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RIP Elaine

Posted on September 9, 2010 by auburnchick

Yesterday, I attended the funeral of a fellow soccer mom…

She was young…only 50 years old.

Her passing came as a shock to those who knew her, and the funeral home was packed as we bid her a final farewell.

Elaine was a selfless, tireless gal.  I knew I could count on her to fill in when we needed help in the concession stand.  In fact, she gladly served up chili and hot dogs even while her daughter was playing out on the field.

She wore herself out helping us prepare for the soccer banquets, and she was frequently the last person to eat during the dinners that were served those evenings.

She was feisty, often pacing the sidelines and yelling out suggestions encouragement to her daughters as they played their hearts out.

We bonded ever so tightly as we huddled together in front of Mr. Heater…doing our best to keep warm on long, freezing soccer evenings.

We huddled together under umbrellas while we watched our girls get soaked to the bone time and again in this crazy Florida weather.

After our girls played in the Final Four game, we went our separate ways, as is the norm for soccer parents when a season ends.  Thus, it was a pleasant surprise when I ran into her a few short weeks ago.  She had recently begun working at the store I was shopping at, and I chuckled sympathetically while she tried to figure out why the cash register wasn’t obeying her commands.

Elaine, I will miss you as I cheer on the high school team this year.  I had been excited to attend games, even though my Chicky has already graduated.  I was excited because I love the game, but mostly because it would give me the chance to reconnect with amazing parents like yourself.

You were a one-of-a-kind.  God broke the mold with you.

You will be missed.

Filed under: This-n-That | 3 Comments »

Random Dozen – Labor Day Version

Posted on September 8, 2010 by auburnchick

It’s Wednesday and what does that mean?

It’s time for Linda’s Random Dozen!  Let me hear a “Hey, Hey!”

Post your answers and then link back to Linda’s blog!

1. Describe the best sandwich in the world, according to you.

I am not a huge sandwich fan, but if I had to pick, I’d say that Panera’s Mediterranean Veggie rocks!!


2. Which inspires you more: a good conversation, a song, a book or movie?

A good conversation makes me happy, happy, happy!  I draw inspiration from other people!

3. What is your favorite board game?

I love Trivial Pursuit.  Yes, I am a nerd.

4. As you grow older, are you more or less patient with small children?

I actually think that I am getting more patient with small children.  Thus, I’ll be ready for grandchildren in about ten years!

5. Name one item you never let yourself run out of.

Toilet paper, hands down.  This happened once, when I was a teenager and visiting a friend.  We ran out of toilet paper, and there was no paper anywhere in the house with which to wipe with.  I mean nothing…no kleenex, no napkins, and not even one single paper towel.  Living out in the country meant that you had to drive a LONG way to get to a grocery store.  So, I sat.  And waited.  And waited.  My legs were numb by the time my friend’s mom returned with my precious TP.  I’ve never run out since.

6. Do you agree with Tennyson’s assertion, “‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?”

Yes, I think I do.  Despite the hardships that come with loving someone, I think that missing out on love would be like missing the sunrise.  Despite the ebb and flow of love, love leaves an indelible imprint on each person’s life.

7. Name one national treasure or monument that you have visited.

I visited Washington, D.C. as a teenager and once, as an adult.  Probably the national monument that left the biggest impression was the Lincoln Memorial.  It is HUGE!  I was awed by the statue of Lincoln.  It was very moving.

8. Which is more painful, to be disappointed in someone else or to be disappointed in yourself?

I think that being disappointed in myself is one of the most painful things of all.  I expect other people to let me down.  It’s inevitable that people aren’t going to live up to my expectations.  However, being the perfectionist that I am, “missing the mark” hits me in the gut.

9. What makes your kitchen uniquely yours?

The unwashed floor.  It’s not a floor that anyone else would claim, much less eat off of.

10. Are you a crafty person?

Well, I knit, so I guess you could say I have a smidgen of craftiness in me.

11. What is your favorite traditional picnic or bbq (cookout) food?

I like hot dogs.  Just add a little mustard, ketchup, relish, and onions, and I am set to go!

12. Name one leisurely activity you enjoyed over Labor Day Weekend.

Knitting!  I started a new project because I ran out of yarn before I could finish my other project.  It was a treat to relax and knit instead of work on lesson plans!

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: | 10 Comments »

Are You Ready for Some Football?

Posted on September 7, 2010 by auburnchick

What can be better than watching your favorite team play a great game of football?

Well, listening to the band that pumps up that team, I say!

The Mr. might say, “For shame!” Nothing should upstage goal-line stances!

But, being a Drum Line Mom, I think I just might have to beg to differ.

Last Friday night, Rooster’s high school played its first home football game.  The band was in the stands, pumping energizing music into the stadium and encouraging the team to work harder.

Honestly, before last year, I never paid much attention to the band.

In fact, dare I say that the band was a teensy bit annoying at times?

Now, don’t you start throwing drum sticks at me!

I’m just being honest.

I’ve gotta tell you that now, I am mesmerized by the band.

I don’t know if it’s the music or the kids.

I guess it’s a combination of the two.  All I know is that I love watching the looks on the faces of those participating.

The kids are having fun, plain and simple.

I especially enjoy watching my Rooster’s face as he leans over and looks at the other drummers as they are playing.

I have no idea if he’s playing the music correctly.  All I know is that he is having a great time jamming out with the kids he has spent hours upon hours with.

I love watching the drum line as it stands on the track and plays various cadences while the rest of the band files into the stands.

I love watching the kids line up and await their turn to play the much-practiced halftime show.

I especially love, after the game, looking back at the pictures I took, never realizing the concentration it takes to play well.

Rooster’s face said it all (wish I could show you).

And after the game, I love riding home with Rooster and getting his take on the evening.

It reminds me of riding home with Chicky after soccer games.

I’ve learned to ask a few questions but mostly to listen.

So yes.  It’s almost Fall, and, thus, it’s football season.

More importantly, it’s Band Season.

Let the fun begin!

Filed under: children | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Busted

Posted on September 6, 2010 by auburnchick

If you don’t want the hubster to know about your little treats, do yourself a favor and throw away the wrappers.

Or else, he might make a discovery when he goes hunting for the GPS…

Oops.

Busted.

My hubster was not amused.

Next time, I’ll get rid of the incriminating evidence.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

The Mom Run

Posted on September 5, 2010 by auburnchick

Saturday was a big day for me.

It started out when the alarm clock went off at the oh-so-early hour of 5:30.

Ugh.

It felt a little like a work day…

Except for the fact that I wasn’t going to work…

I was going to see my Chicky-Poo.

So, getting up wasn’t a bother.

Plus, the Mr. was driving, so I knew I could snooze if I wanted.

I loaded up the car (you saw that picture in yesterday’s post) and headed out.

I snoozed.

I also did some knitting.  Maybe one day I’ll actually finish the project I’ve been working on.  It seems the only time I have to knit these days is when I’m in the car on a long ride.

I decided to give myself a couple of days off from lesson planning.  I’ve been putting in 15-18 hour days.

We stopped a couple of times for “necessities.”

At one Mom-and-Pop business, the Mr. purchased this bracelet for me…

It’s the cutest thing ever, and at $1.25, it was a steal!  I love that it has dolphins since Rooster’s high school mascot is the dolphin.

As we got closer to Southeastern, my stomach started churning.

I was anxious to see my girl, whom I had not seen since my tearful goodbye a month before.

When we were ten minutes out, the Mr. realized that the GPS was taking us to the school rather than the hotel.

Say what?

I thought we were going straight to see Chicky.

I will admit to pitching a fit befitting a two year old.

The conversation went something like this:

“Aren’t we going to see Chicky?”  I asked.

“No.  She has to be in the locker room with her team,” he replied.

“No.  We’re going to see Chicky.  There’s time,” I said.

“No, there’s not.  I always go to the field right before the game,” he said.

“You take me to see my Chicky [fists by my side],” I said.  I continued, “She said we would have time.”

At this point, I was nearly in tears, and I did the only thing I knew to do.

I called Chicky.

She said she didn’t have to be in the locker room for another 45 minutes.  Since we were less than ten minutes away, it was fine to go by.

I looked at the Mr. with a smug smile.

He followed the GPS’s directions.

We parked beside her dorm, and I collected the bag of crackers I’d bought her.  I also grabbed the two boxes of snacks I’d also purchased the day before.

As I began walking down the sidewalk, I saw her…

My baby…

My college girl.

As she walked toward me, she said, “I figured I better meet you outside so you wouldn’t embarrass me in front of my roommate.”

I barely heard her because, at that moment, I dropped everything I’d been holding and started doing the “Mom Run” toward her, arms outstretched.

It was like a scene from a movie.

“Run into your mama’s arms, my Chicky girl,” I said.

She smiled, chuckled, and entered my embrace.

I hugged her as hard as was legally allowed.

She hugged back.

I kissed her face and then checked to make sure she still had ten fingers and ten toes.

Don’t ask me why, but that’s what I did when I saw her the first time after giving birth to her.

If she rolled her eyes, she did it over my shoulder.

We made a few trips back and forth to carry in everything we’d brought her.

Then I kissed her face again.

I told her I owed her hugs from a couple of people…

“This one is for Ms. H (from school), and this one is from Guy Friend’s mom.”

I loved it.  I had an excuse to put my arms around her again.

She was starting to tire of my affection, whispering to the Mr. that next time he could leave me at home.

heehee

We took a couple of pictures, and then we left so she could get ready for her game.

We explored a bit and then walked to the field.

What a hot afternoon!  I’ve gotten out of the routine of going to games, and boy, have I turned into a wimp!

Our early appearance on campus resulted in a huge payoff when we saw one of Chicky’s former soccer coaches…Coach Mike…

He is the coach of the team Chicky would be playing against.

I have to tell you about this guy.

He sits at the top of my list of favorite coaches.

This man coached Chicky for two years, and what he did for her game was nothing short of a miracle.

He instilled in her a confidence that no other coach has ever done.

He taught her that it is vital for defenders to be mobile and carry the ball up the field when opportunities present themselves.

This changed Chicky’s game completely.

It’s made her a silent threat on the field, because most people expect defenders to stay in the back.

Coach Mike taught Chicky that her small size is no excuse to be beat physically.

As a result, she wins as many headers as girls two shoulders taller.

Although Chicky hasn’t played for him in over four years, we have remained friends and have made a special effort to keep in contact with him.

He and I are friends on Facebook, and that is how he discovered that Chicky is a member of Southeastern’s team.  That is also how he figured out that his team would be playing her’s.

The hugs we exchanged yesterday were heartfelt.

I can honestly say that I love this man.  When you see someone care about children the way he does, you can’t help but love that person.

We quickly caught up on the latest happenings, and then his new team (he was recently named as the coach of this team) walked onto the field.

He was thoughtful enough to introduce his girls to us.

At this point, I looked at them and said, “I want you to know that this man coached my daughter.  You are very lucky to have him as your own coach.  He is tough, but he knows what he’s doing.”

At this, they laughed “knowing” laughs.  He chuckled because he knows that they know how tough he is.

As he ran across the field to warm up his girls, I sat on the bleachers with a smile.

My reunion with Chicky had been doubly-blessed.

Finally, it was time for Chicky’s team to take the field.

Ahhhhh…I feel so completely at home on the sidelines.  It’s where I’ve spent the last 10+ years.  So, it was high time that I was sitting in the bleachers again!

Chicky’s coach’s wife, Teresa, took photos…

I took photos…

The team got off to a slow start.  In fact, Coach Mike’s team scored first.  I was happy for him because I knew his team lacked confidence and really needed that goal.

During the game, it started raining…but the rain only lasted for five minutes – just long enough for me to run to the car and grab an umbrella.

The sky was beautiful after the rain stopped…

Finally, Chicky’s team scored, and they kept going and going and going after that.

In the end, the score was 6-1…

Both teams gathered for a prayer after the game ended…

The girls ran over and sang a song they sing after every game (I think, since this is the first game I’ve been to)…

If you want proof that I was there, check out this picture that Teresa took.  I’m the one in the cropped pants and blue checkered shirt…

Coach Mike ran over to say a few words.

I’m telling you …this man is incredible.  Although he lives a few states away, he’s always in my heart!

Chicky was in a good mood after the game.

We chatted with other parents, and some of her teammates introduced themselves to me.

“So, you’re Chicky’s mom,” said one player.

“Yes, I am.”

“She told us how crazy you are,” she continued.

“Oh really?  I’m not sure if this is a good thing,” I replied hesitantly.

“It’s good.  She said that if we think she’s crazy, then we should know that you’re even crazier.”

“Well, what can I say.  I’m a mom.  Moms are supposed to be nuts and embarrass their kids,  But, I’m on my best behavior today.  Maybe next time, I’ll do one of my dances,” I said.

heehee

She was a nice girl.  They all are nice girls.  Chicky is lucky to have them as teammates and friends.

Chicky was sweaty, so after she changed clothes, she hopped in our car so we could treat her to dinner.  It felt good to have her in the backseat behind me again.

I have this thing where I’ve always reached my hand back to her, and she gives me a five…just a touch to acknowledge me.  We’ve done this for years and years, and it especially soothed me on this occasion.

On the way to eat, I took these beautiful pictures…

Can you believe those two pictures, along with the one of the sky during the game, were taken with my phone?  Great camera!!

Anyhoo…

We let Chicky pick where she wanted to eat, and because she’s been eating rather cheaply (typical broke, college student), she chose Outback.

Now, listen to how trained my brain is.  When the hostess asked us how many were in our party, I answered, “Four.”

I did not even think about it until we sat down, and the Mr. looked at me strangely.

Oh.

Duh.

I still am not used to this “threesome” thing.

Anyhoo…

We splurged on a Bloomin’ Onion…

Chicky managed to spill her water.  It was too funny and a little embarrassing for her.

We had a lovely conversation with Chicky, catching up on this and that.  I will say, though, that she is definitely done with high school stuff.  She cared not one iota about talking about anything related to the “old days.”

She’s moved on.

Unfortunately, the time went by too quickly.

We took her back to her dorm, and she tried to say her goodbye in the parking lot.

I was having none of that.  I’d already said one goodbye from the car.  I was not about to do it again.

I walked her to her dorm and gave her a few more hugs and kisses at the door.

This was a proper goodbye.

Although I did not cry when we left, I did feel a little sad.

Being reunited with my Chicky reminded me how vibrant she is.  She is very vocal, and her absence has left a void…one that her larger-than-life personality fills.

I missed her again in that moment.

But, I know that it won’t be long before I get to see her again.  I’ll be attending another game in a couple of weeks.

I can hardly wait!

Filed under: children | Tagged: , , , | 2 Comments »

On the Road Again

Posted on September 4, 2010 by auburnchick

Auburnchick has hit the road again.

Her car is packed…

I wonder where she’s going?

That’s for her to know and you to find out…

Filed under: This-n-That | Leave a comment »

Week 5 of Teaching

Posted on September 3, 2010 by auburnchick

It’s Friday afternoon, and I just finished my fifth week of teaching.

Before I tell you about it, I feel the need to tell you that I’ve been holding out on you a bit.

See, my students are all Muslim.  At my school, students are taught the core subjects as well as Arabic and Islamic education.

As you probably already know, I was hired to teach English.

The principal hired me with the full knowledge that I am a Christian.  This was not important to him.

What mattered was that I was qualified for the job at hand.

You might wonder why I haven’t mentioned this before.  Honestly, it wasn’t because I was embarrassed.

I’m not.

I just never wanted this fact to be the main focus of my teaching posts.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve discovered that it is really difficult to share the meaty stuff I’m doing without you having this knowledge.

Now, I feel more open to share additional conversations that crop up during what would normally be “routine” assignments.

Gosh, but I think I’m starting to ramble.  There’s just so much on my heart right now.

See, I am AuburnChick…small-town girl who, as a senior in high school, accepted Jesus as my Savior and was baptized in my tiny Baptist church.  Despite gradually moving “up” in the world…moving to bigger towns over the years before finally returning to my roots…I have remained somewhat sheltered.

Who would have thought that I would be teaching at a Muslim school?

It just goes to show you that God works in mysterious ways.

So…back to Week 5.

This was an interesting week.  It was a bit of a roller coaster.  I started off at an fairly even keel.  Because my 9th graders did so poorly on last week’s vocabulary test, I decided I better do some kind of review with them.

A neighbor/friend/teacher told me about Vocabulary Bingo, and my interest was piqued.  I made up bingo cards with each space containing a word (for a total of 20 words).  Because the cards were 5 squares by 5 squares, I needed five more things to fill in.  I used five teachers’ names.

Yeah.  I’m smart like that.

That’s why they pay me the not-so-big-bucks.

I put the definitions on separate slips of paper and cut them out.  These would be the Bingo “balls.”  I put them in my ceramic flower pot and mixed them up.

Before I left the house, I collected all of the safety pins in my house.  These would be serving as Bingo markers.

See…smart I am, eh?

You guys…I had no idea how my seniors would react to this game, but they surprised me by really getting into it!

I made it a lot of fun.  I told them that cheating by looking on a neighbor’s card (all of the cards were different) was perfectly okay.  I decided that if they cheated, they would still be learning the words.  I also told them I would give them one point for every Bingo game they won.  The total number of points would be added to their vocabulary test scores.  Oh, but before they could be named Bingo winners, they had to read their words back to me and give me each word’s part of speech.

Let me tell you…this game was a hit!  Every class enjoyed it!

The reward payed off the next day when, after my 9th grade took the test, students told me how much the game had helped them.  Some students doubled their grades from the week before!

Woo Hoo!

Meanwhile, my juniors and seniors have been studying the Declaration of Independence.  We have picked the document apart, looking at the literary elements and vocabulary.

I assigned my students the task of giving the United States a report card and grading it on how well it has upheld the five ideals of the Declaration (equality, life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, and government of the people).

The kids asked if they could answer honestly.

I said yes, as long as they could back up their grade with sound reasoning.

This assignment is actually a prewriting exercise to assist them with the essays they will be writing…essays in which they take a stand on the overall grade they assigned on the report cards.  They will be expounding on two of the ideals above.

I am very excited to read these kids’ answers.  They are young, but because they are Muslim, they have experienced things I never have nor probably will.

They offer a fresh perspective on my sheltered view of the world.

My 6th graders read a story about heroes, and I also taught them a lesson on text mapping.  Text mapping is learning to read informational texts by noticing titles, subtitles, key words, maps, and illustrations.  I copied the next chapter of their history books and had them highlight each element.  We talked about making predictions and other stuff.

I have to say that at the beginning of the term, I was nervous about going from high school to 6th graders, but I have adjusted, and I’ve discovered a fresh innocence and a sincere desire to please.

They whined when I gave them a list of 20 spelling words, but they grew more excited during their pretest on Wednesday.  Especially the part when they got to grade each others’ papers.  LOL

Today, they took their test, and almost all of them did well.

Woo Hoo!

Meanwhile, my 9th graders studied the Gift of the Magi (great story, by the way), and my 10th graders read The Open Window (another cute story).

Today, I started a new story with my 10th graders – The Masque of the Red Death.

Oh my gosh.  This story has so much depth!  I have enough lesson plans for two weeks!  They’ll be sick of the story by the end, but they will know a lot about allegories, symbolism, and irony.

Good stuff, folks.

The kids think they are the only ones being challenged.

They’re not.

My brain stays fried most of the time, but I am learning so much.

I am gaining confidence, thanks to the listening ear of my friend, Barb.

I am learning how to handle situations in which students might need a gentler hand.

I am learning that the world is a much bigger place than I ever imagined, and my perspective is one of many.

I am learning that God doesn’t always place you where you expect (in fact, I think He relishes the thrill of surprising us).  He is using me right where I am.  It doesn’t matter that the culture or religious affiliation is different.

I am a child of God.

I am His servant.

God is growing and stretching me in the same way that I am growing and stretching my students.

Week 5 – very good indeed!

Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: | 2 Comments »

Growing Up and Making Choices

Posted on September 2, 2010 by auburnchick

Who doesn’t like Facebook?

It’s a wonderful tool and has led to many a happy reunion.

I was hooked from the moment I got requests from long-lost friends.

And what has been even more fun has been connecting with friends of my friends…people we all know.  Facebook makes the world a much smaller place.

One interesting thing that has also happened is that as I’ve connected with the friends I made while living in South Florida, I’ve been able to look at pictures of their children…my own Chicky and Rooster’s friends from long ago.

Gosh, but that’s when you realize how fast time is flying.

Of course, the way I remember these children is not always the way they are now.

The boys have grown facial hair, and the girls…

Well, the girls have changed too.

I got a couple of surprises yesterday when I innocently clicked on the links for a couple of my children’s friends.

And these weren’t the best surprises.

Looking through the pictures made me go, “Oh really?  Do your mamas ever look at your Facebook pages?  Does they know who your friends really are?”

A glance at the kids’ profiles revealed interesting religious views.

Coming from my conservative, Christian perspective, I am saddened.

I still love these children.  They left their marks on my heart years ago when I first met them.

They are growing up and making choices that concern me.

I am also grateful for having my Chicky and Rooster…children who, for the most part, make well-thought-out decisions.  They are involved in church and, more importantly, have a relationship with God.  In fact, they would rather spend time at church with their Christian friends than at parties where who knows what goes on.

Perhaps it was a good thing that I took a peek into those other lives.  I know where I need to direct some of my prayers.

Filed under: children | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Random Dozen – A Very Mixed Bag This Week!

Posted on September 1, 2010 by auburnchick

I totally love the questions this week because I have legitimate answers to nearly all of them!  Thanks, Linda, for posting them.

Hey, if you’re reading this, you can play along too!  Just copy the questions, post your answers, and then link back to Linda’s blog!  Voila!

Onward!

1. What insect are you most afraid of? Feel free to post a picture.

Oh my gosh.  I absolutely will not post a picture of the icky creature I am most afraid of…SPIDERS!!!!

When I worked at a middle school, I had a walkie talkie (yeah, I was special like that).  I once discovered a large, hairy, brown spider hiding behind a technical binder.  I grabbed my radio and managed to squeak out in a barely audible voice, “Tech to anyone with a radio (“Tech” was my name on the radio).  Can someone please come to my office ASAP.  I found a really big spider, and I am really, really scared of spiders.  Hurry!”  The custodian came to my room, donned a pair of gloves, and emerged a bit later with a horrified look on his face.  “That was the biggest spider I’ve ever seen.”

Told you so.

I have to share one more story…just to illustrate why I LOATHE these buggers.  I once tried to kill a humongous spider and wound up breaking open a sac filled with a quatrillion zillion baby spiders that started scrambling around like crazy.  Talk about freaking out!  My kids will tell you that I never, ever, ever go near spiders.

2. What is the greenest/most organic thing about you or that you do?

The most organic thing I do is to make fresh apple/orange/pineapple juice…especially when Chicky is sick.  It knocks up a cold in a day.  No kidding.  I posted how-to’s here.

3. Tell me about a recurring dream that haunts you.

For some reason, I have two recurring dreams.  Either I am about to sit through a tornado (my greatest fear ever and for what reason I have no idea) and having someone chase me with the intent to kill me.

Sleeping often comes at a cost for me.  😦

4. Have you ever missed a flight? What were the circumstances?

Oh my, but yes, I have missed a flight!  Right after we moved to Podunk, USA, Chicky started playing for a travel soccer team that took traveling very seriously.  Our first out-of-state trip was to Washington, D.C.  We took a flight from Slightly-Bigger-Podunk, USA to Atlanta.  Unfortunately, though, the flight to Atlanta had been delayed when getting off the ground, so when we arrived in Atlanta, we missed our connecting flight by less than five minutes.  The Mr., not having experience with making travel reservations, had not allowed enough time between flights.  Plus, it was some sort of national holiday, so everyone was flying that day.  We spent the entire day running from one gate to another, waiting on standby and begging the attendants to let us on their planes.  It was almost like The Amazing Race except without the prize at the end.

We finally, finally got the last four seats on the very last plane going out that day.  It was one of the most nervous I’ve ever been when traveling.

5. What do you consider your best feature?

Is this physical feature?  Hmmm…I am torn between saying my hair and my calves.  My hair is naturally curly, but I’ve come to terms with it over the years.  My calves are still in good shape despite my penchant for chocolate.  I often am asked if I am a runner.  I tried, people, but my feet wouldn’t cooperate!  Maybe it’s time to give it another go?

6. What was the last concert you went to?

Perfect timing!  I went to three concerts two weekends ago.  I was fortunate to see Point of Grace, Chris Tomlin, Amy Grant, and Michael W. Smith.  I just uploaded videos from the concerts too!!!  BP funded the concerts as a way to draw tourists back to the beaches that its oil threatened to destroy.

Having never gone to a concert before, let me tell you that this was the BEST way to start out!  The joy that filled my soul from praising God with upwards of 8,000 people was simply more than words can describe!

7. Describe the most embarrassing church moment you ever experienced.

I am fairly well-behaved in church, so I haven’t had many of these moments.  I do remember when I was a teenager and attended a small Baptist church (no more than 30 pews, that’s how small).  As the communion was passed around, my step-dad put his hand out and refused to allow me to partake.  He had never done this before.  He told me that I wasn’t saved yet, so I didn’t have the right to take part in this ritual.  I was mortified.  We sat in the second pew, and I know everyone saw it.

Did he have a valid point?  Perhaps.  All I know is that I felt humiliated.

8. Are you a whistler, hummer or singer?

I was going to say singer, but when I shared this question with Rooster, he told me that I am all three.  I think I mostly sing though, to the unfortunate ears of those near enough to listen.  Try listening to the Amy Grant video.  You can almost hear my voice as I sang along with her.  heehee

9. George Washington Carver said, “I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaksto us every hour, if we will only tune in.” What is God saying to you through nature today, or this very minute?

I have been waking up to slightly crisp mornings.  This holds the promise of cooler weather and relief from this heat (as well as a break on my electric bill).

10. On September, 1, 1752, the Liberty Bell arrived in Philadelphia. What memorable event will take place in your life on September 1, 2010?

I am reviewing vocabulary words with four of my classes.  We will be playing Vocabulary Bingo, and I am psyched!  It will be a fun break from the literature we’ve been reading, and it will give me a chance to catch my breath.

11. Taco Bell or the Liberty Bell? (You must choose.)

Taco Bell.  I’m still digging the recent introduction of the Strawberry Margarita Frutista Freeze.  YUM!

12. Do you believe men and women can have purely platonic friendships?

Yes, I think it’s possible, but one has to be very careful when entering such relationships.

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