Poetry AND Motion

Working for a school is rarely dull.
The school year always seems to roll
The cyclical school calendar keeps me on my toes.
And this is how it goes:

• The excitement of the new school year begins the first day of school. You meet your students and have a thousand things on your mind to save you from the mundane.

• This excitement wears off about late September and just before you have the chance to get bored, football season and all its festivities kick in to play.

• When football season is winding down you take a look at the calendar and begin the wonderful countdown to thanksgiving break. Avoiding all thoughts of Halloween. (it is the death of every teacher)

• Then the stretch from thanksgiving to Christmas. No words.

• After the break you begrudgingly return to school, but are always thankful for Martin Luther King’s birthday.

• Then this weird thing happens. All of a sudden you realize all the classroom elements have come together and finally they know the procedures of the classroom. (Great it only took 5 months)

• Soon comes the realization that Spring Break is around the corner. Trip planning is on the mind!

• Then (cheesy dramatic voice) THE TAKS CRAZE. That’s it…I have taught them all they need to know. It’s review time before the big, don’t call me at home because I am dazed from watching kids take a test that could determine my employment for the next year, day.

• After TAKS comes the oh-so-grand free fall to summer and then…

• FREEDOM. And the day I get my PTO happy summer birthday cookie on a stick!

So while it may seem long
Like the never-ending song.
I will always say,
Teaching is the only way!

Lipstick Jungle

Today at Golds I saw a women working hot pink lipstick. She was pulling it off and I was amazed. I have always wanted to wear lipstick, but especially now more than ever since it is working its way back into the limelight.

So here are my problems:

1. I have dark hair with golden highlights and freckly pale skin. Will somebody please tell me what will work with that!
2. I have skinnyish lips and a small mouth. My bottom lip blends into my chin so I never know when to stop.
3. Do I use lip liner because of my lip to chin blending issues? Or is lip liner totally off limits?
2. Also when/if I do find the right color, introducing lipstick to your face takes a "breaking in" phase. I don't suggest anybody break anything in when they teach junior high kids. "Miss Edwards, what is wrong with your face?" "Miss Edwards you need to clean your mouth" (I've actually had a kid tell me that one).

Basically I need a lipstick intervention, at least I want to know that I gave it a fair chance. So I am taking any suggestions on color!

Am I?

Am I a jerk? Ever since I have started working full time (four years). I have come to expect a lot from people. I think to myself…If I let my guard down for just one minute at work, my students will be in full fledge revolt mode. As in, the second I turn my back I either have a mutiny of classroom rules, or a stack of paper work a mile high on my desk. All that to say: I, like many of my friends, work hard, so I expect others to work hard too. So this new expectation really shows is true colors when I am going to place of service. I get so frustrated when I walk to a checkout counter to pay and the workers decide to finish their conversation before they look at me to ring up my items.

Well the other day I had it. I have been trying to get a hold of this place forever to make an appointment. I finally get a hold of them and the women answering the phone sounded like she just woke up from a 10-hour nap. I then asked her when I should call so I can make appointments. She said, “We are always busy”. I asked for the manager, and she informed that she was the manager. Well my everybody should work as hard as I do chip on the shoulder attitude spoke up and said, “I though I might offer you some professional advice, if somebody is explaining that it is difficult to contact your business, you might benefit from apologizing and promising (though it might be empty) to try harder in the future” She hung up on me. Oh well, changing lives one day at a time.

I do want to say I appreciate the effort when it is made. I went snowboarding a couple of weeks ago and at the end of the day everybody was trying to catch the gondola down the mountain. The line was really long, which just meant traffic would be even worse. BUT the Breckenridge staff was there, passing out cookies to everybody waiting in line. Really they can’t help that the line is long, but the simple acknowledgement of frustration and peace offering really went a long way. Well done Breckenridge. Well done!

Speak

Long time no speak. Sorry for the hiatus. My mom always taught me “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” It’s not that I have been a bitter shrew for the past month and a half; my thoughts have been unclear and relatively negative. However, it’s a bit of a lie to actually say my thoughts have been unclear, when all along they have been clear. I truthfully have just chosen to ignore the blinding clarity. So what’s the blinding clarity? I need and quench for the word of God.

I can’t explain the immediate rush of peace and clarity that came when I spent time in the word today. When I am thirsty it affects my joy, peace, patience, and the way I love people among other things. Because of sin this world is destined for death. Just like a plant with no water. So I know, as long as I continue to drink from the water of truth I will continually produce fruit; the evidence of life. What a supernatural gift the Lord has given us to be able to produce fruit in a dying world.

"How will they know if we don't even walk, even talk, even speak?"

The Fog

Some mornings here in beautiful College Station, TX are filled with the densest fog you have ever seen…or at least I have ever seen. Well yesterday was one of those days and as I was driving to work the lights were visible at about 50 feet and all other structures, cars, buildings at about 25 feet. AND it got me to thinking…


After checking my speedometer, I realized I wasn’t slowing down and I wasn’t even the slightest bit timid, like I am when I am driving in the rain. Why not? Because even though I couldn’t see 100 feet in front of me, I knew that the lights would be visible in time. I knew I would see taillights, headlights or traffic lights that would indicate the need to stop or slow down. I knew what traffic light came next, and I knew I would have enough time to stop if it was red. So while I am in a complete fog in life, I have to remember that every other foggy period I have walked through has been made clear in time. I am a true believer in reflecting and learning from trials so I know that in trials past, God has always opened the doors and revealed His next step in His time. I also remember that there were days or weeks when all I saw was fog with no lights. So right now, all I see is fog, but I have been in the fog before and I know that in God’s time there will be lights, and things will be made clear. Is 26:3: You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you: because he trusts in You.

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Comfort Food

It’s that time of year. The cozy cool air pushes in, department stores mark up the “pumpkin, cinnamon, cider, latte, hazelnut, pine needle, harvest” candles, and we as human beings enjoy being inside cuddled up on our couches. With cozy cuddling comes comfort food. My most recent comfort food craze is Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but some classics include…Ramon Noodles, pizza, and Macaroni and Cheese.

SO

I want to know, what are your comfort foods???

* I must say this blog comes at a most inopportune time being that I am running in a race this Sunday. Maybe I should start comfort food eating on Monday. CRUNCH. Oh I’m sorry I just couldn’t resist…race shmace.

First facial...and last facial.

INTRO:

So if any of you guys know my most recent hobby, it is my soccer team. (Enter shameless plug: BCSSL and our team is the Macropods). Anyway, this new hobby isn’t really all that new, I have been playing soccer since I could walk. I never joined a club league because my parents wanted me to have a more balanced life. But I play in a league with some random people now, and I love it!


ACTUAL STORY:

In two separate soccer games my poor big toes were trampled. Both big toes, in separate games, turned purple. I am a huge pedicure girl, so you know this is a shot to the heart…or the toe. Both of them were damaged enough that they started to grow out…yes this is getting nasty. I have been walking around just wondering when they would totally fall off.

WELL, today I went to get a facial, which a friend gave me as a gift, so it was my first time to go to this place. My facialist begins to lean me back in the facial chair (Those of you that haven’t had a facial, they tuck your arms in real tight under a blanket) and as she is leaning me back, my left foot just barely taps my right toe and two seconds later I hear what you can imagine, my toe nail falling onto the floor. THERE I WAS, tucked into the facial bed completely immobilized and my big toe nail was lying on the floor. I immediately gasp and my facialist (whom I just met) asked what was wrong. In utter embarrassment I told her what had happened. So the poor lady had to retrieve the toenail!!! It was a little hard to relax after that. The facialist probably thought that the facial creams were burning my face, but really it was just the embarrassment.