Monday, December 29, 2008
Friday, December 26, 2008
2008 (and some smilebox)
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| Make a Smilebox scrapbook |
1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Sooooo much. I traveled a bajillion miles - from Michigan to North Dakota and from North Dakota to Arizona,
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I resolved to be more genuine. Which apparently some people noticed. I told a man I had fallen for him, had some good conversations with people about very real things, and sang in front of people.... Next year I resolve, hmmmm... to ..... get married? :-p
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
only like everyone. haha - Tracie and Danielle and like 15 kids at church ;)
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Granny - she was close to everyone, though...
5. What countries did you visit?
Almost went to mexico. Maybe this spring, if i can get some people to go with me. hehe....
and maybe almost went to Canada (on the west side)
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
A husband? Or maybe something more tangible like a job that uses my degree and doesn't require a vast amount of random certificatings...
7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
-Hiking in the badlands and seeing a thorny fruit and checking it for edibility
-eating prickly pear
-crying and laughing with some of the most amazing people in the world
-"giving up" a summer to gain the most incredible summer ever
-being called "mom" and
son" by my students
-God's provision of a job, and his provision and safety with my coche
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
somehow (thanks, Abba!) landing a job that uses Spanish in a new (slightly warm) location :)
9. What was your biggest failure?
I don't think I "failed" anything, except maybe nothing that i can think of....
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Only a really weird flu or virusy thing that made me leave (unwillingly) at fifth hour, drive cautiously the three miles to my trailer, spend several hours vomiting up my insides, and sleeping until 2 in the morning...
11. What was the best thing you bought?
a keyboard that teaches you to play the piano. And several million cookies and cream ice cream cones in Medora.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My students - for turning in their letters so swiftly! Now it's up to me to make sure they get some in return...
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
A few people. But I'm praying for them, and I know God is working in them.
14. Where did most of your money go?
books and pillowcases and yarn and souvenirs, haha.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
my BFF Christee meeting - dating - and getting engaged to - an amazing man
two of my really good friends having babies
several more of my friends getting married or pregnant
getting a job in God's wonderful timing
16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
The Medora Musical, ha ha ha ha.... I mean, really. :) Or maybe the "Medora" song. One Voice. Mylo Hatzenbuhler. The Motivator (haha). Watching Monk and all manner of television at the PP. Also, moustache bingo, which i know is not a song - but it IS usually accompanied by the music of laughter (gag).
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. Happier or sadder?
happier
ii. Thinner or fatter?
Less muscly, but not really "Fatter."
iii. Richer or poorer?
More able to pay my loans.... if that makes sense...
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
TAWG. Spending more time in the Word
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Spent time by myself. Even though that wasn't that much...
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
with a ton of crazy and wonderful cousins.
21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
my mither
22. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Kinda. More like I fell in like with the idea of a person. Or two...
23. How many one-night stands?
I went out at 1 in the morning to watch a meteor shower. No one went with me, and it was beautiful. But to answer the question, none.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
Crossing Jordan (reruns) and the Office. hehe.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I am not a hater. I hug.
26. What was the best book you read?
some of them by Grace Livingston Hill
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Mylo Hatzenbuhler (haha) and James Newton Howard
28. What did you want and get?
to see my family for Christmas :) :)
29. What did you want and not get?
a man. Well, kinda. That's weird.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
I didn't see very many. We just watched Wall-E. Cute! Batman: Dark Knight and Australia were both amazing. I think that was the extent of my filmage. Was Ratatouille this year?
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I .... something lame like watch tv and talk to people on the phone. I had a few people over the day after and we looked at some rocks I found. ...
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Having a Starbucks closer than 2 hours away. bua ha ha...
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?
Pretending to dress like a grown-up professional-yet-sexy woman?? ha.
34. What kept you sane?
crochet and text messages. :)
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Hugh Jackman, Jude Law, Chad Willow (ha ha - only because he is cool. I don't know, lol.) ???
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Obama the Llama. No, seriously. hehe.
37. Who did you miss?
My mom. Christee. Kel. Lesley. My girls (and guys) from this summer. My church people that didn't email or write to me. (seriously?! ) the people that did write to me. my brothers growing taller...
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Callie and Kim and Seth... and Betsy and Jeff...
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
Letting someone lead is really, really hard sometimes. But it's easier with your eyes closed, especially when the other person wants to lead. :)
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"One kid dreams of fame and fortune
One kid helps to pay the rent
One could end up goin' to prison
One just might be president.
Only in america
Dreamin' in red, white, and blue
Only in america
Where we dream as big as we want to.
We all get a chance
Everybody gets to dance
Only in america.
-Brooks and Dunn"
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Watch a video - for free. courtesy of Spanish I and II
Want to watch the movie “Pilgrim Routes? It is about the pilgrimages people make to Leon, Spain… Here is a brief, albeit exciting summary. So you don’t have to watch it for yourself!!
Written by my students as “notes” on the movie (5 sentences worth of notes: I was pulling teeth, figuratively speaking.)
In early October, great harvest has started.
Spain has more acres of vines than anywhere else.
Corps has been growing in regions for century.
There is a hospital free of charge.
Leon has some of the best fish in Spain.
The king is the famous person.
They plant grapes for their lives.
They traveled the world.
Spain has the most person.
Some people walk and most have rides.
Spain has more acres of vines.
Spain grows grapes. Acres of them.
The take back the grapes to the elders.
The ladies go sing at a church.
Dominico: They built a hospital for the pilgrims that are around there.
They been drinking wines for the rest of their years.
Spain has more acres of vines than in the whole world.
Wine is a way of life.
The lady has 210-250 roosters.
The guy caught the largest fish.
They have 18 different kinds of cookies in the bakery.
The tourists walked to many places.
Wine making is very important they sell most of it.
Fly fish is very popular in Spain. When they catch a fish they let it go.
A lady breeds chickens and roosters for fly fishing.
People called pilgrems walk for days from one town to another.
Fly fishing you have to practice anyone can do it.
Some souvenirs are made from coal.
Spain makes wine and they like to go fly fishing.
They make 18 different flavors of cookies.
The movie was about the place around Spain and it was showing different places.
Flytime was written in 1644.
At the northern part of Spain in the rivers, the water temperature rises and falls depending on the weather.
The impressive landmark is the church.
At the end of the walk they go to Saint Diego.
2 lady’s walked 200 miles in 2 weeks.
A book was found about fly fishing in the 15th century.
There are a lot of supermarkets in Spain.
In Spain you don’t have to drive to stores, they’re close enough to walk to.
Wine has been grown for centuries. It’s a way of life for farmers.
A mid day break in Spain is serious.
The markets are exciting and honorable thing to go to very fascinating to Americans.
The people in Spain can rebuild or reassemble a brick wall very quickly and perfect.
During the nights people in Spain enjoy themselves which is nice and breezy.
From the video, it looks as if Spain is a very hot place. Although the people who reside there, seem to be friendly.
Southern part of Spain is one big vineyard.
Fly time was written in 1624.
Northern Spain is known for fishing especially fly fishing.
Major fish fished is trout.
A book was found, about fly fishing in the 15th century.
Chicken’s and Rooster’s are breeded for fly fishing.
Local people are given fish.
They walk long voages.
In local places residence play card and local games.
The grapes are ready in October.
The grapes have been growing for centuries in Spain.
A man demonstrated how they made wine a long time ago.
For years they eat lunch and go to church.
They got good fish food in Spain.
For most the workday the night are special at night.
Spain has more anchors of vines than any other country of grapes and grown for centuries.
4000 Kilometers of fly fishing places in Leon and popular for trout fish
Impressive place of Leon is the Cathedral.
The road use to link and unify culture.
They call it fly fishing.
Grape have been growing for centuries.
Grapes have been crown for century.
Spain holds events called bullfights in Coliseums.
Spain holds some of the most lavish parties.
Juice was collected on some rock (from Grapes)
The village is named after his father.
Leon: best fish in Spain and all of Europe.
Ladies has been singing for several of years.
They are on a journey.
Written by my students as “notes” on the movie (5 sentences worth of notes: I was pulling teeth, figuratively speaking.)
In early October, great harvest has started.
Spain has more acres of vines than anywhere else.
Corps has been growing in regions for century.
There is a hospital free of charge.
Leon has some of the best fish in Spain.
The king is the famous person.
They plant grapes for their lives.
They traveled the world.
Spain has the most person.
Some people walk and most have rides.
Spain has more acres of vines.
Spain grows grapes. Acres of them.
The take back the grapes to the elders.
The ladies go sing at a church.
Dominico: They built a hospital for the pilgrims that are around there.
They been drinking wines for the rest of their years.
Spain has more acres of vines than in the whole world.
Wine is a way of life.
The lady has 210-250 roosters.
The guy caught the largest fish.
They have 18 different kinds of cookies in the bakery.
The tourists walked to many places.
Wine making is very important they sell most of it.
Fly fish is very popular in Spain. When they catch a fish they let it go.
A lady breeds chickens and roosters for fly fishing.
People called pilgrems walk for days from one town to another.
Fly fishing you have to practice anyone can do it.
Some souvenirs are made from coal.
Spain makes wine and they like to go fly fishing.
They make 18 different flavors of cookies.
The movie was about the place around Spain and it was showing different places.
Flytime was written in 1644.
At the northern part of Spain in the rivers, the water temperature rises and falls depending on the weather.
The impressive landmark is the church.
At the end of the walk they go to Saint Diego.
2 lady’s walked 200 miles in 2 weeks.
A book was found about fly fishing in the 15th century.
There are a lot of supermarkets in Spain.
In Spain you don’t have to drive to stores, they’re close enough to walk to.
Wine has been grown for centuries. It’s a way of life for farmers.
A mid day break in Spain is serious.
The markets are exciting and honorable thing to go to very fascinating to Americans.
The people in Spain can rebuild or reassemble a brick wall very quickly and perfect.
During the nights people in Spain enjoy themselves which is nice and breezy.
From the video, it looks as if Spain is a very hot place. Although the people who reside there, seem to be friendly.
Southern part of Spain is one big vineyard.
Fly time was written in 1624.
Northern Spain is known for fishing especially fly fishing.
Major fish fished is trout.
A book was found, about fly fishing in the 15th century.
Chicken’s and Rooster’s are breeded for fly fishing.
Local people are given fish.
They walk long voages.
In local places residence play card and local games.
The grapes are ready in October.
The grapes have been growing for centuries in Spain.
A man demonstrated how they made wine a long time ago.
For years they eat lunch and go to church.
They got good fish food in Spain.
For most the workday the night are special at night.
Spain has more anchors of vines than any other country of grapes and grown for centuries.
4000 Kilometers of fly fishing places in Leon and popular for trout fish
Impressive place of Leon is the Cathedral.
The road use to link and unify culture.
They call it fly fishing.
Grape have been growing for centuries.
Grapes have been crown for century.
Spain holds events called bullfights in Coliseums.
Spain holds some of the most lavish parties.
Juice was collected on some rock (from Grapes)
The village is named after his father.
Leon: best fish in Spain and all of Europe.
Ladies has been singing for several of years.
They are on a journey.
Monday, November 24, 2008
re: "our 3rd is pretty cool." --> Amanda!!!
From an essay on "Why Spanish is or is not a good language to study, and why you are taking it this year" (in English):
" This year is my first year taking a Spanish class and i actually really like. Well we actually had three teachers so far. Our first one is kind-of-weird, and our second was kind of strict, but our 3rd is pretty cool. I like doing her work. I think she's pretty fun teacher But she does a lot of fun activities."
that's me!! :)
" This year is my first year taking a Spanish class and i actually really like. Well we actually had three teachers so far. Our first one is kind-of-weird, and our second was kind of strict, but our 3rd is pretty cool. I like doing her work. I think she's pretty fun teacher But she does a lot of fun activities."
that's me!! :)
Saturday, November 22, 2008
craft sale...
Well my first "solo" craft sale (hosted by the elementary school's PTO) was pretty much a flop.
I sold a few suckers for the Costa Rica Trip, and had a few ladies (there were maybe 10 non-vendors, tops!) looked at my pillowcase dresses. at least Laurie (the teacher who lives next/behind/beside/random preposition to me) wants 4 of them. i hope....
So i managed to sell one of my scarves (my $5 transformed from dollar tree scarves) to one of the younger girls at the sale - she gave me three dollars (what she had left after buying some suckers, lol...) and a pair of size 6 knitting needles that "we don't know how to knit, so you can have them if you want..." so yey. (more) nitn needls!
but most of the morning was really frustrating because no one really came. i'm not sure why, ...ridiculous, really. they probably had no signage or something. meh!
i am in the process of rolling yarn balls from the flea market two weeks ago-ish, and cleaning my trailer, and making "plarn."
I sold a few suckers for the Costa Rica Trip, and had a few ladies (there were maybe 10 non-vendors, tops!) looked at my pillowcase dresses. at least Laurie (the teacher who lives next/behind/beside/random preposition to me) wants 4 of them. i hope....
So i managed to sell one of my scarves (my $5 transformed from dollar tree scarves) to one of the younger girls at the sale - she gave me three dollars (what she had left after buying some suckers, lol...) and a pair of size 6 knitting needles that "we don't know how to knit, so you can have them if you want..." so yey. (more) nitn needls!
but most of the morning was really frustrating because no one really came. i'm not sure why, ...ridiculous, really. they probably had no signage or something. meh!
i am in the process of rolling yarn balls from the flea market two weeks ago-ish, and cleaning my trailer, and making "plarn."
craft sale...
Well my first "solo" craft sale (hosted by the elementary school's PTO) was pretty much a flop.
I sold a few suckers for the Costa Rica Trip, and had a few ladies (there were maybe 10 non-vendors, tops!) looked at my pillowcase dresses. at least Laurie (the teacher who lives next/behind/beside/random preposition to me) wants 4 of them. i hope....
So i managed to sell one of my scarves (my $5 transformed from dollar tree scarves) to one of the younger girls at the sale - she gave me three dollars (what she had left after buying some suckers, lol...) and a pair of size 6 knitting needles that "we don't know how to knit, so you can have them if you want..." so yey. (more) nitn needls!
but most of the morning was really frustrating because no one really came. i'm not sure why, ...ridiculous, really. they probably had no signage or something. meh!
i am in the process of rolling yarn balls from the flea market two weeks ago-ish, and cleaning my trailer, and making "plarn."
I sold a few suckers for the Costa Rica Trip, and had a few ladies (there were maybe 10 non-vendors, tops!) looked at my pillowcase dresses. at least Laurie (the teacher who lives next/behind/beside/random preposition to me) wants 4 of them. i hope....
So i managed to sell one of my scarves (my $5 transformed from dollar tree scarves) to one of the younger girls at the sale - she gave me three dollars (what she had left after buying some suckers, lol...) and a pair of size 6 knitting needles that "we don't know how to knit, so you can have them if you want..." so yey. (more) nitn needls!
but most of the morning was really frustrating because no one really came. i'm not sure why, ...ridiculous, really. they probably had no signage or something. meh!
i am in the process of rolling yarn balls from the flea market two weeks ago-ish, and cleaning my trailer, and making "plarn."
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
connections
i am procrastinating, again.
tomorrow is test #2... on chapter one of the textbook, and on some random stuff we've covered in class. I have to make up the test myself, and i didn't sleep last night because i had lots of coffee at Earl's in Gallup, where they happen to have amazing chili (in the southern sense, meaning chili sauce, lol) to go with the amazing enchiladas, and a really neat atmosphere: there are tons of vendors that come up to your table with their jewelry, (one guy had some flutes) and it's all gorgeous and really decently priced (Christine and Gay bought some, but i didn't... maybe next time).
But it was good coffee, and I had a good time away from Sanders with some crazyfun ladies.
who decided - while browsing through a thrift store's party supplies - that they are throwing me a birthday party. ha. ha. and inviting a select few from school.
re: connections.
i am sensing more and more that there are a few connections happening between my students and i, and this is making it harder for me to think about "next year." and whatever that may bring.
For example, one of my kids calls me "Son." I'm not sure how respectful his motives are, but he calls me "son."
There are a few of them that call me "mom." Maybe because I started calling them "children," or maybe just because they had lunch (this is my 6th hour class) and are more "alert," haha. But anyways, while i was helping some children with homeworkses, I kept hearing "mom, mom..."
so when I looked up, yes, it was one of my children. "Mom, can i use the bathroom?" So I said yes, i don't want to have to clean up; he took the green plastic dinosaur (my new hall pass - the inflatable flamingo wouldn't stay inflated) and came back shortly.
Then this morning, one of the girls came in a little early and asked me what i thought of her hair. She had dyed it to a gorgeous wheaty color (from the original blue then pink) and it kinda shocked me that (1) it was a normalish color and (2) she asked me what i thought of it. (she usually ignores me, well, kinda).
And more and more the children are saying hello to me in the hallways.
So when it comes to next year, I'm not sure whether i am supposed to stay on here, where these kids really just need some love and attention, or if i am supposed to move on to another place.
Especially since I don't have a real teaching certificate.
I do know, however, that somewhere out there are kids who need love. Wherever that is is up to my Abba, though.
Marty Stamos... how one of my kids signed a poster in the hallway,... that cracks me up.
tomorrow is test #2... on chapter one of the textbook, and on some random stuff we've covered in class. I have to make up the test myself, and i didn't sleep last night because i had lots of coffee at Earl's in Gallup, where they happen to have amazing chili (in the southern sense, meaning chili sauce, lol) to go with the amazing enchiladas, and a really neat atmosphere: there are tons of vendors that come up to your table with their jewelry, (one guy had some flutes) and it's all gorgeous and really decently priced (Christine and Gay bought some, but i didn't... maybe next time).
But it was good coffee, and I had a good time away from Sanders with some crazyfun ladies.
who decided - while browsing through a thrift store's party supplies - that they are throwing me a birthday party. ha. ha. and inviting a select few from school.
re: connections.
i am sensing more and more that there are a few connections happening between my students and i, and this is making it harder for me to think about "next year." and whatever that may bring.
For example, one of my kids calls me "Son." I'm not sure how respectful his motives are, but he calls me "son."
There are a few of them that call me "mom." Maybe because I started calling them "children," or maybe just because they had lunch (this is my 6th hour class) and are more "alert," haha. But anyways, while i was helping some children with homeworkses, I kept hearing "mom, mom..."
so when I looked up, yes, it was one of my children. "Mom, can i use the bathroom?" So I said yes, i don't want to have to clean up; he took the green plastic dinosaur (my new hall pass - the inflatable flamingo wouldn't stay inflated) and came back shortly.
Then this morning, one of the girls came in a little early and asked me what i thought of her hair. She had dyed it to a gorgeous wheaty color (from the original blue then pink) and it kinda shocked me that (1) it was a normalish color and (2) she asked me what i thought of it. (she usually ignores me, well, kinda).
And more and more the children are saying hello to me in the hallways.
So when it comes to next year, I'm not sure whether i am supposed to stay on here, where these kids really just need some love and attention, or if i am supposed to move on to another place.
Especially since I don't have a real teaching certificate.
I do know, however, that somewhere out there are kids who need love. Wherever that is is up to my Abba, though.
Marty Stamos... how one of my kids signed a poster in the hallway,... that cracks me up.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
ABC ... 123... llamas...
Sew today: I started about 7 more pillowcase dresses. they are really easy... the "hardest" part is the tie. they are sooo cute, too.
i just need to push spring-type clothing on people now...
also.
i got some of those ABC magnets - 4 packs, actually -for my students. only,... there are only 4 of each letter... so. i have dry erase markers for those super-long words.
go grrrreen.
(on the whiteboard in the Edge room (the people i hang with at church in Gallup) someone drew a llama and labelled it "Obama the llama."
haha.)
i, for one, did not vote for a llama....
right now i am going to go.. shower? :)
i just need to push spring-type clothing on people now...
also.
i got some of those ABC magnets - 4 packs, actually -for my students. only,... there are only 4 of each letter... so. i have dry erase markers for those super-long words.
go grrrreen.
(on the whiteboard in the Edge room (the people i hang with at church in Gallup) someone drew a llama and labelled it "Obama the llama."
haha.)
i, for one, did not vote for a llama....
right now i am going to go.. shower? :)
Monday, November 3, 2008
Fun (?) little update-ical blurbs
I am watching The Shining. Can't say I've watched it before, but I needed something to watch/listen to while cleaning up in preparation for "housing inspections."
Once again I have been disappointed by my students. I assigned them the daunting task of writing a childrens' story last Monday, to be due on Friday. They had literally all week to work on it, and I even extended the due date to today (Monday).
Today, though, we "started" Paso a Paso (our spanish TEXTBOOKS - there are THIRTY of them!!! Hallelujah!!). They had a bit of a hard time with the dialogues, because it was, i suppose, our first time. (Because I've been working more on vocabulary, but MEH).
We also talked about the things I am going to start saying / making them say. Such as, they know how to ask to use the restroom,.. but now i am not letting anyone leave if they can't say it in Spanish (example: library, nurse, office, Ms. Saffell, (haha).)
And then in 7th hour some girl came in and told me to go get a flu shot. I think it was free... the nurse who "gave" it to me was like On the count of 3 - 1, 2, 3... and I was like (in my head) - was i supposed to feel something? I didn't... but now I do. it is sore.
I am supposed to "keep moving my arm" (whatever that means??) So I finished another pillowcase dress. That makes two dresses (toddler sized, if anyone's interested: one's pale yellow, and one's whitepink. both have flowers. and are great for layering or wearing alone (in warmer weather).
there is a cat outside eating my leftover chicken from a few weeks ago that i though was in the fridge. (sorry for the grammarian mess). There were two of them eating from my garbage bag of chicken guts, so i was like, hey! cats must be hungry. easier than finding someplace for chicken guts - kitties! :) one of them ran off, and the other one (that is out there now) just chilled in the street.
So i burned my cardboard (i am gradually "adding" it to the pathetic excuse of soil we have, along with my coffee grouns) and then he came back,
or she.
I have the counter halfway cleared. WOOT!
Jack nicholson is ridiculous. and he's always angryous.
Mmm, old chips. that aren't too stale!
i miss you like crazy. all of you. write to me! i will write you back! on... my prep period! yeah! woot! Kristan, i need your real email address...
Once again I have been disappointed by my students. I assigned them the daunting task of writing a childrens' story last Monday, to be due on Friday. They had literally all week to work on it, and I even extended the due date to today (Monday).
Today, though, we "started" Paso a Paso (our spanish TEXTBOOKS - there are THIRTY of them!!! Hallelujah!!). They had a bit of a hard time with the dialogues, because it was, i suppose, our first time. (Because I've been working more on vocabulary, but MEH).
We also talked about the things I am going to start saying / making them say. Such as, they know how to ask to use the restroom,.. but now i am not letting anyone leave if they can't say it in Spanish (example: library, nurse, office, Ms. Saffell, (haha).)
And then in 7th hour some girl came in and told me to go get a flu shot. I think it was free... the nurse who "gave" it to me was like On the count of 3 - 1, 2, 3... and I was like (in my head) - was i supposed to feel something? I didn't... but now I do. it is sore.
I am supposed to "keep moving my arm" (whatever that means??) So I finished another pillowcase dress. That makes two dresses (toddler sized, if anyone's interested: one's pale yellow, and one's whitepink. both have flowers. and are great for layering or wearing alone (in warmer weather).
there is a cat outside eating my leftover chicken from a few weeks ago that i though was in the fridge. (sorry for the grammarian mess). There were two of them eating from my garbage bag of chicken guts, so i was like, hey! cats must be hungry. easier than finding someplace for chicken guts - kitties! :) one of them ran off, and the other one (that is out there now) just chilled in the street.
So i burned my cardboard (i am gradually "adding" it to the pathetic excuse of soil we have, along with my coffee grouns) and then he came back,
or she.
I have the counter halfway cleared. WOOT!
Jack nicholson is ridiculous. and he's always angryous.
Mmm, old chips. that aren't too stale!
i miss you like crazy. all of you. write to me! i will write you back! on... my prep period! yeah! woot! Kristan, i need your real email address...
Monday, October 27, 2008
too cool for drool.
no one reads this... at least on blogger. but if you do, leave me a comment.
i have a new friend. :) her name is Betsy. she likes doing crafty things that you can see the results right away, has a really neat house and a fun hubby, and invited me over for Thanksgiving. :) And she has a brother named Jeff who has a truck and knows a lot of neat places to hike - and pretty much grew up down here yonder. they have a sister, too. and a mum and pop. hahaha. . .
you can't tell that i've been helping my Spanish kids write children's books since Friday.
or that this morning was like Christmas for me - I got the textbooks I'd ordered!!! :) God is SO good, especially since this week is chaos with AIMS/PSAT testing and we wouldn't get much done in them, so I have all WEEK to plan. and :) yeah. There is a "Bonfire" on Sunday. which is great - and yet reminds me of the MSU /UM bonfires. did they have one this year? (or, was it even UM?)
and now for something completely different.
i'm going to bed.
i have a new friend. :) her name is Betsy. she likes doing crafty things that you can see the results right away, has a really neat house and a fun hubby, and invited me over for Thanksgiving. :) And she has a brother named Jeff who has a truck and knows a lot of neat places to hike - and pretty much grew up down here yonder. they have a sister, too. and a mum and pop. hahaha. . .
you can't tell that i've been helping my Spanish kids write children's books since Friday.
or that this morning was like Christmas for me - I got the textbooks I'd ordered!!! :) God is SO good, especially since this week is chaos with AIMS/PSAT testing and we wouldn't get much done in them, so I have all WEEK to plan. and :) yeah. There is a "Bonfire" on Sunday. which is great - and yet reminds me of the MSU /UM bonfires. did they have one this year? (or, was it even UM?)
and now for something completely different.
i'm going to bed.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Plea for help. well, kinda. more of a plea to buy stuff...
I am attempting to get some kids to go to Costa Rica this coming June - but there's no way they can afford this on their own... so i've been trying to find some good fundraisers... A few of you gave me ideas, and a few others just gave me... some fun things to do. or something.
Example:
bake sale, hug sale, sell toilets, car wash
sell chocolate bars (*we live in the desert. kinda)
change your name for a day, wear pajamas in school...
However, here are some real things you could do to help:
Buy magazines at up to 85% off!! (amazing, I know!)
Buy (online) at your favorite stores (BestBuy, Target, WalMart, etc...) through this site, which will give us a comission (only when you go to those stores' websites through our "mall." Click here!!
( http://visitourmall.com/costaricatrip/ )
And if you do something as simple as your "online shopping" through these links, you'll be sending some kids to Costa Rica - most of these kids haven't even been out of the southwest!
just a thought. and a petition, of sorts. :)
thanks for reading! :)
~Amanda
Example:
bake sale, hug sale, sell toilets, car wash
sell chocolate bars (*we live in the desert. kinda)
change your name for a day, wear pajamas in school...
However, here are some real things you could do to help:
Buy magazines at up to 85% off!! (amazing, I know!)
Buy (online) at your favorite stores (BestBuy, Target, WalMart, etc...) through this site, which will give us a comission (only when you go to those stores' websites through our "mall." Click here!!
( http://visitourmall.com/costaricatrip/ )
And if you do something as simple as your "online shopping" through these links, you'll be sending some kids to Costa Rica - most of these kids haven't even been out of the southwest!
just a thought. and a petition, of sorts. :)
thanks for reading! :)
~Amanda
Friday, October 10, 2008
It's Friday and time for Surf's Up!
My lesson plans for yesterday and today? Watching the movie "Surf's Up." In English. I think these kids need a break, that way they'll be ready for the REAL STUFF come the beginning of next quarter.
Anyway, the movie Surf's Up - Quite reminiscent of the movie "Cars," for some reason - same adult-humor (by that I mean not in rating, but the jokes they throw in there), same silliness (baby penguins? pit crew? :) ) , slightly awkward "romantic" moments,... weird.
Lani -"Can I tell you something personal?" (haha)
Cody -"Well, we're in the shower together..."
Lani Aliikai: Oh, crap!
[runs out to save drowning penguin]
Cody Maverick: Oh man, I'm in love.
Chicken Joe*: You should go talk to her.
Cody Maverick: No way, man!
Chicken Joe: Dude, she's totally into you! She called you crap!
*played by Jon Heder :)
And there are also borderline ridiculous statements...
Chicken Joe: Cody's around here somewhere, I can feel it in my nuggets!
[Cody has just raspberried at Glen] ***this is one of the funniest scenes. :) It was fun watching my kids watch it. hehe. ...
Glen Maverick: That's really disrespectful.
[Cody blows another raspberry]
Glen Maverick: I would never do that...
Cody Maverick: Mm-hm. You just wouldn't make it out of your mouth.
Chicken Joe: I'm Chicken Joe. Joseph. It's long for Joe.
Cody Maverick: My name's Cody Maverick, Shiverpool. You?
Chicken Joe: No, I'm not from Shiverpool.
If you can't tell, I dig Chicken Joe. My bros do, too. :)
And I am supposed to get paid today... Which is great, because if I actually get my checks - yes, plural. then I can buy groceries, maybe a table and some chairs (so I don't have to sit / lie on the floor to eat) and take my laptop to BestBuy so it can see the doctor... (pray that it still works... it has a fan problem right now.)
So,.. my pans for Fall Break? Which starts this afternoon and ends really early in the morning on the 20th. . .
Go shopping in the "big city" - Albuquerque. Probably experience some reverse culture shock.
Best Buy, Target, Barnes and Noble, World Market, Goodwill. (Goodwill is the only one of those five listed that's relatively close to me right now... sad.)
maybe go to the Grand Canyon. or hiking somewhere....
and it's my prep period now! More later, perhaps!
Anyway, the movie Surf's Up - Quite reminiscent of the movie "Cars," for some reason - same adult-humor (by that I mean not in rating, but the jokes they throw in there), same silliness (baby penguins? pit crew? :) ) , slightly awkward "romantic" moments,... weird.
Lani -"Can I tell you something personal?" (haha)
Cody -"Well, we're in the shower together..."
Lani Aliikai: Oh, crap!
[runs out to save drowning penguin]
Cody Maverick: Oh man, I'm in love.
Chicken Joe*: You should go talk to her.
Cody Maverick: No way, man!
Chicken Joe: Dude, she's totally into you! She called you crap!
*played by Jon Heder :)
And there are also borderline ridiculous statements...
Chicken Joe: Cody's around here somewhere, I can feel it in my nuggets!
[Cody has just raspberried at Glen] ***this is one of the funniest scenes. :) It was fun watching my kids watch it. hehe. ...
Glen Maverick: That's really disrespectful.
[Cody blows another raspberry]
Glen Maverick: I would never do that...
Cody Maverick: Mm-hm. You just wouldn't make it out of your mouth.
Chicken Joe: I'm Chicken Joe. Joseph. It's long for Joe.
Cody Maverick: My name's Cody Maverick, Shiverpool. You?
Chicken Joe: No, I'm not from Shiverpool.
If you can't tell, I dig Chicken Joe. My bros do, too. :)
And I am supposed to get paid today... Which is great, because if I actually get my checks - yes, plural. then I can buy groceries, maybe a table and some chairs (so I don't have to sit / lie on the floor to eat) and take my laptop to BestBuy so it can see the doctor... (pray that it still works... it has a fan problem right now.)
So,.. my pans for Fall Break? Which starts this afternoon and ends really early in the morning on the 20th. . .
Go shopping in the "big city" - Albuquerque. Probably experience some reverse culture shock.
Best Buy, Target, Barnes and Noble, World Market, Goodwill. (Goodwill is the only one of those five listed that's relatively close to me right now... sad.)
maybe go to the Grand Canyon. or hiking somewhere....
and it's my prep period now! More later, perhaps!
Monday, October 6, 2008
excerpts from test #1.... which has a high grade of 76 so far... :-/
"Write a dialogue between two people/animals:"
"Hi my name is Walter and I'm from Teaxs my nationality is white. My birthday is on the 10-18-79 of this month. My favorite animals are horse's, dog's, and cats. My activities are riding horses, working on my dog. My dislikes are not to sit around at home." *totally in English. haha.
Señor Cortez - ¿hola?
Señorita munez -' HUH? (¿que?)
Señor Cortez - Do you e speak ¿español?
Señorita munez-Nope. Sorry.
Señor Cortez - Alrighty then, good day to you.
Señorita munez- peace out! !
"Mi nombre es Tom... Soy de America. Soy Americana." (mixing genders - calling himself a woman...eeps! )
"Como esa usted, Señor Marcus? (idk just sed something)
Buenos diaz, Señorita Sally =) haha. random name. "
"FORGOTZ"
"Hola! Yo soy un perro. Me llamo es ginger. Soy de Mexico. Me gusta leer. No me gusta nadar afuera. Mi cumpleaños es vientiseis de julio."
"Hola mi nombre es Boomer. Hola Boomer, mi nombre es Spagnoli.
Hola Spagnoli. ¿De donde eres? Yo soy de America. ¿De donde eres Boomer?
Yo soy de Finlandia, no me gusta Finlandia. ¿Cuando es tu cumpleaños Boomer?
Mi cumpleaños es el cinco de Mayo. ¿Como Ud? Mi cumpleaños es el tres de octubre. La fecha de hoy_ Hoy es el seis de octubre, spagnoli.¨
"Hola! Mi nombre es Señor Pez. Yo soy de America. Yo soy americana. Me gusta nadar afuera." (Señor Pez is what I named the "class" betta fish.)
"Rocksand. brou October 23, 1990. She is 18 teen year old. She is from tubscity. She lik to Ranch. and basketball. her favert colors pink and blue. She Rodeos when she is off school or out of school.
Sister = Dana. Bod 10/28... likes to whack tv, and cats. we..."
*this just confused me.... so i wrote "in spanish, please" on his paper. in spanish.
What time of day would you say the following? -
"Buenas tardes" _______--> "late to class"
"Hi my name is Walter and I'm from Teaxs my nationality is white. My birthday is on the 10-18-79 of this month. My favorite animals are horse's, dog's, and cats. My activities are riding horses, working on my dog. My dislikes are not to sit around at home." *totally in English. haha.
Señor Cortez - ¿hola?
Señorita munez -' HUH? (¿que?)
Señor Cortez - Do you e speak ¿español?
Señorita munez-Nope. Sorry.
Señor Cortez - Alrighty then, good day to you.
Señorita munez- peace out! !
"Mi nombre es Tom... Soy de America. Soy Americana." (mixing genders - calling himself a woman...eeps! )
"Como esa usted, Señor Marcus? (idk just sed something)
Buenos diaz, Señorita Sally =) haha. random name. "
"FORGOTZ"
"Hola! Yo soy un perro. Me llamo es ginger. Soy de Mexico. Me gusta leer. No me gusta nadar afuera. Mi cumpleaños es vientiseis de julio."
"Hola mi nombre es Boomer. Hola Boomer, mi nombre es Spagnoli.
Hola Spagnoli. ¿De donde eres? Yo soy de America. ¿De donde eres Boomer?
Yo soy de Finlandia, no me gusta Finlandia. ¿Cuando es tu cumpleaños Boomer?
Mi cumpleaños es el cinco de Mayo. ¿Como Ud? Mi cumpleaños es el tres de octubre. La fecha de hoy_ Hoy es el seis de octubre, spagnoli.¨
"Hola! Mi nombre es Señor Pez. Yo soy de America. Yo soy americana. Me gusta nadar afuera." (Señor Pez is what I named the "class" betta fish.)
"Rocksand. brou October 23, 1990. She is 18 teen year old. She is from tubscity. She lik to Ranch. and basketball. her favert colors pink and blue. She Rodeos when she is off school or out of school.
Sister = Dana. Bod 10/28... likes to whack tv, and cats. we..."
*this just confused me.... so i wrote "in spanish, please" on his paper. in spanish.
What time of day would you say the following? -
"Buenas tardes" _______--> "late to class"
Friday, October 3, 2008
plarnsenger bag,
Another fire drill! That makes three!
And it is "spirit day" which means that there is chaos and half of my classes are going to be out working on floats - and we have a test in here on Monday.... meh!
I am going to try to use this time - before the pep rally, at least - to plan for next week. And, since we don't have books yet, to use the Paso a Paso website to make up some vocabulary handouts and worksheets using the aforementioned vocabulary.
So I call the kids in my classes "children" - like when it's time to get started, I'll say "Alright children, get out your packets,..." and funny times - some of them call me "mom" now - "Okay, mom." hahahahahah. this makes me smile. :)
I went to my first lady Pirates volleyball game last night - It was confusing because they played to 25 for each match.... our girls are pretty good - the other team was decent, too - we had several long volleys going there for awhile.
I am mostly done with my plarnsenger bag - my plarn messenger bag... :)
yey.
i am going to make some mittens.
and keep working on my blanket. and the baby sweater that I started....
for a girl baby.
The girls in my 1st hour just happened to have "John Tucker Must Die"with them, and I just happened to bring my DVD player... so they are watching it. Danielle (who brought it) has hot pink hair. :) hehe.
Back to making up stuff to learn next week! :)
and making students turn things in! :)
and maybe going to the football game tnight. if i can find someone to go with - I went to the bonfire last night and no one really talked to me, and I couldn't find any "teachers" to hang out with, so I left.
And it is "spirit day" which means that there is chaos and half of my classes are going to be out working on floats - and we have a test in here on Monday.... meh!
I am going to try to use this time - before the pep rally, at least - to plan for next week. And, since we don't have books yet, to use the Paso a Paso website to make up some vocabulary handouts and worksheets using the aforementioned vocabulary.
So I call the kids in my classes "children" - like when it's time to get started, I'll say "Alright children, get out your packets,..." and funny times - some of them call me "mom" now - "Okay, mom." hahahahahah. this makes me smile. :)
I went to my first lady Pirates volleyball game last night - It was confusing because they played to 25 for each match.... our girls are pretty good - the other team was decent, too - we had several long volleys going there for awhile.
I am mostly done with my plarnsenger bag - my plarn messenger bag... :)
yey.
i am going to make some mittens.
and keep working on my blanket. and the baby sweater that I started....
for a girl baby.
The girls in my 1st hour just happened to have "John Tucker Must Die"with them, and I just happened to bring my DVD player... so they are watching it. Danielle (who brought it) has hot pink hair. :) hehe.
Back to making up stuff to learn next week! :)
and making students turn things in! :)
and maybe going to the football game tnight. if i can find someone to go with - I went to the bonfire last night and no one really talked to me, and I couldn't find any "teachers" to hang out with, so I left.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Ugh.... some people's children.
today i taught a fourth of my 6th hour class. the rest of them chose to talk incesantly while i was reading vocabulary words and explaining things. . . it was terrible. I was having them repeat vocab after me (so they'd know how the words sound) and eventually, they just kept talking after I asked them to stop at least 5 times. So I sat on the side of the room where no one was talking amongst themselves, and finished up with them. The rest of the kids kept talking, and I didn't really care anymore because they chose to so I didn't feel like wasting my time or everyone else's by not continuing with the lesson...
needless to say, they better not be disappointed with at least 5 points off the test. which they are most likely not going to be ready for on Monday....
pssshhh.
i haven't seen the sun in awhile. maybe i'll go outside.
or just do my ballet conditioning video again - i did it last night and it was in-tents. :)
needless to say, they better not be disappointed with at least 5 points off the test. which they are most likely not going to be ready for on Monday....
pssshhh.
i haven't seen the sun in awhile. maybe i'll go outside.
or just do my ballet conditioning video again - i did it last night and it was in-tents. :)
Sunday, September 28, 2008
what i love love love.
I first found these at Kmart:
but I found that they have a website - ! and they also have tea flavors and other great fun things. so if you like tea or coffee and want to try something amazing - go here:
http://fusiongourmet.com
oh i am taking donations of these, too... some of my kids try to sleep in class, so i tried bribing them with these and unfortunately, they liked them... oops... :)
Saturday, September 27, 2008
i am LAME. with a capital L.
So yesterday I was extremely frustrated on the inside and slightly smilie-ish on the outside because of the not=getting-a-paycheck thing,
and then Christine and Gay kidnapped me and made me go to Gallup with them. I got to see a teacher store and buy two purple pens so I can grade papers; we spent an hour or so in Goodwill while Gay was waiting for her order at the pharmacy and I found the SWEETEST dishes set.s.
One was a teaset type of thing - robin's egg blue thick melamine dishes with multicolored fleckles all over it - about 7 or 8 small plates, some saucers, and 4 or 5 cups, and a creamer/sugar bowl set.
and I found some really cute cups - two are chiner teacups white with red/blue flowers
(i found it on ebay's site...), and then two -with 4 matching snack plates(?) - are more like coffee mugs with orange and pink flowers. and adorable. and totally match my black towels. as weird as that sounds. because blue speckleware, pink/red/orange/white cups, and black towels for some reason look great together.
As to why I am lame?
I am at school. On a Saturday. Playing on the Internet because I have nothing to do. I spent the morning digging in the sand?dirt? dust? and planting birdseed (yes, birdseed.) and arranging rocks in my yard. And moping around feeling sorry for myself because I have yet to find someone my age who wants to do something with me. (maybe that's why I bought so many teacups, because I reallly, reallllly want people to come over. butI don't think that can happen if I can't even buy a kitchen table, let alone a shower curtain so I don't soak the floor every time I want to be clean.
and I want to go to church in Gllup tmorrow, butI don't think that will happen, because I can't even buy gas enough to do that and make it through the next few weeks. I am going to leave school now, because I haven't gotten anything done, and maybe I will just go home and crochet plastic bags into something useful. like maybe a purse. And come back tomorrow afternoon perhaps when I am less lonely and frustrated. Arrrr. (it's homecoming next week - go Pirates! :) )
and then Christine and Gay kidnapped me and made me go to Gallup with them. I got to see a teacher store and buy two purple pens so I can grade papers; we spent an hour or so in Goodwill while Gay was waiting for her order at the pharmacy and I found the SWEETEST dishes set.s.
One was a teaset type of thing - robin's egg blue thick melamine dishes with multicolored fleckles all over it - about 7 or 8 small plates, some saucers, and 4 or 5 cups, and a creamer/sugar bowl set.
and I found some really cute cups - two are chiner teacups white with red/blue flowers
(i found it on ebay's site...), and then two -with 4 matching snack plates(?) - are more like coffee mugs with orange and pink flowers. and adorable. and totally match my black towels. as weird as that sounds. because blue speckleware, pink/red/orange/white cups, and black towels for some reason look great together.As to why I am lame?
I am at school. On a Saturday. Playing on the Internet because I have nothing to do. I spent the morning digging in the sand?dirt? dust? and planting birdseed (yes, birdseed.) and arranging rocks in my yard. And moping around feeling sorry for myself because I have yet to find someone my age who wants to do something with me. (maybe that's why I bought so many teacups, because I reallly, reallllly want people to come over. butI don't think that can happen if I can't even buy a kitchen table, let alone a shower curtain so I don't soak the floor every time I want to be clean.
and I want to go to church in Gllup tmorrow, butI don't think that will happen, because I can't even buy gas enough to do that and make it through the next few weeks. I am going to leave school now, because I haven't gotten anything done, and maybe I will just go home and crochet plastic bags into something useful. like maybe a purse. And come back tomorrow afternoon perhaps when I am less lonely and frustrated. Arrrr. (it's homecoming next week - go Pirates! :) )
Friday, September 26, 2008
snails can be hilarious, too. (and soft, apparently)
My last class of the day is a "Reading Builder" class. I have no idea what to do with them:
So, I found some old composition books in the closet and they write in them almost every day.
Sometimes I give them poems to read. I am thinking about making them read The Sound and the Fury....
or some other Faulkner.
I just found out that I am not getting my paycheck today. Which is awesome, because I have no money until the 10th now.
and no furniture, really...
and like no food. meh.
Trust in the Lord with ALL.... lean not on your own understanding...,
at least i'll get a big paycheck. I hope.
A few days ago I had them write about "snails." ("At least mention the word snail somewhere...")
here are a few excertps: (keep in mind that these are high school students...)
" Well I never seen a snail before so yeah. So I seen the picture of one before and it looks wicked. I also heard that they are very slow at moving to different places. And that's all I got to say about them."
"Snails are bugs or i think fishes maybe either. There like slower as slow. We used ot have one but it died so that's it. "
"...I wonder why they're small and slow even though I haven't actually seen one but that's how they are." ...
"I seen a lot of snails at my grandfather's ranch in tanner spring..."
"OMG!! Today I feel so weird, because i have alot of energy drinks and i should of only drank one but nope i drank 4 now i feel sick but it is alright...." (this one made me laugh, because nowhere in the whole entry was the word "snail" mentioned.)
"I'm tired I can't think I like to carry around snails there fragile and soft."
(After reading cummings' poem: "I carry your heart is the most gayest ***ing poem I ever herd in my life. It's so gay it makes Micheal Jackson wanna be a rock star Just kidding It's a ok story.")
(from the same feller):" Is a snail those thing with a shell on there back.and there all slimy and sh(scribbled out). I seen a snail before at my house. They crawl very slow. It would take them months to crawl a mile.
"Over the weekend we went to G-town (Gallup) and my parents bought my sisters two snails and now I have to feed them everyday when I get home from school. It's all retarded and stupid and dumb and like one of them died two days ago. "
"One day I saw a snail at a park in Salt Lake City that time I was about 10 years old..."
So, I found some old composition books in the closet and they write in them almost every day.
Sometimes I give them poems to read. I am thinking about making them read The Sound and the Fury....
or some other Faulkner.
I just found out that I am not getting my paycheck today. Which is awesome, because I have no money until the 10th now.
and no furniture, really...
and like no food. meh.
Trust in the Lord with ALL.... lean not on your own understanding...,
at least i'll get a big paycheck. I hope.
A few days ago I had them write about "snails." ("At least mention the word snail somewhere...")
here are a few excertps: (keep in mind that these are high school students...)
" Well I never seen a snail before so yeah. So I seen the picture of one before and it looks wicked. I also heard that they are very slow at moving to different places. And that's all I got to say about them."
"Snails are bugs or i think fishes maybe either. There like slower as slow. We used ot have one but it died so that's it. "
"...I wonder why they're small and slow even though I haven't actually seen one but that's how they are." ...
"I seen a lot of snails at my grandfather's ranch in tanner spring..."
"OMG!! Today I feel so weird, because i have alot of energy drinks and i should of only drank one but nope i drank 4 now i feel sick but it is alright...." (this one made me laugh, because nowhere in the whole entry was the word "snail" mentioned.)
"I'm tired I can't think I like to carry around snails there fragile and soft."
(After reading cummings' poem: "I carry your heart is the most gayest ***ing poem I ever herd in my life. It's so gay it makes Micheal Jackson wanna be a rock star Just kidding It's a ok story.")
(from the same feller):" Is a snail those thing with a shell on there back.and there all slimy and sh(scribbled out). I seen a snail before at my house. They crawl very slow. It would take them months to crawl a mile.
"Over the weekend we went to G-town (Gallup) and my parents bought my sisters two snails and now I have to feed them everyday when I get home from school. It's all retarded and stupid and dumb and like one of them died two days ago. "
"One day I saw a snail at a park in Salt Lake City that time I was about 10 years old..."
Monday, September 22, 2008
PLARN-ed!
i saw an advertisement for a craft bazaar and - even though i may be the only blonde - i think i am going to do it. at least, i am going to attempt to make enough plarn purses/bags, etc... :) we shall see. and if my laptop ever works again (:-/) I can post pictures? :) I have a little over a month. unless i do the one in December. :0D yey.
PLARN-ed!
i saw an advertisement for a craft bazaar and - even though i may be the only blonde - i think i am going to do it. at least, i am going to attempt to make enough plarn purses/bags, etc... :) we shall see. and if my laptop ever works again (:-/) I can post pictures? :) I have a little over a month. unless i do the one in December. :0D yey.
necesito ayuda. I need your assistance, please?! :)
Sooooo...
Our "fall break" is from the 13th to the 17th of October and I really want to maybe go visit my Michiganders, but... I might not have a paycheck yet to get a plane ticket. and I'd need at least $450 to get a ticket and gas to drive to an airport...
but I have a week off!!! So hmm... i've been scouring cheaptickets and all that, and anyone who feels like helping me find a good ticket so in case I DO have money then I can visit,....
I'm living in Sanders, AZ, so:
Flagstaff, AZ is 143 miles away,
Albuquerque, NM is 180 miles away,
Phoenix is like 4 hours away,...
Yeah.
and Farmington, NM is like $763 for their flight... sick.
I'd like to leave probably Saturday the 11th of Oak-tu-bray (october) and get back to AZ onthe 18th or 19th so I can be back in time for school again. (meh.)
ANY help would be .... well, ama-zing. !
Our "fall break" is from the 13th to the 17th of October and I really want to maybe go visit my Michiganders, but... I might not have a paycheck yet to get a plane ticket. and I'd need at least $450 to get a ticket and gas to drive to an airport...
but I have a week off!!! So hmm... i've been scouring cheaptickets and all that, and anyone who feels like helping me find a good ticket so in case I DO have money then I can visit,....
I'm living in Sanders, AZ, so:
Flagstaff, AZ is 143 miles away,
Albuquerque, NM is 180 miles away,
Phoenix is like 4 hours away,...
Yeah.
and Farmington, NM is like $763 for their flight... sick.
I'd like to leave probably Saturday the 11th of Oak-tu-bray (october) and get back to AZ onthe 18th or 19th so I can be back in time for school again. (meh.)
ANY help would be .... well, ama-zing. !
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
semana dos. . .
Week two:
Well, this week was slightly productive. :)
I say slightly because that's how it feels right now, after grading almost everyone's quizzes on animal vocabulary... But more on that later.
My computer has decided that its internal fans need to stop working. I'm not sure if this is from the dust of the badlands that collected in my backpack on my several hikes, or just because it's in the mood to die, but I haven't been able to use it in the past few days at all - even the fan-pad thing I bought to put under it to alleviate the heat it produces wasn't working. :( so no FB or gmail for me, unless I go to the library. And I was rather hoping to do some lesson planning at home... Especially since we don't have books yet, and I have no no no no no nooo idea how to go about choosing a Spanish textbook.
So I got to have my first "parent teacher" conferences... About 20 people came to see me altogether over the two evenings that conferences were held. Most of them were mothers or grandmothers.... Many of these kids don't have fathers in the picture. :( But it was good to be able to put faces to names that belong to them. I am still trying to know everyone's names; seating charts help :) a LOt. As does those people who actually turn in their homework...
Homework. *Shudder*. So last week I assigned everyone the daunting task of
1) Making vocabulary cards of the Animal List that I handed out, and
2) Making a travel brochure of a Spanish=speaking country or a city in that country.
and then on the due dates for the notecards, a very sparse handful showed me that they were done.
and for the brochures? That I was hoping to have decorating the walls on my "clothesline" for P/T conferences? ??? Yeah,... I received 5. Out of 102 or so students, I received 5 brochures on the day taht they were due. MEH. So I've been trying to be lenient and let them work onthem a little bit in class, but the points are going down... and Monday they are only going to be 10 points (out of the 20) maximum, barring neatness, creativity, etc...
We also went -albeit briefly - over a list of clothing vocabulary words. And a very, very basic run-through of the verb "llevar," to wear. I assigned a few of the classes 5 sentences stating what they wear... It's so hard for me to be patient with them right now, especially when they don't turn things in as a vast majority, and hard for me to be patient with myself, because I want to teach them everything at once, ..... and I need to find a better few websites than the (slightly) British ones to supply my vocabulary words. And I have no money to buy books... So I am using the few Spanish books I found at Goodwill (YEY!!) and a few that I found in the classroom, and trying to piece together something semi-understandable for my Spanish 1 kids, and my one spanish2 class (that is basically Spanish 1 level, unfortunately).
So right now it's kinda a day-to-day lesson plan experience. Maybe I can actually set up a whole week in advance this weekend, since I haven't gotten a paycheck yet,...
We are going to work on pronouns and maybe even get to start on conjugating -AR verbs...
and then practicing the verb llevar (to wear) and maybe a few more.... And maybe have them go shopping... for clothes. And practice their numbers at the same time.
Hmmm ideas. :)
Right now we are watching a movie on the Corazon de España. Madrid, Sevilla, etc... I want to go back now. wahhhh. lol. I want to take these kids to another country, but I'm not sure if that would even be possible monetary-wise, because they're in high school, and so many of them don't actually have a lot of money.
So if I can find a reallly inexpensive group trip type things I want to look into that for maybe this summer or maybe spring break... I want these kids to have so much more than they do already, and how much more cool would it be to visit a place like Mexico, which is just south of us.... ???
Pray for me that I can have wisdom with what to do. :)
and that I will be patient with myself. :) and consistent with the chillerns here.
and for my walk to be consistent.
I have one more class' worth of quizzes to put into the computer, and then a few to finish grading, and then I am going to look for things relating to clothing stores online... :)
If any of you have school supplies - notecards/3x5 cards, colored pencils, glue, markers, scissor(!), or any old magazines/catalogues that you don't want, I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to take them off your hands.
PO Box 1114
Sanders, AZ 86512
;)
Muchas gracias!!
~Amanda
Well, this week was slightly productive. :)
I say slightly because that's how it feels right now, after grading almost everyone's quizzes on animal vocabulary... But more on that later.
My computer has decided that its internal fans need to stop working. I'm not sure if this is from the dust of the badlands that collected in my backpack on my several hikes, or just because it's in the mood to die, but I haven't been able to use it in the past few days at all - even the fan-pad thing I bought to put under it to alleviate the heat it produces wasn't working. :( so no FB or gmail for me, unless I go to the library. And I was rather hoping to do some lesson planning at home... Especially since we don't have books yet, and I have no no no no no nooo idea how to go about choosing a Spanish textbook.
So I got to have my first "parent teacher" conferences... About 20 people came to see me altogether over the two evenings that conferences were held. Most of them were mothers or grandmothers.... Many of these kids don't have fathers in the picture. :( But it was good to be able to put faces to names that belong to them. I am still trying to know everyone's names; seating charts help :) a LOt. As does those people who actually turn in their homework...
Homework. *Shudder*. So last week I assigned everyone the daunting task of
1) Making vocabulary cards of the Animal List that I handed out, and
2) Making a travel brochure of a Spanish=speaking country or a city in that country.
and then on the due dates for the notecards, a very sparse handful showed me that they were done.
and for the brochures? That I was hoping to have decorating the walls on my "clothesline" for P/T conferences? ??? Yeah,... I received 5. Out of 102 or so students, I received 5 brochures on the day taht they were due. MEH. So I've been trying to be lenient and let them work onthem a little bit in class, but the points are going down... and Monday they are only going to be 10 points (out of the 20) maximum, barring neatness, creativity, etc...
We also went -albeit briefly - over a list of clothing vocabulary words. And a very, very basic run-through of the verb "llevar," to wear. I assigned a few of the classes 5 sentences stating what they wear... It's so hard for me to be patient with them right now, especially when they don't turn things in as a vast majority, and hard for me to be patient with myself, because I want to teach them everything at once, ..... and I need to find a better few websites than the (slightly) British ones to supply my vocabulary words. And I have no money to buy books... So I am using the few Spanish books I found at Goodwill (YEY!!) and a few that I found in the classroom, and trying to piece together something semi-understandable for my Spanish 1 kids, and my one spanish2 class (that is basically Spanish 1 level, unfortunately).
So right now it's kinda a day-to-day lesson plan experience. Maybe I can actually set up a whole week in advance this weekend, since I haven't gotten a paycheck yet,...
We are going to work on pronouns and maybe even get to start on conjugating -AR verbs...
and then practicing the verb llevar (to wear) and maybe a few more.... And maybe have them go shopping... for clothes. And practice their numbers at the same time.
Hmmm ideas. :)
Right now we are watching a movie on the Corazon de España. Madrid, Sevilla, etc... I want to go back now. wahhhh. lol. I want to take these kids to another country, but I'm not sure if that would even be possible monetary-wise, because they're in high school, and so many of them don't actually have a lot of money.
So if I can find a reallly inexpensive group trip type things I want to look into that for maybe this summer or maybe spring break... I want these kids to have so much more than they do already, and how much more cool would it be to visit a place like Mexico, which is just south of us.... ???
Pray for me that I can have wisdom with what to do. :)
and that I will be patient with myself. :) and consistent with the chillerns here.
and for my walk to be consistent.
I have one more class' worth of quizzes to put into the computer, and then a few to finish grading, and then I am going to look for things relating to clothing stores online... :)
If any of you have school supplies - notecards/3x5 cards, colored pencils, glue, markers, scissor(!), or any old magazines/catalogues that you don't want, I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to take them off your hands.
PO Box 1114
Sanders, AZ 86512
;)
Muchas gracias!!
~Amanda
Friday, September 12, 2008
i'm in! and Extreme pickles pringles are good!
I got to teach this week!
On Tuesday I went into the classroom and did some fast thinking and lots of internal pep-talking with myself at the lack of materials, books, wall decorations...
The walls were covered in white posterboards with vocabulary words on them... which is great if you are a man teacher, I guess, but I wanted to barf. I know decorations shouldn't be my first priority, but if I can't think properly because there are blank white walls, I'm perty sure some of the students won't be able to, either.
so my mission tomorrow is to go thrift-store/dollar store shopping and get some supplies... such as crafty stuff (scissors, markers, glue), some type of fabric for the prison-like windows that are set 6 or so feet off the ground and are only 2x2ft. square,... some posters possibly, or at least some paint, and maybe a bookshelf for my bedroom (which is totally unrelated). and maybe a desk slash dresser.
On the first day I had (whoever was in class) write down why they were in spanish / what they wanted to learn / study this year. Some kids didn't write anything, others wrote "nothing," "learn to play the guitar real good," (?!?!?) some wrote "talk to girls, sweet talking," still others actually gave me helpful suggestions, like learning to speak more fluently, learning "more" color words, How to say (this or that,...) .
And then I had them "write 4 sentences in spanish - about whatever you want. this is for me, to see how much you guys have learned so far..." (so for the month before I came, there was a doctorate student kinda teaching the class, and then it was a bunch of substitutes, so these kids seem like they're really behind...) I got some good sentences. Like "Yo estoy enfermedad." (I am sickness.... ) and "my friend is ___. She is drunk."
"I need 120 beef tacos. and a Coke. Please."
Oh boy. :)
Day two - I gave them three front-and-back sheets of paper with ABCs, Numbers 1 to a million, a few key "greeting" phrases, and a list of 69 animals in spanish (with the English equivalents). Basically we spent the hour repeating the words/phrases so they could hear what they sounded like, and then my one spanish two class (I am kinda giving them the same material for now, ...) I had make skits with the vocab from the day... There were a bunch of composition books in the closet, so i took those out and gave one to each group in Spn.2 and they put their skits in there. One group decided to make a dialogue between a hippo and a few other animals. Bua ha ha. Yes! I was really hoping for some creativity.
Day three (yesterday): Probably a really dry and boring day for the students, but I think maybe it was important. I had them take notes on the rules for dividing (Spanish) words into syllables, and then (tried to) explained the rules, and gave a few examples. And made them attempt to divide the animal vocabulary into syllables...
Day four: (today!) I tried to make it more fun.... Yesterday after the staff meeting (my first one! yikes! I had to talk about myself. ewww) I checked out some books from Candi, the librarian, who is blonde (! - there are not very many here.... ;) ) on Spanish speaking countries for a project I have planned. So in class, I told them about it - (Since there are P/T conferences next week (it's going to be interesting, since I have very little idea of what's gone on before I arrived).
I am having them make travel brochures so I can have something to decorate the room with besides family trees that they made sometime in the beginning of the year... Little do they know that's pretty much the only reason they are doing this. Haha, just kidding. Kind of.
I am also making them make flashcards of all (yes, all 69) animals from the animal list and dividing them into syllables. I don't really care that much about the syllable, but it really will help them with pronunciation at least. They sound like Americans, lol... if you're a foreign language student you so know what I mean. A lot of my professors/teachers made fun of the students that spoke Xlanguage with an American accent. I don't think anyone's ever told me my Spanish sounded American; Zarema, my Russian prof, told me I have an ear for languages,... so when i hear an american spanish accent, hahaha... run away!
So with the chillens making flashcards and brochures, I had a little bit of time to finish up putting grades in the computer (i finally found the program that lets me do that last night - I had to install Firefox to be able to use it, I guess...) and I handed back (well, made them hand back) a ton of paperage....
I have no idea how many points I am supposed to be giving these people.... so right now there are just "homework, projects, quizzes, and tests. and i haven't found any "tests" yet, so i think they're safe there. I don't know what to do about grades for people that maybe weren't in class that day, though.... meh.
I should go to bed. I kinda signed up for Netflix and spent half an hour on there looking at the movies they offer. It should give me something to do, and maybe I can find some good spanishy movies...
write me a letter! I'll write back!!
PO Bx 1114
Sanders, AZ 86512
On Tuesday I went into the classroom and did some fast thinking and lots of internal pep-talking with myself at the lack of materials, books, wall decorations...
The walls were covered in white posterboards with vocabulary words on them... which is great if you are a man teacher, I guess, but I wanted to barf. I know decorations shouldn't be my first priority, but if I can't think properly because there are blank white walls, I'm perty sure some of the students won't be able to, either.
so my mission tomorrow is to go thrift-store/dollar store shopping and get some supplies... such as crafty stuff (scissors, markers, glue), some type of fabric for the prison-like windows that are set 6 or so feet off the ground and are only 2x2ft. square,... some posters possibly, or at least some paint, and maybe a bookshelf for my bedroom (which is totally unrelated). and maybe a desk slash dresser.
On the first day I had (whoever was in class) write down why they were in spanish / what they wanted to learn / study this year. Some kids didn't write anything, others wrote "nothing," "learn to play the guitar real good," (?!?!?) some wrote "talk to girls, sweet talking," still others actually gave me helpful suggestions, like learning to speak more fluently, learning "more" color words, How to say (this or that,...) .
And then I had them "write 4 sentences in spanish - about whatever you want. this is for me, to see how much you guys have learned so far..." (so for the month before I came, there was a doctorate student kinda teaching the class, and then it was a bunch of substitutes, so these kids seem like they're really behind...) I got some good sentences. Like "Yo estoy enfermedad." (I am sickness.... ) and "my friend is ___. She is drunk."
"I need 120 beef tacos. and a Coke. Please."
Oh boy. :)
Day two - I gave them three front-and-back sheets of paper with ABCs, Numbers 1 to a million, a few key "greeting" phrases, and a list of 69 animals in spanish (with the English equivalents). Basically we spent the hour repeating the words/phrases so they could hear what they sounded like, and then my one spanish two class (I am kinda giving them the same material for now, ...) I had make skits with the vocab from the day... There were a bunch of composition books in the closet, so i took those out and gave one to each group in Spn.2 and they put their skits in there. One group decided to make a dialogue between a hippo and a few other animals. Bua ha ha. Yes! I was really hoping for some creativity.
Day three (yesterday): Probably a really dry and boring day for the students, but I think maybe it was important. I had them take notes on the rules for dividing (Spanish) words into syllables, and then (tried to) explained the rules, and gave a few examples. And made them attempt to divide the animal vocabulary into syllables...
Day four: (today!) I tried to make it more fun.... Yesterday after the staff meeting (my first one! yikes! I had to talk about myself. ewww) I checked out some books from Candi, the librarian, who is blonde (! - there are not very many here.... ;) ) on Spanish speaking countries for a project I have planned. So in class, I told them about it - (Since there are P/T conferences next week (it's going to be interesting, since I have very little idea of what's gone on before I arrived).
I am having them make travel brochures so I can have something to decorate the room with besides family trees that they made sometime in the beginning of the year... Little do they know that's pretty much the only reason they are doing this. Haha, just kidding. Kind of.
I am also making them make flashcards of all (yes, all 69) animals from the animal list and dividing them into syllables. I don't really care that much about the syllable, but it really will help them with pronunciation at least. They sound like Americans, lol... if you're a foreign language student you so know what I mean. A lot of my professors/teachers made fun of the students that spoke Xlanguage with an American accent. I don't think anyone's ever told me my Spanish sounded American; Zarema, my Russian prof, told me I have an ear for languages,... so when i hear an american spanish accent, hahaha... run away!
So with the chillens making flashcards and brochures, I had a little bit of time to finish up putting grades in the computer (i finally found the program that lets me do that last night - I had to install Firefox to be able to use it, I guess...) and I handed back (well, made them hand back) a ton of paperage....
I have no idea how many points I am supposed to be giving these people.... so right now there are just "homework, projects, quizzes, and tests. and i haven't found any "tests" yet, so i think they're safe there. I don't know what to do about grades for people that maybe weren't in class that day, though.... meh.
I should go to bed. I kinda signed up for Netflix and spent half an hour on there looking at the movies they offer. It should give me something to do, and maybe I can find some good spanishy movies...
write me a letter! I'll write back!!
PO Bx 1114
Sanders, AZ 86512
Sunday, September 7, 2008
another week; church! and coffee. and almost there? maybe?
Well.
Today I went to Grace Bible Church (also in Gallup, so it was a "bit" of a drive, but nothing big compared to the rest of the drives I've been doing this summer). A little less than 40 minutes away. I got there maybe 15 minutes after Sunday School had started, so I snuck in with another lady after she showed me the coffee (yey!) that they served in real coffee cups (how fun!).
The pastor was teaching the sunday school, and they are (just starting) The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges. :) hurrah!
Everyone was really nice, and it wasn't just a congregation of one color/ethnicity. So that was cool. :) I wasn't the only blonde, and I wasn't lost in a crowd of white people, either. It was neat. Also, it was so so so wonderful to hear from the Word of God! :)
it was encouraging. :)
I am going to go to the after-high-school group that meets at 6 soon, and then to Walmart because well, I goto Walmart when I can, and I need um, milk. and a car sunshade. So my car doesn't implode from the heat. :)
and then tomorrow I am going to go to Flagstaff, if Rose is in her office and has my paperwork, and if I have the right "receipt" from my fingerprinting, and if I can get to Flagstaff (~2 hours of driving there from Sanders) and back by 4ish, and if the school board actually meets tomorrow night, I can start working as a substitute teacher in the spanish classroom on Tuesday. or soon thereafter. and if not, well, I am going to be sad. I've been trying to push these people to get me in the classroom somehow, but it's not very encouraging to be sitting around day after day because people are never in their offices when they are "supposed to be" or when I need to see them about something, or yeah.
So pray that I will be brave.
:)
and that maybe I can trust God with His timing. :)
write to me!
:)
~Amanda
Today I went to Grace Bible Church (also in Gallup, so it was a "bit" of a drive, but nothing big compared to the rest of the drives I've been doing this summer). A little less than 40 minutes away. I got there maybe 15 minutes after Sunday School had started, so I snuck in with another lady after she showed me the coffee (yey!) that they served in real coffee cups (how fun!).
The pastor was teaching the sunday school, and they are (just starting) The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges. :) hurrah!
Everyone was really nice, and it wasn't just a congregation of one color/ethnicity. So that was cool. :) I wasn't the only blonde, and I wasn't lost in a crowd of white people, either. It was neat. Also, it was so so so wonderful to hear from the Word of God! :)
it was encouraging. :)
I am going to go to the after-high-school group that meets at 6 soon, and then to Walmart because well, I goto Walmart when I can, and I need um, milk. and a car sunshade. So my car doesn't implode from the heat. :)
and then tomorrow I am going to go to Flagstaff, if Rose is in her office and has my paperwork, and if I have the right "receipt" from my fingerprinting, and if I can get to Flagstaff (~2 hours of driving there from Sanders) and back by 4ish, and if the school board actually meets tomorrow night, I can start working as a substitute teacher in the spanish classroom on Tuesday. or soon thereafter. and if not, well, I am going to be sad. I've been trying to push these people to get me in the classroom somehow, but it's not very encouraging to be sitting around day after day because people are never in their offices when they are "supposed to be" or when I need to see them about something, or yeah.
So pray that I will be brave.
:)
and that maybe I can trust God with His timing. :)
write to me!
:)
~Amanda
Sunday, August 31, 2008
dream big... big enough to include God in those dreams. - Marilyn Laszlo
So....
I've filled out mountains of paperwork, made numerous phone calls, and taken lots of pictures of clouds.
The paperworking process and administration process is incredibly discouraging. :-/ But God brought me to Arizona for some reason or another, and even if I'll never know why, I still want to be able to praise Him through ... whatever this is.
See, the thing is, since I only have a Bachelor's Degree in the Spanish language, I have to apply for an Emergency Teaching Certificate. Which sounds easier than it actually is - it looks like I can only start teaching - in the high school Spanish classroom I was promised - as a substitute teacher to start, and then hopefully really soonfully after that with the emergencey certificate. Which is only good for a year at a time, and renewable if i take 6 credits of Ed. classes. which should be interesting, ....
So I have to be school-board-approved to even be a substitute, and with the Holiday weekend, and really slow-to-move admins (no offense to them, but it was terrible....) it will be at least Wednesday before I can begin working here. Which is frustrating, but I'm trying to look at it as a vacation.
So I have been going through my computer and deleting things that I don't need, organizing my music, using the stove
- God found me a spot living in a spare bedroom of one of the other teacher's trailers in the staff housing - it's nice and all, but she has two dogs and I'm allergic to them.... so hopefully the four new trailers they are bringing in will open up a trailer for me. Hopefully. . .
-- and reading a ton. Another blessing - there is a library, albeit a small one - books! I didn't read much all summer, and contrary to popular belief, it was easier than it seemed. I usually am in the middle of 12 or so books, but I was so busy being friends with great people and keeping in touch (although not as well as I'd've liked) with other great people.
My goal - Write at least a letter a day, or 6 a week, whichever comes first.
And it shall be easy to obtain, especially if you, my loyal readers, write to me.
(hint: Amanda Elaine Johnson
PO Box 1114
Sanders, AZ 86512 )
I went excursing into Gallup, NM today (it's only 35ish minutes away) to find a church - I got there around 10 after 9am and found a church that started Sunday School at 9:45 so I went to the Sunday school there; there was a couple and three men and myself; we read from Acts 27 and 28 where Paul gets shipwrecked. it was good,...
and then I went downstairs for the service which was terrible. Terrible as in,... the pastor started right out with a verse from John right after the time when Jesus heals a blind man while putting spitty mud in his eyes. The "sermon" was about work, and how it's good to have jobs and we need to have good attitudes, and well, I tuned him out because I was so disgusted. He mentioned the word "Baptist" several times, like he was proud of being a Baptist. He also only used two passages - and only in briefest of brief passings. And not even having all that much to do with us, but twisting the words of God's son coming to work "while it's still daytime" to mean that we need to be working while night's not here yet. So that made me not very happy and I really wanted to leave. I should have. . .
But anyways.
I found a little pub in Gallup - Really clean type - not the sleazy variety - that has wifi, so I am using that while I can. It's been weird not having internet 24/7 (because i don't have a teachery ID to use the wifi in the teachers housing yet. hopefully soon?? :) ), but Medora has taught me that it's totally okay not to be right next to a grocery store, Walmart, movies, etc. all the time. It's great not to hear ambulances every hour or so, too.
I am lonely, though. I saw my (new) housemate Christine about three times, and she's gone for the weekend, too. I went on a walk, and I passed the high school counselor, Samara, and her boyfriend. I also passed the former Spanish teacher and his daughter, who had to stop teaching because he's starting his Doctorate. He looked a lot like Tony Grubbs, one of my Spanish professors (the one who didn't let me pass either of his classes). And made me laugh inside.
The people here are beautiful. There are very few blondes. I went to Walmart and it was like a Navajo / Mexican VBS or something, there were so many little children running around or sliding on the floor (it was great fun).
But I haven't found anyone to people-watch with yet.
I am reveling in the power of the text message, and the cell phone.
Being able to hear someone's voice, or at least a textual representation of who they are, is such a blessing. Especially when I'm the only one I've really seen the past week or so.
On the upside, I found prickly pear and sage here. Hurrah! : )
Pray that I can find a friend. Or at least someone to take a walk or take picture of the flattop mountains with. Or something to do besides nothing.
I'll be expecting your letters...
I've filled out mountains of paperwork, made numerous phone calls, and taken lots of pictures of clouds.
The paperworking process and administration process is incredibly discouraging. :-/ But God brought me to Arizona for some reason or another, and even if I'll never know why, I still want to be able to praise Him through ... whatever this is.
See, the thing is, since I only have a Bachelor's Degree in the Spanish language, I have to apply for an Emergency Teaching Certificate. Which sounds easier than it actually is - it looks like I can only start teaching - in the high school Spanish classroom I was promised - as a substitute teacher to start, and then hopefully really soonfully after that with the emergencey certificate. Which is only good for a year at a time, and renewable if i take 6 credits of Ed. classes. which should be interesting, ....
So I have to be school-board-approved to even be a substitute, and with the Holiday weekend, and really slow-to-move admins (no offense to them, but it was terrible....) it will be at least Wednesday before I can begin working here. Which is frustrating, but I'm trying to look at it as a vacation.
So I have been going through my computer and deleting things that I don't need, organizing my music, using the stove
- God found me a spot living in a spare bedroom of one of the other teacher's trailers in the staff housing - it's nice and all, but she has two dogs and I'm allergic to them.... so hopefully the four new trailers they are bringing in will open up a trailer for me. Hopefully. . .
-- and reading a ton. Another blessing - there is a library, albeit a small one - books! I didn't read much all summer, and contrary to popular belief, it was easier than it seemed. I usually am in the middle of 12 or so books, but I was so busy being friends with great people and keeping in touch (although not as well as I'd've liked) with other great people.
My goal - Write at least a letter a day, or 6 a week, whichever comes first.
And it shall be easy to obtain, especially if you, my loyal readers, write to me.
(hint: Amanda Elaine Johnson
PO Box 1114
Sanders, AZ 86512 )
I went excursing into Gallup, NM today (it's only 35ish minutes away) to find a church - I got there around 10 after 9am and found a church that started Sunday School at 9:45 so I went to the Sunday school there; there was a couple and three men and myself; we read from Acts 27 and 28 where Paul gets shipwrecked. it was good,...
and then I went downstairs for the service which was terrible. Terrible as in,... the pastor started right out with a verse from John right after the time when Jesus heals a blind man while putting spitty mud in his eyes. The "sermon" was about work, and how it's good to have jobs and we need to have good attitudes, and well, I tuned him out because I was so disgusted. He mentioned the word "Baptist" several times, like he was proud of being a Baptist. He also only used two passages - and only in briefest of brief passings. And not even having all that much to do with us, but twisting the words of God's son coming to work "while it's still daytime" to mean that we need to be working while night's not here yet. So that made me not very happy and I really wanted to leave. I should have. . .
But anyways.
I found a little pub in Gallup - Really clean type - not the sleazy variety - that has wifi, so I am using that while I can. It's been weird not having internet 24/7 (because i don't have a teachery ID to use the wifi in the teachers housing yet. hopefully soon?? :) ), but Medora has taught me that it's totally okay not to be right next to a grocery store, Walmart, movies, etc. all the time. It's great not to hear ambulances every hour or so, too.
I am lonely, though. I saw my (new) housemate Christine about three times, and she's gone for the weekend, too. I went on a walk, and I passed the high school counselor, Samara, and her boyfriend. I also passed the former Spanish teacher and his daughter, who had to stop teaching because he's starting his Doctorate. He looked a lot like Tony Grubbs, one of my Spanish professors (the one who didn't let me pass either of his classes). And made me laugh inside.
The people here are beautiful. There are very few blondes. I went to Walmart and it was like a Navajo / Mexican VBS or something, there were so many little children running around or sliding on the floor (it was great fun).
But I haven't found anyone to people-watch with yet.
I am reveling in the power of the text message, and the cell phone.
Being able to hear someone's voice, or at least a textual representation of who they are, is such a blessing. Especially when I'm the only one I've really seen the past week or so.
On the upside, I found prickly pear and sage here. Hurrah! : )
Pray that I can find a friend. Or at least someone to take a walk or take picture of the flattop mountains with. Or something to do besides nothing.
I'll be expecting your letters...
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
double rainbows, huge skies, and Jesus music
So even though today was terribly long - I had a mountain of paperwork, texts, and phonecalls to make, and the "people in charge" weren't really concerned with why I was there - it seemed - God is still good. Even if I can't teach simply as a substitute teacher in the classroom I was hoping to get until Tuesday. Even if I have to share a trailer with an older woman and her two yippy dogs. Even if I didn't get as lost in Gallup tonight when I ventured out to get groceries. slash Taco Bell.
Even if I miss people terribly. . .
There is a radio station here called K-Luv or K-Love or I'm not sure what their actual call letters are, but yeah. They followed me all the way to Sanders from Colorado, and God's put a lot of good songs on while i was in the car that have been just what I was supposed to be hearing.
And last night I saw a huge double rainbow covering the whole sky above Sanders.
and it was amazing - did you know that on a double rainbow the two arcs' colors are reversed? it was spiffy. Especially since I saw one over Wyoming's skies two nights before that!
So even though things are maybe not going to stop being frustrating, God is still there, and He cares for me and has a plan for me - whether that be in Medora, Sanders, or Michigan.
Your job?
Pray for me, that I stay faithful to the one who has called me thus far.
That i will be a salty lightbulb for Jesus.
Even if I miss people terribly. . .
There is a radio station here called K-Luv or K-Love or I'm not sure what their actual call letters are, but yeah. They followed me all the way to Sanders from Colorado, and God's put a lot of good songs on while i was in the car that have been just what I was supposed to be hearing.
And last night I saw a huge double rainbow covering the whole sky above Sanders.
and it was amazing - did you know that on a double rainbow the two arcs' colors are reversed? it was spiffy. Especially since I saw one over Wyoming's skies two nights before that!
So even though things are maybe not going to stop being frustrating, God is still there, and He cares for me and has a plan for me - whether that be in Medora, Sanders, or Michigan.
Your job?
Pray for me, that I stay faithful to the one who has called me thus far.
That i will be a salty lightbulb for Jesus.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
summer's end... and summer, summarized. or at least, some guys...
This summer was amazing. I got to spend three months in a little town smack dab in the middle of the Badlands of Southwestern North Dakota - Medora, ND to be precise.
I went there not knowing what to expect and not knowing anything about the town or the people with whom I would be spending a few months, and I left this morning.
I set out for Medora at the end of May and left with the idea that I would be going there to help lead worship services in town and in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, which just so happened to be in the town's backyard.
The first few days were rough, because I didn't know anyone at all, and everyone seemed to know everyone else already. Somehow I got sucked into a group of people out there on summer project and then I got connected with everyone else simply by scanning meal cards at the pizza parlor I worked.
*side note - I bought a personal pan pizza from the Pizza Hut in Deadwood, and I definitely really, really miss the pizza parlor pizza right now. It's amazing pizza.
Then I made some even closer friends because a few of us were having "boy issues" and needed people to vent with, and God used those women - and some high quality men in my life to push me ever closer to Him when things didn't turn out the way everyone thought they would. "Things," however, actually turned out far better than I could have wished for. God is amazing.
Anyways, I was going to write a few observations about this summer, slash appreciations and mentions of random things that made my summer what it was.
First, the smell of sage and old wood permeates the senses on a hot day - in Medora, this was almost every day. Except for the few completely random downpours and hailstorms...
and the sun. is amazing. ly hot. and not muggy like Michigan; the locals know 90 degrees is nothing to sneeze at, and the winters are ridiculous... But I'm not writing about the winters because I haven't experienced a Dakota winter. All I know is that Everyone has an electrical plug hanging from the hood of their vehicles to plug their motor (engine?) in somewhere in the winter when it hits negative 40 or so...
and when you can walk 20 minutes and find yourself in the middle of a field on top of a butte surrounded by prickly pear, prairie rose, and tall grasses - and maybe some buffalo (which are also known as bison, for those of you who may be confused),... well. It's hard not to see why the west called to so many people in the middle of the 19th century.
and the small (small being less than a hundred official locals - maybe a few hundred with the seasonal workers) town atmosphere is definitely something every city slicker should experience. I'm so glad I got to, because I know now that I can definitely survive without a ginormous grocery store and malls only 10 minutes from home. And being able to wave at everyone because you know them (except for the tourists, but you still wave) is so great... it's like a bond of some sort that you can only understand if you've done it. Whee!
and getting to put in everyone's orders for pizza and subs taught me quite a bit as well - some people never change... ;) Double pepperoni with ranch. . . pepperoni with lite cheese, ...to go, never to stay because they eat it after the musical... and when they order something different, you wonder what's going on. :)
and once they ordered their pizza i would usually have a few minutes - or seconds - to chat about life with whoever, and i think those few moments are what I am going to miss the most about this summer. The time when the hungry people-who-will-soon-get-filled come in and chat. about life, about roomates, relationships, jobs, being real, travel, Jesus. The time when - if just for a few seconds, the people in the musical get to kick back and be themselves. (I hope). The past weeks by myself after the CRU people left I got to spend some time with people - not as much as I would have liked, because of work - but enough. Well, maybe not enough. I could stay there forever and ever, but everyone else would leave... and i actually probably couldn't.
I've learned that even though I started the past several paragraphs with "and," there were people this summer that left a huge impression on my life.
Firstly the men -
Dedy: from Indonesia. I worked with him; he didn't speak much English... I hate writing in past tense. he was real sweet, though.
Andy: ridiculously musical. Not fair. He let me sit and listen to him play, which was amazing. because some people don't like that... but he did. and he let me watch mice with him at midnight. And we had some good chats about life, and it's always great to have a manly perspective on things. :0)
Seth: he taught me a bit of what I already thought I knew (re: guys in leadership and what it really looks like), and I really, really, really appreciate his listening to the Spirit leading in preparing for the services with ACMNP; we had some good conversations, and even though things got confusing, he stayed true to what he knew to be true and helped keep me on the right path. thanks :)
Chris: even though he kinda pushed the whole guy issue on me, (i don't know if he realizes this or not) he grew a ton this summer from what I saw of him, and was a veritable rock to myself and several other people.
Alan: oh my goodness. It's like my little brother came to Medora with me. He listens to the same music, is about the same height, looks the same, and gives great hugs. And he has that look of someone who you just have to hug. haha.
Kristan: One of the harder-to-see-leaving-me people... meh. even though he's younger than me, I'm pretty sure I see him as an older-type-of-brother that I never got to have.. He is a wonderful listener, prayer, singer,... and I'm pretty sure he's wise beyond his years. :) And he got me to like Skillet.
Chad: he sings and plays the keys in the musical. and still talked to me at the pizza parlor. Last night when I was frustrated and couldn't figure out a driving route, he took a look at my atlas and helped straighten out my brain. And I'm sad that we were just beginning to be friends. meh. Guillaume: sure, he's from france and has an accent and amazingly blue eyes, but he and I had some good chatation. and I hope he stays in touch somehow...
I think I am going to maybe write about more people later, but for now...
I am in Lusk, Wyoming. And there is a king-sized bed, a refrigerator, microwave, and tv and wifi... more on this new adventure later, though.
I went there not knowing what to expect and not knowing anything about the town or the people with whom I would be spending a few months, and I left this morning.
I set out for Medora at the end of May and left with the idea that I would be going there to help lead worship services in town and in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, which just so happened to be in the town's backyard.
The first few days were rough, because I didn't know anyone at all, and everyone seemed to know everyone else already. Somehow I got sucked into a group of people out there on summer project and then I got connected with everyone else simply by scanning meal cards at the pizza parlor I worked.
*side note - I bought a personal pan pizza from the Pizza Hut in Deadwood, and I definitely really, really miss the pizza parlor pizza right now. It's amazing pizza.
Then I made some even closer friends because a few of us were having "boy issues" and needed people to vent with, and God used those women - and some high quality men in my life to push me ever closer to Him when things didn't turn out the way everyone thought they would. "Things," however, actually turned out far better than I could have wished for. God is amazing.
Anyways, I was going to write a few observations about this summer, slash appreciations and mentions of random things that made my summer what it was.
First, the smell of sage and old wood permeates the senses on a hot day - in Medora, this was almost every day. Except for the few completely random downpours and hailstorms...
and the sun. is amazing. ly hot. and not muggy like Michigan; the locals know 90 degrees is nothing to sneeze at, and the winters are ridiculous... But I'm not writing about the winters because I haven't experienced a Dakota winter. All I know is that Everyone has an electrical plug hanging from the hood of their vehicles to plug their motor (engine?) in somewhere in the winter when it hits negative 40 or so...
and when you can walk 20 minutes and find yourself in the middle of a field on top of a butte surrounded by prickly pear, prairie rose, and tall grasses - and maybe some buffalo (which are also known as bison, for those of you who may be confused),... well. It's hard not to see why the west called to so many people in the middle of the 19th century.
and the small (small being less than a hundred official locals - maybe a few hundred with the seasonal workers) town atmosphere is definitely something every city slicker should experience. I'm so glad I got to, because I know now that I can definitely survive without a ginormous grocery store and malls only 10 minutes from home. And being able to wave at everyone because you know them (except for the tourists, but you still wave) is so great... it's like a bond of some sort that you can only understand if you've done it. Whee!
and getting to put in everyone's orders for pizza and subs taught me quite a bit as well - some people never change... ;) Double pepperoni with ranch. . . pepperoni with lite cheese, ...to go, never to stay because they eat it after the musical... and when they order something different, you wonder what's going on. :)
and once they ordered their pizza i would usually have a few minutes - or seconds - to chat about life with whoever, and i think those few moments are what I am going to miss the most about this summer. The time when the hungry people-who-will-soon-get-filled come in and chat. about life, about roomates, relationships, jobs, being real, travel, Jesus. The time when - if just for a few seconds, the people in the musical get to kick back and be themselves. (I hope). The past weeks by myself after the CRU people left I got to spend some time with people - not as much as I would have liked, because of work - but enough. Well, maybe not enough. I could stay there forever and ever, but everyone else would leave... and i actually probably couldn't.
I've learned that even though I started the past several paragraphs with "and," there were people this summer that left a huge impression on my life.
Firstly the men -
Dedy: from Indonesia. I worked with him; he didn't speak much English... I hate writing in past tense. he was real sweet, though.
Andy: ridiculously musical. Not fair. He let me sit and listen to him play, which was amazing. because some people don't like that... but he did. and he let me watch mice with him at midnight. And we had some good chats about life, and it's always great to have a manly perspective on things. :0)
Seth: he taught me a bit of what I already thought I knew (re: guys in leadership and what it really looks like), and I really, really, really appreciate his listening to the Spirit leading in preparing for the services with ACMNP; we had some good conversations, and even though things got confusing, he stayed true to what he knew to be true and helped keep me on the right path. thanks :)
Chris: even though he kinda pushed the whole guy issue on me, (i don't know if he realizes this or not) he grew a ton this summer from what I saw of him, and was a veritable rock to myself and several other people.
Alan: oh my goodness. It's like my little brother came to Medora with me. He listens to the same music, is about the same height, looks the same, and gives great hugs. And he has that look of someone who you just have to hug. haha.
Kristan: One of the harder-to-see-leaving-me people... meh. even though he's younger than me, I'm pretty sure I see him as an older-type-of-brother that I never got to have.. He is a wonderful listener, prayer, singer,... and I'm pretty sure he's wise beyond his years. :) And he got me to like Skillet.
Chad: he sings and plays the keys in the musical. and still talked to me at the pizza parlor. Last night when I was frustrated and couldn't figure out a driving route, he took a look at my atlas and helped straighten out my brain. And I'm sad that we were just beginning to be friends. meh. Guillaume: sure, he's from france and has an accent and amazingly blue eyes, but he and I had some good chatation. and I hope he stays in touch somehow...
I think I am going to maybe write about more people later, but for now...
I am in Lusk, Wyoming. And there is a king-sized bed, a refrigerator, microwave, and tv and wifi... more on this new adventure later, though.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
a little large...
So the waistcoat - mostly finished in three days - was a liiiiittle on the ginormous size. So I am going to make it Large (rather than XXL) and see... if it's too small I can 1) give it away or 2) rip it and make the XL size.... bua ha ha,
and currently - scheming up what I can put in a package for some friends. :)
peace out, homies!
and currently - scheming up what I can put in a package for some friends. :)
peace out, homies!
a little large...
So the waistcoat - mostly finished in three days - was a liiiiittle on the ginormous size. So I am going to make it Large (rather than XXL) and see... if it's too small I can 1) give it away or 2) rip it and make the XL size.... bua ha ha,
and currently - scheming up what I can put in a package for some friends. :)
peace out, homies!
and currently - scheming up what I can put in a package for some friends. :)
peace out, homies!
Monday, March 10, 2008
Crocheted Waistcoat
So I have finally decided what I am going to attempt - I have no idea about the sizing, so I'm making it XXL sized; Pattern here. and it shall be Bernat's Rose, to use my olde yarn up. :)
I really like this website; it's mostly for knitters, but I've found some sweet crochet patterns, too.
The only downside is that most of the patterns are translated from Norwegian, so the majority is in "british" terminology.
Good thing there's this (a translating site for UK to US terms! ) :^)
I really like this website; it's mostly for knitters, but I've found some sweet crochet patterns, too.
The only downside is that most of the patterns are translated from Norwegian, so the majority is in "british" terminology.
Good thing there's this (a translating site for UK to US terms! ) :^)
Crocheted Waistcoat
So I have finally decided what I am going to attempt - I have no idea about the sizing, so I'm making it XXL sized; Pattern here. and it shall be Bernat's Rose, to use my olde yarn up. :)
I really like this website; it's mostly for knitters, but I've found some sweet crochet patterns, too.
The only downside is that most of the patterns are translated from Norwegian, so the majority is in "british" terminology.
Good thing there's this (a translating site for UK to US terms! ) :^)
I really like this website; it's mostly for knitters, but I've found some sweet crochet patterns, too.
The only downside is that most of the patterns are translated from Norwegian, so the majority is in "british" terminology.
Good thing there's this (a translating site for UK to US terms! ) :^)
Sunday, March 9, 2008
finished again!
I finished yet another crochet project - just in time, too! I spent most of the car ride from Lansing to the East side of Michigan tying up loose ends - literally. I finished the last one in the parking lot, wrapped the baby socks, bib, and stuffed elephant (with a sad face) my mom contributed in the blanket and tied it up with embroidery floss.
Also in the crochet world, I taught my friend Christee single crochet /chain stitch and she took it upon herself to learn double crochet as well! She then proceeded to make a scarf for one of her babysitting charges and is working on one for his brother! We get together every so often to watch movies or be girly, and she showed e her scarf .... the crochet book from the library wasn't clear enough for her, apparently, and told her not to chain anything when turning... so the ends of her scarf were slightly diagonal. I "trimmed" the ends for her with a few DC / HDC / SC to square it off, and suggested for the next scarf that she ch. 3 before turning to prevent another slanty border. Then she started cranking out the other scarf. :) This all while attempting to watch all three "Oceans" movies. We got through 11 and half of 12 before I decided to run away and get some sleep. Oceans 12 always, always, always bores me.... I just don't like it as much, I guess.
I have about a million squares for my cousin's rainbow G-square, but not enough. I am making it slightly as a stash-buster, and I'm throwing in some black squares as well. It's Caron's Simply Soft Brites for the majority, though.
...pictures to come. :)
I'm working on a something for me, too. I want to make a sweater-type thing... if it turns out, I will post aboot it.
Off to crochet more!
finished again!
I finished yet another crochet project - just in time, too! I spent most of the car ride from Lansing to the East side of Michigan tying up loose ends - literally. I finished the last one in the parking lot, wrapped the baby socks, bib, and stuffed elephant (with a sad face) my mom contributed in the blanket and tied it up with embroidery floss.
Also in the crochet world, I taught my friend Christee single crochet /chain stitch and she took it upon herself to learn double crochet as well! She then proceeded to make a scarf for one of her babysitting charges and is working on one for his brother! We get together every so often to watch movies or be girly, and she showed e her scarf .... the crochet book from the library wasn't clear enough for her, apparently, and told her not to chain anything when turning... so the ends of her scarf were slightly diagonal. I "trimmed" the ends for her with a few DC / HDC / SC to square it off, and suggested for the next scarf that she ch. 3 before turning to prevent another slanty border. Then she started cranking out the other scarf. :) This all while attempting to watch all three "Oceans" movies. We got through 11 and half of 12 before I decided to run away and get some sleep. Oceans 12 always, always, always bores me.... I just don't like it as much, I guess.
I have about a million squares for my cousin's rainbow G-square, but not enough. I am making it slightly as a stash-buster, and I'm throwing in some black squares as well. It's Caron's Simply Soft Brites for the majority, though.
...pictures to come. :)
I'm working on a something for me, too. I want to make a sweater-type thing... if it turns out, I will post aboot it.
Off to crochet more!
Friday, February 22, 2008
circle, circle, square.
did you get to see the last lunar eclipse until 2010? I did. These are pictures of what it's like to take a picture of the moon without very much light at all... and when the moon wants to travel, it will go far!I found the perfect blanket pattern to go with my baby book - here - and I've changed the color scheme a bit so I can use some of my stash...
here are most of the colors (minus the pink hearted tablecloth =^D):
I love the gray and yellow together. Love.I'm selling a few things on CafePress - framed pictures, posters, journals, etc. If you're interested in an item but want a different picture, let me know and I can swap them - I'm using the money i earn from these to pay off my college loans. :) Thanks for your support!
circle, circle, square.
did you get to see the last lunar eclipse until 2010? I did. These are pictures of what it's like to take a picture of the moon without very much light at all... and when the moon wants to travel, it will go far!I found the perfect blanket pattern to go with my baby book - here - and I've changed the color scheme a bit so I can use some of my stash...
here are most of the colors (minus the pink hearted tablecloth =^D):
I love the gray and yellow together. Love.I'm selling a few things on CafePress - framed pictures, posters, journals, etc. If you're interested in an item but want a different picture, let me know and I can swap them - I'm using the money i earn from these to pay off my college loans. :) Thanks for your support!
Friday, February 8, 2008
slight bit of an update
I have to post my nephew / second cousin's picture here. A few months old, and the biggest baby eyes ever. :)
my handmade Halloween outfit: (I'm Lunette from the Big Comfy Couch):
and of course every time I go to the beach or anywhere outdoors I have to build houses or people...
Summer 2007:
(front view, with pool).
back view, with Lake Michigan in front...
More to come later, as I am attempting to do some sewing and more crocheting... and maybe I can post finished blanket / quilt / project pictures :)
my handmade Halloween outfit: (I'm Lunette from the Big Comfy Couch):
and of course every time I go to the beach or anywhere outdoors I have to build houses or people...
Summer 2007:
(front view, with pool).
back view, with Lake Michigan in front...More to come later, as I am attempting to do some sewing and more crocheting... and maybe I can post finished blanket / quilt / project pictures :)
slight bit of an update
I have to post my nephew / second cousin's picture here. A few months old, and the biggest baby eyes ever. :)
my handmade Halloween outfit: (I'm Lunette from the Big Comfy Couch):
and of course every time I go to the beach or anywhere outdoors I have to build houses or people...
Summer 2007:
(front view, with pool).
back view, with Lake Michigan in front...
More to come later, as I am attempting to do some sewing and more crocheting... and maybe I can post finished blanket / quilt / project pictures :)
my handmade Halloween outfit: (I'm Lunette from the Big Comfy Couch):
and of course every time I go to the beach or anywhere outdoors I have to build houses or people...
Summer 2007:
(front view, with pool).back view, with Lake Michigan in front...More to come later, as I am attempting to do some sewing and more crocheting... and maybe I can post finished blanket / quilt / project pictures :)
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