black friday...

Has anyone heard about 3 people getting killed because of Black Friday?? My first response, ashamedly, was to laugh, but then I thought about how twisted it really is...

Two men at Toys R Us shot each other, and a worker at Walmart was trampled to death by a surge of customers as he was opening the doors for them (CNN video). TRAMPLED. I don't shop on Black Friday because I think it exemplifies the disgusting commercialism of Christmas & I don't particularly enjoy pushy crowds - - now I'll be avoiding Black Friday shopping for more practical reasons - such as longevity.

Way to spread holiday cheer, America! Love, joy, peace & 24-hour deals!

happy thanksgiving

Just a very few of the things I'm thankful for...

-The love & grace of God

-A loving husband

-A wonderful, crazy family

-Sweet, caring friends

-A job in Michigan, and not only that, but a job I love

-Working transportation

-My health

-Food 

-Our apartment

-Doug's job 

-My family's farm

-The opportunity to be with people I love

-Ice cream.

Happy Thanksgiving!

clarification

For those of you who were wondering:

Doug's company was recently voted one of "Metropolitan Detroit's 101 Best and Brightest Companies." He represented the company at a brunch last week, and as part of the registration process, they took a picture of him and turned him into a lollipop right in front of his eyes.

To quote the hubby: "It was like being Charlie in the Chocolate Factory! The picture went in, the chocolate came out!" 

I think I could put one of those machines to really great use. 

On another note entirely, 1,549 people have viewed my blog profile - whoa!

yum

AWESOME.

Do you have a chocolate lollipop version of your husband? 

Because I do.

those lewd sweat glands...

On a recent writing assignment, one of my students wrote about someone sweating - - and I think he meant to write "sweating profusely," but what he actually wrote was "sweating perversely." 

my mind's a whirlwind lately

So, I'm stealing an idea from my friend Sara (I finally met her in person, so I can officially call her my friend), where she does a blog post in 5 minutes or less. 

4:36pm

My blog.

I'm totally bored with it. I feel like I never post anything substantial anymore, because all I do is teach. I don't want to write about my job, even though I love it & adore my students because 1. there's a link to my blog on my facebook & I'm friends with several of my students (if you're one of them & you're reading this, quit reading & finish your essay), 2. I don't want to get fired, 3. I talk school all day everyday, so I feel like my blog should be about something else. That being said....

Teaching.

Oh my word, some days my kids can be amazing.

Jealousy.

Confession: I'm totally a jealous person! I know it is largely unmerited, and it's an ugly characteristic - I know it. I'm working on it. It's not really materialistic jealousy (exception: stupid Crewcuts - why is a 5 year old dressed better than I am?!); rather, I suffer from what I call relational jealousy. Read: when my beloved friends & family get to spend time together doing fun things & I'm in Michigan looking on, I get jealous. Clarification: I do not begrudge anyone their time together doing fun things... I'm just lonely for all of you & sometimes I worry [unnecessarily] that I'll be on the sideline at family get-togethers. Single tear, get me a tissue, blah blah. I'm over it - just affirm me, people! And don't forget about me.

Book of the month.

Holy cow! Remember when I used to do that? Let me think - September I basically re-read The Great Gatsby & Great Expectations while teaching, along with continuing my drudge through Moby Dick; October I read The Crucible (again) with my juniors and continued my drudge through Moby Dick; and throughout November I've read lots of essays and projects and continued my drudge through Moby Dick. I think at this point I'm averaging a chapter a month. 

Snow.

Is it possible? I think I feel excited by this snow! (Ask me about it in March.)

Grading.

Story of my life. Speaking of which, it's 4:42 - I'm at 6 minutes, which kinda ruins the purpose of "5 minutes or less." Gotta go.

sunday afternoon

Not yesterday I learned to know
The love of bare November days
Before the coming of the snow,
But it were vain to tell her so,
And they are better for her praise.

-Robert Frost

yesterday

I wasn't able to update the ole blog yesterday, but the events of yesterday were far too important to leave unblogged.

Because yesterday, this little guy turned 18:

This was the infamous "Whoops-Dad-forgot-the-guard-on-the-razor" incident, resulting in a highly creative mohawk.

Happy birthday, E-Man!
Love you lots!

(See an adorable post from Emily here).

& so it begins...

real life conversations, pt. 4

Phone call to Doug yesterday evening, 5:30pm.

*ring!*

Doug: "Hi hun, I'm leaving the office right now."

Me: "Okay, um, good. But, I was also wondering..."

Doug: "Yeah?"

Me: "Um, well I was gonna see if you'd bring home a pumpkin spice latte, but I guess our budget is more important than my period cravings."

Doug: "Not to me!"

... He was home 10 minutes later with a pumpkin spice latte.

self-realization...

Today I re-realized something funny about myself - something I do without really thinking about it. My dear friend Megan and I discussed this one day as we were traversing the perilous bike paths of old Oxford town, but I had forgotten about it until this afternoon.

As I was walking out of school, fumbling for my keys, I realized my odd tendency to pile everything I'm carrying in my left arm just so I can swing my right arm. I had my huge teacher bag slung over my left shoulder, my zip-up slung over my left forearm (can we say gorgeous weather recently?!), my lunchbox in my left hand, and my warm buddy-brand Uggs (more Nov. morning attire) cradled in my elbow. My right arm was swinging happily away.

Does anyone else do this? Pay attention next time you're carrying a few bags...

11.04.08

peaches & greens, pt. 2

Maybe you remember this post about the steady progress of the produce market being built in Detroit, Peaches & Greens. 

Yesterday, Doug & I were able to attend the grand opening of Peaches & Greens. It looks absolutely incredible & I am so excited to hear about the ways it will continue to minister to needs. Thank you for your prayers; please continue to pray for Detroit & CDC ministries. 

Here are some pictures from the big event.

Two incredible men, Kevin Ruark & Matt Rojak, headed up the construction.

Kevin & Ellie Schupra, who coordinated the involvement of our church, Trinity.

The inside.

The Van Andel boys - Jamison, Q & Ty - with their peaches and greens!

Doug proudly holding up our purchase.

The P&G produce truck, which will drive around delivering produce to city residents.

Me & Doug in front of P&G.

We're so thankful that CDC allowed us to help them even in small ways, and we're so glad that they're finally able to see the fruits (ooh, terrible pun) of their labor!

halloween

Happy Halloween [yesterday] and Happy November!

This post was on its way to becoming the world's longest blog post, so I'm going to do a separate entry on what Doug & I did today. 

SO - yesterday:

Some of my students got the evening started early -- as in, 5:30pm there was a knock on my door!

The world needs a hero... to save us from these heroes.

Doug & I carved a pumpkin (a little late, I know - but we got a sweet deal on our pumpkin).

Yuck.

I made Doug finish scooping the guts out.

The finished product - not too shabby for a half-hour! Who said Halloween had to be scary?

I had some more students stop by (including one who wasn't trick-or-treating & just wanted to show me his El Camino!), and some young kids that we didn't know. One parent stood on the sidewalk while his two children got some candy, and as his son was reaching into the candy basket, he yelled (quite aggressively, actually), "Harry, don't be a HOG!"

Griffin & Leslie stopped by too - the cutest little gorilla & lion!

Mouth. Full. Of. Candy.

Mischievous!

~

Yesterday was also a huge step for Doug & me toward adulthood.

While others our age are buying iPhones, BlackBerries, etc., after 1 year, 3 months and 24 days of sharing cell phones, as of yesterday, Doug & I are now each proud owners of our own cell phones! Please hold your applause...