Wow, it's seems like forever since I've been on LJ, let alone updated. And even now, I only have a few minutes to just say I'm still alive and kicking before I need to move along. Open House was last night, and it was peachy. I only had about ten parents all evening--what is the point of that? But it did go well, and because I stayed after ( Read more... )

Well, school has begun for yet another year. We had a teacher's work day on Monday, followed by the abrupt start of school on Tuesday. The year seems to be off to a good start--I am feeling more positive about my heavy workload and I think I'm going to like (most of) my new crop of sophomores. If nothing else, I began my school year with a good ( Read more... )

So Ryan and I are back in Ohio after a wonderful, whirlwind trip to Kentucky and Tennessee. Those states are simply beautiful. We spent two days in the Mammoth Cave area in Kentucky. Bowling Green was a waste, but the cave was incredible. On Tuesday, we traveled across the state to London, where Kristen and Mike recently moved for Kristen's job ( Read more... )

After seeing Cari and Ed on Wednesday night, Ryan and I decided that we definitely needed to go to Verizon and see about getting new phones (Ryan's is old and mine is acting up) and a new contract. The phone we picked out is, I think, the same as or similar to the one Cari just got. It's got lots of fun features, including the horribly gratuitous ( Read more... )

Today is part of the saddest period of the year--the anniversary of Marilyn's death in 1962. Gayle called this morning to remind me of the fact, but I already knew from my mood that I was in a stretch of time that was sad to contemplate. After hanging up the phone with Gayle, I looked through one of my Marilyn books and marveled yet again at her ( Read more... )

Yesterday, Miss Alice and Master Dan invited Ryan and I to join them on an excursion to Blossom to see the Cleveland Orchestra perform Bugs Bunny on Broadway. (Yay for vouchers!) Because of traffic backup, we didn't get inside until nearly concert time, but that was okay because we found a nice seat on the lawn, where all four of us could see the ( Read more... )

I finished reading The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant, on Saturday.  This book was, as Alice and Cari assured me, quite a powerful read.  The story of Dinah, only daughter of Jacob, sucked me in from the very start, as the writing style is unique.  To give you an idea of the book itself, I quote the opening of the Prologue: "We have been lost to each ( Read more... )

You are an SEDL--Sober Emotional Destructive Leader. This makes you a dictator. You prefer to control situations, and lack of control makes you physically sick. You feel have responsibility for everyone's welfare, and that you will be blamed when things go wrong. Things do go wrong, and you take it harder than you should ( Read more... )

I have discovered a major problem with the books I've read recently. Not in the stories themselves. Most of the time, I really enjoy reading the books and seeing how characters interact. My problem occurs after I put the book down, after I'm all finished with the reading. I find myself wondering how the book could possibly be over. I'm still left ( Read more... )

The class I took this last week was very interesting and seemed to come at an appropriate time in my life. It was titled "Developing Self-Reliant People," based on a book by Stephen Glenn, a psychologist or something. His whole basis in this book was that the kids we are raising today are too needy and haven't learned to think for themselves ( Read more... )