There is a list of things that I feel I need to do in order to feel like an accomplished, successful, functioning adult.
1. Writing letters, emails, texts and calling All the people who are important to me.
2. Being romantic with my hubby.
3. Walking the dogs and throwing the chicken.
4. Keeping my nails clean and trimmed.
5. Wearing a size six, which I don't.
6. Exercising regularly.
7. Reading a lot of books.
8. Crating engaging lessons for my students.
9. Shaving my legs.
10. Keeping the house clean.
11. Trying to support all of the people who need my support, with or without them knowing it.
12. Organizing things and writing in my planner.
On any given day I have all of these things plus more that I need To do. It can get overwhelming. Lately, I don't feel like I am doing a very good job. I want to. I am tired. I feel sad when many of these things go unaccomplished. I want to make an excuse and say it is the weather, but I am not sure it is. I also like to think it is from still adjusting to a new place and new people. It might be. Tomorrow is Friday. I will just keep looking forward to that. I hope you all have not hit the new year/January downs.
Until next time, stay well.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
What I've learned from watching Mad Men
Over the past two weeks Matt and I devoured the four seasons of Man Men on Netflix. I am now anxiously awaiting the new season that will come out in March. So many things were great about this series. I know it is really old news at this point, but I am still excited about it! Here are some things I learned from the show.
1. Say less. Be more like Don Draper. I think there is really something to be said about holding in a bit and being mysterious. Don does this almost to a fault, but he is onto the right idea. It is really interesting to watching his character from when he is young to how he acts at the Ad agency.
2. Women did not have to work out back then. Even though all of the women are not gorgeous, and I know it is a tv show, I really think it was not something they did! Only one girl on the show ever does anything-which is running. I have to say I am a bit jealous. There is a lot going on there though-very strict ideas about femininity, which is slightly changing even now, less fatty foods, no take-out yet, etc. I can't decide how I feel about it at this moment.
3. Companies could afford to take care of their people. America in the 60s was full of hope. Even though a lot of tragedies occur during this time, as a capitalist society, America is hitting it hard. People could live relatively comfortably and were a special commodity to the company. I feel we have moved far away from this mentality.
4. It was all about who you knew. At one time in the show, a boy is hired because he was the cousin to the bosses wife. I like to think that doesn't happen any more, but I know better than that.
5. Racists were/are everywhere. It is easy to think that the South was where all the racists were, and part of that is true. Growing up in the South, there are endearing and also disgusting habits. I miss it in some ways. But, people in the North were not much better. Also, I am sick of people being racist. Get over yourself.
6. I love women! Women during this time period knew what they had to do. A lot still live the 50s housewife dream, but others were forging a path. Most of the women on the show are secretaries, playing into stereotypes. But the most important one, Peggy, uses her mind to progress in her career. Everyone in the office thinks she slept with Don, and that bothers her, but she continues to strive for more, not letting it distract her. Go women, we rock!!
7. Handle things quietly. Be more like Joan and less like Betty. Part of me loves Betty, don't get me wrong. She represents everything that we as women are supposed to be and supposed to want. But she is childish. I found myself horrified at times when watching her with her children. Joan is strong and when she is upset, she takes it in stride.
8. Push the boundaries. Be like Peggy. Peggy asks for what she wants and is not afraid to do hard work. She also recognizes the injustice that surrounds her. People in the north talk about civil rights, but do not seem to extend it to women. I like her drive and determination. We all could take a lesson from her.
9. It is hard to be a good person. We are selfish. Every character has their faults and it is easy to judge them at times. Most notably, Betty seems like an awful person. But, she isn't happy! So I sympathize with her. Don is impulsive and does and says hurtful things. But he has a good heart. It is hard to be the person we think we should be.
What do you think?
What shows do you think we should watch next?
1. Say less. Be more like Don Draper. I think there is really something to be said about holding in a bit and being mysterious. Don does this almost to a fault, but he is onto the right idea. It is really interesting to watching his character from when he is young to how he acts at the Ad agency.
2. Women did not have to work out back then. Even though all of the women are not gorgeous, and I know it is a tv show, I really think it was not something they did! Only one girl on the show ever does anything-which is running. I have to say I am a bit jealous. There is a lot going on there though-very strict ideas about femininity, which is slightly changing even now, less fatty foods, no take-out yet, etc. I can't decide how I feel about it at this moment.
3. Companies could afford to take care of their people. America in the 60s was full of hope. Even though a lot of tragedies occur during this time, as a capitalist society, America is hitting it hard. People could live relatively comfortably and were a special commodity to the company. I feel we have moved far away from this mentality.
4. It was all about who you knew. At one time in the show, a boy is hired because he was the cousin to the bosses wife. I like to think that doesn't happen any more, but I know better than that.
5. Racists were/are everywhere. It is easy to think that the South was where all the racists were, and part of that is true. Growing up in the South, there are endearing and also disgusting habits. I miss it in some ways. But, people in the North were not much better. Also, I am sick of people being racist. Get over yourself.
6. I love women! Women during this time period knew what they had to do. A lot still live the 50s housewife dream, but others were forging a path. Most of the women on the show are secretaries, playing into stereotypes. But the most important one, Peggy, uses her mind to progress in her career. Everyone in the office thinks she slept with Don, and that bothers her, but she continues to strive for more, not letting it distract her. Go women, we rock!!
7. Handle things quietly. Be more like Joan and less like Betty. Part of me loves Betty, don't get me wrong. She represents everything that we as women are supposed to be and supposed to want. But she is childish. I found myself horrified at times when watching her with her children. Joan is strong and when she is upset, she takes it in stride.
8. Push the boundaries. Be like Peggy. Peggy asks for what she wants and is not afraid to do hard work. She also recognizes the injustice that surrounds her. People in the north talk about civil rights, but do not seem to extend it to women. I like her drive and determination. We all could take a lesson from her.
9. It is hard to be a good person. We are selfish. Every character has their faults and it is easy to judge them at times. Most notably, Betty seems like an awful person. But, she isn't happy! So I sympathize with her. Don is impulsive and does and says hurtful things. But he has a good heart. It is hard to be the person we think we should be.
What do you think?
What shows do you think we should watch next?
Monday, January 9, 2012
Tis the Season...a few days late
As promised, I wanted to do a blog about my break in Tennessee. It was so great to be home and to see some of my dear friends. The first group I met up with was Kelsey, Katelyn and Nicole. The four of us have been buds for quite some time and are now scattered all over the country. Luckily, our parents all still live in the same place, so we were able to arrange something! It was strange catching up but altogether needed.
Christmas Eve. Jenny-send us the photos from after church!!
Christmas morn!
Hey, look at that.
Daddy
I made this wreath for mum
Exploring in black and white
Baby
I can sit all by myself!!
Mean muggin
A few days after Christmas I got to stay at my friends apartment, Jen and Amy. Alyssa came over to hang out as well. I miss my friends so dearly. The time with them was bittersweet because I knew it would soon come to an end. After awhile we fell back into a comfortable feeling. Jen and I stayed up till 2 talking and then got to spend the next day together at the outlets. Alyssa and Matt came along. It was a swell day :)
Oh, how I've missed you, Jen!!
These are the ornaments I made! Each has different colors for the girls. Also, I gave them homemade hot cocoa--how did that turn out, by the way? I didn't get to try any!
Twins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We also ventured to dye part of Alyssa's hair pink.
The next night I went to a Lady Vols game with my parents, which was fun! Then I went over to a girls house to hang out with some of the interns from last year. I ended up staying there till 1:30 or so having such a good time. I truly miss being able to see all of those talented people in class and to talk about the different difficulties we have in our own classrooms. Sadly, I believe several people plan to move away. Someone took some photos...but I don't have them!
Now I am back here in Missouri. School has started and I am trying to keep up. We are talking about controversial topics. Matt made a yummy meatball and spaghetti dinner. Last year ended with a bang! Let's hope this year can hold its ground.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Welcome, 2012!
I greet thee.
I am getting ahead of myself. I really want to do some holiday blogs about being home, but those will have to wait. No fear. I took some photos.
I am sitting at the coffee shop to use the internet and thought it a good time to pop on here and address the new year. I can't believe how fast the fall semester went. It seems like just the other day we were driving our lives up to Missouri. I am not quite ready to go back to school, but will have to make due!
My two new years resolutions from last year: read 24 books-Check, work out three times a week-No Check.
My goals are not changing too much this year. I want to try and read 30 books, lets up the ante a little here. I started a book where I will list all of the books I have read and I wrote down all of the ones from the past two years. I look forward to adding 30 more this year! I am already a third of the way through Thirteen Reasons Why. I find it unrealistic, but altogether intriguing.
I also plan to read Ulysses by James Joyce. That is my book for by the end of the year. I have been wanting to read it for some time and I gratefully got it from my parents for Christmas. Joy of joys!
My other goal is again to work out three times a week, moving to four by March. But! I am better prepared this year. Matt made me a varied workout plan and I intend of following them. I went to the gym yesterday and did my own thing since I didn't have the plan yet. I will let you know how it goes.
Looking at my google reader the past few days-everyone said something about the new year. What is it that makes us want to try new things at the beginning of the year? To claim it will be the best year yet? Around Christmas this overwhelming optimism starts to fill people (minus retail workers) and last for a few weeks into January. I don't ever feel that different.
Matt is away for some more days and it feels weird to be home. It reminds me of my single days-except now I have dogs. It will be nice to have him home.
Here is to a year full of more changes, decisions, hopefully making some new friends, but really holding onto the old ones who count. You know who you are. And of course-growing and loving my family how I know I can.
I am getting ahead of myself. I really want to do some holiday blogs about being home, but those will have to wait. No fear. I took some photos.
I am sitting at the coffee shop to use the internet and thought it a good time to pop on here and address the new year. I can't believe how fast the fall semester went. It seems like just the other day we were driving our lives up to Missouri. I am not quite ready to go back to school, but will have to make due!
My two new years resolutions from last year: read 24 books-Check, work out three times a week-No Check.
My goals are not changing too much this year. I want to try and read 30 books, lets up the ante a little here. I started a book where I will list all of the books I have read and I wrote down all of the ones from the past two years. I look forward to adding 30 more this year! I am already a third of the way through Thirteen Reasons Why. I find it unrealistic, but altogether intriguing.
I also plan to read Ulysses by James Joyce. That is my book for by the end of the year. I have been wanting to read it for some time and I gratefully got it from my parents for Christmas. Joy of joys!
My other goal is again to work out three times a week, moving to four by March. But! I am better prepared this year. Matt made me a varied workout plan and I intend of following them. I went to the gym yesterday and did my own thing since I didn't have the plan yet. I will let you know how it goes.
Looking at my google reader the past few days-everyone said something about the new year. What is it that makes us want to try new things at the beginning of the year? To claim it will be the best year yet? Around Christmas this overwhelming optimism starts to fill people (minus retail workers) and last for a few weeks into January. I don't ever feel that different.
Matt is away for some more days and it feels weird to be home. It reminds me of my single days-except now I have dogs. It will be nice to have him home.
Here is to a year full of more changes, decisions, hopefully making some new friends, but really holding onto the old ones who count. You know who you are. And of course-growing and loving my family how I know I can.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Lamp shades!
Hello all,
I hope your holiday season is underway and off to a good start. My sister, Alexis, is visiting me for a week here while Matt is gone and it is great! So nice to see and spend time with her. The dogs are also enjoying all of the extra attention and someone to spend the days with. We made some butter toffee yesterday, as well as egg nog and watched The Help with my friend Emily from school. That was fun!
On a different note, I've finished my 23rd book for the year. The Handmaid's Tale. I started my last book this morning, A Dog's Purpose, recommended by my sister, Jenny. I plan to finish it before Christmas. With hope I will get to read Gone with the Wind over break.
Alexis helped me cover two lamp shades for some new lamps we received from my Aunt Jane. Here are some photos to show you how they turned out. I am so happy with them and think they look great!
Lamps beforehand.
Pick out fabric and a lampshade. I found this one at Hobby Lobby and it came with a pre-glued shade and a wax pattern cut out. Score!
Trace the patter and cut.
Butters got a make-shift handkerchief. He loves it.
Wrapping the lamp shades.
I folded over the top and bottom and glued it down with Fabri-tac.
This is the first shade I did. On the second, I trimmed up the extra fabric on the bottom and it turned out even better!
Voila! I love them!!
Yummy butter toffee....so addictive.
Hope all is going well. I am looking forward to the trip home at the end of the week and seeing all of my friends back home. Only 3 more days of school and 126 finals to grade. I can do it! And so can you!
I hope your holiday season is underway and off to a good start. My sister, Alexis, is visiting me for a week here while Matt is gone and it is great! So nice to see and spend time with her. The dogs are also enjoying all of the extra attention and someone to spend the days with. We made some butter toffee yesterday, as well as egg nog and watched The Help with my friend Emily from school. That was fun!
On a different note, I've finished my 23rd book for the year. The Handmaid's Tale. I started my last book this morning, A Dog's Purpose, recommended by my sister, Jenny. I plan to finish it before Christmas. With hope I will get to read Gone with the Wind over break.
Alexis helped me cover two lamp shades for some new lamps we received from my Aunt Jane. Here are some photos to show you how they turned out. I am so happy with them and think they look great!
Yummy butter toffee....so addictive.
Hope all is going well. I am looking forward to the trip home at the end of the week and seeing all of my friends back home. Only 3 more days of school and 126 finals to grade. I can do it! And so can you!
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Brunch!
Who does not love brunch? It has to be one of the best meals. Today, Matt and I had our friends Tim and Katie over for waffles and bacon. They graciously brought yummy fruit! We had so much fun. Next time I will be sure to take photos. It was really nice to commune with these new friends of ours who I already find so dear.
I feel like everything in my life is so transient at this time. Not much feels stable. I know our life here in Columbia will only be for three years, and those days are marching by. I can't tell how I feel about this yet. I am not looking forward to a life of a lot of traveling and chasing homes. I am a home-body and like to nest. There is also instability with my job. The nature of a teacher is to help students for a year and move them on, hopefully with new ideas, insights, and maturity. I do not want to see my students go! I really like them it makes me sad that I won't have the opportunity to see them in the halls for the next few years until they graduate. That is the unfortunate part of working at a Junior High.
There is also the lack of control over the next two years here at CPS. We will have a new principal next year, a large change in the atmosphere of the school. Then I will transition again to a high school-one of the three in the town. I have some say in where I go, but it is what is best for the students and if any of the principals want me. I will more or less be told where to work. Again, by this time, we will only be here for a year-maybe more-and it is hard. I get attached easily, especially to my students. I really want them to do so well. I want them to have chances to succeed.
As much as I try to hold onto the people and life I had in Knoxville, it seems to slip farther away everyday. I find myself upset by this I suppose because I don't feel like I have something new to take its place yet. I keep searching.
I am really looking forward to going home for Christmas. I have two more books to read for the year and I am not sure I will get them done! I am a third of the way through A Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. This would be fine, except Alexis is coming to visit on Wednesday! We are both really excited to have her here-but I know I won't get any reading done! We plan to do some crafts and make yummy food and watch some movies.
I hope you are having a wonderful Christmas season and finding time to relax. We spend most nights in front of the tree and watching tv under lots of blankets. It has been so cold here! Stay safe and warm, my friends.
I feel like everything in my life is so transient at this time. Not much feels stable. I know our life here in Columbia will only be for three years, and those days are marching by. I can't tell how I feel about this yet. I am not looking forward to a life of a lot of traveling and chasing homes. I am a home-body and like to nest. There is also instability with my job. The nature of a teacher is to help students for a year and move them on, hopefully with new ideas, insights, and maturity. I do not want to see my students go! I really like them it makes me sad that I won't have the opportunity to see them in the halls for the next few years until they graduate. That is the unfortunate part of working at a Junior High.
There is also the lack of control over the next two years here at CPS. We will have a new principal next year, a large change in the atmosphere of the school. Then I will transition again to a high school-one of the three in the town. I have some say in where I go, but it is what is best for the students and if any of the principals want me. I will more or less be told where to work. Again, by this time, we will only be here for a year-maybe more-and it is hard. I get attached easily, especially to my students. I really want them to do so well. I want them to have chances to succeed.
As much as I try to hold onto the people and life I had in Knoxville, it seems to slip farther away everyday. I find myself upset by this I suppose because I don't feel like I have something new to take its place yet. I keep searching.
I am really looking forward to going home for Christmas. I have two more books to read for the year and I am not sure I will get them done! I am a third of the way through A Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. This would be fine, except Alexis is coming to visit on Wednesday! We are both really excited to have her here-but I know I won't get any reading done! We plan to do some crafts and make yummy food and watch some movies.
I hope you are having a wonderful Christmas season and finding time to relax. We spend most nights in front of the tree and watching tv under lots of blankets. It has been so cold here! Stay safe and warm, my friends.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Turkey daze
Hi all!
It has been awhile since I have written. Matt and I have been busy with school and work. His law finals are next week, so he has been studying and making outlines like a good student. I am finishing up Animal Farm with my freshmen. I think they consider it lackluster. Even though I really like the book, I struggled with getting them excited about it. Our final project is a speech, so hopefully they can get into that assignment.
We took a trip to Nashville for Thanksgiving. We saw a lot of family over the break and were really able to relax. On Thanksgiving day my family drove over from East TN for dinner. I was so glad to get to see them as well. Here are some photos from our trip.
Well, I didn't take many photos of things happening. I have been learning how to use my camera on the Manual settings and this is what I got! (Except the photo of me, of course). Aren't my nephews adorable? And sister Alexis is beautiful.
Matt and I set up the Christmas tree and wrapped all the presents this week as well. I decorated while listening to holiday tunes and then drank some hot cocoa. It was all very exciting! Here are the photos I took.
Only a few more weeks until we head home for a Tennessee Christmas. I really cannot wait! Hope everyone is well and spreading the holiday cheer.
It has been awhile since I have written. Matt and I have been busy with school and work. His law finals are next week, so he has been studying and making outlines like a good student. I am finishing up Animal Farm with my freshmen. I think they consider it lackluster. Even though I really like the book, I struggled with getting them excited about it. Our final project is a speech, so hopefully they can get into that assignment.
We took a trip to Nashville for Thanksgiving. We saw a lot of family over the break and were really able to relax. On Thanksgiving day my family drove over from East TN for dinner. I was so glad to get to see them as well. Here are some photos from our trip.
Well, I didn't take many photos of things happening. I have been learning how to use my camera on the Manual settings and this is what I got! (Except the photo of me, of course). Aren't my nephews adorable? And sister Alexis is beautiful.
Matt and I set up the Christmas tree and wrapped all the presents this week as well. I decorated while listening to holiday tunes and then drank some hot cocoa. It was all very exciting! Here are the photos I took.
Only a few more weeks until we head home for a Tennessee Christmas. I really cannot wait! Hope everyone is well and spreading the holiday cheer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)