A Promise To Myself

I'm making a promise right here and now. I will no longer allow myself to read comments posted on any of the local media websites for any article involving education and the particular school department I work for. I'm so tired of feeling incredibly demoralized in regards to my chosen profession. It makes me sick that people continue to make uneccessary and snap comments celebrating the dismissal of nearly 2,000 teachers that happened in February...all fired without due process or just cause. It saddens me to see such a lack of respect for educators and education in general. There's a saying, "Before you criticize someone you should walk a mile in their shoes." I dare anyone to spend just 10 minutes in my inner-city classsroom. Then let's see what you have to say!

Making The Call

I dialed with a mix of both apprehension and excitement in my stomach. Once I punched in that last digit, there would be no going back. I was about to open a big can of worms making this call...a can I've wanted to open for awhile, but just haven't had the courage to do it. I was reaching out to one of the "3 long lost cousins." That's what we call them, my brothers and I, because we haven't seen or spoken to them in almost 30 years. Growing up I always wondered about them and felt sad that we didn't know one another. My dad doesn't have much contact with his family. I'm not really sure why, it's not spoken about, it just is. He's in recent years reconnected somewhat with his brother through phone calls and I've had very simple contact with his 3 girls on Facebook.
So what do you say to someone you're related to, but don't know at all? Well, first you play phone tag for a week because of time differences and schedules. Then you finally get that voice on the other end and you start with a hello. It's a little uncomfortable, but okay at the same time. There's some nervous laughter, but then you are both talking at the same time because there is so much to say. There's an invite to come visit and then you find yourself the next day booking a flight to Arizona for 6 days. The can is wide open now.....

Gratitude

I've always liked the idea of making New Year's resolutions, but am also realistic and know that most people don't truly stick with them - including myself! So this year I tried to set what I'm referring to as "goals" for myself. One was to try and be more positive. Just saying I would do it didn't seem good enough to me though. I really felt I needed to DO something that would guide me in my journey to reach my goal. To help with this I started a Gratitude Journal on January 1st. Thirty-eight days later I'm proud to say I'm still at it! Each day I look out for little things that I'm thankful for. When I say little, I mean little. It can be something as simple as hearing a certain person's voice or just having clean sheets on the bed that day! Each night I write down the three things I'm grateful for from the day. I've already found that I'm focusing more on the positive things a day can bring and I pay more attention to the "little" things in life that should matter more. It's turned my days into quite a scavenger hunt!

Monica's Closet

I was reminded of one of my favorite episodes of Friends last week. It's the one where Chandler realized he had never seen what was in the closet by the bathroom in their apartment. He spends the whole episode trying to break into it and when he finally gets the door open he discovers a terrible messy pile of junk. So unlike Monica!

I can still remember laughing out loud at this. If I had to chose a character to identify with on that show, it was definitely Monica. She was a phenomenal organizer, a "neat freak," comically obsessive about her apartment and loved cleaning. She was like....well.....me! So here is what my "Monica's Closet" looked like last week....

I know, it's not at all as impressive as Monica's. Still, it was causing a slight sense of uneasiness. So during the recent snowstorm I attacked, sorted, purged and organized my little heart out. Here's what I accomplished...

Everything is right again in "Monica's Closet!" If I could only now find my Chandler!

The Magic Of The Holiday Season

Once there was a girl. All she wanted was a little bit of holiday magic. A moment of peace and joy that reminds us what the season is all about. Only rarely it seems, do those moments seek us out. So when they do come along, you have to cherish them. This was my moment....

Christmas Nostalgia

My parents "decked the halls" to the extreme when my brothers and I were kids. They still do, but not to the extent they did when we were younger and all living under one roof. They have since passed on favorite items to each of us as the years have gone buy. These are two of my favorites that I now proudly display in my own home. I love unpacking them each year and thinking of all the memories I associate with each.

Remember the Fisher Price Little People from when you were a kid? They don't even make them like this anymore! When my brothers and I outgrew them, my dad decided to refurbish them! They've all got their choir robes on and some of their faces have been retouched. Grover proudly conducts them each year for the month of December.

Another project of my dad's...the Christmas Manger. He made the barn from popsicle sticks. All the figurines are handpainted. It's hard to tell in this picture, but the barn is even wired with electricity! We had this tradition growing up that involved the Three Wise Men traveling through our house during Advent to get to the manger. They would walk above the sills on all the doors in the house. Each night my Dad would move them a little further along on their journey. It's something I'll remember forever...

Blue Streak

I saw this quote recently in a magazine. It so perfectly describes my favorite color!
"Blue is freedom. It's demure yet electric. It can be calming like the sea and dramatic like sapphires sparkling in the Cartier window."