I finally launched my new look. I am a wicked perfectionist, so I didn’t want to put it up until I thought it was really done. I took all the pictures in the masthead. Most of them are from around my town.
This is not my post for the day. I will be back this afternoon.
Blue #1: I forgot to post on Saturday. I couldn’t even make it 3 days without forgetting to post!
Blue #2: I have to go to work tomorrow.
Blue #3: It is getting cold.
Blue #4: We forgot to set our clock back so I got up earlier than I needed to.
Blue #4.5: I was still late for Sunday School.
Blue #5: I can’t get my Joomla site to work on my school’s new hosting.
This weekend went by too fast. Friday we went shopping and out to dinner.
Saturday night we performed in a Murder Mystery. It was the Italian themed story and I played the 21 year old daughter (only 9 years too old) and our friend Jay Man played my 25 year old brother (only 7 years too young). Lord S played our father’s twin brother and Best Lady played his girlfriend. It was at a nice restaurant hosted by a local church. The audience was really great and very enthusiastic. We all knew a few people in the audience, which is a little different for us. The audience members I interacted with asked great questions and made really good guesses. It was not as great as the night we performed at the country club where they bought us drinks and had a water gun fight.
Today, not only did we have time trouble, but I had Sunday School, church and then I was in charge of coffee hour with two other great CE members (they don’t read this, but I love them both!). For the first time in weeks all my Sunday schoolers and my helper showed up. We had a decent lesson about Zaccheus and talked about they would do if someone famous showed up in our town and invited themselves over. Then we did a crossword review of the parables we’ve read. I knit my way through church, although this week’s sermon was really great. Coffee hour did not go smoothly, but everyone seemed satisfied. I washed dishes and had really nice conversation.
The afternoon is a blur. I tried to figure out what to do with all the pictures we’ve scanned for MFP’s 100th year scrapbook (more details later) because my MIL and I planned to work on it this evening. I also promised to run lines with a friend who is in A Doll House. I nearly fell alseep several times. The evening was spent with MIL looking at the photos we have scanned and cropping them while T watched the Patriots come from behind to stay undefeated!
Now I am watching the start of this season’s Amazing Race.
Random fact: My parents owned a small country store when I was a kid. 18 years later people still say they wish my parents owned it.
So a big night for the Lord and Lady is going to big town across the river. We had dinner at Olive Garden and then I spent a bunch of money at Michaels. Now we are nearly falling asleep listening to Pottercast and using our laptops. I was just about to head for bed when I realized I hadn’t posted today.
Nothing really interesting to write about today. Literacy went well. My students (all 5 of them) are really great and I enjoy my 90 minutes with them. They are one of the best groups (although not the brightest) I have ever had. 4 boys and a girl, sweet, earnest, and interested in learning. We don’t do a lot of different activities, but we work really hard at what we are learning.
Random fact: I chew my cuticles.
I went to the NaBloPoMo site to grab the image for the last post (yeah, 2 in an hour) and Eden pointed readers to ImageChef for alternate images for a blog. And as much as I love the LOL cats, I love to check out new stuff.
Look what I found! Isn’t that crazy? I can’t believe that right on the front page the license plate generator is for a Vermont plate. Do you think it can read my IP and customize it to me? ‘Cause they do have other states, that was just the one on the front. Strange. Tomorrow when I have time, I will make myself some crazy plates. I have always wanted a personalized plate, but I don’t want to waste the money.
I want to get back into my blog writing, so what better time to kick it off with National Blog Posting Month. I am never very good at following through with things I start, but I am going to try. This year my New Year’s resolution was to try harder, so I am going to try harder to post every day.
I am also updating my blog look, but I am not ready to reveal the new look. I wanted something a little more personal than this theme, as pretty as it is. I have been working on customizing a theme that is pretty plain and should be easier to read than the last one.
I would like to say I have been busy lately, but mostly I have just been boring. T and I spent a lovely week at Star Island in August. I started back to school at the end of August and then we spent a weekend with his family. In September we did a weekend of Murder Mystery dinners for our theater company and T auditioned for two shows for next spring (and got roles in each). In October we went to Boston for a night to see WICKED! and spend some time checking out the city.
Random fact about me: I didn’t get my driver’s license until I was 20.
T and I went to Borders on Saturday for a little browsing. We bought the His Dark Materials trilogy in one large volume. Now if only I could find time to read it.
As I browsed the education section I noticed a title that caused me to laugh out loud. I support homeschooling, but if you have to buy this book, maybe you should rethink it.
I know I have been quiet for a while. I have been busy getting back to school.
We are switching webhosts, so I might be gone for a bit, but I will be back.
Kerflop is running an essay contest to win JOYS materials. I really need to get our paperwork and finances in order. Kerflop and OMSH both gush about these products and I hope with a push, I can see results. Our entry must be an essay about what brings us joy.
A lot of things bring me joy. I am lucky to have lived a good life. I have wonderful people around me (blood family and chosen family), a nice home (albeit messy), and a good job (that I love).
My husband brings me joy. I have known my husband since high school, but I didn’t know I loved him till we were adults. He has been through a lot with me and supported me through physical and emotional struggles. Every day he comes home from work and asks me how my day went. Even if I spent all day at home on my computer. He kisses me goodbye before he leaves for work. Even if I am still asleep. He brings me flowers for our anniversary (because we decided Valentine’s Day is too expensive). Even if we are leaving for vacation. He says he loves me all the time. Even when I am mean, angry, cranky, dirty or annoying. He is my joy.
My home brings me joy. We bought this house exactly 2 months before we got married. It is small (two bedrooms and a living/diningroom) but it is ours (and the bank’s). We have been adding a bathroom to the second floor for 5 years, but we are nearly done and it is wonderful. We have a pond with fish and a beautiful flower garden. My friends feel at home in our house. It maybe messy and really eclectic, but it is comfortable and clean. I feel joy in my home.
My job brings me joy. I have been teaching at Smalltown Elementary School for 9 years. In that time I have taught over 400 kids. I’ve had 9 Literacy groups over 3 grades and hundreds of Technology classes. I’ve worked with over 50 professionals. I have purchased, updated and fixed over 100 computers. I have supervised countless recesses. And I have loved nearly every minute of it (can’t love those 20 degree February recesses). Every time a student figures something out in the computer lab or makes a breakthrough in Literacy. Each time they say “Wow, that’s cool” or “I get it now!” that brings me joy. I find joy in my work.
Being creative brings me joy. I have many creative outlets in my life. I have recently taken up knitting and love making things for other people. The feeling of the yarn and needles in my hands is very relaxing. Watching something grow out of my hands is amazing. I have been working with clay since I was 7. Building things with the earthy brown clay is like therapy. I don’t even have to accomplish anything to feel like I have had a good night. When I give something I have created to someone else, I feel better than if I kept it for myself. I’ve been doing theater for over 15 years. After over 40 shows in high school and community theater I still learn things with every production. No one comes to applaud for me, the stage manager, but if it weren’t for me the show would not be as successful. I create joy.
My spirit’s home brings me joy. Star Island has been my spirit’s home since I was 14. I knew the minute I set foot on the pier I felt right. From the Summerhouse to East Rock I feel comfortable and happy every where I am. I grow spiritually each time I go to Star and the years I was away I missed it everyday. When I return from the island each year I feel like a new year has begun and I refreshed and renewed. Joy is being on Star Island.
I am very lucky to have so many things in my life that bring me joy.
Edit: Jessica also suggested we could include photos, I wasn’t sure I would have time before the midnight deadline. Here is a little of what my filing system looks like right now.
Mei Flower is also a Grammar God(dess), so I am at least as smart as she. (Just kidding, her.)
Congratulations! If your mission in life is not already to preserve the English tongue, it should be. You can smell a grammatical inaccuracy from fifty yards. Your speech is revered by the underlings, though some may blaspheme and call you a snob. They’re just jealous. Go out there and change the world.
Take this quiz!
Quizilla | Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code
I have a whole bunch to blog about our vacation, but I will have to get to that when I have more time. I want to write about the funny thing that happened in the car last Sunday.
{Name a one word, 5 letter, 2 syllable movie title where the first syllable has a short i sound. Change the short i sound to a long i sound to get a one word, 6 letter, 2 syllable movie title.}
I listen to NPR shows as Podcasts. One that Lord S and I like is the Sunday Puzzle with Will Shortz. We listened to 3 weeks worth that I had saved up. I figured out the answer to the last one (very quickly mind you) and then realized I wouldn’t know the answer until we got off island and downloaded it. Then we thought maybe we could flip around some NPR stations and listen for a while in case the show came on.
I switched the radio tuner to our local NPR (static, we were at least 50 miles away) and then moved around the dial a little. All of a sudden I heard Will Shortz’s voice and stopped. He was saying the answer! I caught the show (whose airtime I don’t actually know) at exactly the right moment to get the answer. Not at the very beginning of the show when they are being introduced, not a minute into the show when they have started the game, but just at the moment Will Shortz says “and the answer is…”
It was very cool.
I was right by the way. {Sicko, Psycho)