It's Time to Celebrate!

So remember how I used to update my blog all of the time? Well, I've been so busy with life that I don't update. I also run out of things to say now that I can get up on a soap box everyday in front of my students. :) I decided that it was about time to write again. After this week, and I know that it is only Thursday, I am ready to have something to celebrate. One thing to celebrate is that one week from today I will be making my annual pilgrimage to the holy land (aka Disneyland!) But next week seems very far away, so I decided that it is time to look at the list of holidays and find something to celebrate today!

Happy National Cheez Doodle Day! So I really don't know what a Cheez Doodle is, so I went to the source of all knowledge (Google) and found that it is basically Cheetos. In fact they look exactly the same, but I've never had a Cheez Doodle before. I guess I'm going to have to go to the store and see if I can find any. But if you are like me, and really don't know where you are going to find Cheez Doodles in time to celebrate, do not panic. There is something more to celebrate.

Happy Mother-in-Law Day! I don't have a mother-in-law, but as I look at the in-laws that I have, I think of how grateful I am for them to be in my family. It seems like they have always been a part of my family, so I am glad my siblings picked some
winners. I would also like to thank my future mother-in-law for doing such a fabulous job at raising my future husband. They say the longer you wait, the better the return, so I'm expecting someone fabulous as a husband, so his mother should be just as fabulous. I'd like to encourage her to light a fire under him to get his rear in gear and start dating me, but I'll be patient for a LITTLE longer. :)

Well I know that I feel better about this week now. I still might stop and get some sparkling juice so that I can celebrate Champagne Thursday, but if I run out of time, at least there are other things to celebrate today. I hope that all of you enjoy celebrating. Tomorrow (Friday) is National Frozen Food Day, so make sure you get something that will require you to re-heat for dinner tomorrow. It will be a DELICIOUS day!

Halloween Pictures

My nephew Talmage hase been asking me to put pictures of my Halloween costume on my blog. I was Flora from Sleeping Beauty. Hopefully now that my pictures are up, my two siblings who have not posted Halloween costume pictures will finally post some. :)

Yes, I am alive, and mostly well...

I know that it has been forever since I last posted. I have been busy with school, and church, and stuff. Usually I don't have time to post while I am at school, and when I get home, I have no desire to be on the computer. Teaching is going well. I've only had one mental breakdown day. 9th graders can be such jerks, but after an email sent to all the parents of the bad class, the students have been a little better. The reason I am mostly well is that I have come down with a cold. I figure I have done well since I was able to make it through my first 2 1/2 months of teaching without getting sick. I am loving teaching, although some days are better than others. Today's activity went mostly well, and I always get a thrill when I realize that my students have learned something in my class. I hope all of you are doing well. I can't wait for the holidays when I will get to see some of you!

Happy Constitution Day!

On this day in 1787, the Constitution was signed in Independence Hall in Pennsylvania. In honor of this day and this document, here is some interesting trivia about the document. It has 4,440 words, and is the oldest and shortest constitution of any government in the world. Probably the most glaring misspelling in the Constitution is the word "Pensylvania" above the signers' names. For those of you who do not know, it should be spelled Pennsylvania. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams did not sign the Constitution. Jefferson was in France at the Time, and Adams was in Great Britain. Patrick Henry who said, "Give me liberty of give me death," was elected as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, but declined, because he "smelt a rat." Because of his poor health, Benjamin Franklin needed help to sign the Constitution. As he did so, tears streamed down his face. Benjamin Franklin at age 81, was the oldest person to sign the Constitution, the youngest was Jonathan Dayton of New Jersey. He was 26. The fist national Thanksgiving Day was established by George Washington on November 26, 1789. The reason for the holiday was to give "thanks" for the new Constitution. George Washington and James Madison were the only presidents who signed the Constitution. James Madison was the only delegate to attend every meeting. It took 100 days to actually "frame" the Constitution. I'm so grateful for this document that protects our freedoms and liberties. Read the Constitution, know it, and elect leaders that will continue to support it!

May We Never Forget...

Seven years ago today, our country was attacked by forces intent on causing terror and chaos. Seven years ago today, our country showed its true colors and united together against those who would seek to destroy us. After seven years, I wonder how much we remember of that day. I'm sure that most of you remember where you were when you heard the news about the World Trade Center falling, or the Pentagon being hit, or even the plane going down in Pennsylvania, but what else do you remember?

When I was in New York City this last summer, I had the opportunity to go to Ground Zero. I saw the hole that is left in place of where the towers once stood. I ate lunch at a Pizzeria that was right across the street. I witnessed the damage that is still scarring the sides of buildings in the area. I saw the monument that was erected for those who gave their lives, and those whose lives were affected. I witnessed people sobbing on the street and asking why and how something like this could ever happen. Seven years after the attack, and people are still weeping for those whose lives were lost - lives of strangers who were lost.

I was humbled by what I witnessed in New York City that day. The monument issued an invitation to all people. It said, "Dedicated to those who fell, and those who carry on. May we never forget." I hope that we never forget those feelings that we felt that day and in the months that followed. The country was united. People helped each other and served each other. Everyone was a little kinder and thought of themselves a little less. I wish that we could remember. I wish that as a people we would remember those feelings.

It is hard to remember charity in an election year. I for one feel frustrated and upset with where things are going, and I don't have very kind feelings towards liberals right now. But I remember 9-ll, I remember that it didn't matter to what party you were affiliated with, all that mattered was who was American. That is really all that maters. We can still have our opinions towards those running for office, but the unkind feelings that I feel, are lessened when I think that each candidate truly does love American and is trying to the best that he or she can. Does it really matter in the end who ends up as our president? Of course it does, but I am reminded today that no matter who is elected, freedoms and liberties will go on, because that is what the American people fight for, desire, and deserve. I love this country, and I'm grateful for those who are willing to give their lives for liberty.

Women in Politics

I like to think of myself as a forward thinking woman, who is proud to see women taking stands and doing good things in life; however, I am getting tired of women in politics. Don't get me wrong, if a woman wants to run for political office, and she is voted in, then I'm fine with that -- more power to her. What irritates me about politics and women is that people lump women all together. When Hilary Clinton was still in the running for President, people talked of her like she was the voice of all women. She wasn't MY voice, and she certainly wasn't the voice of many of my female friends. Now that John McCain has appointed Sarah Palin to be his Vice Presidential running mate, people are now talking of her like she is the new voice for women. Again, I'm not convinced that she is my voice, and women that supported Hilary certainly aren't ready to throw their support to her.

What I really would like to know is why women are supposed to vote for someone just because she is female? Saying that a woman will automatically vote for a woman is like saying she doesn't have brain power to look at issues and decide who the best person for the job is. I hope that women will not automatically vote for a woman candidate, just like I hope that black people will not automatically vote for a black candidate, or Asian people will not automatically vote for an Asian candidate, and so on. If that is where we are headed as a nation, then why should we have campaigns and debates, and conventions. People should just vote based on gender and race.


Discrimination is dying in this country. We can see that because we might have a black president or a female vice president in a couple of months, but why is this the highlight of all the national coverage. If this country really wants to kill discrimination, then maybe we should stop bringing it up... Maybe if we voted for Obama because we liked his policies instead of the color of his skin... Maybe if we voted for McCain because we liked his policies and not the fact that a woman is his running-mate, then we would be closer to truly killing discrimination. If we truly want to get over discrimination, then why do we keep bringing it up when we talk about the candidates. Why does the news make a bigger deal out of the fact that Obama is black, when really they should be highlighting his health care plan or his immigration policy. Why is McCain in the news only because of his female running-mate? Shouldn't we be highlighting his education plan and his energy plans?

It is time for America to stop focusing on 'focus' groups, and focus more on the issues at hand. Obama shouldn't win the election because he is black, and McCain shouldn't win because he has a female running mate. Women shouldn't let the media tell them that Sarah Palin is their voice, because perhaps she isn't. Personally I feel that there were more qualified choices for McCain's Vice President, and he chose Palin mostly because of her gender, and that is completely wrong and disrespectful. Sarah Palin deserves better, and Republicans and Americans deserve better.

One More Week of Sanity?

Four months ago when I got my teaching job, I didn't realize how fast the summer would fly. I have already been working at the school for a week going to new teacher trainings and setting up my room, and now, I only have one more week until the students arrive. I have reached the freaking out stage. I keep thinking of random things that I need to do. Then, when I start to feel like I am getting a grip on things, I think of a million more things that I need to do. I don't know what ever made me think I was ready to be a teacher. If I can make it through this next week of meetings and Back to School Night without my head exploding from information overload, it will be an accomplishment.

Okay, now that I've freaked out, I can reflect on how excited I really am. I was a volunteer at EFY again this summer, and was put over a group of girls that were 14-15 years old, which is the age I will be teaching. It really is a fun age to be involved with. It will come with challenges, but I am excited to be working with kids again, instead of salesmen at R&L that just act like kids. It is crazy to think that the summer is already over, but I'm excited to move onto a new adventure in my life.