Oh My Gosh Snow!, or How Do You Know You Have Cabin Fever?

When we moved to Seattle, the hubbster told me the summers would be gorgeous, the fall crisp, the winter rainy, and the spring rainy too.

I was never told about snow.

In college, Zecher told me of a terrible snow storm one winter in his childhood and there is photos of the storm in hubbsters family.

But I never thought I would see it in my lifetime!

The view out the blue room (aka guest room).


The view from the dining room.


In case you can't tell there is about a foot or so of snow around us.

Last Sunday (the 14th) I got a call about a late start. Then a cancellation. (I did a snoopy dance)

Then we went to school Tuesday and Wednesday (and very grumpy about it). And Thursday the storm hit...and school was cancelled for the rest of the week!

Woot!

I got to finish my projects and get some shopping done. And admire our tree...


My mother-in-law bought it for us. I think she was tired of the little one foot tree I had for years. It is quite nice.

In my family, there is the tradition of building a Creche. My grandmother put hers on her sideboard complete with fake snow and a Victorian village (demonstrating that Nativity goes beyond the bounds of time and space).

My mother was the one who decided to put the scene under the tree. Complete with Precious Moments characters and giant bleating sheep.

It was only slightly disturbing -- I turned out alright at least.

Anyway, my mother-in-law had given me a few pieces from Grandma Molly's old set and a few special carved Santa's her father had made. He was quite the craftsman and did beautiful work.

Well, I just put it all together and...

...voila! Instant Creche!

The hubbster says it should be titled "Let All Creation Rejoice". I think Creche is just fine.

So, sometime on Wednesday we noticed our house was quite cold. I mean, it as all of 30 degree outside, but it was rather colder than it ought if one had the heat on...which we thought we did...

To make a long story short, we have singe mark on our ceiling, we made a treacherous trip to Home Depot, and I convinced el hubbster to purchase a ceramic heater for a mere $20 more so that we can be toasty warm. Which we are.

We just hope our pipes don't freeze while we visit mi familia in Tejas.

And my parents-in-law bought us a cellphone.

:|

I swear we will be shoved into the 21st century scratching and screaming. Or at least putting up a well intentioned fuss.

So, we really can't leave (the condo, not the 21st cent). We were somewhat able to Saturday and I ended up lugging up groceries from TJs one block up to where we parked.

Some guy told me not pull a muscle.

Me: "Yeh..."

Guy: "It's cold out."

Me: :| "right..."

And after that more snow came...and now we can't get out.

I have grand plans for cross country skiing around our 'hood and sledding...but I can't seem to convince hubbster to do any of these things. I don't want to go alone because I might fall down and am not yet a master cc skier.

He tried to go to work today -- seriously.

And now we have to go to Houston tomorrow (hopefully) and I have yet to step foot more than once outside since Saturday.

Not joking.

But I am really loving it -- I get to be cozy warm in my house and all is grand :D

So is that cabin fever? Or am I just an introverted homebody?

Christmas 2008

Ugh - I don't like being on the new calendar.

It seems like a good idea to be in step with the rest of the world -- no confusion about when Christmas is celebrated.

But I am not liking it.

When I was on the old calendar I could ignore all of the cultural and familial pressures to have "The Best Christmas Ever".  I could say "meh, it isn't Christmas yet."

Not so on the new calendar.  I find myself even more and more stressed out about getting gifts finished on time to give to friends and family.

And I even tried to "go green" and vetted the idea of buying my relatives gifts from World Vision with my mother.

There was a pause, and then she said to me, as kindly as mothers can:

"No...I think they want stuff."

Fine - stuff it is.  But on my terms (and some what "green").

I have always been into home made Christmas gifts -- they have so much more meaning when someone has made something especially for you.

But, I did end up buying a few things for various relatives - books, sweaters, etc.  My little bro is "getting" an xBox for Christmas (which I think my dad will spend more time on) and I could have gotten him a game for the system...

...but I bought him 2 books and recorded a song for him from one of the books.

Which is way better than any xbox game...right?

Anyhow, I also wanted to upload pictures of some of my hand made gifts.

 (click on pic to "bigify" it)

I loved making these bags -- tres simple.

I also loved making shawls.

These little scarves were also fun -- I ended up using that flower on more than one occasion...I should make one for myself.

Tea towels are my favorite craft now...

...but they take a lot of time.

So, I started crocheting potholders to make a set (and less tea towel embroidery).

So, I have had a lot of fun making things!

Honestly, the best Christmas present for me would be a project. Give me something to make - the materials and patterns -- and I will give it back to you next Christmas.

It is a win-win really :D

D@mn you Gossip Girl!

Sadly, ANTM and Project Runway have ended and Masterpiece Theater has gone on holiday as well.

So, I have taken to watching whatever comes on television when I grade papers in the evening.

I have now seen a total of...2 Gossip Girl episodes and therefore do not get the overall plot line.

Anyhow, d@mn them - they stole a plot line from my fan fiction.

No joke - I had always seen Tobias Snape and Acacia Evans as having a thing.

Acacia (nee Sheppard) Evans is the name I christened Lily Evan's mother.

As I see it, during WWII, Mr. Sheppard (I can't remember his first name, but I have it written down) was a spy for England in North Africa. His wife and child (Rose and Acacia) fled London during the bombings to their country estate in North England - the village where the Snapes reside.

While in the village, Acacia Sheppard becomes friends with Tobias Snape - they become friends, they throw snowballs, report the coordinate of enemy planes to the wire service, etc.

But then Acacia must go to St. Ethelburga's School for Lovely Ladies and never returns...for her father is found dead after being tortured in Egypt for his espionage. She and her mother do not return to the country estate but chose to move back to London.

And where is Eileen Prince while all of this is happening? Well, she is in the same village, watching Tobias from afar, and, having gained courage as a gobstones protege at Hogwarts, she fills the void that Acacia left in Tobias heart.

Years later, Rose Sheppard chooses to return to the country estate to end her days. Acacia has grown up, become a doctor, married, and is working in India with her husband as part of the World Health Organization.

Only when Acacia learns of her mother's death does she bring her family back to the village.

And Tobias falls in love with Acacia again. And Severus falls in love with Lily.

And it is all down hill from there. Seriously downhill...what with the wizarding war, unrequited love, malaria, and some powerful memory charms.

At least this is how I envision it - I am sure JK Rowling has a less epic and melodramatic history of these people. And different names for them.

Again, this is how *I* chose to fill the back story since JKR has not yet released this information or, perhaps, even thought about it.

But I do because I have a flair for the melodramatic...and perhaps "fangirl" the whole Sev/Lily thing far too much for my own good.

Which is why I was so mad that Gossip Girl stole my plot line. I don't know who everyone is on the show, but here is the plot line as I understand it from my two episode and a few commercials knowledge of it:

The blond girl (really pretty) and the black haired boy (too small a nose to be cute) like each other, are possibly in love with each other, but she has *issues* and he has *issues* possibly, but not totally, about each other.

Whatever - they totally like each other and want to be together, but the writers of the show are keeping them apart for the drama of it all.

And to further this divide, the boy' father and girl's mother were once in love, a long time ago, and are now free to be together and the boy and girl decide to be apart for their parents' sake because it would be far to freaky to date the son/daughter of your mom/dad's boyfriend/girlfriend.

Whew.

Except the writers threw in some baby plot line that I totally do not understand - which was kind of cool, because some of the characters know the whole story and others don't and I got to be out of the loop so it was all a big mystery for me.

But the last scene in the train station I don't get - was their child put up for adoption? Or did she have an abortion?

I don't get it.

Whatever - the GG writers stole my plot line.

Except for the whole baby thing...and the requited love thing...whatever, same basic idea.

And they ironically (to me) named the mother Lily.

But I want to report that I came up with the whole thing first so that when I finally get my fanfic out there no one thinks that I am just copying the GG plot line.

I am perfectly capable of creating my own melodrama, thank you very much!

I am most sincerely M.A.D., a.k.a. reproductive rights

So after church (December 7th - aka the day most of the OCA in the Puget Sound area invaded St. K's), the hubbster and I get in the car and he immediately says to me:

"You need to stop giving such...thorough answers to questions."

Me: "ok"

LG: "you don't need to go into such detail."

Me: "ok!"

We had been talking to a gentleman of Brier, WA at the agape meal about: 1)if LG and I are related, 2) if we are the same ethnicity, 3) how long have we been married, 4) if we are planning on having children, 5) birth control, 6) how I don't want children because I teach all day, 7) how children perceive themselves in the world, and 8) how God's plans and our plans intersect and interact with one another.

Seriously - in that order!

I steadfastly exclaim that I do NOT want children in anyway shape or form right now. I am not the "Babies for Jesus" type of woman (you know, has six children and is hoping for number 7 any day now...).

I am more of the the "I need more time to explore myself and buy more shoes type of person."

I am selfish. And I am not afraid to say it.

Babies are a lot of work. They cry. They spit up all over your favorite clothes and consume a vast quantity of your budget. They *ruin* your body if: 1) you are a woman, 2) are a tiny woman who gains a lot of fat just on her own, much less eating for two, and 3) if you are woman whose skin does not stretch particularly well. (so, me basically)

For these reasons, I do not want children. They are not a priority right now - for me.

AND I DON'T CARE!

Yes, I married young. Yes, I like kids, which is why I teach (they are annoying and yet, entertaining - especially when they go home). Yes, I want to have LG's offspring because he has some excellent DNA that needs propagating.

But it doesn't mean that I need to have babies so soon.

Shoot - LG and I still *play*.

For example:

*In Whole Foods looking at baguettes*
LG: "Do you think you could joust with a baguette and break someones arm?"
Me: "Maybe..."
LG: :D "Want to try?"
Me: "Um, we are in a store..."
LG: "Come on..."
*I make a beeline to the check out counter*

Ok, maybe that is not totally how the conversation went, but do you really want me, who contemplated jousting with baguettes in a grocery store, to be a mom?

Don't answer that...

It just seems to me that *some* people out there - Orthodox or not - seem to think that having children by my age should be a priority.

In fact a fair number of people seem gung-ho on the idea.

Me: "meh"

Plus...there is the whole cancer thing.

I only have one boob, which means: 1) breast feeding = not fun, 2) cancer could come back to that boob, and 3) I will totally be lopsided after pregnancy.

I did not explain the cancer thing to the gentleman of Brier, but I was about ready to throw that in since I was being grilled. I need to learn to drink my tea fast and exclaim "oh, this needs refreshing" and sneak away.

So, in conclusion, until I become a little less selfish and vain, I am not ready for the whole kid thing.

But I have put myself on a five year plan...within five years if I get pregnant, than it is God's will.

If not, clearly God agrees that I have some growing up to do.

And that I should buy some more shoes. Or books. Or yarn!

Till then: peeps, friends, *relatives*...

BACK OFF!!!

Questionable Odor

I am *this* close to changing the name of my blog to the above title.

Now, there is a lovely and fascinating tale regarding the title of this post.

It was just yesterday...

*cue fogginess of reminisce and then a subtle change to a clear scene*

...that I received a call on my school phone.

*ring*

*me and fifth graders, who were thoroughly enjoying our math lesson, fell silent*

me: Yes?

Peggy on phone: Fire drill!

me: Thank you! Line up everyone!

*Fifth graders dropped their pencils like it'was hawt and lined up against the wall - it was super cute*

me, yelling from front of the line by the door: Who's at the end of the line?

*Zac waved his hand from the back*

me: Zac close the door on your way out. Let's go!

We made our way out to the playground, me hushing my students, they attending to my request for one second and then proceeding the chat, and we joined the mass of students making their way to the cement playground. It was totally grey outside - a fine mist was in the air and the asphalt was slick.

I had to repremand several sixth grade boys for trying to slide down the asphalt easement on our way to the large space between the big toy and basketball hoops - where we always gather for a fire drill.

I whispered to my fifth graders to go to their homeroom teacher. They did - they are too cute.

We huddle around, students and teachers alike; it is cold and the teachers are especially stunned since we are normally warned when we will get fire drills, earthquake drills, fire-breathing monster drills, etc.

Finally, the principal had checked in with every classroom and said something to this effect:

Principal: "Thank you boys and girls for coming out - it could be a little quicker."

"We are going to wait outside for just a bit...there has been a questionable odor in the school-"

*students and teachers began to twitter - there was a good deal of muffled giggling from the junior high kids*

" - and when it has been inspected-"

*more giggles*

"- then we can go in."

And she walked away, leaving her staff to corral a whole school of students on a wet playground who had just learned their favorite new phrase:

Questionable Odor

Now, according to some, there was an odor - but it was indescribable.

Others in the building say that there was no odor - it was invisible.

I was in the "math cave", which is disconnected from the school as it in the rectory basement - so it was ignorable.

But according to the principal it was questionable...which of course begs the question...

WHAT WAS SO QUESTIONABLE ABOUT IT???

Of course the students had MANY theories, which they asked me about on our way back the the math cave.

"Mrs. K - what kind of odor is questionable?"

"What is a questionable odor?"

"Are we going to have homework tonight?"

During the sojourn on the playground, all of the teachers really wanted to know:

Could we possibly go home because of a "questionable odor"?

Because it would not only mean a day off, but a great conversation starter.

Or blog post.

*end reminisce*

Of All the Things to Do with Legos...

Why didn't I think of this?

My favorite by far is the Job series. The lego sheep and camels are EXCELLENT!

And is it me, or is Job from the Star Wars set? And I think Satan might be Snape from the Lego HP set.

5 Random Things

In no particular order:

1. Harry, A History - This was a really nice look back at the past ten years of the Harry Potter fandom. I especially liked hearing Jo Rowling's point of view. Melissa Anelli, of Leaky fame, did an excellent job with this book. If you would like to borrow the book, let me know.

One thing that intrigued was a comment JKR made about Dumbledore losing Grindelwald, his former object of affection.

She explained that he just turned inward and remained isolated and academic the rest of this life. "Does that mean he as a one-hundred-fifty-year-old virgin? I don't know," she said softly, peering into her coffee cup as though he held an answer.

When I read this passage, the Sev/Lily fangirl in me quickly jumped to conclusions. Could Dumbledore's experience be similar to Snape's? It would seem possible given what we know of Snape from the books - especially since Dumbledore agrees to meet with Snape after Snape passed info onto Voldy...perhaps he saw in Snape a similar need to protect the one he loved?

Hmmm...I will have to think more about this. I would LOVE to ask JKR about how Lily and Snape felt AFTER they parted ways in fifth year towards each other. I can write my own conclusions, but I would love to know what she envisioned.

2. Lord of the Rings Directors Cut (a.k.a. "Deluxe Precious Edition")

Me wants it.

I borrowed the set of three DVDs from an HP meetup friend (super cool and generous). I am THOROUGHLY enjoying it - it has the full film, with effects and music added in, behind the scenes look at how the whole film came together, and commentaries by everyone involved (well, I didn't see the key grip's commentaries, but that is ok - really!).

There were many more songs in the original. Which is kinda cool because they are WAY shorter than in the book.

Small confession - I skipped the songs when reading the series. WHAT! They were a weensy bit boring to me...

Also, El Hubarino (LG) started watching it with me and I have to pause it every 20 minutes or so to explain the plot.

Maybe if he watches it a third time through, he will get the connections.

Then again, he did see it in the theatre the first time and could not remember if Frodo lives.

:|

Seriously - he asked me yesterday if Frodo lives -and he has seen these movies before!!!

The one thing the hubbster won't watch with me is all of the "Making of" features. I LOVE THESE - they make me want to become a movie craftsperson! I can paint things, and link plastic chain mail, and...hold a cord, or something.

3. Which brings be to TEACHING - I do love it despite above sentences. Teaching is never boring and you get better over time.

I applied to Seattle University, am accepted, and will soon begin studies to earn my professional certification (which is the same thing as a licence). It will take me a year and half to complete.

:|

So, I will be at my job for another year...I hope...

I mean...I hope I don't get the boot.

My principal seems ok with me lately, despite my goals meeting which ended ok, but I still had to call the hubbster in tears over it.

:(

Still, things are going ok NOW, and I have to focus on that.

4. I am making Christmas gifts - which is a lot of fun. My embroidered tea towels are getting MUCH better. I would post them here, but some of you might be getting them as gifts and I want them to be a surprise.

They are fun to make and the crocheted bags are coming along nicely too.

That is all - oh wait.

This just in -

5. Obama reads Twilight with his daughters.

Ew. Twilight is a piece of poo. Seriously - I have read excerpts because that is all I could stomach. In the words of Smegol, "It burns us!".

I am disappointed - but I guess nobody is perfect!

I used to call it the "Death Star"...

...but perhaps this is a better Walmart analogy.



See the website here.

HEE!!!

V for Violent

I have given up on watching the Pallisers. Not because it is boring or because the quality of the film, but because every time I start to watch it, Lance wants to settle down and get a brief synopsis of what has happened thus far.

I now know how Kate felt when I would sit in on her watching Buffy. My sincere apologies Kate.

A friend from the Harry Potter Meetup in Seattle lent me several films to enjoy. One of them was V for Vendetta. I really enjoy Natalie Portman - she is not only gorgeous, but also talented. She was also quite kind on Project Runway. She had one positive thing to say to each designer. Brooke Sheilds wasn't even that nice!

So, I had been looking forward to viewing V and sat down one night to watch it.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. It contains some very strong political messages that I do agree with.

There is a strong sense of rebellion in the film that I identify with.

On the whole, I am a pessimistic idealist. I remember discussing this with the hubbster once - that I want the world to act justly and fairly to all humans and creatures, but that I want policies put in place to ensure that those ideals are carried out. In my idealism, I also have a pessimism because I know that people do act justly.

Does that make sense? Well, the hubbster said that my pessimism about the world springs from an INCREDIBLY IDEALISTIC sense of how the world should work.

V for Vendetta brought to the surface of my mind all of the things that I would hate to see the world become. I am a Christian - I believe that Christ demonstrated the ultimate example of how humans should be have. But in V for Vendetta, Christianity is promoted as something totalitarian in nature. And I was very bothered that the symbol of the totalitarian government looked very much like the three bar Cross (minus the bottom bar). I was disturbed at the interpretation of what a Christian government's policies would be.

In its defense, the totalitarian government was supposed to be extreme, but why extreme Christianity? Why not extreme Buddhism? Or extreme Hinduism? Isn't the cast system of the Hindu religion also an extreme? I suppose Christianity is easy to take "shots" at because of the way SOME Christians have acted in the past.

I would hate for the world to become a place where one could not express oneself. It would be awful to hide away one's ideas.

But where does freedom begin and end? If I put parameters around what others can do, I also limit myself as well.

Hmmm...despite the anti-Christian sentiment I viewed in the film, I still enjoyed it because it made me think.

I will send this warning - the film was created by the same crew that did the Matrix trilogy, so it is VERY violent. I would crochet or do something else whenever someone was getting washed by a pressure hose, arrested in a most vicious manner, or becoming Swiss cheese via a volley of bullets.

But overall - it is worth watching.

WOOT!!!

I was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO incredibly happy today!

Barack Obama is our new President!!!

Yea!!!

All day yesterday my students pestered me about who I voted for, but I didn't tell them who I voted for because that would be 1) unprofessional, 2) odd. They even asked today and I would not tell them.

With an Obama victory, the hubbster and I will not be moving to Germany - something I declared we would do if McCain won (Germany is the leading center of renewable energy research, which the hubbster is passionate about).

When I came home, I lit a candle and prayed. I even started practicing some German phrases just in case. But my Mexican tongue has a difficult time with so many consonants.

When Obama won Pennsylvania, I CHEERED!!! I knew then I wouldn't have to learn how to say complicated words anymore!

And the hubbster yelled from the other part of the house that it was NOT a football match. And he had to say it once more when Obama won Ohio and Iowa.

It just makes me proud to be an American. I feel confident in a president who is intelligent, calm, polite, and compassionate. I think he is the most genuine politician I have witnessed campaign in my lifetime. I loved Clinton, but he was a bit of a circus. Obama has the intelligence of Clinton, but without the ickiness of scandal and deceit.

And Michelle Obama is pretty darn cool too. They just seem like a really nice family and it is wonderful to have them representing us on the world stage.

When Obama announced that his daughters "earned the new puppy", I asked Lance if I could have a new puppy if I was elected to public office.

He said "no".

:(

But, puppy or no puppy, I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO relieved that our country has a solid leader now.

I just hope GW doesn't try anything CRAZY before he leaves office...

Hello Halloweeney!

Here is me dressed as a Ravenclaw. I made the earrings - yes, that is a duck bead.

Yes, I know the Ravenclaw mascot is an eagle. But, if the house can be called Ravenclaw and have an eagle for a mascot, surely they would except another bird, a duck, as a representative.

And the duck bead is a great reference to the Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail(just think about it...).



The scarf I completed last night. It took forever and I ran out of blue yarn.

Clearly it is not long enough.

The students were obnoxious today - and predicting such behavior, I gave them all tests.

:)

But, by far, the most annoying of them all was seventh grade. That class is generally good natured, but they were UBER HYPER today.

Upon entering my class, without so much as a greeting, they bombarded me.

"Who are you supposed to be?"

"Are you supposed to be McGonagoll?"

"Are you supposed the be Harry Potter?"

(in a really bad English accent) "HARRY POTTER?"

"Are you supposed to be McGonagoll?"

"Is that an old Nun's habit?"

"Where is your scar?"

:|

After giving them a brief lecture on boundaries and consequences (IE. detention), they settled.

And yes - those are my robes from St. John's. Lance chucked his in the bin, but he kept the hood. Otherwise, we could have been Cedric and Cho!

:D

So I am easily impressed...

Your result for What Your Taste in Art Says About You Test...

Balanced, Secure, and Realistic.

Impressionism is a movement in French painting, sometimes called optical realism because of its almost scientific interest in the actual visual experience and effect of light and movement on appearance of objects. Impressionist paintings are balanced, use colored shadows, use pure color, broken brushstrokes, thick paint, and scenes from everyday life or nature.

People that like Impressionist paintings may not alway be what is deemed socially acceptable. They tend to move on their own path without always worrying that it may be offensive to others. They value friendships but because they also value honesty tend to have a few really good friends. They do not, however, like people that are rude and do not appreciate the ideas of others. They are secure enough in themselves that they can listen to the ideas of other people without it affecting their own final decisions. The world for them is not black and white but more in shades of grey and muted colors. They like things to be aestically pleasing, not stark and sharp. There are many ways to view things, and the impresssionist personality views the world from many different aspects. They enjoy life and try to keep a realistic viewpoint of things, but are not very open to new experiences. If they are content in their live they will be more than likely pleased to keep things just the way they are.

Take What Your Taste in Art Says About You Test at HelloQuizzy

Crafty...

A few things I have accomplished within the past year...and some more recently...
I actually made 2 of these for the P-J twins in Santa Fe.



This I made for Sam P-J as a little "pick-me-up" for having twin sisters now...



...he enjoys Finding Nemo.



This scarf in Ravenclaw colors is for me! I thought it would be cool to do a shell pattern so it looks like an eagle soaring


:|

Yes, I am a nerd.

And yes I have sketched companion scarves for each of the houses.

:|

Moving on, I also created some posters!




Eh - they were a samples for the kids. We are celebrating a Red Ribbon Day this year - so that is me singing the Queen of the Night Aria instead of doing drugs (though if I ever did sing that Aria, I *might* need to juice it...slightly).

And I really ought to post the patch I attempted on a sweater.  But, I decided to photograph this:



I will always remember The Pumpkin King via this blanket. A long time ago, the PK and I shared a house for a summer - probably the only house in NM with mildew and a dead bird in the closet (well, maybe not the *only* one).

I am such a paranoid freak, I did not want to leave doors or windows open despite the dry heat. PK convinced me one day that leaving a window open in our bedroom would help cool it off and, unless an intruder was about 7' tall, it would be difficult to get into our mildew ridden abode. I agreed.

The only problem was that it was a windy day and the oil lampada on the window sill took a tumble onto the corner of my comforter which lay on the bottom bunk (yes, we had bunk beds...on loan).

So, since the oil was not going to come out of the jaquard, so I just cut off the oil-soaked corner and sewed up the loose ends.

Guests always wonder what happened to the comforter - what with the missing corner and the doggie patch covering up the india ink an ex spilled on it. So, now you know.

Why I Have Not Blogged Lately...

Excuses, excuses, excuses.

I am just plain busy.  The school year started and even though I felt I was ready, I certainly was not.

And it is not as if I have nothing to blog about...there is PLENTY out there to write about the world at large.

I just haven't created anything lately.  Which I feel is supposed to be the *point* of this blog - not just random rants, etc.

Actually, I did create something recently.  I made a very cute crocheted bear for a friend's new baby girl.  But beyond that, my needle has been hibernating.

I need to take pictures of the things I have finished them ship them off.  

But there are other responsibilities that I have and I don't have time to sit and write or take pictures and upload them.

I do have time, however, to surf around on the Internet and look at other people's blogs - go figure.

My fanfic writing has come to a halt.  I find myself so worn down by my day that I have not the energy to get going on my writing.  I think about those characters - sometimes.  Most of the time I have been researching.  My current research is British History.  

For example, the local Harry Potter meetup had a, well, meetup, at the Seattle Public Library book sale.  It was SUPER cool - I got 19 books for $19!  I even got Kate and Odious some books to replace their lost ones...unfortunately they were not the titles I thought they had lost. 

(Hand to God, I thought they lost a lot of Dickens, and looked at a beautiful copy of The Pensees and Possession and thought "oh, those weren't on the list".  I am kicking myself now.  But, if anyone needs any additional Dickens, I am your girl!)

As I was perusing the classics section and picking up massive volumes of Dickens books, I found a really cool little book called A Child's History of England by Charles Dickens.  I looked cool and seemed about my reading level/style, so I purchased it for the low price of one dollar.

Now, I did not know that Charles Dickens was a racist or I would not have picked up the book. Perhaps it is not fair to call him a racist - hindsight is always 20/20 - but what he writes is sometimes quite offensive.  For example:

It was a British Prince named Vortigern who took this resolution, and who made a treaty of friendship with Hengist and Horsa, two Saxon chiefs.   Both of these names in the old Saxon language, signify Horse; for the Saxons, like many other nations in a rough state, were fond of giving men the names of animals, as Horse, Wolf, Bear, Hound.  The Indians of North America - a very inferior people to the Saxons, though - do the same to this day.

When I read this, I exclaimed "Says who?".  The hubby was woken from his slumber (poor fellow) and told me to hush.  Still, I was not keen on reading further after Mr. Dickens here insulted my ancestors.  Dude needed to back up and take in the accomplishments of a people and recognize AND respect.  Just because they did not take tea at four every afternoon does not make them "inferior" - I seriously doubt the Saxons carried out tea while trying to prevent the Danes from burning their house to the ground (or whatever).

True my ancestors got kicked around by the US government and various other governments, but that does not make them a "very inferior people"! 

Still, I read on, because I figure it was worth at least a dollar to finish.  And I like all of the names - why Odo is not more popular in Britain is a shame.

So, this is how I conduct research for my fanfic.

I was tempted to purchase the $30 10th anniversary edition of the Socerer's Stone, but I am saving my money for Beedle the Bard.   All the new edition has is a picture of Snape looking a lot like Rowan Atkinson and new cover art with the Mirror of Erised.

If you are wondering what all the links are about, check out this site.  I *really* like this cartoonist - and he is vegan!

By the way, I am trying the vegetarian thing - I break for seafood, however :(  Not all there yet.

The hubby is not pleased.

Will actually create something soon.

Data has prevailed.

Well, thank you to all of the encouragement I received after my last post. It was great to feel loved.

And data has prevailed and I talked directly to the parent who wanted her kid in my class.  And she is a little more calm.

A little.

But right now I am EXHAUSTED from working today and stress.

I guess that is how I am when I am in school.

But you know, I am TRYING to gain a positive attitude.  I have yet to talk to my principal about the scheduling, but I am trying to keep a POSITIVE ATTITUDE.  It may have to wait for later.

Gosh I am incoherent.

But, I will not give into what a friend calls "the black hole of teaching".

It is where your time goes on the weekend when you should be with your family or relaxing (or both).

It is where your energy goes when you should be improving your overall health.

It is where your heart goes when you are the only person scheduling electives on a Friday afternoon as your colleagues happily drink beer and eat and lift not a @*#$&@* finger to help.

I am done.  I am not giving any more of myself than I have to.

If my colleagues want things done, then we are getting them done TOGETHER.   Being positive does not mean saying "yes" to everything.

Over and out.

Sweet Irony of Life, I've Finally Found You...

So, I read Kate's recent post regarding what to do when life has you down.  I even posted a comment.

But never did I think I would re-read her post and my comment at 2:38 a.m. (approximately) and feel my stomach drop to my feet.

I better do twenty million GOOD DEEDS for peeps because I am currently MISERABLE.

The school year begins next week and I am in my pjs writing a post because I cannot sleep. Every time I try, I wake up, my heart beating in my ears, my teeth clenched.  Brideshead Revisited is completely overshadowed by my worries (I usually read to calm myself).

So what has me in a tizzy?

My job.  It bites.  Hard.

It all started sinisterly enough with a request/demand by my principal that I take a student into my "advanced" math class.  This student does not meet the test score criteria necessary to enter the class.  

I informed her of this.  I was met with a remark that shocked me.

"Well, I might have to make an administrative intervention!"

Me:  >:C   (for those of you who do not do emoicons, I was super mad and shocked)

One of my duties is to sort students by data into appropriate classes -- I didn't think my principal got to TELL me who should be in my class.   Not that this HASN'T happened before, but now I really have to put my foot down.  This kid has NEVER qualified, so why on EARTH should I consider him?

Perhaps his parents are supplying my principal with a lifetime supply of kitty litter (she's a cat lover.  And single.  Shocker.).  Or just the usual at my school -- complain to high heaven and you get what you want...if you are a parent.

But, today (well, yesterday) something worse happened.  I am afraid this will be the straw that breaks the camel's back (or whatever).

I had been fretting about the situation with the parents who want their kid in my class, but I kind of pushed that aside on the advice of my husband to "get over it".  

So, I sort of got over it, and moved on to planning for the year.  You know how sometimes there are little prophecies that signal what is to come?  Tiny premonitions that you cannot correctly interpret until an event happens?  Twice I had been asked about my schedule, and I assumed the same old thing with (hopefully) my classes broken up a little more over the day.

So when I received my schedule I fussed when I saw that I had three classes in a row again. "This bites," I thought and said aloud.  But on further inspection I drew in a sharp breath.

In three of my classes, I teach one less day a week.

My reaction:  0___0

While some of you (and my colleagues) may think "Big deal...wait...isn't that better?  Less work, more prep."

That might be true if I didn't love my job and students.  No one wins when you lose 40 days of instruction.  {Honestly, that is the only good thing that has come out of my day -- I realize I love my job and the students}

How on earth am I to teach the same content with LESS DAYS???  In one class my students are going to Tech Skills/Library Skills, so I might be able to integrate some cool math stuff there (and I have resigned myself to that fact).  But in the other two, the students go to PE or Spanish.

I seriously doubt the Spanish and PE teacher would be cool with me trying to integrate math into their lessons to make up for missed instruction.

And it wouldn't be so bad if it was just MY students, the ones who perform at the top of their class, missing so much instruction.  But what about those students who are below grade level? I do believe that most education research advocates MORE days instead of fewer days for all students, and extra time for those who struggle.

The worse part of all of this is I feel so disrespected.  I am (essentially) the department head/chair for math and I was NEVER consulted on this decision.  I ONLY found out about this when I received my schedule from the junior high department chair.  I have had no contact with my principal whatsoever regarding my schedule except for receiving it.

I feel powerless and stupid.   Like a joke.  I had created a survey this summer and arranged for math meetings before the year began -- it all seems pointless.  My fellow math teachers don't give a rat's fart that they have one less day.  Some have tried to take the sunny side of life "well, we'll just have to double up lessons (*stop whining*)".

I didn't cry though.  I threw a bit of a fit.  I turned the air significantly more blue (my vocabulary consisted mostly of $%&#$*% and @&!^*#& followed by !^#$&*!&@#).  I did no good deed as Kate recommended.

No, I waited till I got home and sobbed endlessly for half an hour into my husband's shoulder.

And like any good husband, he let me.  Then took me shopping.

For outdoor gear (he is getting ready for a trip).

The hubby says I am taking this all too personally (true) and that we all are just pawns and of little importance to those we work for (isn't he just a ray of sunshine).  He let me cry.  He cuddled me.

But I still can't sleep and am miserable.  I don't even want to go to school tomorrow.

I hurt.  

I feel like a moron for thinking that I was a respected member of a community. 

I am very seriously contemplating looking for other work for next year.

Ultimately, I don't know what to do, so I wrote this post.  If you read this, don't offer advice.  I don't need it.  

I need prayer.  So, please pray.

(perhaps a little encouragement if you can spare it)

In the Street

Author's Note: I often wonder why just writing posts is sufficient for the goal of this blog, but then I remember that writing is a creation. If I plan to get better as a writer, then I had better get writing!

It's pathetic really.

I went to school today to tame the insanity that is my classroom. I cannot even begin planning for the school year until my classroom is ordered. As usual, I brought lots of stuff with me -- boxes full of new supplies and standards, a lunch tote, a bag brimming with placement exams, etc.

I missed the squished squirrel in the street as I pulled into the parking lot.

I took a few bags and my keys on my first trip from the parking lot to my classroom across the street. I still did not notice the squirrel.

I finally saw the carnage on my way back to the car. A tiny body face down in the street. Its head was smashed, brainy bits projected northward from the impact.

Another squirrel, a live squirrel, sniffed the body. At first I feared witnessing a "Silence-of-the-Squirrels" moment, but, as I approached, the live squirrel did not move in fear. It continued to sniff the body, ignoring me.

I began to fear that I had run over the squirrel. I offered apologies and condolances as I passed the scene (yes, out loud. yes, to the squirrel.).

When I got to my car, I checked the tires thoroughly. No pink blood or fleshy bits appeared on the wheels. A survey of the lot showed no trail from the incident to my car. I would like to think the illegally parked Mercedes next to me was the culprit, but there was no evidence.

I gathered my last load, a box, from the back seat and locked my car. A thought, silly now, crossed my mind -- perhaps I stepped on the squirrel? I put the box on the trunk to check my shoes. There was no flesh on my soles.

I passed the squirrels again with my last load. The live squirrel had moved on from sniffing the body to sniffing the explosion of brains. It was almost like the live squirrel was gathering the information it needed to comprehend why its friend was not moving. As if sniffing could perhaps provide a solution. That if it sniffed just a bit more, the friend that lay flat in the street would once again move.

"There is no solution," I told live squirrel as I passed. "And if you don't move, you'll meet the same fate."

Neil Gaiman: Not Just a Pretty Face

Perhaps some of my friends had spoken of Neil Gaiman before, but the name did not stick anywhere in my conscience.  I missed that recommendation or suggestion.

Over a year ago I saw the preview for Stardust, a new feature film.  I was intrigued by the fantasy elements as well as the humor in the trailer.  A few girls (literally, high school age) at church praised Stardust the movie as well as the book.

I picked up a copy of Stardust (novel version, I did not know it was also available in graphic novel/picture book format) at a buy 1 get 1 free promotional table.  I put it on my bookshelf and it waited.

I saw the movie Stardust on a plane ride...or was it train ride....I cannot remember.  Either way, I saw the film and liked it.

I went home and saw the copy of the novel on the bookshelf.  I walked past it.  It waited.

This summer, on a whim, I pulled the copy of Stardust off the shelf and put it in the summer-reading-stack by my bed.

Here was the stack:

The Guy Not Taken

Good in Bed

Mrs. Dalloway

Wuthering Heights

Crime and Punishment

Stardust

Sense and Sensibility

Perhaps you have read my review of 71.4% (approx.) of this initial stack and know I was on the look out for more Neil Gaiman.  And I think I mentioned it in a previous post.  Anyhow, Crime and Punishment goes unread (see, I threw on the stack S & S because I couldn't get past the first chapter of C & P...I was hoping to read them simultaneously because I needed to balance the angsty Russian literature with some dry English wit.  Well, it didn't work.  I moved on.)

I actually read Decline and Fall by Waugh (what? I was waiting for Brideshead Revisited to come up on my queue at the library!).  It is a REALLY funny novel and even MORE FUNNY if you are a teacher.  Good times! (Though I am not sure if that was Waugh's goal in writing this particular novel...)

Well, to keep my ramble short, I read Stardust, liked it (kinda, click here) and wanted to read more by Neil Gaiman.  At a trip to Powells, Kate recommended I read Smoke and Mirrors, a collection of his short stories.  I thought I would give that a go rather than wait till fall to get my classroom in order and find my copy of Coraline.

Smoke and  Mirrors is....good...um...interesing...actually... good.  In The Guy Not Taken, Jennifer Weiner has this section at the end where she writes a little bit about each of the short stories in the book.  Neil Gaiman does the same (but at the start) and it is REALLY fascinating for me to read what inspired his work and to read about his process.  

One story, fairly...uh...er...

Ahem.

Ok, he describes one particular story as...well...  Either way I was INCREDIBLY UNCOMFORTABLE reading it.  It was like reading The Secret History of the Pink Carnation.  

I thought TSHotPC was going to be a HISTORY NOVEL...but there is a reason historical romances are filed in the ROMANCE section.  I was EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE reading it because there was very little history and a lot of...yeh. (In my defense I found the book in the fiction section and not on the shelves with airbrushed Fabio pictures.)

So, I read this VERY uncomfortable story thinking "oh crap, what the heck is this?  I was happily reading about werewolves and other totally messed up...what the heck?  I mean the shrunken testicles on the beach in that one sea-monster vs. werewolf story was messed up but this is...whoa, do people really do this kind of stuff?"

Then I read his author's note. HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!  HA!

Neil Gaiman said he blushed most of the time writing it and it took him four years to finish it due to the blushing.  So glad I am not the only one who has difficulty writing scenes like that.  I have a story in my head about Severus Snape and I REALLY don't want to write it because there is some really messed up $#*! happening and other...things...that I don't feel comfortable writing about. 

(The Truth: I was hoping Crime and Punishment would help we write that story, but it has not.  I just got depressed by the first chapter.)

And I KNOW I READ JENNIFER WEINER and she has some scenes that are WAAAAAAAY "whoa!" but for some reason I can read those and be ok.  She is writing from a woman's perspective and I can understand that.  Neil Gaiman on the other hand...

He writes well.  He writes so well in fact that I am...unnerved?  Disgusted?  Shocked?  I don't know quite how to describe the squirmy sensation and slight nausea that comes with reading the male perspective of intimacy.  It is so...ew.  

Seriously: EEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWW!

Is this really how guys think?  If so, my thoughts of what how Severus Snape would react are TOTALLY off.

What was equally fascinating about Neil Gaiman is an essay he wrote about writing have a gender.  He assigns a gender to his work.  He saw Stardust as a girl's book.  Well, as a girl, I was not entirely satisfied by the characterization in the novel, but that only helps my thoughts on how gender works in writing.  

The best writing is writing that comes from one's experience. You take in an event or lifestyle and you write about it and try your darnedest to write it well and vividly so that someone can pick up your writing and understand your experience, whatever large chunk or small grain of it you have put into the piece.

Some writers have the gift of writing any character, male or female.  They can put themselves in any pair of shoes and write brilliant stories.

Others, and I put myself in this category, are not so great at it.  But we try...and sometimes we succeed.  And those who write the sensitive, romantic Draco "emo!" Malfoy fanfics are plain dillusional.

I tried to read C & P (with a bit of S & S) for the Snape angst and wit, but reading Neil Gaiman has given me a better understanding of the English male perspective.  

But I still don't know if I can write the story...

Agh, I just need to go write it and see what happens.

End babble/review.

Gettin' Lucky

I went to Half Price books in search of some Neil Gaiman to read.  I unfortunately did not find what I was looking for, but I browsed the clearance section like my friend Kate who always finds good books there.

As my eyes scanned the many titles, I came across The Lucky Shopping Manual.  Those of you who know me very well would say that I don't need a shopping manual and would probably be better with a book titled The How Not to Shop All the Time Manual.  But I had perused the the Lucky Manual on a trip to Powell's and thought it well done in terms of accessibility and advice. However, at Powell's it was $30 and at HP it was $2.  So I picked up the Lucky book with the slightly crooked spine (probably from being shoved in a purse) and set out to read it.

I agree with most of the chapters.  There are a few exceptions that I don't think account for Orthodox Christians.  We wear a lot of skirts and the authors write that the best hem for a skirt hits at the mid-knee.  "With the top taper of the calf revealed, legs look longer and shapelier; the total effect is cool instead of frumpy."

When one is visiting a monastery, it hardly matters how your legs look -- they should be covered up!

And, on how to wear a long skirt (a snippet I read with interest),  the advice is "a long skirt should just almost touch the floor."

Um, these ladies have obviously not done a lot of prostrations.

When prostrating in long skirts, women often stumble from stepping on the hem (or get trapped in the skirt like I tend to do).  A gal at church did this odd skirt flipping thing on Holy Friday to avoid the predicament of the prostration with skirt that nearly touches the floor.

Also, in summertime, a church can get really hot really fast.  You don't want the skirt to nearly touch the floor because you need a little circulation to stay cool.

However, the snippet on long skirts did advise that drapey long skirts should have a fitted hip, which is true (except you don't wear drapey skirts with fitted hips to monasteries).  Also, "Don't wear heels with long skirts unless it's for evening.  For daytime, stick with refined pointy or plain-toe flats that just peek out the front of the skirt."  Some solid advice there.

And, overall, they write that A-Line skirts work for everyone and long skirts hide thick legs.  

But they write that long  skirts make one look taller.  I disagree.  No long skirt I have ever worn has made me look taller.

Then again, I don't wear my long skirts the way they advise, so that might be my problem.

At the end of each chapter, there is a guide for building closet.  So for a skirt closet the advice is:

2 all-season work skirts  (tropical wool especially)

1 day-to-night skirt (that one can "dress up or down")

2 summer work skirts (skirts that are "crisp and structured")

1 denim skirt

2 summer weekend skirts (again, that you can "dress up or down")

And if you never wear pants: add a summer evening skirt...a winter evening skirt...a leather or suede skirt

Well, so far I have a TON of summer work and weekend skirts, a denim skirt, and a few winter evening skirts.

I have yet to obtain work all-season work skirts or a day-to-night skirt.  Having recently used the guide to clear my wardrobe, I find that I don't think much about skirts at work.  I think a lot about skirts at church because I wear a skirt at church ALL THE TIME (well, except choir practice).

As I cleared out my wardrobe, I had to re-organize the advice of the Lucky book and figure out how to build an Orthodox skirt closet.

I would give the following advice:

First, a good length for a church skirt is one that covers your knees standing and sitting.  One hot summer day I thought I would wear my breeziest and lightest skirt which hit an inch above the knee.  I only realized my mistake when we arrived at church.  I spent the whole service tugging at my skirt and feeling as naked as Eve.

Also, make sure the skirt has some room in the hips and the rear.  I have a lot of "junk in the trunk" ("baby's got back", whatever implies that I have a well endowed butt), therefore I must be very careful in my skirt selection.  You don't want the skirt to be too drapey so that you look ready for a toga party (or like you are playing "dress up"), but you also don't want to be a distraction.  Just make sure your front pelvic bone is not poking through front and there is no bunching in the back.

Another piece of advice:  if you do have a big booty like me, then you will want to avoid skirts with pleats or gathering at the waist.  I was working on eliminating my skirts and noticed I looked an awful lot like an extra from Gone with the Wind and I couldn't put my finger on why. Finally I realized that the pleats and gathering at the waist plus my massive tosh give the impression of a crinoline.  Circle skirts work well as do skirts with pleating further down the hips.  Skirts that have one big pleat in front do not work because the pleat does not balance with what is going on in back.  But pleats at the waist, if you have a butt like I do, do not flatter AT ALL.

This next piece of a advice comes via The Pumpkin King -- don't wear a skirt to church that has a large slit in the back because you never know when you will have to do a prostration. And, if you know you will have to do prostrations (Forgiveness Vespers, Holy Friday, Elevation of the Cross, etc.) check your skirt for modesty.  In fact, during Lent, I do a skirt check with my husband.  We call it the "Prostration Check" -- does anything show or look immodest when I do a prostration?  It is highly useful to have someone check for you (or look in a mirror).

Also, a long skirt and a turtleneck is a NO.  I never realized it before, but it does make one look stumpy.  Unless you are fulfilling some sort of penance or visiting a monastery, wear layers or a scarf to keep warm in a drafty church.  Also, if I wear a scarf around my neck, I wear a short headscarf or a hat.  Otherwise you look like a turtle. 

So, for building a CHURCH SKIRT closet you are totally covered if you have...

1 all season skirt (I would go with a tropical wool in camel or Carmel)

1 winter skirt (I would again go for wool and advise a long length -- church can be drafty. Charcoal grey is a nice color for winter)

1 bright season skirt (something light colored and light weight -- I have several in greens and blues)

1 denim skirt (great for Vespers)

1 skirt for Pascha (white would be best, but something really colorful would work too so you can mix and match tops every year.  I would also make this skirt mid-length with a lining.  It is often cold during the Pascha procession, so you'll want to keep warm, but it can be hot in a crowed church, so layering is essential)

1 skirt for a Monastery Pilgrimage (one long dark skirt that is not tight anywhere -- all season material is best)

If you want to add more...a nice skirt for Pentecost (in green), a nice skirt for Nativity (warm, but bright in color), a skirt for Holy Friday or Saturday (a skirt that is dark and nice for the funeral of the Lord).

So...all you Orthodox ladies out there...am I forgetting anything?  I mean, this is the BARE ESSENTIALS.  Overtime, I would add more summer skirts.  I get more crossover in my wardrobe from my summer skirts for church than my winter skirts for church.

While it may seem base and vain to think of such matters as church skirts (and perhaps it is),   my mother taught me that you should always dress with respect and reverence for church -- wearing the proper things for the occasion.   Orthodox Christianity calls on all of your five senses for worship and to me one of those senses is clothes (or fashion sense...ha ha!).  

Seriously though, I feel a certain way when I wear certain clothes.  When I go to church to join with the world in praising God and seeking union through the sacraments, I want to go in my "wedding garment", my best and most appropriate clothing.  If I were inappropriately dressed, I would feel worse  -- that I have not the wherewithal to get properly dressed to stand before God.  In Haiti, some of the Christians do not go to church because they have no clothes.  While I am not in extreme poverty, I understand that feeling.  And I don't judge others by what they are wearing because I feel one must always assume the best -- what one wears to church is the best of their wardrobe.

It is the "robe of my soul" that needs to shine.  If I wear my best, it is effort to show a fear of God, to try for a true wedding garment -- a garment for my soul that will be worthy before Him.

Check out My Awesome Cousin!

Just returned home! My cousin is the one in fatigues -- congratulations to him and his wife on their new little Nolan!

And I found this nifty bit of info about cousins at wikipedia. So, Nolan is my second cousin!

MEEPERS!!!

Lately my post titles have been onomatopoetic.  

Today has been a GOOD DAY!!! 

Yesterday, not so much.  As my husband can testify, the PMS has arrived.  

Here is why today, JULY 31st, 2008 is a VERY GOOD DAY:

1) It is Harry Potter's and JK Rowling's Birthdays!  

2) JK Rowling announced that she and Amazon.com will release the rights to "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" and Scholastic will release the book December 4th. 

And it will include more information about wandlore, wizarding world stuff, etc.

  

And it is available in both standard and collector's editions. 

If you would like to pre-order a copy for me for my birthday, Christmas, Name's Day, or Pascha

(*ahem* parents -- yes mom, you are still off the hook for my birthday because you got me the collector's edition of The Order of the Phoenix, but I am throwing more ideas out there) 

you can here -- I will be happy with a standard edition, but would LOVE the collector's edition (it is $100!!!  Perhaps a birthday/Christmas/Name's Day/Pascha present combo?).

And it is for CHARITY!  JK Rowling is my hero -- she gains no profit, just the awesome feeling that comes with being generous to those who are less fortunate and ensuring dignity for all mankind.

3) I had an eight o'clock dentist appointment and have NO REASON for a second appointment!  Woot!  The dentist was worried about my inflamed front gums but I have breathing through my mouth due to sinus drainage (sorry -- it's true), he said it was nothing to worry about but I should watch it.  So, I have my mouth closed right now.

BUT NO RETURN VISIT!!!

4) I am so HAPPY to announce that one of my stories was accepted on a Harry Potter Fan Fiction Site!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No it is not about Lily and Sev, but whatever, MY STORY IS ON A FANFICTION SITE!!!

My beta, Gabe, gave me the thumbs up on Monday, which caused me to do a little snoopy dance inside, but I kept my cool.  There is always a chance that the moderators will not think one's story is well done.

So, I submitted the stories to Mugglenet FanFiction, Fictionalley, and The Quidditch Pitch (I had not heard of The Quidditch Pitch till Gabe recommended it.  It is a really cool site and I like how it is organized.  Bit...er...racey.  But that's ok :).   If I submitted to three sites, I would have pretty good odds.

AND...this morning I received an email from Fictionalley and MY STORY HAS BEEN UPLOADED!!!

I literally said "OH MEEPERS!" when I read the email.  I have no idea what "meepers!" means or where it came from, but I said it and I decided to use it for my title.

Only two things to dampen the experience: 1. I have a typo :C  It is my own darn fault; 2. My author's note did not make it: the one where I offer a HUGE THANK YOU to my beta Gabe for putting up with my neuroses as well as misuse of quotes, dashes, and ellipses and for guiding my writing from a jumble to a story AND how I quote the Godfather  Part I.

Oh well, you can't have it all.  But I did email the folks and hopefully these two errors can be corrected. 

And now I can add a new link bubble where you can check out where my stories are.  :D

But here's the thing -- Fictionalley is a really large community.  So is Mugglenet Fanfiction.  In the future I might just stick with The Quidditch Pitch, if they'll have me.  I really like small communities where you can foster relationships instead of being faceless in a mass of people.  

So, I'll see what happens.

BUT FOR NOW I AM GLORIOUSLY HAPPY AND WILL BE SNOOPY-DANCING TILL THE WEE HOURS OF THE MORNING!!! 

(except there is Vespers for Procession of the Cross, so I will have to stop then, light a candle in thanksgiving, but after that I am proceeding)

AGH!!!

Summer is slipping through my hands like fine grains of sand.  I had planned fun and adventure -- perhaps meet more people, make more friends, hang out in libraries, etc. 

My mom came last week which forced me to go out and have more fun.  She also showed me how to use a sewing machine (at my request) -- what?  A girl can never have too many crafts!

But alas, I told myself that as soon as August rolled around I would HAVE to get back to school work.  I have some math curriculum meeting that I don't know the details for, and some planning, a survey to write, etc.

Then I looked at my upcoming blogposts schedule and I still haven't addressed four items -- I haven't even RE-STARTED my pysanky projects!

AGH!!!

I have been crocheting my sweater, which is taking a lot longer than I thought.  I think my stitches are becoming larger :(

And as far as the JK Rowling speech goes, she is ten million shades of awesome and everyone should just read it.  I especially liked when she mentioned that most of the graduates are American and in a position to influence the government -- she didn't got the extra step and call all Americans to the carpet for their apathy, but it was encouraging to hear.  Read, and I believe listen/watch, to her speech here.

And GARDENING --  I bought basil at Trader Joe's and put it in water to keep it fresh (a la Barefoot Contessa, aka Ina Garten) AND THE BASIL GREW ROOTS!!!  No joke!  I meant to transplant it, but that didn't work out and it died.  I was reminded of Feist's line in the song Mushaboom: "second floor living without a yard".  Well, more like fourth floor, but I have no yard either way.  So, I decided to buy these pre-potted basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary plants and keep them on the kitchen counter.  I did water them, but the whole lack of sunlight thing is what did them in -- my husband likes these thick curtains that prevent light and sound from coming into the condo.  I think he really likes caves...

But, we (my mom, my mother in law, and I) went to the Yakima Fruit and Plant Stand on Monday and I picked up a dahlia and a lavender plant.  Don't be fooled by the name -- this fruit stand was near Lake City (which is near Seattle); I think the Yakima refers to farms that grow the produce and plants.

All my plants are doing fairly well on the porch -- I was able to keep the basil alive and a lily alive as well.  I just lack a green thumb.

Which begs the question -- what have I been doing so far then this summer?

Well:

1. Writing blog posts and trying to edit them into something coherent which includes LOTS of spell checking and editing out the passive voice (I am very guilty of it, I know  - and of completely vague and general descriptions)

2. Going to the bead store and not doing any beading at home

3. Crocheting my sweater while watching Anthony Bourdain and Samantha Brown on the travel channel...and Project Runway...and Oprah...and Kathy Griffin My Life on the D List.  But not EVERY day.

4. Taking walks to the library -- and devouring just about everything I bring home, which lately has been Jennifer Weiner.  I believe I have read all of her books, let's see...Good in Bed, In Her Shoes, Goodnight Nobody, Little Earthquakes, The Guy Not Taken, Certain Girls (her latest).  I think that is most of them...what?  I like her writing!

And, last but not least, writing Fan Fiction.  I have about four or so stories I am working on, one with a beta, but I don't want to overwhelm the beta with four stories (right?).

But there was a two week stint where I hadn't heard back from said beta and I totally didn't realize it because I was too caught up reading Jennifer Weiner books.  

Yep, I have been a busy girl.

Oh I also made tropical fruit Popsicles and cooked many a tasty meal.  My hubby says I need to bake more pies and cookies.

But I better get myself in gear if I am going to live this summer to the fullest.  My husband certainly is by taking hikes every weekend and planning small trips for us.  I think I would appreciate all of his efforts more if he would dedicate a weekend or two to new (to us) car-buying and bed shopping, but I think that is exactly what he is avoiding.

Well, I better get to editing that story and sending it out to various fanfic sites.  I just recently found out about PhoenixSong.net -- which is pathetic because I have trolled many a fan fic site and somehow missed this one.  PhoenixSong.net is pretty cannon compliant (i.e. no Lily/Snape shipping, which I say is lame cause I think there was some snogging there, so I don't know if my stories will be accepted, but whatever).

Agh -- editing, ok, going to do that now.