We've just completed our first full week. People ask me, "How's school?" and I reply, "So far, so good," but that isn't accurate. It's only just begun, and I really don't know. The sixth graders, they're still in the "honeymoon state." They don't quite know what to expect of us yet, so they're still behaving pretty well overall. (I did have to have a "talk" with one today, and since the sixth graders are still rather scared of me now, it's better to nip things in the bud right away.) All I know is true is that I can hope for a really great year. I know I'm going to have it in two classes (seventh and eighth), so, as Meatloaf sang, "Two out three ain't bad."

When my great-aunt Kit died, I found this book in her house entitled A Search for Self-Discovery THE FRIEND IN YOUR MIRROR by Edward Cunningham, and I keep this book at school. Today, after the final bell rang, I pulled it out, and this particular piece caught my attention:
Speak honestly to yourself
of people you knew,
Recalling the kind ones
who taught you lessons in love,
The thoughtless ones
who made you feel the bitterness
Of their own self-doubt...
and the very human ones
Who may have done both.

Leaf back
through the album of time.....
What portraits stand out
in sharpest detail?
Whose faces can you see
most vividly?
Whose voices can you her
most clearly?

Re-enter tht world you shared
and see them all
As they appeared to you then...

When the years go by, what will my students remember about me? Will I show them that I'm human and have them remember the good and the bad? Will they remember the crazy antics I invent to try to help them memorize different things, or the way I bang my head on the board if I continue to get wrong answers over something I KNOW they should know? Will it be the funny times, singing on the bus, on overnight field trips, or the "eagle eye" I give them when I mean business? Last year I had a student state on his blog, "Sometimes she makes me want to pull my hair out, but other times I don't want to leave her class."

That's a good way to be remembered.

Summer Readings

Summer reading is required where I teach. Most everyone complains, so I try to pick books that are interesting. I know the eighth graders wouldn't agree, but there selection is to get them in the mind set of what lies ahead in high school.

I had a great summer reading lists, especially since I was able, for the most part, to choose my own. Two books, The Missing by Chris Mooney and The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, were my book club pics, but since I had choose The Missing and had already bought The Thirteenth Tale before it was picked by my club, I knew I would like them, and I was right! Although The Missing reminded me too much of Kiss the Girls, I couldn't put it down! I started it at night before I went to bed. At 2:00 A.M. I made myself put it down, but once I woke up, I finished it off. The Thirteenth Tale I read twice. I read it at the beginning of July, but since I was hosting the meeting in August, I wanted the characters and plot to be fresh on my mind. It, too, was one I highly recommend.

I have waited for the seventh Harry Potter with baited breath, and it was by far the best one. I kept hoping that J.K. Rowling would continue, maybe have Harry become a professor, but sad to say the story line is over. However, since so much time has passed since I picked up the first book, I had forgotten some details. So, I started re-reading Harry Potter. I'm now reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

When I traveled to Gettysburg this summer, I picked up a book, which was a diary of a girl living in Gettysburg at the time of the battle. First hand accounts seem to bring a touch of humanity to the story.

Speaking of first hand acconts, I finally read Night by Elie Wiesel. There is a section that is so...I can't think of an adjective that'll do it justice. He's questioning the existence of God. I cried. If I'm still coaching Oral Interp. next year, I'm going to have the person memorize and recite it. It is so powerful.

On a lighter note, I read my first Stephanie Plum (she's the character) novel entitled One for the Money. It, too, was a quick read and FUNNY! I'm looking forward to reading the others.

I Feel Sorry for My Neck was another hilarious book about growing older. When I read the section about how the neck really tells a woman's age and if you haven't done anything by the age of 43 it's too late, I was jumping out of bed and lathering the lotion on!! On thing I felt good about - I don't carry one of those purses that can sneak out a seven-course meal!

I had a busy summer, but I was sure to make time for myself and read. I still didn't get all the books read that I wanted, but I put a fairly good size dent in my list.

And just think, this doesn't count the three books on tape!

Summer Travels

Every few years my dad and I get an itch to travel. This time we have a reason, too. My niece is graduating, so we're off to upstate New York. But first, I have to get to West Virginia on my own. (reason for new car, remember?) From WVA we're off to D.C., back to WVA to tour Amish country and whatever else that neck of woods have to offer. I'm looking forward to New York. I hope on the return visit I can talk my dad into going to the Statue of Liberty. It'd be a shame to be that close and not visit the "Gateway to America."

I've had a great school year, but I'm looking forward to the summer to refresh and rejuvenate my mind.

Time for a Change

I finally caved; I bought a new car - 2007 Saturn Vue.

I wasn't even looking it; I actually thought I wanted a Pontiac Vibe, but driving by the lot, the style caught my eye. I took it for a test drive and loved it. I went next door and test drove the Vibe. Didn't love it as much. But the Vibe gets much better gas mileage. As much as I'm on the road, that's a major factor. However, there was more room in the Vue, and it handled better, too.

So, what about my 1997 Grand-Am? Still have it. Nothing, except the evaporator, is wrong with it. Sure it has 170,000 miles on it, but that's just a testament on what a great car it is!

I just hope my Saturn does as well!

But isn't it funny how in life you think you want one thing - never consider an option - until it presents itself. Another reason we should have open minds!

Mother's Day

In honor of Mother's Day, I am posting the words to Maya Angleou's "Phenomenal Woman."

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.

I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size

But when I start to tell them,

They think I'm telling lies.

I say,

It's in the reach of my arms,

The span of my hips,

The stride of my step,

The curl of my lips.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

I walk into a room

Just as cool as you please,

And to a man,

The fellows stand or

Fall down on their knees.

Then they swarm around me,

A hive of honey bees.

I say,

It's the fire in my eyes,

And the flash of my teeth,

The swing in my waist,

And the joy in my feet.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

Men themselves have wondered

What they see in me.

They try so much

But they can't touch

My inner mystery.

When I try to show them,

They say they still can't see.

I say,

It's the arch of my back,

The sun of my smile,

The ride of my breasts,

The grace of my style.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

Now you understand

Just why my head's not bowed.

I don't shout or jump about

Or have to talk real loud.

When you see me passing,

It ought to make you proud.

I say,

It's the click of my heels,

The bend of my hair,

The palm of my hand,

The need of my care.

'Cause I'm a woman

Phenomenally,

Phenomenal woman.

That's me.

That's us, Phenomenal Women.

Thanks, Mom, for showing me the true meaning of strenghth and perseverance. I love you.

Being Reminded of My Role

Every morning when I pray, I ask God to help me be a positive role model for my students.

Either He decided to tell me "No" today, or I didn't heed His hints.

In addition to my duties as an English teacher, I am also the yearbook advisor. Although considered an extracurricular class, my staff will be the first to tell you that it's very stressful due to the deadline dates. There have been times when we've been at school until 8:00 P.M.; but personally, I think the class is great in teaching time management. Unfortunatley for the students, this time of the year is most stressful, and I have zero tolerance for excuses. Although I get frustrated, I have to remind myself that there's an appropriate way to show my frustrations.

Today I forgot.

Already being exasperated with one particular student, every comment that was made by this person was, in my opinion, negative. Finally, after another comment, I snapped, "****, you are so negative! Everything you say is negative!"

"No, I'm not," this person meekly replied. "Not everything."

"Yes, Everything!" I insisted.

Needless to say the rest of the period was rather quiet.

A few minutes later as I was standing in the hallway talking with some teachers, this student came to me and asked if s/he could talk to me.

Towards the end of our discussion, the person told me that I had hurt his/her feelings and got teary-eyed. I hugged the person and aplogized; h/she said, "That's all right," and I said, "No, it's never all right if you're crying."

What a sucker-punch to the gut. I know I am demanding, and I will push my students to the breaking point - but that's it - TO the breaking point; I don't ever want to break them.

I came back to my room and read my cousins blog about a friend of hers who is a W.O.W. (woman of the Word). Yesh, I wasn't one today - more like a harlot...

Then looking around my room at my posters, there are three specificaly glaring at me, but the one about Success makes me do a double-take. Success doesn't just start with believing in oneself; it also starts with others believing in you. I lost sight of that today.

So, I'll take the words of my other posters to heart:

The only real mistake is the one from which you don't learn

You must be the change you wish to see in the world

You can always be a better person today than the one you were yesterday

Yes, indeed!

Easter Traditions

My church, Trinity United Methodist Church, located in Durand, Georgia, is a quaint country church full of history and tradition. We have a small congregation, but we don't get lost in the numbers, and everybody knows everybody. I think I've been searching for this church my entire life.
One of our Easter traditions is our cross. Every Easter morning, we members bring spring flowers and decorate the cross with them. Honoring Christ and His gift to us, we stand around it. It's so beautiful; the picture doesn't do it justice.
After everyone has had a chance to go home for dinner, we return for the children's Easter egg hunt and light refreshments. There's more adults than children, but we don't mind; we are a family, and we're making our own memories and will one day be surprised when all these little ones are grown, too.

One of my neighbors has an saying, done in needlepoint, that was given to his wife many years ago. His wife has been dead several years, but he still has this needlepoint hanging in his den. I heard it again today, and I thought how fitting for those words to be said today - a reminder of how our lives can be because of Christ.

May you always find Peace in living,

Joy in giving,

And Love in each new day.

A good motto to live by, don't you think?

On another note, my husband is good friends with an elderly gentleman who manages his son's farm. In addition, he also raises chickens and sells his organic eggs. Today I decided to have an egg-salad sandwich for lunch and took out four eggs. I didn't pay that much attention to them until after I had boiled them. I had eggs dyed by nature - blue, brown, green, and creamy white! What a marvelous treat!

Mission Accomplished!

Taking practically the entire morning/afternoon, I tackled three closets and a wall-storage unit and came out victorious! Sometimes it was a struggle; clothes called out to me, "Give me one more year and see if you change your mind!" If that plea didn't work, they tried, "But I used to be a favorite!" I also had some, "You never gave me a chance; you didn't like me from the start!" And then there was the infamous, "You know how fashions come back in style! Throw me away today, and you'll be buying one just like me tomorrow!" I persevered, piece by piece, and now my space isn't stuffed to the gills. I can close drawers easier and slide clothes on the rod smoother.

Cleaning out closets is like cleaning out one's mind. We have to take inventory and see what's important. Once we begin, we realize how much of what's important to us is getting smothered by the insignificant. Oh, at one time our worries/concerns were important, and we want to keep a hold of them - just in case. But they build, and when we look, we just see clutter.

So we clean out, we let go, we trust in God.

On the Road Again

Unlike Willie Nelson, I can wait to get on the road again. One would never know how much I hate driving, especially since I'm always behind the wheel. It seems ever since I moved to Texas (1982), I've always lived in places where I had to drive to get anywhere - my job, the grocery store, the movies, the mall, my hair stylist...So whenever I visit relatives, I feel as if I've "gone to town" because everything is much closer. I remember when I visited my cousin in Long Beach, California; it was so neat to walk outside the door and then walk downtown and visit the shops.

However, I don't want to live in that hustle and bustle, that easy access. All I have to do is drive Interstate 85 through Atlanta to remind me of the down-side of living in the city.

The Art of Speaking Well

As an English teacher, I often wonder where did we grammar teachers go wrong? One would think that studying our native language would be interesting (especially now with its encroachment taking place by another language), but it's taken for granted. It's a lot for our lips, teeth, and tongue to maneuver just right to get those sounds out. How much easier it is to say jus instead of pronouncing that final "T"! And where did the sound for "D" start replacing the "TH"? We Americans are lazy speakers, and if someone does try to speak properly, then that person is accused as being "uppity." And don't get me wrong; I love a good accent, but we can have our regional dialects and still speak well.

When I was younger, my mother used to correct me when I said, I ain't got no... or I don't have no... She would say my double negatives turned into a positive.
I later learned that's really only true in algebra.

I myself never paid that much attention to certain grammar rules until I returned to college to become an English teacher. I loved my grammar professor. One day, she talked about the double-negative scenario. Let's face it, she said, if I said I ain't got no money, do you really think I have money in my pockets? Of course not! Standard English may be the correct way in speaking and writing, but there is a variety of ways to communicate. Finally feeling vindicated, we all cheered in the class. But, she continued, you, as teachers, must teach standard English so your students know the difference. They have to know when it's okay to use slang and when it's not okay, and when it's not okay, they have to know what to use instead. Fair enough. Now let's see about making my students understand. It wasn't until I started teaching grammar that I became more aware of it, both during my lessons and in everyday conversations with people other than my students. I guess the studies that state that a person learns better once he has to teach it is correct. It certainly worked with me.

Here are a few of my pet peeves as a teacher:

Where's it at?

I don't know; probably behind the "T." After sighs and eye-rolling the students correct themselves and say Where is it?

Me and so-and-so went...

"Me" didnt' do anything. They change "me" to "I" after more sighs and eye-rolling.

I seen that.

No, you haven't seen anything.

I think I did good on that test.

No one does "good." (This one's been said so many times, the entire class chimes in) I think I did WELL!

My correctioons are sinking in. Last Monday a student, who had been to Athens for the state competition, came in excited to tell me something that had happened to her -

Mrs. Chapman, I have English on the brain! A reporter from a local T.V. station came up and was interviewing us. (She gave some details, but this is the part I particularily like-) Then he turned to me and asked me if I thought any of us had done good. I told him, 'We don't do good; we do well!'" Then another boy said, Can you believe it, Mrs. Chapman? Correcting the guy on T.V.! I wanted to know how he, being corrected, took it. He laughed! they both exclaimed!

What a great feeling! Moments like that make it all worthwhile, eye-rollings and sighs included!

The Arrival of Spring

Ah, Spring! Persephone is released from Hades, and Demeter celebrates the return of her daughter. The earth throws off her winter blanket and explodes with a symphony of colors.

The wisteria's purple petals drape over the fence, the azalas welcome me in my driveway, and the dogwoods, both white and pink remind me that Easter is near.

I grow impatient, wanting to rush to the stores and buy more plants for my flower beds. Wanting to get my hands earth dirty. But April is sneaky, and can sometimes surprise us with a freeze. I need to wait a little longer...

Pollen - it gives that statement Spring is in the air a whole new tangible meaning.



I get to look forward to something else with the coming of spring - the leaving of the peahens!The peacocks are strutting, and it won't be long before the hens go off to build their nests and, hopefully, raise their broods. But best of all, they won't be pooping on my patio!

I LOVE SPRING!!

Time to...Organize!

As I tried to cram one more t-shirt into a drawer (and it wouldn't fit so I tried another), the reason why I'm not spending my entire spring break away from home was reinforced!

I have to stay home and organize!

I have clothes that I've had FOREVER! Seriously, I have a smock top that I had as a junior in high school! But every year when I look in my closets at the clothes that are taking up space, I think, "Oh, let me give it one more year."

Then, the way fashion recylcles itself, I think if I hold onto it, I'll be saving money.

I have storage space that make most people envious. I need to be able to utilize it more efficiently.

Plus, there are people who will actually wear what I don't wear if I donate it. It does nobody any good stuffed in a drawer.

It's not as if I'm a "depression" child and grew up without. Sure, I felt as if I was doing without because I wasn't dressed in designer, but that's different. Don't know where this need to hoard clothes comes from. Maybe it's because it's attached to memories. It reminds me of the guy from Clean Sweep when he helps people downsize their stuff. He would agree that it's time to say goodbye!

Another benefit - I won't pull a muscle trying to close or open these drawers!

Time for ...Meditation!

I used to hate mornings. Snuggling under the covers, feeling all cozy, not a care in the world, I didn't want to leave my bed. But as I've gotten older, I've appreciated mornings more. Like me, my side of the world is just waking up, and it's still groggy. The hustle and bustle hasn't set in. Saturday mornings are my favorite. Since I'm not pressed for time, I'm able to plod along and enjoy it more before the beck and call of "what needs to be done" begins.

I used to be the kind of person that would sleep in as late as possible until I had to get up, but lately I've found myself "piddling" - maybe get a load of clothes going, unload the dishwasher, straighten up - things I normally didn't do on a week morning. When I decided I wanted to make a devotional time part of my life, I tried it at night. It didn't work. I found myself grabbing a novel or magazine instead. I wanted to "wind down," and I felt that I wasn't as alert as I should be. My devotional time had to be in the mornings. Oh no! That meant getting up earlier! Yes, indeed!

Now looking back, I can't say I hated mornings. I hated (and truthfully, still do) the enertia of having to get up, but once I'm up, I find a peace I enjoy. That's probably why I also enjoy getting to school before everyone else; I really like the "quiet before the storm." Now in the mornings, reading my devotions and scripture has become part of my day. I feel as if I'm starting if off right. Granted, I haven't memorized scriptures, but I've gotten better at remembering where I've read something.

Recently we teachers were talking about how somedays it feels that all we do is rebuke the students, and after talking with the girls - AGAIN - about the low-cut tops that some were wearing, the lead teacher said that when we get on to them it doesn't mean we're picking on them. (Of course, they don't see it that way.) And somedays, like I've told my team, I'm tired of being the "heavy." I'm tired of being the teacher that makes the students tow the line. Then this past Thursday I read Hebrews 12:5-6

My sons, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,

Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him:

For whom the Lord loves He chastens

And scourges every son whom He receives.

I was renewed, but still, "I do this because I love you" is hard medicine to swallow.

I don't know. I shouldn't be surprised, but when I find an "answer" or "guide" to a situation I'm dealing with during my devotion time, I get this little jolt of "Ah-ha!" and a sense that although I stumble most of the way, I am on the right path.

Time for...Exercise!

Once I heard Oprah say on her show that exercising is like brushing one's teeth - it's just something that has to be done and should be done.

Exercise is more than physical well-being. It also offers bonding with my pets, fellowship with my friends, and a time to reflect.

I'm glad spring is on the way. I love walking outside when the temperature is not stifling and new growth is sprouting. I like rediscovering the sunset over the lake, the smells of budding flowers, and the sounds of the mockingbirds. I like seeing the trees along the driveway start to renew their foliage, and I'll know it won't be too much longer when those same trees will not allow the sun to beat down upon me with its unrelenting summer heat.

In addition, the Dog Whisperer would be proud of me. He's a big "Walk you dog" advocate.

AND two other friends and I have formed an exercise group. For the past month we've been down in our church basement, our "gym," sweating away, but since we've started to have weather, we've opted for being outside. Also, there are days when we don't meet as a group, so that's the days that I'm on my own with my four-legged companions.


It's a wonder we're not all exercise nuts with all that exercise has to offer!

Taking the Time

After posting my last blog, I thought some more about the time issue. Time can't be wasted, but neither can it be something we hurry through. I often tell my students when they make comments such as, "I wish it were Friday," (or something like that) that they shouldn't "Wish their lives away." We're not guaranteed tomorrow. (They think I'm being morbid!) What I want them to realize (and I have to remind myself to take my own advice) is that we have to take time for ourselves. It's not wasting time; it's rejuvinating ourselves! It's renewing the spirit! If we are constantly stressed out/burnt out, how can we enjoy our surroundings or other people? More importantly, how can people enjoy being around us?

Today was stressful. Anything that could go wrong with Sports Picture Day went wrong. As I was walking back from the track, I thought, "I wonder what Mrs. S********* would think if I was to go lie down on the grass and bask in the sun?" That's what I wanted to do.

I ambled back to class.

I'm now taking a break from grading tests to do something for myself (and my mom).

I don't feel guilty either!

Time Is Not on My Side

Next week Daylight Savings Time kicks in - three weeks earlier. Since we have that extra daylight at the end of the day instead of the beginning, does that just mean that we have more "working hours"? I think so. Think when someone says, "You're burning daylight!" That means you're wasting time; get busy! Doesn't the daylight hour thing work itself out anyway? I mean, even now, it's starting to get darker later. Does it have to be semi-light outside at eight, eight-thirty at night?

Time really is a precious commondity. I often complain that I don't have enough of it, but in truth, I think I do; I just don't use it wisely. Time management is more than just prioritizing. If it's important, time is found, but it's the things that we don't want to do that gets put off over and over again until it's an avalanche that's crashing down all around us. For me, that would be essays. "Oh, I have time to do that later. Oh, I'll do it over Christmas." Now I'm saying, "Oh, I'll catch up over Spring Break."

When the Rolling Stones (great rock band!) wrote "Time Is On My Side," I wonder, "To whom were they referring?" It sure isn't me - or so I think.

I think the saying, "Tomorrow I'll have more time..." is funny. No, you have the same exact 24 hours. What we should be saying is, "Tomorrow I'll use my time more wisely and be able to do..."

As a secretary I had read some person's trick for staying on top of things that I adopted at my job. It stated, "Handle a document one time." Basically, once I picked something up, I wouldn't put it down for "later." I did it then and avoided a stockpile.

I need to revive that policy and apply it to essays...and clothes, shoes, ...


My watch has just beeped 5:00. Not all of my tests are graded, so I'll pack those up. Right now I need to go home and go for a walk with my puppies! Now that's time well spent!

Dead Memories

This past weekend I went to visit my mom and had the chance to see my aunt, uncle, cousins, and first cousins once-removed (learned the difference between these kinds of cousins and the second cousins), cousin's girlfriend and cousin's husband (no, not the same cousin-haha, a little sick humor there. anyway...)

Recently, my great-aunt died, so most of us drove over to her house to see if there was anything we would like to have before the estate sale.

I myself got two pieces of furniture, a book (love it!), a French perfume bottle, and a bowl with lid.

I have been in houses of the dead before. We had a family call our church after the estate sale to give us whatever we wanted for our church yard sale. I went along to help pack up the merchandise. Not a problem.

This, however, felt weird. I felt guilty, no, that's not the right word. Maybe it just saddened me that this was what remained of a woman's life, 90 plus years. I had a thought from a scene in A Christmas Carol by Dickens. It's the fourth scene in Act II. The Ghost of Christmas Future is with Scrooge, and they are in Scrooge's house watching four people go through and bargin over his things while he lies dead in his bed. I was trying to tell myself that I shouldn't feel however I was feeling (guilty?) - that I wanted something of Aunt K*** things to remind me of her. But why? I didn't grow up around her; I didn't hear positive things about her; I only spoke to her once a year at our family reunions. Why would I want to be reminded of her? Is it a past which I'm trying to connect? Am I finding a "deal"? Do I have more of a right to it than a stranger?

But then again, I, too, am a stranger-in a sense.

And yet, I forgot to get that small, white bowl and pitcher that I saw, and I do want one of those cast iron pots...

Lent

Today is Fat Tuesday. Did you know that for centuries, people abstained from meat during the forty days - hence the name Carnival, which is Latin for farewell to meat.

It reminds me of what we at Weight Watchers call The Last Supper. Gorge yourself and clean out the cabinets (by eating, not throwing away!) of all the stuff that will jeopardize your success.

Lent, a time of self-reflection, soul searching. We're reminded of Jesus and his time in the wilderness for forty days, the sacrifices he made during that time and the ultimate sacrifice that soon followed.

Perfect timing with my seventh graders. I asked them to try and give up something for forty days. Anne and the rest of the group had to do without for much longer; let's see if they can.

As for me, I'm going to give up soft drinks, chocolates, and biting my nails. I'm going to include drinking more water (uck!).

I'd like to think that I'm making a conscious effort to become a more dedicated servant everyday, not just these next forty. Although it will be hard for me to give up my vices for the next forty days, I fear that I would fail a real test of wills. God forgive me, but could I, would I, give up talking to my family for forty days? Would I give up my job to go on a missionary trip? Am I saying, "Oh Lord, I want to be your servant but on my terms"? Isn't rededicating myself more than promising not to skip church anymore?

How is not biting my nails, drinking soft drinks, or eating chocolates rededicating myself?

I think of it in the same way I think of projects for my students. No, they'll never truly understand the suffering of Anne Frank or the other six million Jews, but I hope I give them a taste, no matter how brief. My will power will be tempted sorely, but I'll never truly understand the anguish Jesus suffered. But maybe it'll be enough of a taste to help me truly appreciate what he has given me.

Brainstorming and Future Bloggers

Many times I get ideas for school while taking a shower. This idea, however, came from sitting in front of the computer blogging.

My seventh grade students are reading The Diary of Anne Frank. I try to do a lot with this unit to get them to understand the circumstances of the situation as closely as possible.

None of these students know what it's like to do without. Oh, they sometimes can't have what they want, but they always have what they need. They get those two words, need and want, confused often. It's amazing how much children/teens take for granted these days and how much they waste. Was I that way?

Last week we read how how they relied on ration books to get food. Not having any of those around, I did the next best thing; I brought in MRE's (meals ready to eat) and had the students try them, telling them to imagine having to eat this kind of food for three years. They were troopers and tried. We agreed the Cajun rice and sausage was kind of gross!

In the past I've asked the students to keep diaries during this unit, normally met with moans and groans. So as I was blogging, I thought it would be neat if the students set up their own blogs (with permission, of course). They would have to blog about something serious at least once a week, but they could blog as often as possible. Also, since this derives from English class, they have to use standard English. None of the "language" they use on e-mails or on MySpace.

They're excited about it, which makes me excited!

Yesterday we read the part where the families were celebrating Hannakuh and Anne gave her mother an I.O.U. to do ten hours of whatever her mother wanted. Yep, for Valentine's Day, the students had to make Valentine's for their parents, and the inside message was

Here's an I.O.U. I promise to pay

Ten hours of doing whatever you say

without whining or complaining

and with a smile!

Some students try to add a P.S. "Mrs. Chapman is making us," but I told them to add "but I don't mind."

Of course, I'm torturing them! hahaha! Isn't reading fun?!

Feeding the Spirit

A little while ago, our Sunday school class took an inventory of the spiritual gifts we possess. I learned that my greatest area is in service. Yes, I'm selfish with my time, but I do rise to the occasion and do for others. Sometimes I'm not happy about it (as you may have read), but I'm learning and growing in that aspect.

In addition, with the suggestion of my Sunday school teacher, I have started to read a book by Oswald Chambers - My Utmost for His Highest. It's a daily devotional, but it's unlike any I've read before. The best way I can describe it - it's more hard core.

How can a devotional be hard core? It does so by not having those personal testimonies accompanying it. I haven't come across a "feel good" story yet. At first I thought, "I'm not ready for this; this is way over my head." But I kept it up, and finally I read the devotional for February 7 entitled "Spiritual Dejection." I had an YES! moment!

Let me share that passage; I don't think (I hope!) that Mr. Chambers would mind...

Every fact that the disciples stated was right, but the conclusions they drew from those facts were wrong. Anything that has even a hint of dejection spiritually is always wrong. If I am depressed or burdened, I am to blame, not God or anyone else. (uh-oh - hadn't thought of that!) Dejection stems from one of two sources - I have either satisfied a lust or I have not had it satisfied. In either case, dejection is the result. Lust means "I must have it at once." (Hey, that sounds like the mind-set of children, and adults, today!) Spiritual lust causes me to demand an answer from God, instead of seeking God Himself who gives the answer. What have I been hoping or trusting God would do? Is today "the third day" and He has still not done what I expected? Am I therefore justified in being dejected and in blaming God? Whenever we insist that God should give us an answer to prayer we are off track. The purpose of prayer is that we get ahold of God, not of the answer. It is impossible to be well physically and to be dejected, because dejection is a sign of sickness. This is also true spiritually. Dejection spiritually is wrong, and we are always to blame for it.

We look for visions from heaven and for earth-shaking events to see God's power. Even the fact that we are dejected is proof that we do this. Yet we never realize that all the time God is at work in our everyday events and in the people around us. If we will only obey, and do the task that He has placed closest to us, we will see Him. One of the most amazing revelatins of God comes to us when we learn that it is in the everyday things of life that we realize the magnificent deity of Jesus Christ.

Have you ever prayed and thought, "Am I doing this right?" Finally, after reading this passage I had faith in the way that I prayed.

But I must confess I had a lapse. For the past several weekends, I have been "doing" for others (and thinking, "Yes, service is one of my gifts.") Well, yesterday morning, after being out extremely late due to a middle school Valentine's dance, I woke up and said, "God, forgive me, but in serving others I'm tired!" So I skipped church. (I did go to hand-bell practice-does that count?) Anyway, looking back over some passages, I came across the one "Are You Exhausted Spiritually?" I won't type that one out for you except the last lines:

You have no right to complain, "O Lord, I am exhausted." He saved and sanctified you to exhaust you. Be exhausted for God, but remember that He is your supply. "All my springs are in you." (Psalm 87:7

Rats!

I am a work in progress.

What Do You Really Know?

I attended a memorial service of a fellow church member this past Saturday. He had recently moved from the North to be closer to his children. His second wife has passed away, and after a forty year separation from his children (his first wife brought them to Georgia after the divorce), he was able to reconnect. He lived with his oldest daughter, and she told us that she learned more about her dad in these past nine months than she had known in her 50 plus years.

After the service, several of us commented about our own lack of knowing this man. We knew that he was a retired fire chief, but we didn't know he played the violin. We didn't know that he had rented equipment to build his house (on his own) in the side of a mountain, resold the equipment so that it didn't cost him anything to build the house. He was an environmentalist and had sung bass in a quartet and modeled in some musical magazine. He was a wood carver, and he had some beautiful pieces. When he knew he was dying, he got his wood shop in order "for the next person." There's so much we didn't know....

It got me and many others thinking. We see each other practically every Sunday, we attend other functions together, but what do I really know about these people I call family? I don't want to learn fascinating facts about them posthumously. What good is that?

I want people to know that I once thought the Devil lived in my mawmaw's basement, and I trapped my brother down there, trying to save myself. I want people to know that my brother and I thought we caused it to rain one night after performing a "rain dance"; we thought we had a gift!

People are just too busy for storytelling it seems.

But when we ask people to write something down to share, it's "time consuming," and becomes a chore, not a gift. (I'm thinking about my relatives at my family reunion.)

When I die, I don't want the celebrations in my life to be a surprise to anyone. I want people to smile in their memory of it, not look around in wonder.

What have you shared with your family lately?

I Didn't Make the Rule

Today I'm venting!

As a grammar teacher, I have to teach certain rules. Sometimes the rules make sense, and sometimes I just shake my head. (I do a lot of shaking with spelling!)

I'm still going to include the planet Pluto (although it was demoted as a planet), but just let me say that all the planets, except earth, are capitalized. Earth, for some strange reason, isn't unless it begins a sentence or is listed with other heavenly bodies. The same is true with the words moon and sun.

Yes, it's weird. It is the name of the specific planet, but some dead guy designed this rule. There are two ways I try to make it clear to my students.
1) We don't capitalize the word home, and since earth is our home planet, don't capitalize it.
2) With the exception of earth, all the other planets are named after Roman gods. They are names, and they know to capitalize names! (Mercury/Hermes-messenger god; Venus/Aphrodite - goddess of love; Mars/Ares-god of war; Pluto/Hades-god of the underworld; Neptune/Poseidon-god of the sea; Uranus-original/creator god-overthrown by son Saturn/Cronus; Jupiter/Zeus-ruler of gods-overthrew his father, Cronus.) Sorry, no god named Earth. The goddess of the earth was called Gaea. Why we don't call this planet Gaea instead, I don't know.

It irks me to no end when the science teacher gives my students a twenty minute lecture telling them that I'm wrong. That's like me teaching science and trying to correct her.
G-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-!!!!!!!!!

Suggestions, anyone?

Being Supportive

Last week driving home, I was listening to NPR, and they were reporting on the anti-war demonstrations at the White House. It was reported that one protester held a sign that read "The Emperor has no (is wearing no) clothes," and it depicted Bush in the nude with a pink cowboy hat hanging on his you-know-what.

I hope these protesters kiss the ground and thank God every single day that they live in America, because if they were living in a "Post-Bush" Iraq and had signs like that about Sadaam Hussein, they would either be imprisoned or dead. The irony of it...

Now personally, I never really understood why Bush invaded Iraq. After he attacked Afghanastan looking for Osama bin Laden, he should have followed him into Pakistan and kept pursuing him. Hussein "had" WMD's? Well, there's no doubt North Korea does, and I don't see us going there. Bush doesn't think China has WMD's? Or Cuba? Again, I think it was a personal vendetta, a left-over from his father. But once again, I digress...

I don't know if the Iraqi people really want democracy - maybe at first they did, but who knows now. But what I do know is that we need to pray for our President, and if we're going to criticize him, then we need to offer an alternative solution. Think of your occupation, whether it be a stay-at-home mom, a teacher, a doctor, a scientist. Think of the daily stresses that come with it. Our President isn't trying to run a household or a business; he's trying to run America, a Superpower, with two whining, complaining children (the Democratics and Republicans -Yes, I know there are some Liberals and Independents, but the the donkeys and the elephants are the majority), and he's trying to keep the peace. Pray for him! He doesn't needs a country full of PAMS (pissing and moaning).

For God to bless America, we need to ask him to bless our leaders as well!

Agree to Disagree

I have this great friend who is also a co-worker. And the thing about this friend is that if we didn't have work in common, we would have never met, much less became friends. I met her once at a get-together another friend had several years ago, and we both attended. We left that party with no intention of seeing each other, unless our paths just happened to cross.

Now here we are, six years later.

Talk about opposites. Being married to a Baptist minister, she's about as far right as they come. Even if she wasn't married to a Baptist minister, she'd probably still be about as far right as they come. I , on the other hand, am more liberal. I wouldn't say I'm as far left as she's right; I'm more of a moderate, but we have our differences.

Our fall-outs have been over school stuff, and it's been heated. (You know it's bad when the students look worried and have that "deer in the headlights" expression.) We've both acquired the taste for crow; it's not our favorite, but we eat it when we have to.

What we've learned is that it's okay to agree to disagree. We both have strong personalities. I guess that's what has drawn us together.

What I do find interesting is how over the years we have "taken-on" traits that before were the opposites. I'm much more calm than I used to be, while G**, although still the diplomat, is more easily riled. While I'm still tough on the students, she's not so lenient anymore. Just some examples...

But one of the best things about G**, is that when we have Bible discussions, she explains it without being condescending. Sometimes I have to tell her she's sounding a little too righteous, but I always leave with a clearer understanding. Whether I agree or disagree, it's still clearer.

All of us are passionate about a lot of issues, and there are times when we're not going to see eye to eye. Let's agree to disagree and love each other still.

Pondering Quotes

I like reading quotes from different people-dead, alive, famous, not-so-famous. Some quotes also include the situation, and others are just left for your own interpretation.

My mom, for a long time, has bought me a subscription to Reader's Digest. There are two sections I read right away: "Word Power" and "Quotable Quotes." I thought I'd share this issues of "Quotable Quotes" and my thoughts concerning them.

They say marriages are made in heaven, but so are thunder and lightning. - Clint Eastwood
Well, Clint, behind every cloud is a silver lining. No one's marriage is "perfect." How dull it would be without the occasional thunderstorm!

Want to improve your relationships? See love as a verb rather than as a feeling.
- Stephen Covey
Hear, hear! We could all do better on this one!

The heart ages last. - Sylvester Stallone
For someone who just made another Rocky movie (at what age 60?), this just goes to show one can do anything if you have the "heart" for it. We are only as old as we make ourselves believe.

Natural beauty takes at least two hours in front of the mirror. - Pamela Anderson
Oh pu-leese. This woman has more plastic than my pen. (Okay, not a nice thing to say.) But really, what does she know about it? Natural beauty is getting up, brushing teeth, pulling hair back in a ponytail, putting on some deo, and ready to face the day. Not me. I need at least some mascara and lipstick/gloss. (My mom always said her mother never left the house without lipstick. )

The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.
-Theodore Hesburgh
True, especially if "love" is used as a verb. Also, he needs to love himself.

Hot heads and cold hearts never solved anything. - Billy Graham
Yes, but what about "hot heads and hot hearts"? To me, a "hot heart" is being passionate about it. I guess it would depend on how it's presented. Don't cram it down my throat and don't "talk down" to me.

It's just like magic. When you live by yourself, all of your annoying habits are gone.
-Merril Markoe
Haha! But sometimes our annoying habits are picked up by others and we can really see how it is.

The last three were my favorites:

The formula for a successful relationship is simple: Treat all disasters as if they were trivialitues, but never treat a triviality as if it were a disaster. - Quentin Crisp
This goes across the board - personal and professional relationships. If parents would realize that making below an 80 is NOT the end of the world! If I didn't care that Clay can't find something...

To say my fate is not tied to your fate is like saying, "Your end of the boat is sinking."
-Hugh Downs
Wow. We are all on this planet together. We have got to learn to be more accepting.

And last...

Having to explain it means you probably shouldn't have said it. - Cary Clack


Have you come across anything lately?

Nevers

Since I was one of the reader's of Andrea's "Nevers," I was tagged to think of a list of my own.

1. I never thought I would be a middle school teacher. When I left high school I thought I wanted to be a forest ranger. (good grief!) Later when I did return to college, I thought I wanted to teach high school. Two years of those grades taught me better!

2. I never thought I wouldn't have children. When Clay and I first got married, I thought I wanted to have three: two boys and a girl (not that I would get that). Now I'm glad that I didn't. I'm selfish with my time. There are times when I think, "What if..." but I don't let it bother me. I love spending time with children, but I like coming home, too, and not having to cook supper if I don't feel like it (and Clay doesn't either).

3. I never thought I would get married so soon (19!) because I barely dated in high school.

4. I never thought my brother would get married.

5. I never thought I would be involved with a church and have the relationship I do now with God.

6. I never thought I would make excuses to not ride my horse.

7. I never thought I would enjoy Brussel sprouts. (you just don't know...)

In Langston Hughes short story, "Thank You, Ma'am," Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones tells Roger, I have done things, too, which I would not tell you, son - neither tell God, if He didn't already know.

And since my mom reads these, I'll stop here! <smile!>

Musings on MLK,Jr. Holiday

Have you ever read archy and mehitabel by don marquis? It is a great collection of poems. Archy is a cockroach who thinks he was once a poet whose soul went into the body of a cockroach. Everynight he climbs his way onto a computer and after an hour of "frightfully difficult literary labor," he creeps away. (Working on an old-timey typewriter, all his works are in lower case; he can't hold down the "shift" key and type the letter at the same time. That's also the same reason there's no punctuation marks.) His friend, Mehitabal the cat, thinks she was once Cleopatra. (But don't all cats think that?) Anyway, this collection of poems is great. Today being Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, I got to thinking about one of these poems, "the lesson of the moth," and I thought I'd share it:

i was talking to a moth
the other evening
he was trying to break into
an electric light bulb
and fry himself on the wires

why do you fellows
pull this stunt i asked him
because it is the conventional
thing for moths or why
if that had been an uncovered
candle instead of an electric
light bulb you would
now be a small unsightly cinder
have you no sense

plenty of it he answered
but at times we get tired
of using it
we get bored with the routine
and crave beauty
and excitement
fire is beautiful
and we know that if we get
too close it will kill us
but what doesn that matter
it is better to be happy
for a moment
and be burned up with beauty
than to live a long time
and be bored all the while
so we wad all our life up
into one little roll
and then we shoot the roll
that is what life is for
it is better to be a part of beauty
for one instant and then cease to
exist than to exist forever
and never be a part of beauty
our attitude toward life
is come easy go easy
we are like human beings
used to be before they became
too civilized to enjoy themselves

and before i could argue him
out of his philosophy
he went and immolated himself
on a patent cigar lighter
i do not agree with him
myselft i would rather have
half the happiness and twice
the longevity

but at the same time i wish
there was something i wanted
as badly as he wanted to fry himself
archy

Then I think about a poster I have in my room:

Those who
Stand for nothing
Fall for anything

This day, for me, is more than upholding the words, "All men are created equal." Today is a day that gives me time to reflect upon the people who were so passionate about a cause that they risked ridicule or death (and at times paid that price): Jesus Christ, the men at the Alamo, our soldiers past and present, astronauts, firefighters, policemen, our Founding Fathers, Galileo, the pioneers who traveled west for the first time, Gandhi, all those women who broke the barrier of positions held by men, and the list goes on and on....

Today is a today to think about your passions in life and what you deem important.

Mothers, Help Future Wives

Having no children, I would like to know why men are babies when they are sick.

I would rather scrub my entire house (7 thousand plus square feet) on my hands and knees rather than put up with my husband when he's sick.

The other day Clay came home, pitiful look on his face.

"What's wrong?" I asked. (Since he had surgery, I'm trying to be more compassionate-one of my resolutions, too.)

"I don't feel so good; I'm going to go lie down," he replied.

"Does your wrist hurt?" (surgery location)

"No, I took my pain pill without eating anything, and now I feel sick to my stomach," he whined.

"Duh!" I said as I walked off. Then I called back, "That's why they put notices like that on the bottle! It's there for a reason! It's not, 'Let me read this while I'm using the bathroom!'"

Mothers, don't just train your little girls to be nurturers; train your little boys as well! Being nurturers, women can be sick and still do what has to be done. Men, on the other hand, want hospital service! If the saying "Take it like a man" is ever applicable, it's here!

Talk about all-knowing; God knew not to lead me into the healthcare profession!

Resolutions

I've been thinking about my resolutions for the year.

I wanted them to be more than the usual, "Quit biting my fingernails" (I'm 42; it hasn't worked yet) and get in better shape (that's not a resolution; that's my personal mantra). I wanted to be a better person, but that sounds so vague.

This past Sunday I was led to Colossians 3:12-17

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness,humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtures put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

I think these are worthy goals, and with some members of my family, I'm going to have to work really hard and pray really hard for these virtues. I have to remember my goal isn't to change them, but to change me.

Traditions

When studying literature, my classes get a chance to read stories that have been orally circulated for generations before someone took the notion to write them on paper before they were lost. Zora Neale Hurston is a great black author who has captured some rich stories, and better yet, they are written in the dialect of the people and the time.

I think, too, of Homer and his epics, The Iliad and The Odyssey. If you've ever had to read these two volumes, can you imagine making you living traveling around and telling these tales, let alone memorizing it! (and the students today moan and groan when you ask them to memorize "Jabberwocky"!

One family tradition that has been passed on to me is the making of waffle cookies. I don't know if that's the orginal name, but that's the name I grew up learning. Back in my great-grandmother and grandfather's time (on my dad's side), it was a Christmas tradition to make these cookies. I was told it was probably done just once a year because the ingredients, although basic to us today, where ingredients that weren't meant to be used on "frivolous" cooking. It calls for a pound of butter, a dozen eggs, 2 cups of sugar, 2 tsp. of vanilla, and close to 5 pounds of flour. Personally, I don't think it was so much the ingredients that couldn't be spared; it was the time!

Using these old-fashioned irons, flipping the cookies after a certain amount of minutes, takes 4, count them, 4 hours! I recently received a modified version; my aunt found a recipe in a Paula Deen (I think that's how to spell her last name) cookbook. It's basically the same except the ingredients are halved and almond paste is used. Well, half a recipe, half the time. It still took 2 hours!

But it is a tradition that I have accepted, and although I moan and groan when asked, "Have you made the cookies," I also like knowing that I'm the one who makes them.

I just wish they were sweeter!

New "Kids" in Town

"I can't believe I got two!"

That was Clay's remark as we drove back home after picking up our new additions - two blue heeler pups.

I didn't mind because I thought two would be more productive than one. Also, they learn to work together.

It was a deal that I look for in shoe shopping - "Buy One Pair and Get Another Free!" (I love bargins like that!)

He was (or so I thought) pretty adamant about just getting one. When we were trying to decided, the lady said, "Take two; I'll give you a deal." Clay said, "No, I just need one." He didn't even ask what the deal was!! When she was pulling out the other one, I whispered, "Ask what kind of deal she wants to make." So he did, and the rest is history. But let me clarify - he said yes, not I!

Baby animals are the best! They play 110% and then all of a sudden, they drop and are sleeping away. They're so cute, too! And their breath doesn't stink yet!

Thinking of famous T.V. girlfriends, we picked Ethel and Lucy. Ethel has more brown on her muzzle, and Lucy's muzzle is more boxier shaped.

I can't wait to see how their personalities evolve! Stay tuned!