30 Days of Thankfulness

Happy December Friends!

As I sit here, spending some time procrastinating about graduate school due dates and waiting for the time that I head off to work today, I want to compile some of the things I was thankful with this past month.

For those who aren't on Facebook, or simply try to ignore it, as I wish I did more of, I'll explain where my posts originated.  Over the month of November, I and several (probably thousands) others posted a daily message of what we were thankful for.  

November wasn't the easiest of months in my family, but it wasn't the hardest one I've ever been through.  So here's what I was thankful for, in order:

1. Today, I am thankful for having heat, electricity, and work hours during Hurricane Sandy. So many others are not so lucky.

2. I am thankful for having a job which enables me to teach, coach, and attend grad school while still being able to see family and get the housework done!

3. Today I am thankful for our dog, Axe. He may be hairy, and he may drool all over everything. He may have eaten my muffin wrapper this morning, but one of the best feelings in the world is that wet nose pushing your hand on top of his head.

The drool bucket himself

4. Today I am thankful to be able to spend part of my day with my mom and dad. They rerouted their plans to drive to the beach today just to meet me for lunch!

5. Today, I am thankful for the ability to do physical labor. I was able to work in my flower garden and help my husband in the garage. There are so many people who would be unable to do either.

6. Today I am thankful to live in a country where each and every one of us has the opportunity to influence our government.

7. Today I am thankful for insurance, which allowed me to go to the dentist today.

8. Today I am thankful for a job that keeps me mobile. On the first warmer sunny day in a while, it's nice to spend time outside, even if it is just driving across Salem a few times.

9. Today I am thankful for SC [a girl I coached with for 3 years]. She is a smart, kind, wise beyond her years young woman. I miss her dearly, and volleyball season won't be the same without her. However, I am very proud of her for following her dreams, even as they took her to that OTHER school in Virginia. Knowing her has been a true blessing in my life. Btw: thought especially of her today as I put on my makeup and noticed how awesome my skin looks. Thanks for convincing me to buy Bare Minerals! Love you!

10. Today, I am thankful for good nights with great friends!

11. Today, I am thankful for all the veterans, near and far, past and present, who have fought for our freedoms. This definitely includes some of my favorite vets: SLB, DB, & JS!

12. Today I am thankful for my wonderful friend L. Her life is anything but easy, as she juggles a full time job, the demands of a husband, a kindergartener and a preschooler, numerous doctors appointments for her sweet baby who battles against the odds daily, soccer, dance, cheerleading, a new business adventure, and finished her Masters Degree. On tip of it all, she manages to make her friends and family a priority in her crazy life. She is a shining example of dedication, love, and Southern Belle! And did I mention, she kicked butt at her first 5K a few weeks ago? Happy Birthday L! I hope if I have kids I can be half as motivated as you are! I love you! (SN: go check out her blog here!)

13. Today I am thankful for a full day of work, even if it included 3 hours of math.

14. Today I am thankful for a husband who doesn't get mad often. I fixed a quick supper today, of which one of the main ingredients he hates. OOPS. So he ate around it, and then ate nachos.

15. Today I am thankful for fleece pants and long sleeves. I was walking around the house in my wool coat and D finally asked if I was cold. That was the push I needed to get comfy. Am I totally warm? No. Am I in my wool coat? Also no.

16. Today I am thankful for random talks with strangers. They make me smile.

17. Today I am thankful for my ability to continue my education. It's difficult; it's challenging; and, particularly this semester, painfully tedious. Regardless, I know that education opens doors, and this Master's Degree will open doors for me!

18. Today, I am thankful for my baby cousin. From infancy, her life flipped upside down and threw her into my home part time. Over the next 2 decades we fought, laughed, cried, played hard, and had what she calls torture imposed on her (many of those latter events I do not recall btw). Through it all, she pushed and pushed. She has grown into a wonderful woman, who I am proud to call my sister. A woman who has the heart to work with a kid who needs a special sort of love, and the strength to stomach a really tough future career. You continuously amaze me Bean, and I love you so much! Be careful going home.

19. Today, I am thankful for the Internet, which allowed me to fix my Wii on my own rather than buy a new power cable. Tomorrow, I'll blog about how I did it! (Oops...never did this..I'll work on that this week.)

20. Today I am thankful for the checks that just came in. Seems silly, but they say [both of our full names]. It makes me happy!

21. Today I am thankful for runny nosed kisses and the giggles that come with playing chase with the 3 most awesome kids on the planet.

22. Today, I am thankful for my kind of thanksgiving. Tons of people all talking at the same time, enjoying being together. One round at my great aunt's that has maybe 40 people, then round 2 with the immediate Fam.

23. Today, I am thankful for ibuprofen and acetaminophen, which you can alternate so that you feel better longer when your whole family shares their germs.

24. Today I am thankful for a peaceful day at home; well somewhat peaceful. It started at 645 when my nephew decided I needed to be awake. It also included a trip to see the new movie Lincoln. So not quite peaceful and not quite at home, but still great. Now if I could just kick this cold!

25. Today I am thankful for the surprise my husband had for me. He put an outlet on the porch so I can hang Christmas lights!

26. Today, I am thankful for having my Uncle C in my life. He came home when I was 6 months old and helped my mom take care of their ailing parents. For the next 2 decades, he lived next door (at least part of each year), and was there for me in a variety of ways. I know today has been hard, but he's been fighting so hard for so long. Rest easy Scooter, I know you're better off, even if it hurts us so much.

27. Today I am thankful for Christmas decorations that help distract me and make my house pretty!

28. Today, I am thankful for memories.

29. Today, as we laid to rest my uncle, I have struggled to find my thankfulness. I think I found it. I am thankful to spend a day "meeting" some of the people who have known me since I was a baby, and to hear stories of a man I loved. I am also thankful for the wonderful weather we had today, raining sunshine down on our time of mourning.

30. Today, on the last of 30 days of thankfulness, I am thankful for my family. I was able to enjoy the day with my mom, sister in law, and my youngest nephew and my niece. It was an exhausting trip, but those kids are hilarious. I miss my husband, but am also thankful that he was able to come down yesterday for the funeral and spend some time with us. Tomorrow it's back to [where we live] and getting back into the swing of normal life.

So that's it: 30 Days of Thankfulness.  Which leads me to ask: what are you thankful for?

Next up: that blog on fixing the wii and my Currently: December!

Election Day Musings

Today, as I am spending time on the couch, watching CNN's election coverage (and Comedy Central while the Daily Show and Colbert shows were on), I can't help but think about the great honor bestowed on us all today.

I was able to get up and drive to my polling place today, wait in a line of al of 3 people, and cast my vote for the President, US Senate, US Congress, and VA Constitutional Amendments (and buy brownies from the bake sale happening at the church I vote at).

Just 100 years ago, I would have been in eligible to vote. Women fought hard for my right to do so, and I, and all women, are indebted to those who stood up for what they believed in. These women were scorned, imprisoned, and in many cases turned out by their families.

I also am thinking about the dedication some people must have in order to vote. My supervisor, who lives in an urban neighborhood nearby, spent 3.5 hours today waiting in line to cast her ballot, at 10:30 AM. Luckily, the school she votes at was able to set up their lines in a manner that allowed her it stand inside the whole time. I am sure many people are having to stand outside in the cold and wind to get in the building to vote. This shows such great pride in the privilege we have in voting, and it is very moving to me.

The final thing that weighs heavily on my mind is the fact that so many nations deny this experience to their citizens, or, if they have democracies, create such frustratingly corrupt systems that no one citizen's vote actually matters. I just hope that, regardless of tonight's election results, the president-elect helps keep our country the land of the free, the home of the brave, and a nation that cares about humanity.

On a less serious note: I am also thinking about how tomorrow's Facebook post on thankfulness may likely reflect being thankful that the political ads are over.

I leave you now, with only 1 hour and 40 minutes left until closing of the first polling places, with these questions:

Did you vote? Did it take you a few minutes or hours? What are you looking forward to in the next 4 years?

Teaching

Recently, I read a comment on Facebook, which really struck a nerve with me. It stated something along the lines of never hearing about a teacher doing his or her job.

Now, I will be the first to say that teachers, including myself, make mistakes. We are human, and some are better at our jobs than others. However, it seems ludicrous to me that there are parents out there who think teachers don't do their jobs.

I thought I would elaborate here on what, in my experience, are the responsibilities of a teacher.

1. Teach. We must engage upwards of 25 students at a time with material they may or may not have any interest in. In doing so, we must relate to each student's unique prior knowledge, adjusting for the advanced student, the learning disabled student, the physically challenged student, and the ADD/ADHD student. We must do this without obviously treating any student differently. To do this, we spend hours after school planning, organizing, and reconfiguring activities to best fit our students, while ignoring our own families.

2. Communicate. In any given day, a teacher must communicate with students, colleagues, parents, administration, and, often, the public. This communication varies according to level, but includes written, oral, and electronic communication, and definitely doesn't end with the 3:30 bell. (Think I'm wrong? Has anyone ever gotten an email from a teacher outside of school hours? Have you ever spoken to a current or former teacher in the grocery store? I rest my case.)

3. Parent. This may be the most difficult concept for a child's parents, but it is a crucial part of the school environment. A parent provides love and support for their child unconditionally right? Guess what, in the hours your child is at school, his or her teachers are also providing unconditional love and support. If they didn't love your kid, they wouldn't be teaching. The pay and hours are terrible, the rewards of seeing someone we care about excel are why we do it.

4. Nurse. I realize that the school has nurses who do this, but I cannot tell you the number of times I have served as a nurse. From, "Do you have a bandaid?" to "Do you think this is infected?" and "I just threw up a lot, should I go home?" So yes, we are nurses. And the answers? Yes. Ew, gross, yes. And Dear God, please go call your mom. And I teach teenagers. I can not imagine what kinds of nurse things elementary teachers deal with.

5. Confidant. Again, this is another thing that worries parents. It happens all the time. Students spend so much time with their teachers, that teachers can tell at a glance if something is wrong. Students also have so much trust in their teachers, (as they should) that when asked, "Are you okay?" They spill. We then have to determine what is appropriate as a response, and if necessary, who to turn to next with the students' problem. I guess that's why we have to take psychology classes in order to get a license.

6. Disciplinarian. Teachers at all levels have to enforce rules. Every student at some point must be disciplined. Teachers must do so regardless of the support of the parent. Many parents are extremely supportive of the rules. Unfortunately, some parents blatantly allow their children to break rules. For instance, at the high school level, students are generally not allowed to use their phones. It varies by school, but as a general rule, phones are supposed to be silent and away at al times. I cannot begin to tell you the number of times I heard a student discussing something their parent had told them via text during the day. To be more specific, I emailed a mom around 10:30 about a question I had. Her daughter came to me 2 hours later with the answer. Clearly that parent blatantly disregarded a rule, which makes it extremely difficult for the school to enforce.

7. Learn. As a teacher, you must constantly learn. We learn names of students, which we are expected to retain for years. (Case in point, earlier this week I was stopped by a former student in the grocery store. I taught her 4 years ago, and she remembered me, therefore I am expected to remember her.) We learn about the students' character and family. We learn new curriculum, only to have it or our assignment changed, sometimes mid year. We learn new technologies and are expected to implement them immediately, despite the plans we spent hours on just last week. We take undergraduate and graduate level classes to maintain our certifications. (Which, thanks to budget cuts, we spend half a month's salary per course on.) We are perpetual students.

Now, these are not all the responsibilities of a teacher, but they are a large portion. Next time you feel frustrated by your child's teacher, think about this list, and remember that their line of communication is always open. Try talking, try offering how you can help, most definitely, try to encourage your child to learn!

I leave you with one of my favorite quotes:

If you can read, thank a teacher. If you can read in English, thank the US Military.

Fall Crafting

Do y'all know it's fall? I don't think Mother Nature does. Today it was 79 degrees. Mondays forecast is a high of 39 with a chance of snow. What the heck?

All the leaves here sure are changing though, which gave me a kick in the butt to finally make my fall wreath. I didn't take pictures of the process (I usually never take pictures), but I so have a final product pic!

1. Travel to your local craft store looking for a wreath form. Decide the styrofoam one isn't big enough and buy the much bigger straw one. While there, pick up VT inspired maroon yarn, white polka dot ribbon, and orange polka dot ribbon.

2. Have your husband choose a show you care nothing about. (For me, I believe it was Gold Rush and whatever that show is about the people who live in Alaska as homesteaders.)

3. Start wrapping your wreath with ribbon. If you are OCD, this will take days. For me, it took about 2 hrs.

4. Figure out how to use the ribbon to make a loop for hanging. This involves a lot of knots and glue, especially if you don't want to cut more yarn. (What can I say, I am a lazy crafter.)

5. Wrap the thin ribbon around the wreath in a circle, glue to the back of the wreath. Then use the thicker wire ribbon to wrap around and make a bow.

6. Display proudly, supporting your fave college football team, also serving as a daily reminder that you are a grad student behind on class.

Have fun in the fall!

Pinterest Let Down :(

Today, I was let down by Pinterest. TWICE. I am so shocked.

My first Pinterest attempt was a pumpkin carved to look like a minion from Despicable Me. It looked super cute, and the caption said that when the candle was lit, it would glow like the lovable little evil lair factory workers. This happens to be one of our favorite movies, so I thought it was perfect!

This. Is. Not. Perfect.

In fact, the pumpkin is so thick that the only light you see is in the tiny mouth. I attached a picture of it, notably not glowing. In fact, I used the flash so you would see more than the little sliver of a mouth.

D thinks that if I shave off some more of the inside, making the wall thinner, and hopefully making it glow.

We'll see.

So on to disappointment number 2. I discovered a quick and easy kielbasa and potatoes recipe, which somehow I had all the ingredients for.

SCORE. Not.

While the food was wonderful, and we will be keeping this one for cold weather days (It was 80 degrees today, y'all. It's Late October!)

So, where does the let down come from? I ruined a pan. Like, as soon as I took it out of the oven, I knew the pan was a goner. Somehow, I feel like whoever originally pinned it should have said, "Hey, make sure you line the pan, or you will lose it." I will be editing my comment for that one!

Oh well, live and learn, right?

What Pinterest ideas have you implemented that have disappointed you?

Crust-less Apple Pie

You know how everyone wishes Pinterest had a "Did This" button?  I think I even saw an ecard about it once.  Well, I accomplished this pin, and here's how:

Sunday night was dinner date night with our good newlywed friends B & H.  (You may remember my post about their wedding a few weeks ago, you can find that here.)

H makes a fabulous lasagna, that my husband adores, and apparently had asked for last week (when they had just returned from their honeymoon).  (Note: when I make lasagna, it comes from a box.)  She also makes a wonderful bread, which left me with salad and dessert.

Since I love apples and cooking in the crockpot, I thought these apples were just the ticket.  The link above is to the original source, but  I altered it slightly so here's my recipe:

What you'll need

6 Gala Apples

1/2 cup Apple Juice

1/4 cup Brown Sugar

1 tsp. Apple Pie Spice 

2 T. margarine

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1. Set crockpot to high.

2. Core your apples.  I bought an apple corer today at Wal-Mart.  It's fantastic, and you can find them in the utensils section or on random aisles in groceries.

3. In medium bowl, mix together brown sugar, spice, margarine, and nuts.  I had to mash up the margarine with my spoon first, then stir it together.

So far you'll have this

4. Put the apples in the crock pot, then fill them with sugar mixture.  I started filling lightly, to make sure I had enough for all the apples.  Then I packed it down with my finger (you might want to use something else, but this worked great for me), and added more.

5. Pour apple juice in bottom.

Looks good huh?

6. My favorite step: Cover and cook for 2.5 hours.  (I used this time to catch up on football, clean the sofa & chair, do the dishes, work on schoolwork, and the first half of this blog.)  The original pinner said to cook for 3 hours, or until the apples started to collapse on themselves.  My apples were falling apart when checked in at 2.5, so I flipped it to keep warm.  I didn't take a picture when they were finished, because we were eating them.  Sorry!

I served these tasty treats with vanilla ice cream, because, let's be honest, nothing beats Apple Pie a'la Mode.  We also drizzled warmed up caramel on them, which was awesome.

Some notes:
1. These don't look very appealing when you cook them.  The turn super dark (almost like rotten apples), and I picked them up with a spoon.
2. Omit the nuts.  Really, you could just add more brown sugar & butter.  I like nuts and so does H, but B & D didn't care for them, and they were kind of distracting.

Have you completed something you are proud of on Pinterest?  If so, what?

Currently: October

Currently
Listening	To an airplane flying overhead, and the chimes made by my Bahamian windchime I picked up on our honeymoon
Loving	The ability to blog from outside on my front porch.  Granted, I’m in a sweater and a jacket, and in the sun, but, hey, a Southern Summer lover has to soak up every last Indian Summer day she can get!
Thinking	It’s been so nice having the hubby at home, even if he’s “recovering” from surgery.
Wanting	Starbucks, of any iced variety.
Needing	To finish off my grad school work that I’m about 2 weeks behind on thanks to a lack of motivation with the hub home.
Favorite Things	1.      Summer-like fall days 2.     The loads of laundry drying on my back porch 3.     The sight of my husband playing with the dog in the yard this morning, it was pretty unsuccessful since the dog just kept taking the ball to the shade & lying down 4.  Candy Corn & Peanuts - Thanks Nana!