Friday night was another great example of why I love living in my town. It was a girls' night out. After a dinner of BBQ and potato salad with wasabi mustard and no dill pickle, Refreshing Sunshine and I went to see a local band playing in the Plaza. The handbill said that the band played folk music, so Peter, Paul, Mary and Joan, here we come ready to find answers in the wind and give peace a chance. It turned out that the folk songs were actually from around the world with a strong Swedish and Brazilian slant. And there was quite a bit of mumbling banter that would end with something like, "...so I thought I'd write a song about it."
The thing I like best about doing local shin-digs with Refreshing Sunshine is that we both love people watching, and our town can get very Stars Hollow-ish in that there is an eclectic congregation of people being themselves. The most outstanding person of the evening was Pink Sari Woman. She was an older, Caucasian lady dressed to the nines in a bright pink sari. This woman had massive surges of energy and would dart about the entire plaza like she is trying to catch up with a friend she feared hadn't seen her. But she never caught up with these phantom friends. And the thing that cinched the image in a wonderfully contrasting way was that half the time she had a cell phone glued to her ear.
However, the stars of the evening were a ragtag troupe of munchkins getting their groove on. One little toddler was bee-bopping his behind off. And his behind was quite prominent because he had around his waist a visor headband, turned around so it looked like a bright blue duck bill just above his backside. Then there was the 8 year old Choreographer who was running around positioning the other little girls. There was even a point where, I kid you not, she turned to the band and tried to tell them what to play - "Something in three fourths time, and let's pick up the tempo a bit." And finally there was a mass of children who probably started playing Farmer In The Dell, and when the cheese stood alone they all thought it would be fun to stay in a blob and shuffle around the dance stage, with other children globing on even though they did not know why.
As we were beginning to tucker out, we decided to drive home. On the way we saw a line snaking around the movie theater. It only took us a few moments to realize that the Town Geeks were out in force to see the premier of X-men.
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
They Stole My Name
Mon O'Boy am I pissed! Someone has stolen the name I was going to use! Penn Jillett, of Penn and Teller comedy magic team, has just named his baby boy Zoltan Penn Jillett. It is a good, common, Hungarian name that means "chieftain". Now I am not saying that I would name my child this - I would have to shell out a lot for the poor boy's therapy once he hits junior high. No, no, no, I have always wanted to name my dogs Zsolt and Zoltan. They sound like the names of Norse warrior gods. You know, the kinds that throw lightening bolts and rip seams when they flex their bulging biceps. Dobermans and Rottweilers would deserve these kinds of names. Now My Sweet wants to have two big dogs as well, but being the lovable geek that he is, he wants to name them Chewie and Indiana. Maybe if one of them is blond and shaggy, maybe. But that is a big maybe.
Since I am on a roll with irritating things, since when have we, in our common day language stopped using the word healthy and substituted it with healthful? It seems like I woke up one day a few years ago and the word healthy ceased to exist. We now have healthful diets and swimming is a healthful exercise. I am not all that fixated on health per say, but it seems like discarding a perfectly good word.
And while I am at it, I want to know who decided that dandelions are evil weeds that need to be exterminated? Come on, they are cheery, bright yellow flowers that make dandy teas and wines (get it, dandy/dandelions). And you get the delightful pleasure of blowing the puffy white seeds. "Now just a darn minute," you may say, "Dandelions are incredibly invasive plants that will take over your entire yard if you let it." This is true, but can Morning-glories and mint plants, and you don't see commercials with Mr. T selling you mint extermination chemicals, now do you?
Any way these are just a few of my musings.
Since I am on a roll with irritating things, since when have we, in our common day language stopped using the word healthy and substituted it with healthful? It seems like I woke up one day a few years ago and the word healthy ceased to exist. We now have healthful diets and swimming is a healthful exercise. I am not all that fixated on health per say, but it seems like discarding a perfectly good word.
And while I am at it, I want to know who decided that dandelions are evil weeds that need to be exterminated? Come on, they are cheery, bright yellow flowers that make dandy teas and wines (get it, dandy/dandelions). And you get the delightful pleasure of blowing the puffy white seeds. "Now just a darn minute," you may say, "Dandelions are incredibly invasive plants that will take over your entire yard if you let it." This is true, but can Morning-glories and mint plants, and you don't see commercials with Mr. T selling you mint extermination chemicals, now do you?
Any way these are just a few of my musings.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Being Human
Sorry that it has taken me so long to write. I have been working on half a dozen speeches for this week’s graduation. I get to stand up in front of a crowd and express how these, shall we say fine young men and women, yeah let's say that, are ready for the next chapter. By the time I get home I am on total computer composition burn out. Below is a blog that I started a few days ago.
Maybe it is the fact that school will be out in 9 class days. (Now it is 7) Not that I am counting down the minutes or anything. I find myself really relishing things that help me be a person before I am a teacher. So if several of my entries seem to go along these lines, sorry but that is where my mind is going. I gotta remember who I am beyond my titles. Here we go, sit back and enjoy.
Last Saturday was another art walk in the nearby Capitol, and My Sweet and I decided to go. We didn't stay long because our favorite local artists were gone. So on the way back to our town, My Sweet reminded me that in the main park they were showing Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. This was the original; sorry Johnny Depp, I have truly loved watching you develop ever since 21 Jump Street, but you are no Gene Wilder. Gene's portrayal was a wonderfully snide remarks about it social ills. I wonder what good ol' Roald Dahl (or Rollie-kins as we close friends like to call him) would put if he wrote the story today. Cell phone etiquette, smoking vs. non-smoking, or doing sweet nunchuks moves.
Well, I still have 3 more speeches to go, so I will sign off for now. But if you click on only one link in this entry, make sure it is this one. I went to a game night and my dear friend did a wonderfully hilarious blow by blow. So check it out.
Maybe it is the fact that school will be out in 9 class days. (Now it is 7) Not that I am counting down the minutes or anything. I find myself really relishing things that help me be a person before I am a teacher. So if several of my entries seem to go along these lines, sorry but that is where my mind is going. I gotta remember who I am beyond my titles. Here we go, sit back and enjoy.
Last Saturday was another art walk in the nearby Capitol, and My Sweet and I decided to go. We didn't stay long because our favorite local artists were gone. So on the way back to our town, My Sweet reminded me that in the main park they were showing Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. This was the original; sorry Johnny Depp, I have truly loved watching you develop ever since 21 Jump Street, but you are no Gene Wilder. Gene's portrayal was a wonderfully snide remarks about it social ills. I wonder what good ol' Roald Dahl (or Rollie-kins as we close friends like to call him) would put if he wrote the story today. Cell phone etiquette, smoking vs. non-smoking, or doing sweet nunchuks moves.
Well, I still have 3 more speeches to go, so I will sign off for now. But if you click on only one link in this entry, make sure it is this one. I went to a game night and my dear friend did a wonderfully hilarious blow by blow. So check it out.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Mother's day
It has been a wonderfully busy weekend. Started with Friday evening going with my Wonderful Neighbor to a small town art walk. This was also at the same time as a near-by festival of caring for the earth and wearing a lot of tie-dye. I was hoping to be able to observe pretentious sub-urbanites mingling with the granola crowd. Unfortunately there were not many people out and about in the galleries, but in the plaza there was a local girl band playing doo-wap and Santana. They were truly fun, giving out glow in the dark toys to people with enough free spiritedness to get up and dance. Several of these prizes were probably taken by the musicians' grandkids. Yes, these people in the girl band were well into their time of enjoying life. And they dressed more like biker chicks than the suited up doo-wap groups they were covering. In the audience people, yuppies and granolas, enjoying themselves. What a great way to enjoy the evening.
Another thing this weekend was the finish of the Julie/Julia book. Now, did I read this book because I could relate to a woman stressed in her job and struggling to do something significant? No, well sort of, but primarily no. I want see what someone went through to get their blog made into an honest-to-god published book. Yes, I am a glutton for punishment of reading or watching movies about people who excel at something I want to do. Last year, as a new teacher in an at risk school, I had to let go of the idea that they are going to make a movie about me - how a lively young-ish teacher comes in and totally changes the lives of her students by inspiring them beyond their wildest dreams. Yes, Michelle Pfeiffer will never play me. Maybe I will become a world renowned writer, revered by millions, and maybe even a tincy bit worshiped by a small group of out of the box intellectuals. Maybe I will have Pfeiffer play me after all , or maybe Rosie O'Donnell, or even better Rosie Perez.
And of course Sunday was a day spent with My Dear Sweet Mother. My Sweet and I got a slow start - weariness is contagious. Fortunately my sister, who is now a mother of three wonderfully unique kids, was even later. True to my redneck home town fashion, we went to the buffet at the Indian casino. It was classic to see a bunch of grannies who were bussed in to celebrate the day by playing the slots. Couldn't tell if they were hunched over to protect their buckets of quarters, or osteoporosis. If only we could have come a few weeks later to see Cosby or Heart. (Yes Mom, I know when you read this that you are going to explain away all the reasons why we went there. They are very good reasons, and it was a great time. It was just funny to walk through the smoke filled room, past the 3 non-smoking slot machines and seeing all the old women there on mother's day.) It was a great day to visit the family.
Another thing this weekend was the finish of the Julie/Julia book. Now, did I read this book because I could relate to a woman stressed in her job and struggling to do something significant? No, well sort of, but primarily no. I want see what someone went through to get their blog made into an honest-to-god published book. Yes, I am a glutton for punishment of reading or watching movies about people who excel at something I want to do. Last year, as a new teacher in an at risk school, I had to let go of the idea that they are going to make a movie about me - how a lively young-ish teacher comes in and totally changes the lives of her students by inspiring them beyond their wildest dreams. Yes, Michelle Pfeiffer will never play me. Maybe I will become a world renowned writer, revered by millions, and maybe even a tincy bit worshiped by a small group of out of the box intellectuals. Maybe I will have Pfeiffer play me after all , or maybe Rosie O'Donnell, or even better Rosie Perez.
And of course Sunday was a day spent with My Dear Sweet Mother. My Sweet and I got a slow start - weariness is contagious. Fortunately my sister, who is now a mother of three wonderfully unique kids, was even later. True to my redneck home town fashion, we went to the buffet at the Indian casino. It was classic to see a bunch of grannies who were bussed in to celebrate the day by playing the slots. Couldn't tell if they were hunched over to protect their buckets of quarters, or osteoporosis. If only we could have come a few weeks later to see Cosby or Heart. (Yes Mom, I know when you read this that you are going to explain away all the reasons why we went there. They are very good reasons, and it was a great time. It was just funny to walk through the smoke filled room, past the 3 non-smoking slot machines and seeing all the old women there on mother's day.) It was a great day to visit the family.
Monday, May 08, 2006
My Celebration of Time
Just recently my birth month passed. Now I do not actually celebrate my birthday all month long, but I used some of my gifts this weekend, so this opening seemed like a decent segue into this topic. Actually it woudl be a leade into the the topic, not a segue. Anyway, I was very blessed with three very different and wonderful celebrations this year.
Celebration 1: THE FAMILY
Just before my birthday my family came from a tri-county area to take me out for a great dinner. My sweet mother got me a fabulous leather jacket. And true to her form, as I tried it she went into detail about what a beyond amazing deal she got on it. (A $200 value for less than a hard cover book - way to go Mom!) My very Talented Sister has made me something, which should be finished soon. If not it will make a very lovely Labor Day gift. But one of the best gifts was to see one of my students working his tail off at the resturant, being the responsible and respectable guy that he can be.
Celebration 2: THE TRUE BLUES
Every 2nd Saturday My Sweet and I go on a city wide art walk and even have a few favorite artists we talk to each time. (Check out Lora Watts and Dianne Poinski) I got to wear my very hip and metropolitan leather jacket when my true blue friends went with me this time and humored me as we went to several different galleries and admired the art, marveled at the pretentiousness, or mocked those pieces where you say, "Oh my gosh, what was the artist thinking? Was this made by a Muppet on crack?" Then we went to dinner and I got more presents: a huge and fully loaded crochet basket from Wildly Creative Woman, a set of water color supplies from Refreshing Sunshine, and a gorgeous hippy artist's style bag from Fellow Fanilow. This weekend I nearly finished making my shawl from Creative Woman's basket, and did some just for fun watercolors.
Celebration 3: MY SWEET
Just a bit later My Sweet took me to our well loved spots in my favorite city of San Francisco. With my new bag I looked very much the hippy chick. We enjoyed good weather, sights and food. We also spent too much money at the greatest used record store in the universe.
All in all it was a very great way to spend time celebrating life, friendship, family, creativity, and of course a fabulous bargain.
Celebration 1: THE FAMILY
Just before my birthday my family came from a tri-county area to take me out for a great dinner. My sweet mother got me a fabulous leather jacket. And true to her form, as I tried it she went into detail about what a beyond amazing deal she got on it. (A $200 value for less than a hard cover book - way to go Mom!) My very Talented Sister has made me something, which should be finished soon. If not it will make a very lovely Labor Day gift. But one of the best gifts was to see one of my students working his tail off at the resturant, being the responsible and respectable guy that he can be.
Celebration 2: THE TRUE BLUES
Every 2nd Saturday My Sweet and I go on a city wide art walk and even have a few favorite artists we talk to each time. (Check out Lora Watts and Dianne Poinski) I got to wear my very hip and metropolitan leather jacket when my true blue friends went with me this time and humored me as we went to several different galleries and admired the art, marveled at the pretentiousness, or mocked those pieces where you say, "Oh my gosh, what was the artist thinking? Was this made by a Muppet on crack?" Then we went to dinner and I got more presents: a huge and fully loaded crochet basket from Wildly Creative Woman, a set of water color supplies from Refreshing Sunshine, and a gorgeous hippy artist's style bag from Fellow Fanilow. This weekend I nearly finished making my shawl from Creative Woman's basket, and did some just for fun watercolors.
Celebration 3: MY SWEET
Just a bit later My Sweet took me to our well loved spots in my favorite city of San Francisco. With my new bag I looked very much the hippy chick. We enjoyed good weather, sights and food. We also spent too much money at the greatest used record store in the universe.
All in all it was a very great way to spend time celebrating life, friendship, family, creativity, and of course a fabulous bargain.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
New Things
Yes, spring is here so of course everyone and everything is just oozing the symbolism of new things (hence the snappy name of this posting). Plants are sprouting in our garden, just starting to peek out of the ground. The sun is actually up and cheery when I take off at 6:30 AM for school. And we as a school are gearing up for a move to a new cite and revamping for a new way of doing EVERYTHING next year. Of course we are doing this as we are winding down this year.
Speaking of school, I have another great former student story. (Check my Sunshine post to remind yourself of how a student made me cry, but in a good way.) These stories can be few and far between, so I am going to milk them as much as possible. Today after school Another Student came by because his girlfriend is getting ready for graduation. We stood outside for a bit and I asked him how his plans for culinary school were going. He told me that he was working and putting away money each month for school. Instead of working in the fields or construction like many of my students do, he is employed at a mental health facility working "with people who talk to themselves all the time, or cut themselves" as he put it. He really enjoys what he does, feeling like he is helping others. He also said he has a deeper understanding about what we teachers do, and all the crap we have to put up with.
My dear friend is starting a new chapter of her life. For twelve years she has had a feline companion at her side. He was there through crappy family stuff, moves, college, and healthy break throughs. But now he is gone and she wrapping up one chapter in her life and getting ready for a new one. She is handling it incredibly well, but it is hard because we friends want to just gobble up the pain and spit it into the ocean. But we can't, we can just let her know she is not alone.
Just an FYI, this same friend is helping me figure out some of the fine-tuning of the blogging world. Have you noticed that I can now do links? Stay tuned for more changes in the future.
Well, that is all for now. It is late, and I need to be sure to get a hot bath and a full night's rest before facing my students again. Tomorrow is FRIDAY!!!!!!!
Speaking of school, I have another great former student story. (Check my Sunshine post to remind yourself of how a student made me cry, but in a good way.) These stories can be few and far between, so I am going to milk them as much as possible. Today after school Another Student came by because his girlfriend is getting ready for graduation. We stood outside for a bit and I asked him how his plans for culinary school were going. He told me that he was working and putting away money each month for school. Instead of working in the fields or construction like many of my students do, he is employed at a mental health facility working "with people who talk to themselves all the time, or cut themselves" as he put it. He really enjoys what he does, feeling like he is helping others. He also said he has a deeper understanding about what we teachers do, and all the crap we have to put up with.
My dear friend is starting a new chapter of her life. For twelve years she has had a feline companion at her side. He was there through crappy family stuff, moves, college, and healthy break throughs. But now he is gone and she wrapping up one chapter in her life and getting ready for a new one. She is handling it incredibly well, but it is hard because we friends want to just gobble up the pain and spit it into the ocean. But we can't, we can just let her know she is not alone.
Just an FYI, this same friend is helping me figure out some of the fine-tuning of the blogging world. Have you noticed that I can now do links? Stay tuned for more changes in the future.
Well, that is all for now. It is late, and I need to be sure to get a hot bath and a full night's rest before facing my students again. Tomorrow is FRIDAY!!!!!!!
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Leisure Times
School is getting down to the end, and I am so glad, mostly because I am tired. Not that "I haven't slept well for a few days" tired, but more the kind of "putting up with others' constant bickering, swearing and what not" kind of tired that leads to weariness. And not only do I have to deal with students, I also have to take some after school classes and get ready for my school's huge change next year. So please forgive me for not going out and participating in highbrow heavy leisure time activities. Some people will call what I am doing fluff, and this lets them feel better about themselves because they do not stoop to this activity or they value a schedule that is too full of very important things and therefore are above these trivial pursuits. (Feeling a little defensive about this are we? Yes we are, thank you very much.) Others will call them soul refreshing, even the silly ones.
So here are a few fun things I am doing. The first is gardening. If you look at my Sunshine post, you will see that my gardening is a little freehanded, what I call letting nature be wild. My favorite thing to do is go to Loews home and garden store and check out their rejected "as is" pile of plants and rescue some of them. For 75 cents it is worth it to see if with a little cherishing the plants will come back. Then My Sweet gets fifty billion packets of vegetable seeds, which we plant and do our best to keep the slimy bugs away from what springs forth. I would like to say we grow enough vegetables to feed us all summer long. We don't, but what the heck; we will have some that have survived our "experimental" methods and the intense valley heat. So who couldn't enjoy a miracle, no matter how small?
Another thing I enjoy doing is watching local bands play in area parks. Last Wednesday My Sweet, neighbors and friends went to see the Bottom Dwellers. You have to enjoy a band that calls its genre "American Twang" Neighbor Jeff, who is strictly late 70's hard rock/metal, gave a great complement by exclaiming, "Hey, they do not suck." Trust me, coming from a guy who runs screaming like a little girl when country music is even mentioned, this is a real complement.
And while I love, love, love well written TV shows like Lost, Gilmore Girls and 24, I must confess to a guilty pleasure. I have become quasi addicted to Deal or No Deal. This is a game show that requires no skill at all. But man, the corny drama of it all. I mean first of all you have the mysterious Banker, who is this silhouetted in his "office" who calls Howie Mendel to complain about how well the contestant is doing and make an offer to get them off the show before the contestant wins quadzillions of dollars. Then there is MC Howie who is so wonderfully cheesy that I can predict the jokes as he says them. There are 26 supermodels whom Howie calls by name. Come on, he's just saying a random name. What's the model going to say? "Sorry, guy who is not so easily fired, I am Veronica not Ursula." And to be honest, a little part of me thinks the contestants are actors. Maybe I am wrong, but when a "contestant's" little daughter just happens to mentions that she wants a pony, and one is later brought on stage as part of the deal, it seems a little premeditated. But even if it is, I hope it never stops because I love the schmaltz of it all.
And finally my reading is not something from Jane Austin or Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Instead I am reading Uppity Women of Shakespearian Times and Dictionary of Word Origins. I love these short vignettes about people that were a part of history but do not get remembered. Also it is good to be reminded that there have always been people going against the grain to do what they want or what they think is right. And as for entomology, I like puzzling out how our language works. I love to figure out how the words bishop and spy are rooted together, as are acrobat and oxygen. To me it makes the words have a more cemented meaning.
Well, since I am so weary, now is a good time for a nap.
So here are a few fun things I am doing. The first is gardening. If you look at my Sunshine post, you will see that my gardening is a little freehanded, what I call letting nature be wild. My favorite thing to do is go to Loews home and garden store and check out their rejected "as is" pile of plants and rescue some of them. For 75 cents it is worth it to see if with a little cherishing the plants will come back. Then My Sweet gets fifty billion packets of vegetable seeds, which we plant and do our best to keep the slimy bugs away from what springs forth. I would like to say we grow enough vegetables to feed us all summer long. We don't, but what the heck; we will have some that have survived our "experimental" methods and the intense valley heat. So who couldn't enjoy a miracle, no matter how small?
Another thing I enjoy doing is watching local bands play in area parks. Last Wednesday My Sweet, neighbors and friends went to see the Bottom Dwellers. You have to enjoy a band that calls its genre "American Twang" Neighbor Jeff, who is strictly late 70's hard rock/metal, gave a great complement by exclaiming, "Hey, they do not suck." Trust me, coming from a guy who runs screaming like a little girl when country music is even mentioned, this is a real complement.
And while I love, love, love well written TV shows like Lost, Gilmore Girls and 24, I must confess to a guilty pleasure. I have become quasi addicted to Deal or No Deal. This is a game show that requires no skill at all. But man, the corny drama of it all. I mean first of all you have the mysterious Banker, who is this silhouetted in his "office" who calls Howie Mendel to complain about how well the contestant is doing and make an offer to get them off the show before the contestant wins quadzillions of dollars. Then there is MC Howie who is so wonderfully cheesy that I can predict the jokes as he says them. There are 26 supermodels whom Howie calls by name. Come on, he's just saying a random name. What's the model going to say? "Sorry, guy who is not so easily fired, I am Veronica not Ursula." And to be honest, a little part of me thinks the contestants are actors. Maybe I am wrong, but when a "contestant's" little daughter just happens to mentions that she wants a pony, and one is later brought on stage as part of the deal, it seems a little premeditated. But even if it is, I hope it never stops because I love the schmaltz of it all.
And finally my reading is not something from Jane Austin or Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Instead I am reading Uppity Women of Shakespearian Times and Dictionary of Word Origins. I love these short vignettes about people that were a part of history but do not get remembered. Also it is good to be reminded that there have always been people going against the grain to do what they want or what they think is right. And as for entomology, I like puzzling out how our language works. I love to figure out how the words bishop and spy are rooted together, as are acrobat and oxygen. To me it makes the words have a more cemented meaning.
Well, since I am so weary, now is a good time for a nap.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Sunshine
Usually the weather in Northern California is the stuff songs are written about, especially in the spring. However this season we had rain for about 31 billion days in a row. But that ended this week and we have jumped from a Saturday of 45 degrees to a Thursday of 82. The sun is out, no one - especially the teachers - wants to be in the classroom, and out backyard garden has grown about 3 feet. My snapdragons, which have only given green foliage these past months, are budding with a few red or yellow blossoms are starting to poke their heads out. Now I have to let you know that my usual MO for gardening is to plant the seeds, give them water and then just let them fend for themselves. Therefore I never know if they are ever really going to produce anything.
Ah hah, now comes the incredible, or incredibly obvious, metaphor about life. I am a teacher with at risk teenagers. Every day I go in with students who for various reasons have not done well in school. There are some students, try as I might, that, well lets just say we rub each other the wrong way. Last year I had a Student that I truly had a hard time connecting with. There were many mornings when I actually told God that I would be ok with it if He encouraged this Student to play hookie. When the Student graduated this past November, I shook his hand and wished him luck with the future, but in my heart of hearts I knew I hadn't forgiven him for the hellish things he did in my class. Call me petty, small minded, what ever. I just couldn't do it. Well, yesterday this Student comes in after classes were done to say hi to the staff, and tell us how he has just gotten out of a program run by the courts that God has used to really turn his thinking around - this thinking about his attitude, substance abuse, and outlook. Even though I knew I had nothing to do with his changes, it brought me to tears seeing this young man really start to bloom. (OK, another cliche, but my heart was melting, so what the heck.)
Ah hah, now comes the incredible, or incredibly obvious, metaphor about life. I am a teacher with at risk teenagers. Every day I go in with students who for various reasons have not done well in school. There are some students, try as I might, that, well lets just say we rub each other the wrong way. Last year I had a Student that I truly had a hard time connecting with. There were many mornings when I actually told God that I would be ok with it if He encouraged this Student to play hookie. When the Student graduated this past November, I shook his hand and wished him luck with the future, but in my heart of hearts I knew I hadn't forgiven him for the hellish things he did in my class. Call me petty, small minded, what ever. I just couldn't do it. Well, yesterday this Student comes in after classes were done to say hi to the staff, and tell us how he has just gotten out of a program run by the courts that God has used to really turn his thinking around - this thinking about his attitude, substance abuse, and outlook. Even though I knew I had nothing to do with his changes, it brought me to tears seeing this young man really start to bloom. (OK, another cliche, but my heart was melting, so what the heck.)
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Conflicts
This past week, as I drove to Santa Cruz with My Sweet sleeping in the passenger seat, I was listening to NPR talking to experts talk about the Gospel of Judas. This came out, not surprisingly, on Maundy Thursday, the day that Judas, having just taken the first ever Holy Communion, went and for 40 pieces of silver let the authorities know that he would help them capture Jesus. The experts say that the text for the new gospel discusses mystical conversation or revelation from God that Judas was chosen to carry out part of God's plan. So his betrayal was actually an act of faithfulness.
Many people may have trouble shifting thier view point of the archetypal traitor, but not me. I do not know for sure if this new Gospel is authentic or not, nor am I sure that God directly told Judas to hand over the Savior. But this I do know, Judas was one of the chosen twelve who spent time learning directly from a compassionate Lord. After Judas gave Jesus over to the authorities, which did get the ball rolling for the the Ressurection and salvation for humankind, he felt so guily that he could not live with what he had done. I always wondered what God would do with Judas, the betrayer and yet a follower of Christ and someone who played a very intsrumental part in the Grand Plan. I know God is compassionate and forgiving, so it would not surprise me to see Judas in Heaven.
There are a few other conflicts I stuggle with. One of them being that I am listening to NPR when I should be enjoying the peace and wonder of driving through the amazing Santa Cruz Moutains. I also have an inner conflict about picking up sea shells. They never look as nice at home, dry and sitting on a shelf, when they were ment to be a part of the wonderous sea scape. And yet I want them, a kind of souvineer.
I also hate zoos - taking animals out of their home and putting them in an artificial environemt to be stared at. However, I apprecialte the zoological advances that result from this, plus the fact that people get to see a lion, bobcat or flock of butterfies. When I was at Sequioa National Park I felt incredibly saddened when I saw the stumps of ancient giant Redwood trees that were shipped to the World's Fair. My heart wrung at the thought that the trees took centuries to create. None the less, I want people to know the overwhelming magesty of the Giant Sequia. And, if I were not privaleged enough to live nearby, I would want to see these trees on display. So, if the treasures of of King Tut or the Amazon come touring this way, I will feel a bit of guilt, but I be darned if I'll miss seeing them.
Many people may have trouble shifting thier view point of the archetypal traitor, but not me. I do not know for sure if this new Gospel is authentic or not, nor am I sure that God directly told Judas to hand over the Savior. But this I do know, Judas was one of the chosen twelve who spent time learning directly from a compassionate Lord. After Judas gave Jesus over to the authorities, which did get the ball rolling for the the Ressurection and salvation for humankind, he felt so guily that he could not live with what he had done. I always wondered what God would do with Judas, the betrayer and yet a follower of Christ and someone who played a very intsrumental part in the Grand Plan. I know God is compassionate and forgiving, so it would not surprise me to see Judas in Heaven.
There are a few other conflicts I stuggle with. One of them being that I am listening to NPR when I should be enjoying the peace and wonder of driving through the amazing Santa Cruz Moutains. I also have an inner conflict about picking up sea shells. They never look as nice at home, dry and sitting on a shelf, when they were ment to be a part of the wonderous sea scape. And yet I want them, a kind of souvineer.
I also hate zoos - taking animals out of their home and putting them in an artificial environemt to be stared at. However, I apprecialte the zoological advances that result from this, plus the fact that people get to see a lion, bobcat or flock of butterfies. When I was at Sequioa National Park I felt incredibly saddened when I saw the stumps of ancient giant Redwood trees that were shipped to the World's Fair. My heart wrung at the thought that the trees took centuries to create. None the less, I want people to know the overwhelming magesty of the Giant Sequia. And, if I were not privaleged enough to live nearby, I would want to see these trees on display. So, if the treasures of of King Tut or the Amazon come touring this way, I will feel a bit of guilt, but I be darned if I'll miss seeing them.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Here I Am
-Ok, so now I have finally done it. I have gotten plugged in, tuned in, and turned on. I am jumping on the blog bandwagon.
Why am I doing this, you may ask? A very astute and profound question that has several answers. The most shallow of them being that everyone I know is doing it ~ including my dear friend and role model Refreshing Sunshine, and my Sweet who speaks English as a second language for goodness sake. Other motives are keeping touch with friends and family, venting frustrations of the day, or writing down things that may someday turn into something more lucrative (Dave Barry is my hero on this point). Mostly it will be me jotting down my musings of the day. I want to be more disciplined about writing for the "public" so you should get at least 2 entries a week, but really I will try for 3.
So here are a few musings I had during the non rainy part of Spring Break. I love visiting Santa Cruz, CA. People just try to be themselves, even if being themselves is being a poser. For example, I just love that at one of the beaches a mom let her 5 year old dig sand castles in a plastic purple tu-tu.
We also went to a beach that is some kind of let-your-dogs-run-and-be-free park. One handsome dog had a tennis ball in its mouth while possessively guarding a second one. It tried desperately to put them both in its mouth, but that was physically impossible. So basically it was wasting a perfectly good ball that another dog could have played with. Plus, it was so busy guarding the second ball that it couldn't run an play catch with the first one. It just stood there slightly frazzled. One could easily jump into the metaphor that it was acting so "like a man" possessive, protective, blah blah blah blah, but this happened to be a female, and isn't it so us, too. So busy holding on to too many things that it interferes with fun.
Well, that is all for now. I am going to try and post this and see how it goes. I am not all that technologically hip, but My Sweet says he will teach me how to do links and other cool stuff. So thank you for reading this; I hope you enjoy it.
Why am I doing this, you may ask? A very astute and profound question that has several answers. The most shallow of them being that everyone I know is doing it ~ including my dear friend and role model Refreshing Sunshine, and my Sweet who speaks English as a second language for goodness sake. Other motives are keeping touch with friends and family, venting frustrations of the day, or writing down things that may someday turn into something more lucrative (Dave Barry is my hero on this point). Mostly it will be me jotting down my musings of the day. I want to be more disciplined about writing for the "public" so you should get at least 2 entries a week, but really I will try for 3.
So here are a few musings I had during the non rainy part of Spring Break. I love visiting Santa Cruz, CA. People just try to be themselves, even if being themselves is being a poser. For example, I just love that at one of the beaches a mom let her 5 year old dig sand castles in a plastic purple tu-tu.
We also went to a beach that is some kind of let-your-dogs-run-and-be-free park. One handsome dog had a tennis ball in its mouth while possessively guarding a second one. It tried desperately to put them both in its mouth, but that was physically impossible. So basically it was wasting a perfectly good ball that another dog could have played with. Plus, it was so busy guarding the second ball that it couldn't run an play catch with the first one. It just stood there slightly frazzled. One could easily jump into the metaphor that it was acting so "like a man" possessive, protective, blah blah blah blah, but this happened to be a female, and isn't it so us, too. So busy holding on to too many things that it interferes with fun.
Well, that is all for now. I am going to try and post this and see how it goes. I am not all that technologically hip, but My Sweet says he will teach me how to do links and other cool stuff. So thank you for reading this; I hope you enjoy it.
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