not displease people.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Summer Vacation Begins!
Now that my major responsibility (Girls Week) is behind me (and, by the way, it was the best GW yet!), my summer vacation has officially begun!!!
How, you may ask, will I fill the 48 days I have stretching before me?
Perhaps I shall go horseback riding, or attend a baby shower, or try out some zip-lining, or host a tea party for my high school girls, or canoe the Concord River to see the "rude bridge that arched the flood," or stay in a B&B in the White Mountains, or eat at the world's best pancake house, or consume vast amounts of American Lit (ha! you thought I was going to say pancakes, didn't you?), or zip over to 6 flags for a day, or go to a surprise birthday party, or get together with my juniors and seniors before my senior leaves for college, or check out Robert Frost's home, or visit The Hills, or have my 8th grade over for a game night...
Or maybe I'll choose option D, all of the above! Wheeee haw!
Re: Robert Frost. I have decided that a noble ambition for an English teacher would be to visit at least one author's home each year. Here is my list thus far:
2006 - Louisa May Alcott
2007 - Shakespeare, Bronte sisters
2008 - Longfellow
2009 (projected) - Robert Frost (and I'll probably go to Hawthorne's for American Lit...)
Yay for New England (and Old England)! Way to be historic!
How, you may ask, will I fill the 48 days I have stretching before me?
Perhaps I shall go horseback riding, or attend a baby shower, or try out some zip-lining, or host a tea party for my high school girls, or canoe the Concord River to see the "rude bridge that arched the flood," or stay in a B&B in the White Mountains, or eat at the world's best pancake house, or consume vast amounts of American Lit (ha! you thought I was going to say pancakes, didn't you?), or zip over to 6 flags for a day, or go to a surprise birthday party, or get together with my juniors and seniors before my senior leaves for college, or check out Robert Frost's home, or visit The Hills, or have my 8th grade over for a game night...
Or maybe I'll choose option D, all of the above! Wheeee haw!
Re: Robert Frost. I have decided that a noble ambition for an English teacher would be to visit at least one author's home each year. Here is my list thus far:
2006 - Louisa May Alcott
2007 - Shakespeare, Bronte sisters
2008 - Longfellow
2009 (projected) - Robert Frost (and I'll probably go to Hawthorne's for American Lit...)
Yay for New England (and Old England)! Way to be historic!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Reflections on a Southern Friendship
I was listening to some guy on the radio recently, and he was talking about a friend he'd had for (gasp) over ten years! He was talking about it like it was a rare thing - something noteworthy. And I realized that it really is rare in many cases. People make friends in school, then leave them to go to college. Then they make friends in college and leave them to go to work. Work friends come and go. Neighbors come and go. A friend that lasts from childhood to adulthood is unusual.
And then I saw how incredible "lucky" I am... My oldest friend (that I'm currently friends with) has been my friend for 26 years. That's pretty remarkable, considering I'm 29! And others of my closest friends have held that place for over 20 years.
One of those is Grace, with whom I've been visiting for the past couple of days with Katie (another friend of 20+ years!). We haven't actually seen each other for three years, but slipped so easily into the old friend groove - first catching up on each other's recent doings, then moving on to such important subjects as CS Lewis, the evils of the culture's "follow your heart" mantra, 19th century religious figures... and Grace's dog (who's wicked cute).
What a refreshing, wonderful time we spent together! Let's hear it for childhood friends that make adulthood a joy.
And then I saw how incredible "lucky" I am... My oldest friend (that I'm currently friends with) has been my friend for 26 years. That's pretty remarkable, considering I'm 29! And others of my closest friends have held that place for over 20 years.
One of those is Grace, with whom I've been visiting for the past couple of days with Katie (another friend of 20+ years!). We haven't actually seen each other for three years, but slipped so easily into the old friend groove - first catching up on each other's recent doings, then moving on to such important subjects as CS Lewis, the evils of the culture's "follow your heart" mantra, 19th century religious figures... and Grace's dog (who's wicked cute).
What a refreshing, wonderful time we spent together! Let's hear it for childhood friends that make adulthood a joy.
Friday, June 12, 2009
An UPDATE! (Gasp)
It had to come someday... And what better time than right now?!
Katie and I are on vacation at Myrtle Beach (happy siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh). We've been having an absolutely wonderful time, reading, sleeping, eating, taaaaalking, sleeping reading, eating and talking, sometimes in the condo, sometimes on the beach. Bliss!
The first evening we dove into the local culture in order to acquire some sustenance. We arrived at Walmart all innocence and naivety. I was totally unprepared for how different a South Carolina Walmart and a New Hampshire/Rhode Island Walmart are. Everything is loud and boisterous and bathing suit-y in a southern Walmart. I'm sure this is because it was not only Southern, but Myrtle Beachish (i.e. many vacationers). I was a bit overwhelmed, and happy to get back to our snug condo-on-the-sea.
It made me realize that I am a Northerner. There's just no getting around it. I'm familiar with the North. I'm comfortable there. I like the security of my privacy. I like the cooler weather (a lot!). I like the old trees and the old roads and the many storied houses.
But you know what? The South does have the North beat when it comes to lightning. Katie and I sat on the beach for a long time this evening watching lightning bolts on the horizon. They were impressive - the kind you see in coffee table books.
And really, I can't complain about any place that gives us the kind of vacation we've been having! So way to go South Carolina! You win my seal of approval (you lucky dog).
Katie and I are on vacation at Myrtle Beach (happy siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh). We've been having an absolutely wonderful time, reading, sleeping, eating, taaaaalking, sleeping reading, eating and talking, sometimes in the condo, sometimes on the beach. Bliss!
The first evening we dove into the local culture in order to acquire some sustenance. We arrived at Walmart all innocence and naivety. I was totally unprepared for how different a South Carolina Walmart and a New Hampshire/Rhode Island Walmart are. Everything is loud and boisterous and bathing suit-y in a southern Walmart. I'm sure this is because it was not only Southern, but Myrtle Beachish (i.e. many vacationers). I was a bit overwhelmed, and happy to get back to our snug condo-on-the-sea.
It made me realize that I am a Northerner. There's just no getting around it. I'm familiar with the North. I'm comfortable there. I like the security of my privacy. I like the cooler weather (a lot!). I like the old trees and the old roads and the many storied houses.
But you know what? The South does have the North beat when it comes to lightning. Katie and I sat on the beach for a long time this evening watching lightning bolts on the horizon. They were impressive - the kind you see in coffee table books.
And really, I can't complain about any place that gives us the kind of vacation we've been having! So way to go South Carolina! You win my seal of approval (you lucky dog).
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
One of the (Many) Reasons I Love Literature
You know why Literature is awesome? (I am tempted to add "unlike math and science," but I will admit that life is made better by math and science... Take the internet for example). Because literature is about PEOPLE and the human condition. And what's more, it's about ME and MY condition!
I had an "I love lit" moment this evening, so now I'm all inspired... I was flipping through a book and caught sight of Keats' line "Heard melodies are sweet but those unheard are sweeter" and it brought tears to my eyes. Why? What does that? (And when's the last time a math problem brought tears to your eyes?!)
It brought tears to my eyes because (well, to be perfectly honest it was probably because I had just been watching a sad movie and was listening to the very emotional "Five Hebrew Love Songs" but let's ignore that and say, which is also true, that it brought tears to my eyes because) it spoke to myriads of moments, big and small, in my life in which I held on to the profound truth that there is more to life than meets the eye - some moments of great joy where it was obviously true, others of desperation in which I needed it to be true, still others of clarity where I saw (with the eyes of faith) that it was true.
Literature is great because it can give expression to those myriads of moments. As Alexander Pope said (creating my all time favorite "why Lit is awesome" quote): "True wit is... What oft was thought, but ne'er so well expressed."
I know I've already raved about The Next Fine Day on this blog, but I found so much of myself in that book. I am a conservative to the core, and haven't dealt well with change ever since infancy, pretty much. In class we discussed the theme of "mutability" and I made my students laugh lots with my rendition of a song I made up when I was 13 (it has a very haunting melody, I might add): "Why can't things be like they used to be? Why do things always have to change?" THIRTEEN!
So discovering this book, clearly written by a kindred spirit, was balm to a soul that has been oft tortured (okay, slight exaggeration). It was all about the things that do not change - the cycles and patterns and threads and continuity of history. And it was just so BEAUTIFUL! It was beautiful in a simple way that doesn't try to be anything bigger than it is, which makes it all the more inspired.
And that makes me think that another reason the Keats line brought tears to my eyes is that the line stretches way into my past (okay, high school anyway... which is becoming more and more historic these days) and is still part of my life today. Literature doesn't change! Tennyson's In Memoriam will ALWAYS begin "Strong Son of God, Immortal Love," no matter what else happens in life. Trends in what's being read my come and go, but those words were written and will remain forever written.
Cool.
So read, people, read! And discover truths around every corner...
I had an "I love lit" moment this evening, so now I'm all inspired... I was flipping through a book and caught sight of Keats' line "Heard melodies are sweet but those unheard are sweeter" and it brought tears to my eyes. Why? What does that? (And when's the last time a math problem brought tears to your eyes?!)
It brought tears to my eyes because (well, to be perfectly honest it was probably because I had just been watching a sad movie and was listening to the very emotional "Five Hebrew Love Songs" but let's ignore that and say, which is also true, that it brought tears to my eyes because) it spoke to myriads of moments, big and small, in my life in which I held on to the profound truth that there is more to life than meets the eye - some moments of great joy where it was obviously true, others of desperation in which I needed it to be true, still others of clarity where I saw (with the eyes of faith) that it was true.
Literature is great because it can give expression to those myriads of moments. As Alexander Pope said (creating my all time favorite "why Lit is awesome" quote): "True wit is... What oft was thought, but ne'er so well expressed."
I know I've already raved about The Next Fine Day on this blog, but I found so much of myself in that book. I am a conservative to the core, and haven't dealt well with change ever since infancy, pretty much. In class we discussed the theme of "mutability" and I made my students laugh lots with my rendition of a song I made up when I was 13 (it has a very haunting melody, I might add): "Why can't things be like they used to be? Why do things always have to change?" THIRTEEN!
So discovering this book, clearly written by a kindred spirit, was balm to a soul that has been oft tortured (okay, slight exaggeration). It was all about the things that do not change - the cycles and patterns and threads and continuity of history. And it was just so BEAUTIFUL! It was beautiful in a simple way that doesn't try to be anything bigger than it is, which makes it all the more inspired.
And that makes me think that another reason the Keats line brought tears to my eyes is that the line stretches way into my past (okay, high school anyway... which is becoming more and more historic these days) and is still part of my life today. Literature doesn't change! Tennyson's In Memoriam will ALWAYS begin "Strong Son of God, Immortal Love," no matter what else happens in life. Trends in what's being read my come and go, but those words were written and will remain forever written.
Cool.
So read, people, read! And discover truths around every corner...
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Recent Tidbits
*I've been reminded recently of the power of words, as two former students, in an out-of-the-blue fashion, thanked me for teaching them. Wow! It makes me want to do the same for my teachers and mentors. I've been floating because of it.
*We've been studying Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" in Classical Literature, so one day I found a huge tarp in the gym and had my students set up a cave and re-enact the allegory. We had such a fun time doing it! It took us about 45 minutes to make the set and 10 minutes to act out, but hey, at least they won't be forgetting the allegory any time soon.
*Growing up at Fairwood we kids would go through phases in our choice of entertainment. One stage was ping-pong and we played and played and played. Another was volleyball with a beach ball. Another Monopoly. And then there were our favorite outdoor games like Run Sheep Run and Chipmunks. It turns out I'm going through my second childhood apparently, because I'm starting to do the phases thing again at my friend's house after school. Last semester it was chess - we played so many games! And this semester the craze is Rook. And when I say craze I'm not exaggerating too much - we played until 11pm on a school night, gambling on a snow day. As I pulled in at my apartment about about quarter of 12 I wondering what on earth I'd been thinking, but when I got the call the next morning that school was indeed cancelled I realized the joy of the successful gambler. No wonder people get addicted...
*When you're living in an apartment with all girls, sometimes you have to do those mechanical things that your Dad always did at home. I have participated in the smaller things like taking out the trash, but also bigger things like figuring out what was wrong with the furnace (with Melissa) and unclogging the drain in the sink. Woo woo! Quite the feeling of empowerment.
*It is official: my first love in literature is definitely British Literature. And the incredible thing is that so far the classes I've taught have loved it too. This year I have five juniors and seniors taking it, and on more than one occasion I've heard them quote Hamlet in the course of conversation. Yesssssss.
*My car is SO dirty right now.
*We have started the junior/senior thesis work in earnest in Rhetoric class. One of my students is going to be researching the effects of Rock n' Roll. He didn't have his library card with him on the day we were searching library books online, so I let him use my card. Consequently I've been having to pick the books up at the library as they come in. Yesterday I marched into the library in a full ankle-length skirt, conservative coat and scarf, and hair in two french braids, and walked out with this huge stack of books on Rock. Yeah. There was an interesting juxtaposition. It's like the time my loaner car had a huge Harley Davidson sticker on the back and I wondered what people thought seeing me get out of the car... Probably people really don't think anything because they're too busy living their own lives. But still, it was cause for my own internal amusement.
*Speaking of amusement, my best friend on the teaching staff and I both have a bit of a problem with punctuality when it comes to morning devotions with the staff. We joke about being relieved when the other one is later because we don't look so bad. Yesterday we pulled in about the same time, and she caught my eye as we got out of our cars and took off running for the door. She made my official list that I've started on which I record who makes me laugh first every day:) I started the list when one of my students asked me if I ever don't laugh...
*Sad news: I don't think I can be a CTU agent. Jack Bauer often holds his flashlight between his teeth when he needs both hands, and when I hold things between my teeth I pull my tongue way back and it threatens to trigger my gag reflex. Bummer.
*We are reading the BEST BOOK in 7/8 Literature: The Next Fine Day by Elizabeth Yates. It has sparked amazing conversations about mutability, continuity, whether there are absolute standards for judging beauty, tradition and heritage, the importance of history, and whether it is truly "better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." Woooo! I highly recommend the story to all!
*Now I want to go check my email, so I'll sign off until next time...
*...but just want to add that I love Claire! Thanks for the encouragement to post again; this was fun:)
*We've been studying Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" in Classical Literature, so one day I found a huge tarp in the gym and had my students set up a cave and re-enact the allegory. We had such a fun time doing it! It took us about 45 minutes to make the set and 10 minutes to act out, but hey, at least they won't be forgetting the allegory any time soon.
*Growing up at Fairwood we kids would go through phases in our choice of entertainment. One stage was ping-pong and we played and played and played. Another was volleyball with a beach ball. Another Monopoly. And then there were our favorite outdoor games like Run Sheep Run and Chipmunks. It turns out I'm going through my second childhood apparently, because I'm starting to do the phases thing again at my friend's house after school. Last semester it was chess - we played so many games! And this semester the craze is Rook. And when I say craze I'm not exaggerating too much - we played until 11pm on a school night, gambling on a snow day. As I pulled in at my apartment about about quarter of 12 I wondering what on earth I'd been thinking, but when I got the call the next morning that school was indeed cancelled I realized the joy of the successful gambler. No wonder people get addicted...
*When you're living in an apartment with all girls, sometimes you have to do those mechanical things that your Dad always did at home. I have participated in the smaller things like taking out the trash, but also bigger things like figuring out what was wrong with the furnace (with Melissa) and unclogging the drain in the sink. Woo woo! Quite the feeling of empowerment.
*It is official: my first love in literature is definitely British Literature. And the incredible thing is that so far the classes I've taught have loved it too. This year I have five juniors and seniors taking it, and on more than one occasion I've heard them quote Hamlet in the course of conversation. Yesssssss.
*My car is SO dirty right now.
*We have started the junior/senior thesis work in earnest in Rhetoric class. One of my students is going to be researching the effects of Rock n' Roll. He didn't have his library card with him on the day we were searching library books online, so I let him use my card. Consequently I've been having to pick the books up at the library as they come in. Yesterday I marched into the library in a full ankle-length skirt, conservative coat and scarf, and hair in two french braids, and walked out with this huge stack of books on Rock. Yeah. There was an interesting juxtaposition. It's like the time my loaner car had a huge Harley Davidson sticker on the back and I wondered what people thought seeing me get out of the car... Probably people really don't think anything because they're too busy living their own lives. But still, it was cause for my own internal amusement.
*Speaking of amusement, my best friend on the teaching staff and I both have a bit of a problem with punctuality when it comes to morning devotions with the staff. We joke about being relieved when the other one is later because we don't look so bad. Yesterday we pulled in about the same time, and she caught my eye as we got out of our cars and took off running for the door. She made my official list that I've started on which I record who makes me laugh first every day:) I started the list when one of my students asked me if I ever don't laugh...
*Sad news: I don't think I can be a CTU agent. Jack Bauer often holds his flashlight between his teeth when he needs both hands, and when I hold things between my teeth I pull my tongue way back and it threatens to trigger my gag reflex. Bummer.
*We are reading the BEST BOOK in 7/8 Literature: The Next Fine Day by Elizabeth Yates. It has sparked amazing conversations about mutability, continuity, whether there are absolute standards for judging beauty, tradition and heritage, the importance of history, and whether it is truly "better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." Woooo! I highly recommend the story to all!
*Now I want to go check my email, so I'll sign off until next time...
*...but just want to add that I love Claire! Thanks for the encouragement to post again; this was fun:)
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Fight Cancer in 2009-ser!
Yeah... not exactly as poetic as some... But we here in the Murray household are making some changes!
After hearing that cancer is about to become the #1 killer in the US, and after hearing one of my students rant about being more healthy for the past 4 months, and after turning 29, which is practically 30 which is practically 40 - the age at which people should take care of themselves - I finally decided I'd jump on the healthy bandwagon.
So the plan is this:
5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day
3-4 20-30 minute exercise sessions per week
Cut the sugar
Sound good? Do-able? I think so (especially since I have an except-Sabbath clause). If you think so too, feel free to join us! I'm pretty psyched about it. I even made some green tea this morning (high in antioxidants!), but I forgot to drink it because of a phone call. Now I remember it. Must go drink!
After hearing that cancer is about to become the #1 killer in the US, and after hearing one of my students rant about being more healthy for the past 4 months, and after turning 29, which is practically 30 which is practically 40 - the age at which people should take care of themselves - I finally decided I'd jump on the healthy bandwagon.
So the plan is this:
5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day
3-4 20-30 minute exercise sessions per week
Cut the sugar
Sound good? Do-able? I think so (especially since I have an except-Sabbath clause). If you think so too, feel free to join us! I'm pretty psyched about it. I even made some green tea this morning (high in antioxidants!), but I forgot to drink it because of a phone call. Now I remember it. Must go drink!
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas!
Good people all, this Christmas ..........time
Consider well and bear in mind
What our good God for us has
..........done
In sending His beloved Son.
..........................-Wexford Carol
I've been so blessed this Christmas season
in contemplating all that Jesus' birth means
to humanity. May you find similar blessing
this Christmas. We have so much to celebrate and be thankful for!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Column #4 - The Power of the Snack
Recently a friend of mine was having difficulty finishing something she was supposed to do. She had no inspiration, no motivation, and consequently was very discouraged. So I shared with her my super secret college strategy for paper writing.
When I had a paper to do, and knew it would be a biggy, I would create for myself a haven of writingness. It was a sanctuary of creativity. A temple of you-have-to-get-it-done-so-you-might-as-well-enjoy-yourself-as-much-as-you-can-along-the-way-ivity. I would light the lamp on my computer desk, put on some soft classical music, light a candle, and, most importantly, I would get a snack. Usually chai or m&ms worked best.
And this brings me to my point: the power of the snack. Ohhhh, how well it worked! Just ooooone more paragraph and then I can eat this little stack of m&ms I set up. Or sip sip sip sip sip DONE the paper! The motivation of food is nothing to be trifled with.
This has gone on to aid me in other areas of life as well. Reading my Bible when I have to read extra readings, for example. I'll see if I can make this piece of hard candy last as long as it takes me to read the whole of Psalm 119... Or cleaning my room! Or writing a blog. I have before me tea with honey, cheese and crackers, a clementine, and the ends of several uncooked green beans (I already finished those). And look at the result that's coming from it!
This is a tool teachers can use, as well. Bribes, obviously, are great things. You have to be careful with these, though. I was pretty embarrassed when the headmaster walked in to my classroom one day to see my students munching chips and drinking soda. Yeahhhhh.
But snack time, at it's scheduled time, is a useful tool as well. Suppose you forgot to plan enough for that day's lesson. You can "lose track of time" and allow snack to go for 20 minutes or half an hour if need be. Or suppose you need to get through extra material and don't want to allow even the 10 minutes. Then you can say you're going to have a "book club discussion" like those smart people have in coffee shops. You pull the desks into a circle and let them eat while they discuss, and they try to be extra smart to fit the image.
Ah the power of the snack. Never misunderestimate it, my friends. It can be the ultimate motivator, bribe, or comfort. And now I've got to go; I think Jenny Craig is on my lawn yelling mean things toward my house. Weird.
When I had a paper to do, and knew it would be a biggy, I would create for myself a haven of writingness. It was a sanctuary of creativity. A temple of you-have-to-get-it-done-so-you-might-as-well-enjoy-yourself-as-much-as-you-can-along-the-way-ivity. I would light the lamp on my computer desk, put on some soft classical music, light a candle, and, most importantly, I would get a snack. Usually chai or m&ms worked best.
And this brings me to my point: the power of the snack. Ohhhh, how well it worked! Just ooooone more paragraph and then I can eat this little stack of m&ms I set up. Or sip sip sip sip sip DONE the paper! The motivation of food is nothing to be trifled with.
This has gone on to aid me in other areas of life as well. Reading my Bible when I have to read extra readings, for example. I'll see if I can make this piece of hard candy last as long as it takes me to read the whole of Psalm 119... Or cleaning my room! Or writing a blog. I have before me tea with honey, cheese and crackers, a clementine, and the ends of several uncooked green beans (I already finished those). And look at the result that's coming from it!
This is a tool teachers can use, as well. Bribes, obviously, are great things. You have to be careful with these, though. I was pretty embarrassed when the headmaster walked in to my classroom one day to see my students munching chips and drinking soda. Yeahhhhh.
But snack time, at it's scheduled time, is a useful tool as well. Suppose you forgot to plan enough for that day's lesson. You can "lose track of time" and allow snack to go for 20 minutes or half an hour if need be. Or suppose you need to get through extra material and don't want to allow even the 10 minutes. Then you can say you're going to have a "book club discussion" like those smart people have in coffee shops. You pull the desks into a circle and let them eat while they discuss, and they try to be extra smart to fit the image.
Ah the power of the snack. Never misunderestimate it, my friends. It can be the ultimate motivator, bribe, or comfort. And now I've got to go; I think Jenny Craig is on my lawn yelling mean things toward my house. Weird.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Column #3 - Cell Phones: Connecting or Disconnecting?
I had a strange experience the other day. I think it might lead to a paradigm (aka paradime) shift. I've always thought that a room with four girls in it, especially four girls who are friends, is a room full of the loud, giggle-filled conversation that pervade so much of the female life. But on the occasion of which I write, I was in this room with three other girls and the giggle-filled conversation was directed not toward each other, but into three separate phones. I was surrounded by female company, yet completely alone. Four girls. In a room. Talking to people not present. All of my preconceived notions about female interaction, lost. In a single cell phone filled moment.
It struck me as awfully funny at the moment, and yet it was also a moment of pause.
What new behavior is this new cell phone generation cultivating? We easily ignore the people with whom we're face to face in order to communicate with someone who isn't even there. We lose one more battle in the war against de-personalization.
Therefore, I propose a National Cell Phone Free Day. Remember those good old days when you were unreachable as soon as you stepped out of your house? Those days before you were enslaved to a small colorful square with an insistent song, demanding that you drop what you're doing (coffee with a friend, the typical "you too" to the cashier's "have a nice day," concentrating on the road, etc.) in order to ANSWER THE CALL? Those days when you actually had time to devote to the people around you?
It's time to take one day a year to return to those "good old days."
One day a year we will remember what it was to run out of gas on the side of the road, and have to walk a mile in subfreezing weather, instead of calling Triple A. One day a year we will remember what it was to get home from a long day of shopping, only to remember that we forgot the one thing we really needed - that crucial ingredient - because no one could call us to remind us. One day a year we will remember what it was to decide to stay a little later at the library, only to find out that we missed our best friend passing through on her way south since no one knew where to reach us. One day a year we will remember what it is to be CUT OFF from EVERYONE. Isolated.
Phew. I don't know if I can take that day. Maybe, instead, we can find that elusive middle ground between not being connected enough and being too connected...
It struck me as awfully funny at the moment, and yet it was also a moment of pause.
What new behavior is this new cell phone generation cultivating? We easily ignore the people with whom we're face to face in order to communicate with someone who isn't even there. We lose one more battle in the war against de-personalization.
Therefore, I propose a National Cell Phone Free Day. Remember those good old days when you were unreachable as soon as you stepped out of your house? Those days before you were enslaved to a small colorful square with an insistent song, demanding that you drop what you're doing (coffee with a friend, the typical "you too" to the cashier's "have a nice day," concentrating on the road, etc.) in order to ANSWER THE CALL? Those days when you actually had time to devote to the people around you?
It's time to take one day a year to return to those "good old days."
One day a year we will remember what it was to run out of gas on the side of the road, and have to walk a mile in subfreezing weather, instead of calling Triple A. One day a year we will remember what it was to get home from a long day of shopping, only to remember that we forgot the one thing we really needed - that crucial ingredient - because no one could call us to remind us. One day a year we will remember what it was to decide to stay a little later at the library, only to find out that we missed our best friend passing through on her way south since no one knew where to reach us. One day a year we will remember what it is to be CUT OFF from EVERYONE. Isolated.
Phew. I don't know if I can take that day. Maybe, instead, we can find that elusive middle ground between not being connected enough and being too connected...
Monday, November 17, 2008
Column #2 - The Joys of Hospitality
I Peter 4:9 tells us to "Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling." We know that some have entertained angels unawares, and that widows were placed on widow lists when they exhibited hospitality. Clearly it is an important virtue to be hospitable.
The question is, why? Surely this is a bit obscure. Loving-as-we-are-required aside, why invite people into your home to eat your food and put wet cups on wooden pianos?
At last I have arrived at an answer. Logic and experience have come together to make a stunning revelation. Matthew Henry will probably want to tuck this somewhere in his commentary. Or maybe he'll make it into a major point. Or would have, if he was alive.
Hospitality is important because it makes us clean things that we otherwise wouldn't! Like houses! Or rooms!
I had a friend come over yesterday. She's a new friend, and one who hasn't seen my apartment before. And you know what this extreme case of hospitality led to? I dusted my bookshelves. They haven't been dusted since I moved in about a year ago. Whew. They needed it.
Since then I've been caught gazing raptly at my bookshelves and their radiant whiteness for long periods of time. Okay, not quite. But I have definitely admired their cleanliness more than once!
It's worth some water stains in order to gain that added dose of cleanliness. Which is next to godliness, as we all know (I think that's somewhere in Matthew Henry, too).
And besides, I don't even own a piano.
The question is, why? Surely this is a bit obscure. Loving-as-we-are-required aside, why invite people into your home to eat your food and put wet cups on wooden pianos?
At last I have arrived at an answer. Logic and experience have come together to make a stunning revelation. Matthew Henry will probably want to tuck this somewhere in his commentary. Or maybe he'll make it into a major point. Or would have, if he was alive.
Hospitality is important because it makes us clean things that we otherwise wouldn't! Like houses! Or rooms!
I had a friend come over yesterday. She's a new friend, and one who hasn't seen my apartment before. And you know what this extreme case of hospitality led to? I dusted my bookshelves. They haven't been dusted since I moved in about a year ago. Whew. They needed it.
Since then I've been caught gazing raptly at my bookshelves and their radiant whiteness for long periods of time. Okay, not quite. But I have definitely admired their cleanliness more than once!
It's worth some water stains in order to gain that added dose of cleanliness. Which is next to godliness, as we all know (I think that's somewhere in Matthew Henry, too).
And besides, I don't even own a piano.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Column #1 - A Commuter's Dream
Today I had a chorus practice in Newport. However, I like to say it was a choir practice, because for some reason choir sounds more professional than chorus. But it's a chorus. At least the full name is The Swanhurst Chorus which lends a bit more sophistication. Anyway. All that is beside the point.
The point is that I jumped in my car one hour before practice started, therefore leaving myself the perfect amount of time to arrive in Newport punctually.
HA!
Little did I know that the ENTIRE INTERSTATE 195 EAST had been SHUT DOWN. And not, I hasten to say, because there was a 37 car pile-up, or because an oil tanker had
spilled its contents over all three lanes, or because it was under quarentine due to the plague, or because Jack Bauer was chasing bad guys with nukes. No. It was for construction. CONSTRUCTION! They must be in a pre-winter panic.
I was nearly half an hour late for rehearsal, but that calamity pales in comparison to the fact that it took just over TWO HOURS to make the return trip to my apartment.
As I speedily zipped along the back roads of Swansea, MA at speeds between 0 and 3 mph, I caught a glimpse of a girl going the other direction. It was only a glimpse because I didn't want to be seen staring, not because she was going by so quickly. I could have taken a gaze if I'd wanted to.
In any case, her face expressed perfectly the complex emotion I was feeling: a strange mixture of rage and resignation. I didn't know those feelings could go together. But they can. They can.
That got me thinking about the other people who were in this fix with me. As I looked around and saw people talking on cell phones, bobbing their heads to inaudible music,
staring in front of them as if they could move the endless procession of cars by will power alone, I felt myself entering more fully into what it is to be a part of this human race of ours. I wondered about their destinations, their lives. I contemplated human suffering; the human condition.
It seems that relating to Romantic poets would require a certain amount of communion with nature. To experience a Wordsworthian euphoria one should spend time on a Wordsworthian hilltop or beside a Wordsworthian river deep in the woods.
But there, on little old Route 6 in Swansea, I experienced for myself the "still, sad music of humanity."
I wish, for his sake, Wordsworth could have known the joy of getting home to leftover Chinese food.
The point is that I jumped in my car one hour before practice started, therefore leaving myself the perfect amount of time to arrive in Newport punctually.
HA!
Little did I know that the ENTIRE INTERSTATE 195 EAST had been SHUT DOWN. And not, I hasten to say, because there was a 37 car pile-up, or because an oil tanker had
spilled its contents over all three lanes, or because it was under quarentine due to the plague, or because Jack Bauer was chasing bad guys with nukes. No. It was for construction. CONSTRUCTION! They must be in a pre-winter panic.
I was nearly half an hour late for rehearsal, but that calamity pales in comparison to the fact that it took just over TWO HOURS to make the return trip to my apartment.
As I speedily zipped along the back roads of Swansea, MA at speeds between 0 and 3 mph, I caught a glimpse of a girl going the other direction. It was only a glimpse because I didn't want to be seen staring, not because she was going by so quickly. I could have taken a gaze if I'd wanted to.
In any case, her face expressed perfectly the complex emotion I was feeling: a strange mixture of rage and resignation. I didn't know those feelings could go together. But they can. They can.
That got me thinking about the other people who were in this fix with me. As I looked around and saw people talking on cell phones, bobbing their heads to inaudible music,
staring in front of them as if they could move the endless procession of cars by will power alone, I felt myself entering more fully into what it is to be a part of this human race of ours. I wondered about their destinations, their lives. I contemplated human suffering; the human condition.
It seems that relating to Romantic poets would require a certain amount of communion with nature. To experience a Wordsworthian euphoria one should spend time on a Wordsworthian hilltop or beside a Wordsworthian river deep in the woods.
But there, on little old Route 6 in Swansea, I experienced for myself the "still, sad music of humanity."
I wish, for his sake, Wordsworth could have known the joy of getting home to leftover Chinese food.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Budding Columnists
This year I'm team teaching a journalism class with the 8th to 10th grade students. It was one of those week-before-school-hey-I-was-thinking kinds of classes. I love those.
Anyway, it's only once a week, and I've been managing to come up with SOMEthing
to teach them each week. Sadly I've made my way through most of the newspaper (articles, editorials, reviews, letters to the editor...) and it's only the beginning of the second quarter. But fortunately I hit upon something last week that should take up a big chunk of time: Writing Columns!
Being a columnist would be my second dream job. Maybe. At least it seems interesting and enjoyable. In any case, I read a bunch of columns to my students (including a great Dave Barry article about taking his baby on an airplane) and then assigned them to write mini-columns 4 times a week. I even gave them those inspiring marble notebooks to keep their columns in. Then in class they'll share them and choose one idea to develop into a full-blown column.
It's a lot like blogging really, and I told them I'll be doing it too, so I think I'll do my "column" right here on my blog. So look for a bit of an increase in blog material... But don't look with your expectations too high, since life is pretty busy now that I've joined a local chorus (!!!). Still, I've got to keep up with it for my students.
Now you're warned.
Anyway, it's only once a week, and I've been managing to come up with SOMEthing
to teach them each week. Sadly I've made my way through most of the newspaper (articles, editorials, reviews, letters to the editor...) and it's only the beginning of the second quarter. But fortunately I hit upon something last week that should take up a big chunk of time: Writing Columns!
Being a columnist would be my second dream job. Maybe. At least it seems interesting and enjoyable. In any case, I read a bunch of columns to my students (including a great Dave Barry article about taking his baby on an airplane) and then assigned them to write mini-columns 4 times a week. I even gave them those inspiring marble notebooks to keep their columns in. Then in class they'll share them and choose one idea to develop into a full-blown column.
It's a lot like blogging really, and I told them I'll be doing it too, so I think I'll do my "column" right here on my blog. So look for a bit of an increase in blog material... But don't look with your expectations too high, since life is pretty busy now that I've joined a local chorus (!!!). Still, I've got to keep up with it for my students.
Now you're warned.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Why I'm Voting for John McCain
*National Security - I trust McCain's experience and perspective in the War on Terror.
*Social Issues - McCain is on the right side of issues such as abortion and marriage.
*Economy - McCain is not into big government, or "spreading the wealth around."
*Supreme Court Nominations - McCain wants judges who will interpret the Constitution (which is, by the way, their job), not engage is social activism from the bench.
*Wicked Fun Times - Because of John McCain I had one of the most exhilarating times of my life attending a political rally at which McCain and Curt Schilling appeared! I couldn't believe I was actually seeing JOHN MCCAIN right THERE in FRONT OF ME! Oh the cheers, screams, yells, dancing, sign waving, pom-pom rustling, jumping, and camaraderie. HURRAH! GO MCCAIN!
*More Wicked Fun Times - Also because of John McCain I had an awesome time sign waving with Craig and Sarah and the Bible School in Keene - cheering and yelling till we were hoarse. And the awesome thing was the response we got! SO many people honking and smiling, giving thumbs up and even yelling support out the windows. And so many of them young!! And so many of them in cammo:) Yeah! People are smarter than the media lets on! HURRAH! GO MCCAIN!
*Social Issues - McCain is on the right side of issues such as abortion and marriage.
*Economy - McCain is not into big government, or "spreading the wealth around."
*Supreme Court Nominations - McCain wants judges who will interpret the Constitution (which is, by the way, their job), not engage is social activism from the bench.
*Wicked Fun Times - Because of John McCain I had one of the most exhilarating times of my life attending a political rally at which McCain and Curt Schilling appeared! I couldn't believe I was actually seeing JOHN MCCAIN right THERE in FRONT OF ME! Oh the cheers, screams, yells, dancing, sign waving, pom-pom rustling, jumping, and camaraderie. HURRAH! GO MCCAIN!
*More Wicked Fun Times - Also because of John McCain I had an awesome time sign waving with Craig and Sarah and the Bible School in Keene - cheering and yelling till we were hoarse. And the awesome thing was the response we got! SO many people honking and smiling, giving thumbs up and even yelling support out the windows. And so many of them young!! And so many of them in cammo:) Yeah! People are smarter than the media lets on! HURRAH! GO MCCAIN!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Teaching Ups and Downs
Soooo, I got talked to about classroom control again last week. It was a blow because I thought I was doing so much better. I was pretty discouraged for awhile, making wild threats about quitting and such (in my head only, of course... and maybe to Mama too). Of course, simultaneous with the threats was the knowledge that I'd be over it in a little bit, and right back to loving teaching.
I tightened things up a bit, and got comments from my students about being mean and such ("hey, can you say that a little louder so the headmaster can hear?"), but the end result was that I was able to lead some interruption-free, awesome discussions in class this week!
In British Literature I had one of those rare and treasured moments where one of my kids will suddenly be in awe of the writing, after we've unearthed an underlying meaning or something. "Why don't people write books like that anymore?" he asked. I agreed with the sentiment.
In Classical Literature we had a class-long debate about whether Achilles is really changed at the end of The Iliad, or if he's the same old heartless being. They were really into the debate, pulling in all kinds of evidence from the text. I had three things on the agenda that day, and we didn't even get through the first one. This made my teacherly heart sing for joy (to adapt a Sarah-ism).
In Algebra, it came to light that my most advanced student had caught up to the lower level of the grade above. He got moved up. I was really happy about this because the lower level of the grade above consists of kids I'd had the year before, and I felt a bit on the spot in light of the fact that they're struggling so badly. So I was glad that at least I hadn't failed with this kid (let's not talk about the fact that he's naturally really good at math). However, this kid, who has a fabulous sense of humor, decided that I'd moved him because I didn't like him, and he went on and on about it. He stood at my podium and said, in a high-pitched voice, "Oh students, you're so wonderful! Oh. Except you, Josh. Just leave."
And then, in journalism, when I had them write a story about how Miss Murray beat up a burglar attempting to steal something from her apartment, he wrote the following:
"Last night, at approximately 10:30pm, Miss Murray mercilessly attacked and pummeled a burglar in her apartment using only a mag light, because the thief was trying to [recover] a lost valuable. The burglar, a Mr. Josh W___ was found by police after Miss Murray fled the scene. Following a three hour car chase during which the suspect used a jet ski, a motorcycle, and eventually a helicopter, she was brought into custody. [During questioning] the information she reported was shocking.
Miss Murray was at her apartment to stow a treasure of incredible value: Josh's joy. She had stolen it earlier that day by sending him to a different algebra class, straining his joy into a physical entity which she placed in a box. Josh had broken in to recover his lost joy, but was beaten, and lost his Random spirit to Miss Murray's box that contains his still missing joy..."
Haha. I love teaching:) Full of great learning moments and great humor moments. So the downs ended in ups galore, and I will refrain from submitting my resignation... Until next time I get talked to... At which time other things will again remind me how much I love it... More ellipses... The end...
I tightened things up a bit, and got comments from my students about being mean and such ("hey, can you say that a little louder so the headmaster can hear?"), but the end result was that I was able to lead some interruption-free, awesome discussions in class this week!
In British Literature I had one of those rare and treasured moments where one of my kids will suddenly be in awe of the writing, after we've unearthed an underlying meaning or something. "Why don't people write books like that anymore?" he asked. I agreed with the sentiment.
In Classical Literature we had a class-long debate about whether Achilles is really changed at the end of The Iliad, or if he's the same old heartless being. They were really into the debate, pulling in all kinds of evidence from the text. I had three things on the agenda that day, and we didn't even get through the first one. This made my teacherly heart sing for joy (to adapt a Sarah-ism).
In Algebra, it came to light that my most advanced student had caught up to the lower level of the grade above. He got moved up. I was really happy about this because the lower level of the grade above consists of kids I'd had the year before, and I felt a bit on the spot in light of the fact that they're struggling so badly. So I was glad that at least I hadn't failed with this kid (let's not talk about the fact that he's naturally really good at math). However, this kid, who has a fabulous sense of humor, decided that I'd moved him because I didn't like him, and he went on and on about it. He stood at my podium and said, in a high-pitched voice, "Oh students, you're so wonderful! Oh. Except you, Josh. Just leave."
And then, in journalism, when I had them write a story about how Miss Murray beat up a burglar attempting to steal something from her apartment, he wrote the following:
"Last night, at approximately 10:30pm, Miss Murray mercilessly attacked and pummeled a burglar in her apartment using only a mag light, because the thief was trying to [recover] a lost valuable. The burglar, a Mr. Josh W___ was found by police after Miss Murray fled the scene. Following a three hour car chase during which the suspect used a jet ski, a motorcycle, and eventually a helicopter, she was brought into custody. [During questioning] the information she reported was shocking.
Miss Murray was at her apartment to stow a treasure of incredible value: Josh's joy. She had stolen it earlier that day by sending him to a different algebra class, straining his joy into a physical entity which she placed in a box. Josh had broken in to recover his lost joy, but was beaten, and lost his Random spirit to Miss Murray's box that contains his still missing joy..."
Haha. I love teaching:) Full of great learning moments and great humor moments. So the downs ended in ups galore, and I will refrain from submitting my resignation... Until next time I get talked to... At which time other things will again remind me how much I love it... More ellipses... The end...
Saturday, October 18, 2008
I'm Teaching Again
It's been far too long. Time for a blogging renaissance!
How about some amusing blips from my school days recently:
*Yesterday one of my students made a very clever pun on a word that I don't use... Which he very well knows. I said, "See, that was really funny, but now I can never repeat it!" And he said, "Miss Murray, you make conservatives look like wack-o liberals." Hahahaha.
*This week a student was reading a passage and cleverly switching words to their opposites, or to the opposite of a related word. He gave just the right amount of pause before he did it, and suddenly I was laughing... and laughing... and laughing... and crying... and laughing. When I'd finally regained control, I discovered one student had captured the whole thing on video on his digital camera. The reading student asked me what that was all about and I responded, "That was a combination of a leeetle bit of humor and a looooot of fatigue."
*The students were discussing the rare phenomenon of one of the teachers being in a realllly good mood. Then one of them said, "Hey! That was the day Miss Murray was being evil!" "Yeah, we switched," I said. By "evil," he meant "telling them their behavior was abysmal, and they'd better sharpen up and start taking their education seriously." Whew. Serious evil-osity.
*My 7th grade boys have an uncanny fascination with violence. I had them re-write a passage from Jane Eyre using a different perspective, and he wrote about Jane's friend's child. The child and his mother went to visit Jane (that took about 1 paragraph) and on the way home they were attacked by wild Indians (a rare phenomenon in Victorian England) and killed. Nice.
*Now I want to go eat breakfast and enjoy Katie's company. Tata! :)
How about some amusing blips from my school days recently:
*Yesterday one of my students made a very clever pun on a word that I don't use... Which he very well knows. I said, "See, that was really funny, but now I can never repeat it!" And he said, "Miss Murray, you make conservatives look like wack-o liberals." Hahahaha.
*This week a student was reading a passage and cleverly switching words to their opposites, or to the opposite of a related word. He gave just the right amount of pause before he did it, and suddenly I was laughing... and laughing... and laughing... and crying... and laughing. When I'd finally regained control, I discovered one student had captured the whole thing on video on his digital camera. The reading student asked me what that was all about and I responded, "That was a combination of a leeetle bit of humor and a looooot of fatigue."
*The students were discussing the rare phenomenon of one of the teachers being in a realllly good mood. Then one of them said, "Hey! That was the day Miss Murray was being evil!" "Yeah, we switched," I said. By "evil," he meant "telling them their behavior was abysmal, and they'd better sharpen up and start taking their education seriously." Whew. Serious evil-osity.
*My 7th grade boys have an uncanny fascination with violence. I had them re-write a passage from Jane Eyre using a different perspective, and he wrote about Jane's friend's child. The child and his mother went to visit Jane (that took about 1 paragraph) and on the way home they were attacked by wild Indians (a rare phenomenon in Victorian England) and killed. Nice.
*Now I want to go eat breakfast and enjoy Katie's company. Tata! :)
Saturday, August 16, 2008
The Michael Phelps - 19th c American Lit Connection
I have been enjoying the Olympics immensely, as I do every time. My sleeping habits are ridiculous, but hey, they only happen every 4 years! (Well, every 2, but you know what I mean.) I've found the Michael Phelps story the most exciting - especially with the 4X1 relay and last night's 100 Butterfly. Oy vay!! It's awesome to see someone going after excellence the way he is - and it's awesome that he seems like a nice person instead of some show-off that you secretly hope will fail. Go Phelps!
But you know what I think is the coolest? I love that in order to break the Mark Spitz record he has to depend, to some degree, on his teammates. He couldn't have tied it without Lezak and that incredible come-back against the French. And he won't be able to break it without the help of his teammates in tonight's relay. I think that's awesome.
Instead of the individual doing it completely on his own, there is a dependence on his fellow man.
It brings back American Lit class with Dr. Barbour. Franklin and Emerson had this exalted idea of the individual, and how he could do anything he wanted to, and be as perfect as he wanted to, on his own strength.
Melville, Poe, and Hawthorne begged to differ. Their writing shows the weaknesses and sin of the individual, highlighting the need for fellowship and for something beyond himself to save him.
As I sat in class, and heard that some people believed you could never really connect with your fellow man, I was scared. I decided to side with the Melville, Poe and Hawthorne school of thought because I desperately wanted it to be true that "We are connected to our fellow man by a thousand natural fibers" (Melville).
But then I realized that I didn't have to wish they were right... they were right! God created us for fellowship as part of the Body of Christ! I was so relieved.
And in Phelps' quest for the most gold medals in a single Olympics there is a picture of that.
Man cannot make it on his own. He needs God most of all, obviously (which, after the butterfly last night, I'm inclined to think Phelps has! Haha). But he also needs his fellow man. Coooool!
As I was saying this in a condensed and unrelated-to-American-Lit form to Gretchen, she said, "Andrea, you're cute." I was indignant.
"I am NOT cute!" I protested. "I'm..." and I searched for the right philosophical/literary term to describe my insight.
"Adorable!" Michael piped up.
Hee hee hee. Yeah. That's right.
But you know what I think is the coolest? I love that in order to break the Mark Spitz record he has to depend, to some degree, on his teammates. He couldn't have tied it without Lezak and that incredible come-back against the French. And he won't be able to break it without the help of his teammates in tonight's relay. I think that's awesome.
Instead of the individual doing it completely on his own, there is a dependence on his fellow man.
It brings back American Lit class with Dr. Barbour. Franklin and Emerson had this exalted idea of the individual, and how he could do anything he wanted to, and be as perfect as he wanted to, on his own strength.
Melville, Poe, and Hawthorne begged to differ. Their writing shows the weaknesses and sin of the individual, highlighting the need for fellowship and for something beyond himself to save him.
As I sat in class, and heard that some people believed you could never really connect with your fellow man, I was scared. I decided to side with the Melville, Poe and Hawthorne school of thought because I desperately wanted it to be true that "We are connected to our fellow man by a thousand natural fibers" (Melville).
But then I realized that I didn't have to wish they were right... they were right! God created us for fellowship as part of the Body of Christ! I was so relieved.
And in Phelps' quest for the most gold medals in a single Olympics there is a picture of that.
Man cannot make it on his own. He needs God most of all, obviously (which, after the butterfly last night, I'm inclined to think Phelps has! Haha). But he also needs his fellow man. Coooool!
As I was saying this in a condensed and unrelated-to-American-Lit form to Gretchen, she said, "Andrea, you're cute." I was indignant.
"I am NOT cute!" I protested. "I'm..." and I searched for the right philosophical/literary term to describe my insight.
"Adorable!" Michael piped up.
Hee hee hee. Yeah. That's right.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
We Went to Maine
This year's family vacation was to Maine! We spent three days up there, sightseeing and yardsaling. Way fun!
Wednesday was Pike's Island day. We went to Casco Bay, and took a ferry out to the island. We then started gallivanting about on foot. Yes, foot. It turns out the island is a lot bigger in real life than it was on the piece of paper. We were mighty weary by the end. But it was well worth it, and we saw some beeeooootiful views.
That night we stayed in a wicked nice hotel that Mom had somehow secured for free (some credit card points thing?). She's amazing. We were very impressed with it. And had fun relaxing there that evening.
Thursday we saw some sweet lighthouses and Longfellow's childhood home! It was awesome! My favorite lighthouse name was definitely Bug Light. Haha.
But Longfellow's home was my favorite part. I learned lots, and officially love Longfellow. I enjoyed celebrating his two hundredth birthday last year with my students, and I can't wait to tell them I saw his house!
Friday was yardsaling day and I made out like a bandit! I found everything from school supplies, to lit books, to brand new JJill clothes, to a wastebasket for the living room in our apartment. Yahoooo! Also fun was meeting the Randalls, who were also yardsaling:) Yay!
Maine was officially great! (Which reminds me of a conversation Craig and I just had, which reminds me to rejoice all over again that CRAIG IS HOME!!!!!)
Wednesday was Pike's Island day. We went to Casco Bay, and took a ferry out to the island. We then started gallivanting about on foot. Yes, foot. It turns out the island is a lot bigger in real life than it was on the piece of paper. We were mighty weary by the end. But it was well worth it, and we saw some beeeooootiful views.
That night we stayed in a wicked nice hotel that Mom had somehow secured for free (some credit card points thing?). She's amazing. We were very impressed with it. And had fun relaxing there that evening.
Thursday we saw some sweet lighthouses and Longfellow's childhood home! It was awesome! My favorite lighthouse name was definitely Bug Light. Haha.
But Longfellow's home was my favorite part. I learned lots, and officially love Longfellow. I enjoyed celebrating his two hundredth birthday last year with my students, and I can't wait to tell them I saw his house!
Friday was yardsaling day and I made out like a bandit! I found everything from school supplies, to lit books, to brand new JJill clothes, to a wastebasket for the living room in our apartment. Yahoooo! Also fun was meeting the Randalls, who were also yardsaling:) Yay!
Maine was officially great! (Which reminds me of a conversation Craig and I just had, which reminds me to rejoice all over again that CRAIG IS HOME!!!!!)
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Another Humorous Murray Moment
The other night Gretchen was down again, looking through home school stuff, and getting me to write out a copy of the poem listing the kings of England that I'd made my Brit Lit students memorize.
Willie, Willie, Harry, Steve,
Harry, Dick, John, Harry Three,
Edward One, Two, Three, Dick Two,
Harry Four, Five, Six, then who?
Etc.
Dad and Mom were reading, meanwhile, and Kimberly was working on a summer assignment for her ESL course. She interrupted our various reveries to say that she was supposed to give a report of how she liked the course, and she was just going to say it was good, even though she hated it and they were a bunch of liberal nitwits (to borrow a phrase from Karen's husband).
We all shrieked in protest and said that she should raise the issues that she had with the class. Suddenly, Dad broke out into Shakespearean poetry.
"Stiffen the sinews! Summon up the blood! Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage; Then lend the eye a terrible aspect."
Gretchen, in full agreement, chimed in with "Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel!"
Mama, not to be outdone, cried, "Listen my children and you shall hear!"
And I, saving the best for last, bleated, "Willie, Willie, Harry, Steve!"
I think Kimberly was very inspired, and found the courage to raise the issues after all. A day well spent. Poetry rocks.
Willie, Willie, Harry, Steve,
Harry, Dick, John, Harry Three,
Edward One, Two, Three, Dick Two,
Harry Four, Five, Six, then who?
Etc.
Dad and Mom were reading, meanwhile, and Kimberly was working on a summer assignment for her ESL course. She interrupted our various reveries to say that she was supposed to give a report of how she liked the course, and she was just going to say it was good, even though she hated it and they were a bunch of liberal nitwits (to borrow a phrase from Karen's husband).
We all shrieked in protest and said that she should raise the issues that she had with the class. Suddenly, Dad broke out into Shakespearean poetry.
"Stiffen the sinews! Summon up the blood! Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage; Then lend the eye a terrible aspect."
Gretchen, in full agreement, chimed in with "Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel!"
Mama, not to be outdone, cried, "Listen my children and you shall hear!"
And I, saving the best for last, bleated, "Willie, Willie, Harry, Steve!"
I think Kimberly was very inspired, and found the courage to raise the issues after all. A day well spent. Poetry rocks.
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