300th post!

It's been an awesome day! 

-This morning Doug & I helped with "Youth Sunday" at church (including piano by yours truly).

-This afternoon we went to a grad party for my former T.A.

-Then we went golfing! I'm proud to share that Doug pronounced my swing as "really improving!"

-After golf, we made Pepper Jack Burgers and homemade Arnold Palmers. Delicious!

Tomorrow is my last full day of school, then we have half days of finals until Friday.

small group shout out

This year, my friend Jessica & I have been leading a small group for freshman girls. We started out in September studying A Case for Christ and finished out the year studying I Corinthians. The "regulars" have all been girls from PCA & I've absolutely loved getting to know all of them better and watching them grow in Christ. 

love & devotion

Today is my parents' 27th anniversary!

Here are some fun stories about my parents - some my memories, some theirs:

-My parents met at Cornell, where my Mom & her girlfriends lived in the apartment above Dad & his friends.
-When my dad was wooing my mom, he would bake her treats and write her notes on the napkin.
-My mom and her friends used to steal packages that Grandma sent Dad, because they knew they contained cookies!
-After they got married, my parents lived in Sodus, NY with their awesome dog, Sukie.
-Three years after they got married, my mom told my dad that she was pregnant (with me!), and my dad started jumping up and down in excitement.
-When I was approximately 10 (give or take a couple years), I remember a specific instance where my dad came in from doing farm work and had picked a bouquet of wildflowers for my mom.
-Throughout the summer, on "Mom's Monday Off," she would often walk to wherever my dad was out working, with a canteen full of ice water for him.
-Mom's birthday is a few days before Dad's. A year or two ago, Dad presented my mom with a quirky Star Trek card, and when she opened it, she was really confused -- because she had purchased the same card for his birthday!
-When I was in high school, our church started a Saturday night service, and my parents led worship for it. I loved seeing them leading praises together.
-My parents are just an awesome team. They are both really hard workers, and watching them collaborate on various farm projects is always neat - even in the midst of frustrating, blazing hot days plotting out an orchard when your teenage daughter drives the 4-wheeler into the pond.
-One evening at dinner when I was young, my dad was blessing the meal and thanked God for his children, and "especially" his "sweet, dolly wife" - I realized, "My dad loves my mom more than us kids!" I interrogated him about this seemingly unfair favoritism, and he told me I'd understand one day when I got married. True.

Mom & Dad -
Thank you so much for being an example of a loving, Christ-centered marriage. Your devotion to one another and willingness to work through trials (read: your five children) is inspiring. Now that I'm married, I appreciate even more everything you've taught me, both in your instruction and through your lives.
I love you guys so much. Happy 27th anniversary!

shake your tailfeather

While I was home a few weekends ago, I was outside talking with my dad & brother, and I found myself staring at the chickens - they are truly freaks of nature. Seriously - find yourself some chickens and watch them for a while. You'll see what I mean. 

Anyway, then I noticed I wasn't the only one eyeing the feathered fiends...

ATTN: Jim & Christy

Doug & I bought a blender today. Kind of sad that we haven't owned a blender until now, but seriously, by the end of summer, I will be making the best smoothies known to man.

Please come visit & bring Oreos. 

Love, 

Rachel

funny/random things

Here are some funny/random things that have happened the past couple days...

1. Yesterday at the baseball game, Doug was talking to the coach (Doug used to help coach) and the coach asked Doug if he would play music in between the innings. There was another gentleman talking with them who didn't know Doug, and after the coach walked away, this other guy laughed and said to Doug, "Have fun with the music! He asked you because he'd never ask an adult for a favor." Umm, good thing my husband will be 27 this year. 

2. Today I "coached" a powder puff football game at the school. One of the brilliant senior boys decided he was going to try to pull his truck onto the field, and this happened: 

He bottomed out & got stuck. Thankfully another student came with a truck and pulled him over...

3. Doug & I were playing badminton in our yard today and got the birdie stuck in a tree. We had more fun throwing a football at the branch trying to free it! Badminton is decidedly much more fun with four people.

4. Yesterday while reviewing with my juniors for their final exam, we were discussing The Great Gatsby. I was trying to say something about "Jay Gatsby" and it definitely came out "Gay Jatsby." Awesome. 

5. Doug & I went on 3 separate walks today! That's not funny or random, but it's kind of cool, right?

6. Also, kind of random... sort of... we're going to have a yard sale with the Townleys! The weekend of June 6-7. So be sure to stop by if you're in Plymouth, MI.

7. FIVE instructional days left and 4 half-days of exams. Dang.

primitive first aid?

Yesterday my freshmen took their test on Romeo & Juliet. As always, I like to have discussions with them about the test material and make sure everyone understands the literature. However, sometimes a misunderstanding slips through the cracks.

We discussed the various factors that prevented Romeo from discovering Juliet wasn't really dead, the two main factors being 1) Capulet moving up Juliet's wedding to Paris by a day and 2) Friar John (the messenger) being placed under quarantine because of his exposure to illness.

Today, as I was grading the tests, I got a kick out of all the attempts at spelling "quarantined" - quorontined, quarenteened, corentined, etc.

Then I came to this: "Friar John was put in chlorintine because he was exposed to a sickness."

Hmm.

random

1. May header - from "Paper Planes" by M.I.A.

2. There are 10 instructional days left of school, then 4 days of finals.

3. We leave for Jamaica in just under 2 months.

4. I have a summer job - I'm going to be a part-time intern with our youth group.

5. Currently obsessed with the song "Knock You Down" by Keri Hilson, Kanye West & Ne-Yo.

6. I think I might take piano lessons this summer. I miss them.

7. There is a really cute little squirrel in our backyard. He might live in our roof, though.

8. Doug's making cheeseburgers!

April 2009: all that cracks the sinews and cakes the brain

from Moby Dick

romeo & juliet, take 2

My freshmen just finished reading Romeo & Juliet, and their writing assignment today was to devise an alternate ending which still exemplified one of the main themes. I told them they were allowed some creative license, as long as the main point was not lost.

Here's my favorite, composed by two 14-year old boys. Warning: kind of nonsensical & morbid, but still pretty funny.

-

Chorus: Romeo goes to see Juliet's tomb to kiss her soft, sweet lips, then poison himself. Crazy you say? Well it is, but Romeo has been turned mad by his love for Juliet, and her awful, horrible death.
(Enter Romeo in tomb)
Romeo: Oh Julie, how did it come to this? Why were you taken from me during my exile? I never even got to say goodbye to your ever-loving beauty. Oh why has this fate come upon me? I'm just a young laddie! I wish I could have spent more time with you, but the gods of misfortune have been toyin' and hatin' on my, so I must now end my everlasting suffering of life without you. I will now partake this chemical and it shall move in swiftness with my death.
(Romeo starts to drink)
Juliet: AAAAUGH! I'm alive!
(In the startlement, Romeo drops the potion on Juliet's innocent face.)
Romeo: NO! My fair lady is alive, and yet with your coming back to life, you scared me to death!
Juliet: My face! Romeo! My face is burning like the intensity of 1,000 white-hot suns!
Romeo: I know you're hot, but we can take care of that later.
Juliet: No! Not that! My face is melting!
Romeo: But you don't even like metal.
Juliet: NO! I'm dying, you nincompoop!
(Juliet then croaks)
Romeo: Oh, cruel fate! Thou has struck again! Why is this torment continuing to haunt me?! I can't even give you one last kiss because my sweet no longer has a face. But lo, I with my sword will smite myself.
Paris: Hold up, wait a minute! Put a little thought in this!
Romeo: No! I must kill myself for killing Juliet!
Paris: What! You killed my bride-to-be? I will kill you for that!
Romeo: Not if I do it first!
(They fight over the same sword)
Chorus: Among the fight, Romeo gets the sword and stabs himself. Seeing this, Paris is disgusted and starts to walk home to mom.
Juliet: Wait, the poison didn't really kill me! I just deformed my putrid face. Where art thou, Romeo!
(She sees him dead)
Juliet: No one loves me because I'm ugly!
Chorus: Juliet then becomes depressed and kills herself. That's fate for you.

overheard in the classroom

"My mom won't let me play with matches anymore after I lit our toilet on fire."

eight things

8 Things I Like:

1. Knowing Doug will be home tonight.

2. Being on the cusp of summer. 

3. The sound of diesel trucks idling. 

4. Messy morning hair.

5. Watching talented people do what they love.

6. The phrase "What up, doe?" 

7. The show "Taking the Stage" (see #5)

8. THIS video of fainting goats 

8 Things I Don't Like:

1. Inconsideration. Is that a word? Thoughtless people.

2. Rugrats - throw back, but those cartoon kids were nasty!

3. How fast my fingernails grow

4. Loans

5. The term "creative juices"

6. Unnecessary perversion. 

7. Racist jokes

8. Tomatoes. I know - I use this every time, but I really hate them.

8 Things I Did Yesterday:

1. Woke up.

2. Went to school.

3. Watered my flowers.

4. Went to the baseball game.

5. Got Arby's for dinner.

6. Watched that fainting goats video a million times.

7. Graded papers

8. Called Emily to wish her a happy birthday.

8 Things I Wish I Could Do:

1. Play guitar really well.

2. Be a teacher without grading.

3. Like running.

4. Quilt.

5. Be a photographer.

6. Have perfect pitch.

7. Play tennis.

8. Start an orphanage.

sweet sixteen!

Em,

It doesn't seem like you should be old enough to drive - I feel like you should still be about 10 years old! A sweet, tiny little girl with huge blue eyes.

Well, you're still sweet & tiny & have gorgeous blue eyes, but you've grown into a beautiful young woman.

It might be corny to say, but I know that beauty comes from within. God has given you such a tender, loving heart.

I am so proud to be your big sis & I love you so much.

But seriously, don't get any ideas about dating - I will break boys' legs if they come near you.

Happy sweet 16th birthday, little warmint.

***

Happy birthday to Marla as well! Love you too, Mar! :)

happy mother's day

A woman of noble character who can find?

She is worth far more than rubies.

Her husband has full confidence in her.

She works with eager hands.

She provides food for her family.

She sets about her work vigorously.

She opens her arms to the poor;

she extends her hands to the needy.

She is clothed with strength and dignity.

She speaks with wisdom;

faithful instruction is on her tongue.

She watches over the affairs of her household;

she does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children arise and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:

"Many women do noble things,

but you surpass them all."

-adapted from Proverbs 31

Happy Mother's Day to the woman who surpasses all other women.

I love you, Mom.

seeing pink

Happy birthday, Leslie!

Not swine flu!

enforce a quarantine

Uh-oh...

Looks like someone's got a nasty case of swine flu.

~

No school today or tomorrow because of a potential case in the local public schools. I'll pay that kid $5 to fake it for another day so I can fly to Florida with Doug on his business trip...