Cinnamon rolls

I'm no pioneer woman but I do like to cook - and here's a photohraph of my latest. The batch I made a few weeks ago looked better but these taste better (note small hole on upper right). I'm taking them to work to celebrate a coworker's bday. She doesn't like chocolate and I figured no one was thrilled to try prune cake or garbanzo bean cake.

seeing

"Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. And you can be that servant." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

i read this quote on sherpa's blog the other day. it made me happy. it made me want to see people differently. i hope i can SEE people serving instead of what i normally see. i believe we see what we look for. i want to look for goodness and service.

and in case you were wondering, i failed to bake this weekend. i DID practice the piano a lot, though. and i got to enjoy a very peaceful experience at the temple. it was a weekend full of blessings. here's hoping i can enjoy this week as well.

working

but i'd rather be home baking. just in a mood. i really struggled this morning to convince myself it was only thursday. by the time saturday comes i hope i'm still in the mood to bake.

Ghost pencil

Who else suffers from this affliction? How do you teachers out there avoid it? Being the ever ready and practical teacher that I am, I keep a pencil tucked behind my ear all day. You never know when a kid will need one. Plus I use it write everything that's not done on a computer. I can't live without my pencil. But then... when I get home... I find myself checking my ear to see if it's still there. Like getting off a boat, or at the end of rollerskating, I still have the sensation that there's a pencil up there. Usually there isn't since the last act of the day is to return the pencil to the designated mug. But to be sure my hand goes up to verify I am pencil free. Seriously, this must happen at least once each night.
Today was long. Sophomore orientation from 5:30-8:30. And do I get paid? Doubt it. Such is the life of a teacher. Hmmm, this whine is sounding familiar. Did I already post about it today? I think it's time for bed.

march madness

okay, this is NOT a basketball post. it's just a little peek into my own madness that happens in march. first of all - it's a pretty stressful month. yearbook deadlines, end of third term, no holiday, weird weather, and the most annoying for me.... i keep wanting to use the number four to represent the month. i for the life of me can and never have been able to remember to use a three. it bugs. three three three. it is march. the third month. three.

Papercut!

Look what I did! I know - not the most productive use of my prep. But fun! Thanks cindy!

It works!

Okay so now to share somerhing super insightful and significant since that's what all my posts are about. On the way to my car this afternoon I came across a weed growing in a crack in the sidewalk. I took it as the first sign of spring. Shoot now I wish i'd photoed it for you all to see. Trust me... spring is virtually here!

Mobile test

I blog from my phone ALL the time but lately it's not working. I watched the how to video so now i'm trying again.

the end

ugh! i hate it when i write a beautiful post and then the internet gremlins lose it! i was saying.... i finally came to the end of my valentine's chocolates. i also noticed that my flowers from valentine's are on their last leg and will have to be disposed of this weekend. i am a fan of consumable gifts, but when they finally end then i'm a bit sad. i want another holiday! speaking of holidays, i'm taking tomorrow off. i need to get a leak fixed in my bathroom and it just so happens my free plumber is available tomorrow. so, i guess i get a holiay! hooray! and speaking of holidays.... we're soooo nearly to the 3/4 mark. i'm trying really hard not to be done yet. april may be the longest month ever.

socks

there was a big to-do in the middle of third period today because a girl thought that her friend and i had matching socks. they were totally different - mine being pink, black, and gray, hers being pink, brown, green, and gray. mine matched my outfit perfectly. hers were just there. still, i'd rather not match my students in any way shape or form. that doesn't mean i'm giving up my socks, though. i'd rather match my students than look like some boring old nude stockings, sweater, and jumper wearing person.

what i read on my day off

Zacarias, My Brother: The Making of a Terrorist by Abd Samad Moussaoui

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
interesting to have read this right after finishing pol pot. i'm convinced that selfish thought patterns (racism/bigotry in general) are the root of the world's problems. in some ways our world really is very immature. we behave like 3 year olds yet we have weapons of grown ups.


View all my reviews.

what is love?

i figure i should post something related to vday. i thought this story from my sister's family was perfect.

Yesterday Lanelle and Risa had a conversation that, included the following:

"Why did you do that Mom?"

"Because I love you."

"Well, that's not very loving."

"What is the most loving thing I could I do for you?"

"Give me ice cream."

As we were trying to recreate the conversation today, Lanelle changed her answer so that now she says "hugging" is the most loving thing we can do. What do you think is closer to the truth?

prayer

i've been a bit under the weather this last week. it makes me grateful for the ability to breathe freely. i'm also very grateful for tissues. and speaking of gratitude, i'm very grateful for prayer. i took tuesday off work to "rest up." i did rest. i also finished pol pot - hooray! but then i went to work on wednesday. that was hard. i came home from work utterly exhausted. i had worked late (yearbook deadline) and then ran to a meeting (where i made random comments) and then raced home (had to use the bathroom) and by that point i was in tears. i was overwhelmed and tired and feeling totally inadequate and lacking the desire to even try to be adequate. i did all i knew to do. i kneeled down and prayed for help. i prayed for relief and comfort. while praying i was amazed at the list of things i had to be grateful for. by the end i felt tons better. i went off to a friends house who had made me chicken noodle soup. while visiting she managed to solve a couple of my nagging problems. i went home and to bed that night with another long list of things to thank god for. hooray for prayer that somehow manages to make you feel better. even if you're still going through a box of tissues a day. at least i can face my students!

who am i?

it's been a while since i took a personality test. courtesy of julie i took one today! thanks jules - it was a good one and i believe my type fits. yellow IS my color, after all.

big news!

Weber did it! They finally awarded me my second bachelor's - I now have a BS in English! It's a miracle. I may have worked harder for this than I did my first degree from BYU. Remember all those painful noises I made about Shakespeare - over a year ago? And remember all the posts about riding the bus? Did i ever write about the inappropriate final? After applying twice, submitting two sets of transcripts, going through two separate appeal processes, not to mention endless time on the phone, I was seriously thinking I'd have to take them to court. But then, miracle and happiness!

calling

i haven't posted in awhile and it occurred to me i may have not told all my friends about my new calling at church. since my friends read the blog i figured this might be an easy way to inform those i may have neglected. sorry! anyway, it's also a chance for me to get sympathy notes and possibly/hopefully promises of help and suggestions. this month i got called to be one of the activities committee co-chairs. i no longer get to organize the humanitarian service projects - or as one guy likes to call me - i'm no longer the service lady. now i'm the activity lady. i need to get on the new calling though - figure out the people on my committee - give them a holler - build some relationships - and hopefully do some planning. here's hoping i learn to love it. everyone says i'll be great since i plan so many parties, but truthfully i don't feel like i plan that many - and they're usually pretty low key and easy to throw together with the help of quality friends. i guess i just need to take that attitude with these bigger activities. my old co-chair in the humanitarian calling told me that my energy was motivating for her - i'm hoping that the same can be true in this new calling. here's to motivating energy!

Hobby airport

I'd just like to inform the world that may be considering flying to houston. If you're destination is on the south end of the city definitely consider using hobby airport. I've never seen nicer restrooms in an airport. Never. The stalls are all family size. There were 3 hooks to use - better than many dressing rooms at the mall! The sinks are those cool trough like ones with automatic spouts all along. And there's enough general floor space to feel like you can fix your hair without taking up counter space. Oh and the rest of the airport is quiet and relaxed and crowd free. Very nice.

NO inversion

This looks like heaven - clear blue sky! This is the view from my hotel room window. I love the floor the ceiling windows. I love my room. Mostly I just love the weather.

Insights

On this momentous day i'm trying to find some insightful purpose to the contrast of me sitting in a "summit" for high school teachers in my district on small learning communities, compared to where i'd rather be - d.c. "SLC" is the latest greatest idea in closing achievement gaps. I haven't been in the system long enough to gauge how much of a passing fad this may be but my school seems to have a fair amount of skeptics. I know i'm not feeling the vision. I'm just trying to do my duty. I AM feeling the vision, though, of obama being sworn in as our new president. I love historic moments. I want to feel a part of things. Maybe I should shift my desire to being a part of this educational movement. I get to head to houston tomorrow to check out how some great school down there is doing it. Then I can return home and be a big advocate and leader for our school. We'll see how it goes. Here's to a hope in change!

Happy inauguration!

I attended an inaugural ball tonight. Look, bret and I are posing with the president! It was a fabulous party and I was amazed at the number of people I knew there. I bet if i'd stayed longer I could have seen another 10! it was one of those nights I wished I had a camera since there were so many happy pretty people there!