Don’t mind me, Mama. I’m just waiting patiently until school is over…five instructional weeks plus a few days for final exams and cleaning up.
Then you’ll be mine…
ALL MINE…
And we can spend our days sleeping in…
Snuggling…
Throwing the rope and ball around…
And generally, just being together.
I.
Can’t.
Wait.
Filed under: Pets | Tagged: Pets | 2 Comments »
Today at church, we sang the song I’ve posted below.
It’s You Are Stronger by Hillsong, and I love it because it really tells the entire salvation story.
I continue to be amazed by the fact that there are so many lost people in this world.
Despite the fact that people believe in “God,” do they really believe in the story of redemption…that we’re sinners who must have their debt paid…that we can NEVER repay that debt ourselves…that good words will NOT get us to heaven…that Jesus is the ONLY person who could pay that debt because He was the ONLY person without sin.
I am so grateful for God’s grace and mercy that doesn’t make me wait until I die to find out if I’m going to heaven (unlike what some religions believe).
I KNOW that I am a sinner, saved by grace, not by my own merit but by the love and mercy of the Lord Jesus.
I know where I’ll spend eternity.
Do you?
If not, remember that God’s love…the gift of His Son…is stronger than anything else in this world.
Filed under: Christian | Tagged: Christianity, Hillsong, salvation, You Are Stronger | Leave a comment »
Last summer, I had the good fortune of taking an Alaskan cruise and finding yarn shops at every port.
While in Sitka, I came across a hobby store that had a few skeins of yarn in it.
That’s when I spied this…
I fell in love with the rich colors. Despite the hefty price tag ($29.50), I splurged. The yarn is Bear Feet, and the colorway is Jewels of the Czar…fitting given that Alaska was owned by Russia way back when.
I finally got the chance to cast on a project with this yarn, so after much searching (choosing patterns is DIFFICULT work), I decided to make Wendy Johnson’s Lacy Ribs Socks from her book Socks from the Toes Up.
The pattern was super-easy. In fact, I memorized the lace pattern after only a few repeats. I used size 0 needles and made the small. I began the project on March 15 and finished on April 27. I would have finished sooner, but as you know, I have a hectic schedule.
I should have stuck with the medium size I started out making, but I was concerned that the socks would be too big. They’re not too small, but a medium would have been just right. This project only took 90 grams of yarn to complete.
I was pleasantly surprised to see the yarn stripe. I do like striped socks. In fact, I went through a knitting spree when I bought tons of striping yarn. heehee
Something very bad happened, though, after I turned the heel of my first sock.
The yarn stopped striping and started pooling.
Oh my goodness.
It was ugly, and I considered frogging. What happened was that at first, the patterning only ran across one needle…the top of the foot (these were made toe up). When it was time to start the patterning around both needles and, thus, around the entire leg, the length of yarn required for each round increased, throwing off the striping pattern.
I was not happy. I figured this would be the ugliest pair of socks ever.
I persisted, finished the first sock, and began working on the second one.
Something really strange happened.
After turning the heel, the striping resumed.
Great.
Now I really do have the ugliest, mismatched pair of socks ever…
Oy. This will probably drive me nuts every time I wear them. I’m that anal. However, I am not about to go back and reknit that sock. No way, Jose.
So, I think I’ll stick with my mismatched socks. It won’t matter once I pull a pair of pants over them. All people will see are the lower legs and feet.
Enjoy the rest of the pictures!
Oh, and for the record, yes, the pictures are a little off-kilter. I propped my camera on a small box, and I didn’t realize that it wasn’t sitting evenly on the concrete.
Oh well.
The socks are off-kilter too.
It’s just par for the course.
Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: Bear Feet, Jewels of the Czar, Knitting, Lacy Ribs Socks, Sitka, socks, Socks from the Toe Up, Wendy Johnson | 3 Comments »
So, yesterday you read about my crappy day.
There’s a little more to the story that I didn’t share in that post.
When the final bell rang, I headed to the office to check my mailbox one last time before prepping my room for the next day.
I found an envelope inside with my name, the word “Personal,” and a smiley face on the front.
Hmmm.
The envelope was thick.
I opened it and pulled out this…
Well, that made me smile.
I opened it and saw this…
What in the world????
I was shocked.
I eagerly turned to the words printed inside…
If you’re having trouble reading the opening lines, it goes like this…
Sweet thang!
This is for you to buy whatever yarn you want! Or whatever you want!!
The card was sent by Angie, a dear friend of mine…a lady I met when our daughters played soccer together on the high school team.
Angie is one of the funniest ladies I’ve ever met.
Once you hear her laugh, you always remember her.
She finds joy in every single thing in life, no matter what her circumstances.
She always makes time to chat, and she goes out of her way to be of service to others.
She gave me the card and gift as a way to thank me for taking thousands and thousands of pictures during the girls’ soccer seasons.
It was something I did because I wanted to.
I never wanted payment…never charged anyone for copies of their children’s pictures.
It was my gift to the girls and the sport that I love.
Angie and I shared many, many laughs as we watched our girls play in warm weather, freezing temperatures, rain, and more rain.
What a joy this lady is to me.
Especially more so because she allowed herself to be used by God yesterday.
She didn’t know that I was having a crappy day.
God did, though, and He prompted Angie’s heart to visit my school, drop off the card, and leave.
I can almost picture the scene in my mind, her leaving the school, rubbing her hands together conspiratorially, laughing all the way back to her vehicle.
I love her for that.
I love God for making me smile in the midst of my angst.
I don’t think I’m worthy of the title “Sweet Thang.”
It’s one more befitting of my dear, sweet friend.
Thank you, Angie.
I am blessed to know you and look forward to sharing fun memories whenever we get together.
Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: friendship | 4 Comments »
Yesterday was one of the best days I’ve had as a teacher thus far.
I used several videos to teach my kids about figurative language…how it’s everywhere…in music…in movies.
They loved the lesson, and I walked out of school energized.
Today was a bad day.
One of my favorite, yet impulsive students decided to act up.
It wasn’t pretty.
Though my students sometimes annoy me, and I may seem mad, I’m usually not.
Today, I got mad.
But I was calm…
As I called for an administrator and filled out the required paperwork…
While other students looked on as he continued his antics…
And even joined in with his antics, thus compounding the problem.
Sigh.
Thankfully, the rest of my day went well, but I’m still incredibly discouraged.
I love, love, love what I do, and I love, love, love the kids I teach.
They aren’t easy to teach, let me tell you.
They aren’t easy to love sometimes.
But I do teach them, and I do love them.
Through the good days and the bad.
Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: teaching | 2 Comments »
Joyce has cooked up more questions for us in this, her weekly meme. Play along and have some fun! You’ll never know what questions she’ll pose next week!
1. William Shakespeare’s birthday is celebrated on April 23rd…when did you last read Shakespeare? What’s your favorite Shakespeare play?
Honestly, the only play I’ve read is Romeo and Juliet. I taught it to my 9th and 10th graders last year, and then, right after we finished, I had to teach two lessons to the classes in which I was student teaching for my teaching certification. Because of these experiences, I’ve grown to love this play immensely and couldn’t stop myself from googling favorite quotes from the play. I found this site.
I like the following lines especially so…because my students (and my “temporary” ones) scrutinized the language in them thoroughly…
“It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night like a rich jewel in an Ethiope’s ear”
– William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, 1.5
“O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name.
Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love
And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.”
– William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, 2.2
“See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
O that I were a glove upon that hand,
that I might touch that cheek!”
– William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, 2.2
My absolute favorite line is…
“It is the east, and Juliet is the sun”
– William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, 2.2
I’m currently teaching figurative language. I think I’ll use the line above to explain what a metaphor is.
2. What food(s) would you recommend a foreign visitor try when they visit your home country?
If I were to suggest a dish from Canada, where I was born, I would say that a visitor would have to try the French Fry/Cheese Curd/Brown Gravy dish. It sounds weird, but it’s divine!
As a naturalized citizen of the U.S.A., I’d suggest that a foreign visitor try out Frito Pie.
Oh.
My.
Word.
Who knew that Fritos, chili, cheese, and jalapeno peppers could taste so delicious?!
I first tried this delectablly unhealthy dish at one of Chicky’s high school soccer games. It’s a popular dish at such venues.
It’d like to think that it exists in the upper echelon of junk food. It’s definitely heavenly! It certainly makes me miss cheese (which I don’t eat anymore as a vegan).
3. What’s a lie you often tell yourself?
I tell myself two lies…
1) I’m cool.
2) I can dance like Shakera.
Um.
Yeah.
4. What’s something you’re good at that might surprise us? Remember this is a family friendly blog!
Dancing.
No, I’m not kidding. I really can dance.
Just not like Shakera.
She wasn’t around in the 80’s.
We had such role models as Madonna.
Yeah.
I’m lying to myself again, aren’t I?
5. Who is your favorite animal character from a book.
I’m not much for animals in books. They always die or are mistreated or are lost, so I choose not to read books with animals in them.
With that said, I did like the cat, Buttercup, in the Hunger Games series. That cat loved Prim and was loyal to Prim to the end. I love the relationship that develops between the cat and Katniss who have similar dispositions…toughness and loyalty on the outside and vulnerability on the inside.
6. April showers bring May flowers…do you have a green thumb?
I don’t have a green thumb. I enjoy growing sunflowers, but that’s about it. I just don’t have time for flowers and yard work.
Wait.
I say that, but I have four live plants in the house.
Maybe my fingernail is green.
😀
7. Speaking of rainy days…which one of the following activities would you most want to spend time doing on a rainy day-
sort photos and create albums
bake cookies
read a good book
hold an all-day movie marathon
organize closets, cupboards, or bookshelves
try a new recipe
fix something that needs fixing
I think I’d like an all-day movie marathon…while wearing my fuzzy white robe…and munching on chips and salsa.
8. My Random Thought
I’m having trouble ending my juice fast. If you haven’t been to my blog recently, I should tell you that Monday marked ten days of my juice fast.
I’d originally intended to only go for ten days, and after the last juice fast I did, I figured I’d be chomping at the bit.
However, at the end of my last juice fast, I didn’t transition slowly. In fact, I jumped right into eating a greasy sandwich and fries.
Yeah.
I was very sick that night.
I’ve been doing some reading, so I know that I need to come off slowly, incorporating foods into my diet gradually.
A small part of my brain wants tortilla chips, salsa, and fries.
The rest of my brain and my heart, in fact, want to keep going.
I like the way my body is feeling.
I like having curves above my hips that go inward instead of outward (as in flab).
I know that this sounds vain, and I certainly don’t mean for it to.
If you saw a picture of me, you’d think I was nuts to be concerned.
Sigh.
It’s all a matter of balance, I guess.
This is hard for an all-or-nothing kind of gal like me.
I tend to jump into things with both feet…a little too enthusiastically sometimes.
Though I’m tempted to continue this fast for another seven days, I going to do my best to wean myself from it.
Chicky is coming home next Friday, and I’d like to be able to partake of food with her. I need at least four or five days to get my body used to eating again.
It’s times like this when I realize just how social of an activity that eating is. Food brings people together.
Food just isn’t that important to me.
Sigh.
I obviously have issues.
Don’t we all.
😀
Please say a prayer for me.
Thanks!
Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: juice fasting, Romeo and Juliet, Wednesday Hodgepodge | 4 Comments »
Yesterday, I finished my third ten-day juice fast.
My previous one was when Chicky was in the 11th grade…three years ago.
The last juice fast was a little rough because I took Chicky and her friend out of town to a soccer function and spent the weekend watching them eat while I juiced in the hotel room.
It was rough on the psyche.
This fast had its own challenges…PMS, FCAT, and too low blood sugar the second day.
However, God was faithful and blessed my efforts as I stuck things out.
As my cramps and fatigue slowly eased, my disposition improved.
Last Friday, I experienced major detoxing. It was difficult to teach because my tongue felt thick, and my mouth was very dry.
Still, I knew the symptoms of detoxing, so I persevered.
The weekend was awesome as I finally started seeing the benefits of the fast.
So, why do I love juice fasting?
There are a number of reasons.
Perhaps one of the best things about juicing is the self-discipline that I develop through the process.
Try to imagine yourself going without food for ten days…because you CHOOSE to go without it.
Going through this exercise reminds me that I can do what I set my mind to doing.
However, I am also reminded that I cannot do it by my own strength.
It’s only because of the Lord that I can ignore my growling stomach, smells of food, and french fry dreams.
Juice fasting is a tangible lesson of the words of Matthew 4:4: “Man does not live on bread alone…”
In this world, and this country in particular, people live to eat. It should be quite the opposite. We should eat to live. Juice fasting shows me that it’s the quality and not the quantity of what I put into my body that sustains me.
If you’re curious about juice fasting, do some reading. I’ve included the following video. It’s pretty interesting…a gal who did a 21-day fast. Watch to the end. They give the numbers on how much weight and inches she lost during the process. It’s astounding!
Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: juice fasting | 2 Comments »
Today marks the beginning of the final six weeks of instructional time! Woo Hoo!!
Most of the reading teachers are focusing on figurative language. It’s a unit that’s fun and not as integral to the FCAT, so we tend to teach it after THE test.
I’m beginning the unit of study with a viewing of the movie Dead Poet’s Society. Can you believe, but I’ve never seen it before!!
We watched the first half last Friday.
I suspect that my students think it’s a bit hokey.
That’s okay.
I plan on having a lot of fun as we discuss the various messages…how poetry and writing, in general, can become the facilitators for change…how learning to express yourself can open yourself up to new opportunities
One of the biggest themes from this movie is Carpe Diem.
I taught a unit last year on Carpe Diem, but I’m sad to say that it didn’t go over very well with certain people.
I’m thrilled that I have more freedom this year to teach about it. I teach children who have tough lives not to mention difficulties learning. They are often beaten down and don’t believe in themselves.
I hope that my enjoyment for language and the activities and assignments I have planned will spark curiosity and courage in even my quietest students.
One of the best things about teaching high school is watching as students begin to gain confidence and step out to affect change…in themselves and the world around them.
I don’t know about you, but I plan on seizing the day!
Carpe Diem!
Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: Dead Poet's Society, figurative language, teaching | Leave a comment »
I absolutely love the music program at my church. The contemporary band plays music that touches my soul.
This morning, we sang the song I’ve embedded below. When my children were babies, I rocked them to sleep while I sang Amazing Grace (Chris Tomlin hadn’t come out with this version at that time). Chicky got to where she could sing every verse, word-for-word with me.
Thus, I feel extra special when the song is cued up at church. It’s as if God is reaching down saying, “Hello, Nathalie, I see you there. Here’s your favorite song…just to let you know I’m keeping watch through every triumph and struggle.”
Enjoy!
Filed under: Christian | Tagged: Amazing Grade (My Chains are Gone), Chris Tomlin, Christianity | 2 Comments »
Last Thursday, a friend/fellow teacher and I took a break and ran some school-related errands.
Along the way, we stopped at a convenience store to grab some water.
While we were in there, we giggled like little girls.
Why?
Because we discovered that we both share a LOVE for going to convenience stores.
In fact, we could call ourselves convenience store connoisseurs.
Call us strange, if you will, but we derive pleasure from walking around and looking at the interesting sodas and snacks.
Buffalo wing flavored Pringles, you say?
We say, “Sure, let’s try some.”
How about a fountain drink with a squirt of cherry and lime.
No problem!
Oh, and the candy and gum offerings…to die for!
Only convenience stores offer a smorgasbord worthy enough to satisfy a sweet tooth!
We also discovered that we enjoy looking at the various do-dads that assail customers at the checkout.
It’s like an addiction…going to the convenience store. If you’re a connoisseur like us, you have a hard time passing by a gas station without stopping to get a drink or a snack.
You might even plan your errands so that you “conveniently” drive by your favorite store and, thus, won’t waste gas trying to get to it.
Or, if you’re like me, you’ll find some excuse to get out in the middle of the day and “accidentally” find yourself stopping by your favorite store.
You know you have a serious problem when, say, you decide to kick the Mt. Dew habit (*cough, cough*), stop going by the gas station, and then resume the habit, say, a year and a half later (*cough, cough*), and the same attendants are working there, and they say something like, “Wow, haven’t seen you in a while.”
Uh huh.
That’s when you know you’ve reached the rank of Elite Convenience Store Connoisseur.
It may not be good for the budget, but it adds a little fun to life.
Filed under: This-n-That | 2 Comments »
AuburnChick's Adventures 