• Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 148 other subscribers
  • “Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers” — Isaac Asimov

  • Recent Posts

  • Pages

  • Categories

  • Archives

  • Blog Stats

    • 176,923 hits

She’s the Good One

The other night, I went out with a few friends…a rare event for this homebody.

At various points during the many conversations that occurred that evening, it was said, “She’s the good one…” a reference to me.

I have to admit that I was embarrassed.

Why?

I was embarrassed because I know myself all too well, I’m afraid, as do those who know me best…the Mr. and my own children.

When I got home, I told the Mr. about the conversation, and he said, “You just can’t accept someone telling you that you’re good, can you?”

Nope.

I can’t.

It’s not because I’m an overachiever.

That’s really not it.

It’s just that I know the things I think and my past actions (and the intentions that have fueled those actions).

I have very high standards for myself, and when I don’t live up to those standards, which, in my opinion, is quite often, I judge myself…

Harshly.

That’s why I have a difficult time accepting words like those my friend spoke the other night.

Although I am very careful about the “me” I present to the world, I know who I am when I am not around others.

Of course, I know I’m no different from anyone else.

We all have faults, and I guess the world would be in total chaos if everyone didn’t exhibit self-control…especially in the public arena of life, eh?

Still, ultimately, when I heard the phrase, “the good one,” I could not help but think that there was and IS only ONE good ONE…Jesus.

I cannot even compare myself to Him, who was perfect in thought and deed.

And thus, I feel so unworthy of my friend’s words.

I’ll tell you a humbling story.

One day a few weeks ago, I rang up my friend, Barb, and shared something I’d noticed…something that was, in all honesty, poetic justice.

I cannot share details because I’m not stupid in that way (I’m stupid, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes I do use my brain).

My observation, though, was twinged with a bit of devilish delight, I’m afraid…which was not lost on Barb, who’d been privy to the back story.

I told Barb, “I’m so bad for this, eh?”

To which she replied, “Naw…it just means that Jesus ain’t done with you either.”

And there it was in a nutshell.

Though most people think of me as a sweet, naive gal…a major overachiever…I’m not like that through-and-through.

Oh sure, you may not see me involved in drama, because I refuse to participate in stupid shenanigans.  I’m getting too old for high school stuff.

The drama in my life mostly exists within my mind and my soul as I constantly self reflect and do battle with my own thoughts.

Those battles sometimes rear their ugly heads…but mostly in the presence of my loved ones and not the public-at-large.

I’m very much a sinner who is very much grateful that Jesus, the ONLY GOOD ONE willingly took my sins upon Himself and died for me so that one day, I can face God but not endure His wrath for my sins.

 

Much Needed R & R

For much of the week, my desk at work looked like this…

20120929-224341.jpg

I managed to leave it clean when I left on Friday afternoon.

What I mean by clean is that everything came home with me and is now adorning my kitchen table.

Despite all of the work that sat, taunting me, I gave myself the day off, indulging myself in a hair cut and, afterward, the solitude of running errands.

When I returned home, I ate lunch, took a nap, and began reading Longleaf, by Roger Reid.

He will be visiting our school in November, so I’m going to try to read this book aloud to my students to prepare for him.

The book was a wonderful read and one I connected to immediately because the setting is one that I am somewhat familiar with.

The visuals painted by the author are amazing, and I almost want to go out and find some Longleaf trees now!!

The other book I read (yes, I did read two books today) was The Time Keeper, by Mitch Albom.

I had read a review if the book and had added it to my wish list on Amazon; however, when I saw the book at Sam’s Club, I snatched it up.

It tells the story of how Father Time came to be, and how he steps in to change two lives.

The book was mesmerizing. I could not put it down!!

It reminded me a little of The Giver, which I’d read this past summer.

I will probably read this aloud to my students as well.

Although one might not cell this a productive day as far as getting much accomplished goes, simply slowing down and getting a little bit of R&R was just what I needed.

Ready for Game Day

Nails.

Check.

New game day shirt.

Check.

Abundant joy at the thought of supporting the students and the school I love.

Check.

I think it’s safe to say that I’m ready for game day…a biggie around here today…against a cross-town rival.

Go, go, go!

That’s Being Organized!

My life as a teacher requires me to be very organized.

This begins before I ever leave the house in the mornings.

Every evening, I pull out the clothes I’m going to wear the next day.

Lately, I’ve begun setting out my makeup and jewelry as well.

Doing these simple things lightens my load the next day…removing small but semi-important details from my to-do list.

After my oops of the other day when I went to school with two different shoes on, I’ve begun setting out my shoes as well.

How many of you do the same?

20120927-094348.jpg

In Style With the Hodgepodge

It’s that time again!  I have no idea how Joyce keeps the questions so fresh and new, but she does!!!  Thanks to her for hosting this weekly meme, and thanks to you for reading my responses!

1.  The Wednesday Hodgepodge this week falls on John Chapman’s birth date.  He’s more famously known as Johnny Appleseed…what’s your favorite variety of apple?

Honestly, it’s a toss-up between Granny Smith and Red Delicious.  I like Red Delicious in my apple/orange juice, but I really enjoy spreading a little bit of organic peanut butter on my Granny Smiths.

2.  When did you last say ‘ick’?

I honestly cannot remember.  Because I teach high school, it’s entirely possible that I said this word last week.

3.  Do you think there’s a generation gap?  Explain.

As a high school teacher, I think I can answer yes to this question, although I think that adults can CHOOSE to close the gap by staying current with new styles and trends.  However, the lack of respect from one generation to the next (and this doesn’t just mean younger to older but also vice versa) is definitely there and points glaringly to the gap that exists.

4.  What’s on your computer screen saver?  Do you leave it alone or change it often?

I use a vocabulary screen saver, and boy did I just realize how truly nerdy that makes me sound!  I never change it.  I’m simply too busy and don’t really care.

5.  If you had the attention of the entire world for two minutes, what would you say?

This is a very tough question and one I might just have to use as an “If” brain break with my students!

Hmmm…one would have to assume that the world really cares what I have to say, eh?

I think that if the whole world was listening to me, I’d tell them that I’d found the answer to world peace…

KNITTING

And to accomplish this, everyone had to pick up a pair of knitting needles, FANCY yarn, and cast on.

Peace would be achieved by the community building that would occur as everyone helped each other figure out how to salvage dropped stitches and gauge issues.

Yes, that’s the answer my friends.  Not military power but knitting power!

6.  Four fashion trends to try this fall are-brocade/jacquard (fancy printed fabrics), peplum, lace, and printed pants…which of these four would you be most likely to wear?

I’m not uber trendy, and I cannot really see myself wearing any of the above items…unless we’re talking lace SOCKS.  So, I choose nothing except what’s in my wardrobe and dresser drawer.

Yes, I am a killjoy.

7.  What can make your bad day better?

Lots of things can make my day better!

I love when my friend, Barbara, stops by my classroom after school to chat.  She inspires me and helps me stay focused on my purpose for teaching…helping the kids.

I love when I receive an unexpected phone call from one of my children, and the only reason they’ve called is to see how things are going.

I love getting phone calls from my friends.  For too many years, I was the friend who called…who made the effort to stay in touch…so having friends who make that effort means a lot to me.

8.  My Random Thought

Yesterday morning, I was doing my thing…teaching my heart out…when one of my students asked, “Mrs. Auburnchick, why are you wearing two different shoes?”

I looked down and saw this…

I cannot believe I had not noticed…neither when I picked up the shoes from the shelves in the garage or when I slipped them on.

I doubt I would have noticed had a student not brought the matter to my attention.

I could not blame lack of sleep because I had gone to bed two hours earlier than usual.

I think it’s a sign that I need to slow down and stop living my life in the fast lane.

Photos from the Road

Last weekend, I drove down south to watch Chicky and her team play a game.

It rained during the second half of the game.  Afterward, the sky was simply beautiful…

It looked as if heaven’s doors had opened up, shining down the Lord’s presence onto this world He created.

On the way home on Sunday, I snapped a couple of photos.

The country down in Chicky-Land is beautiful!

I am still a country girl at heart.  Scenes like this revive my soul and remind me of God’s beauty and grace.

Tweet Tweet

Reason #247 why I love having almost-adult children…

The following Twitter conversation:

Chicky:  Someone make me laugh!!! This night class I draining the life outta me!!

Rooster:  Sister Chicky, watch this:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_6TYRpdmj0&sns=tw

Chicky:  Brudder Rooster, I watched that earlier! Didn’t know you were such a stud!

Rooster:  Sister Chicky, I radiate studness errday.

Two siblings…attending colleges eleven hours apart…staying close despite the distance.

I love them.

We Interrupt This Programming

I had planned to blog about my weekend; however, when I saw the following video posted on my boy’s Facebook page…

Well…

I had to share.

First, the history.

Rooster is a pledge in Auburn’s Christian fraternity, BYX (I told you about this before).

The sister sorority is the Phi Lambda crew…Christian young women.

I’m not exactly sure I understand the finer details, but apparently, the brothers were charged with protecting an axe handle…which is some sort of symbol or trophy for some type of competition the fraternity won.

Well, the Phi Lambdas stole the handle, and it was up to the pledges to rescue it.

To do so, they were bribed…

Into a performance…

Of which had the makings for one of the cutest little videos I’ve seen in a long time.

You know…some kids go off to college and find their fun in drinking and whatnot.

My boy, thank goodness, is hanging with a different group of guys…and they’re into good, clean fun.

Watch until the end.

It’s worth it.

Trust me.

Whatever Gave You That Idea?

Think I’ve had a busy couple of weeks?

Hmmm…maybe I should let the pictures do the talking.

Between lessons on Question-Answer Relationships (QAR)…using song lyrics to help get students interested and to simplify the question-making process…

I was beginning preparations for vocabulary lessons…ordering books on Amazon and doing some hard-core thinking about how to implement what I was learning…

I also received goodies I’d ordered from Kagan training I’d attended in August…

That vocabulary book you see in the picture above is AMAZING, so I spent a lot of time reading, digesting, thinking, and planning.

Meanwhile, I was having fun playing with my fancy new timer…

But wait!

In addition to new resources, toys, and teaching (after all, that’s what they pay me to do), I was also incorporating three new students into my mix and bemoaning the move (out-of-state) of one of my favorite students (his seat was quickly filled with one of the new students).

I gained three this week and lost three.

Strange.

But not altogether sad.

One of my classes is STILL presenting a lot of behavioral problems for me, so they have not seen a happy side of Mrs. AuburnChick in a while.

This does not please me, let me tell you.

I won’t say more except that my life this week was STRESSFUL.

Sigh.

Despite being up until 12:30 lesson planning every night, I did take breaks…

No, I didn’t get to buy these because the Mr. would not let me.  He claimed that the shoes looked like something a *cough* Alabama fan (aka GAG fan) would wear.

I really wish Bear Bryant had preferred ugly old purple or something (don’t tell my friend, Barbara, I said that).  heehee

The shoes stayed at Kohl’s.

I also had to prepare more goody bags for my football players…

After every outing, I returned home to lesson plan.

It’s my new routine.

Work, eat dinner, work, sleep.

That.

Is.

All.

I.

Do.

I did manage to squeeze in time to figure out how to connect my iPad to my Smartboard, via my desktop computer, through a program called Doceri…

That’s my iPad above, and below is a picture of the iPad and my Smartboard in the background!

The dogs are getting quite miffed at me, though, as I have had no energy to play.

They’ve taken matters into their own paws…

So, to answer to the question, “Why haven’t you been blogging much this week?” I’d have to respond with a, “Whatever gave you that idea?”

:::Yawn:::

Wednesday Hodgepodge aka Joyce’s Birthday!

A very happy and belated birthday to Joyce as she celebrated her 22nd birthday yesterday!  Woo Hoo!  And still she worked…on her special day…to get the following questions primed for us.  Many thanks, Joyce!!  Onward we go!

1.  What’s the best and worst thing thing about growing older?

The best thing is having more experiences under your belt.  I find myself much more empathetic to others because I’ve either walked in their shoes or know others who have.  The worst thing is the way my body is starting to tell on me.  I discovered this last weekend while at the Auburn game.  Well, actually it was a couple of days later when my legs and feet hurt so badly from walking all over campus several times!!  Things just don’t move like they did twenty years ago!

2.  Autumn arrives this week in the Northern Hemisphere…what one thing do you love most about the fall season?

I love the crisp mornings that beg for a sweater (I wear one every day, but I don’t look stupid during the fall).  My dogs love these brisk mornings as well…so much so that I have a difficult time getting them to come back inside so I can go to work!!

3.  Speaking of fall…pumpkin seems to be flavoring everything these days-are you a fan?   What’s your favorite pumpkin flavored food or beverage?

Pre-vegan days, pumpkin rolls were my favorite.  I do love the taste of pumpkin when it’s added to a dessert!

4.  Since we’re on the subject of fall…what’s the worst fall you’ve ever taken?

The worst fall, by far, happened when Rooster was in kindergarten.  He’d broken a small bone in his foot one afternoon at the park, and he woke up in the middle of the night crying up a storm (I would have too), so I gathered him up, pillow, blanket, and all, and began to carry him downstairs so he wouldn’t disturb Chicky and the Mr.

Well, my right foot slipped out from under me as I was halfway down the stairs, and down we went.  I actually slid down while leaning forward, knees bent under me, so the front parts of my legs along with my hips took the brunt of the fall.

We landed at the bottom, which was tiled, with Rooster and me screaming our heads off.  He was scared.  I was hurt.

I had rug burns all the way up my legs and bruises that were deep and nasty.

Fortunately, as I’d gone down, I’d managed to fold Rooster inside of the curve of my body, so he had been completely protected, praise the Lord.

I took myself to the doctor in the morning, but nothing was broken.  It took a long time for the bruises and burns to heal, though.

It was the scariest thing ever, and to this day, I cringe when I watch people fall down stairs.  Even though I know that the stunts I see on TV are staged, it freaks me out all the same.  The sensation of falling combined with the knowledge that there’s nothing you can do to stop it is something I never want to experience again.

5.  If you could own a prop from any film what would you choose?

Hmmm…I had to do a quick mental check of movies I like and what might have been in them.  At first, I was going to say that I’d love to have Luke Skywalker’s light saber…because I love the Star Wars series.  However, I thought of the movie 13 Going on 30, which stars Jennifer Garner, whom I adore.  I think I’d like to have her little dollhouse…the one that her best friend (aka the hunky guy she later marries) made for her and that makes her dreams come true.  I think it would be a cool reminder that a person has the power to change his/her life based on the decisions he/she makes.

6.  What’s the most interesting word you’ve read or learned in the past week?

Although I’m a reading teacher, I mostly explain the definitions of words I already know (and that my precious students should know but don’t).  Plus, my vocabulary is fairly advanced.  However, I did encounter a word I didn’t know a couple of days ago when I was setting up my students’ bellwork.  I’ve had them working on Rebus puzzles and came across the word downpipe.  Who knew that it was the pipe that led down from the gutters and carried water away?  I figured it was still called a “gutter.”

7.  When was the last time you locked yourself out of your house, car, or office?  Was it a big deal?

Ok.  I have to laugh at this question because prior to last Thursday, I would have said never.  However, last Thursday, my yard guys were finishing installing my sod and new flower beds (a post will eventually be written about this).  The Mr. needed to leave the side door to the garage unlocked so they could get to the sprinkler system box; however, he didn’t want to leave the door going into the house unlocked, so he took the key.

He called to ask if I had a house key and, I’m ashamed to admit, I said I didn’t.  I usually let myself in with the garage door opener.

I didn’t think it would be a big deal because I was getting my nails done after work and then head back to school to watch a few students of mine play football and volleyball.  Well, the Mr. wound up having to work late, and the dogs HAD to go potty.  I had to meet the Mr. at an office where he had an appointment to get the key.  It was a rather big deal, let me tell you, and by the time I got home, I was worn out.

The dogs, mercifully, had not peed or pooped in the house.

Suffice it to say, I now have a key in my purse.

8.  My Random Thought

Boy, am I ticked off right now.

First of all, I haven’t had much spare time to do anything besides work.  I’ve barely blogged and haven’t read blogs since last week.

So, when I got a statement of benefits yesterday from my dental insurance company, I was a bit miffed.  Apparently when I’d had my gum surgery in July, I’d been overcharged in my office copay…by $25.

Ok.  So I’d planned on calling the dentist.

Before I could do that, though, I received a bill in the mail yesterday…

From the dentist’s office…

For almost $500!!!

The bill showed where the insurance company had paid; however, the total did not reflect my copay.

Plus, my insurance bill clearly said that all of my expenses were accepted, and that I was not responsible for anything further.

Oh, and one final touch that totally peeved me?

At the bottom of the bill, in bolded words, was the following:  “This bill is way past overdue.”

Folks, this was the FIRST bill I’d received.

I am sooooo mad.

I do not have time for this.

But I will MAKE time, by golly.

The Mr. commented that he feels sorry for whoever I get a hold of.

I’m taking deep breaths and praying that it was a clerical error; however, once I get it fixed, I am going to let the office staff know that they need to change the little message on the bottom of their bills.  It was highly offensive to a person like me who pays her bills (when I actually owe something) in a timely manner.

Needless to say, I will NOT use this doctor in the future.  I do not care if I have to drive two hours out of my way.

And I WILL recoup my $25 overcharge.

%d bloggers like this: