oh how fun.

"Are you going skinny dipping tonight, Miss Johnson?" asks one of my students from a bus window (as I'm walking to my car after school - could I fit any more adjectives in this sentence? Probably.)
"Not tonight, XXXXXX, I have to ... um.... do laundry," I reply.

Just another tidbit of my life.



and no, I have not converted to nudism. We were working on a weekly schedule - conjugating the verb "ir" (meaning "to go")- in groups and a few of my girls wanted to go above and beyond... so they asked me how to say "crash a baby shower" and "go skinny dipping."

and I gave my 110% and found it for them on www.wordreference.com

so now they call me "teacher-foo[l]"(another story) and ask me how skinny dipping is / if I'm going.

I am falling in love with these young'uns...
which makes whatever decision is "coming up" even harder. Along with multitudinous other things. So I'm letting God teach me how to listen.
at least, I'm trying.
it is SO not easy all the time, though.

tests and babies.

So I haven't had internet at my trailer for almost a week. Which is not good considering I have two huge tests to study for, and I can't email myself my lessons to the school computer to print off.... Stinky.
So we spent the majority of the week working on our salt dough maps. They actually are turning out better than I expected, and I think the kids actually possibly enjoyed them.

As far as Spanish, though, I'm pretty sure I am a terrible teacher. I am going to try and tie in the vocab we are learning somehow with the inauguration on Tuesday. At least, maybe having them read about dicatators and presidents of various countries we are studying, but in Spanish. and maybe writing a bit about them.

and we need to get to estar, but I think most of them are still confused by "ser," MEH!

so these tests I am taking this coming Saturday are (1) secondary "professional knowledge" - meaning, "how to teach high schoolers" and (2) "subject knowledge" - meaning Spanish (for me.)
I am NOT looking forward to spending a Saturday morning/ afternoon taking these tests, especially since I am very doubtful as to a positive outcome. But I will rejoice, because pass or fail, my God is amazing and has somewhere in the world for me to be... as far as my "talents" go. whatever they are.

And I'm pretty sure "kids" and "languages" and "creativity" are what I am meant to be. if that makes any sense.

So right now I am trying to listen. and look for something that's out there.
and save a little money, pay my bills, crochet a ripple blanket, listen to amazing music, learn myself the piano, and plan a trip to Mexico.


And not think too much about relationships, babies, houses, and everything that everyone else seems to be getting themselves into these days.
meh! :) which is "hem" backwards, which is what I did two nights ago to two pillows, a sweater, a long-sleeved shirt, and my life.

mex

who wants to go to mexico with me? :)
something along the lines of march 9-13. that week.
on the side between baja an dthe mainland i think.

sweet website!

i found my new best friend.
at least, as far as name-hunting goes. :)

check it out! :) some names may be appearing in the female-version-of-DQ soon.:) perhaps.

gninnigeb

Yes, I intentionally mistyped the title of this post.

My "goal" for 2009 - or at least part of 2009 - is to read through the Bible.
Backwards.

By that I mean I will start in Revelation and "work" towards Genesis.
Since most people - including myself - start in Genesis, this way I will have more motivation to press on. . .
We shall see.


One of my other goals is to read more "big" books, and apply them to my life. As in, read with a purpose.
that's all for now,and I will let you know what I am learning from the Bible, the books, and any movies or television that "hit a nerve" with me... If you're so fortunate :)

Winter in Michigan (anonymous poem...)

Michigan Winter Poem

It's winter here in Michigan
And the gentle breezes blow,
Seventy miles an hour,
At twenty five below.
Oh, how I love ole Michigan
When the snow's up to your butt.
You take a breath of winter
And your nose freezes shut.
Yes, the weather here is wonderful
So I guess I'll hang around.
I could never leave my Michigan
Cause I'm frozen to the ground!

---Author Unknown---

2008 (and some smilebox)

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"

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.

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!! :)