Day: The Eleventh...

Day 11 - a favorite book...

I LOVE to read.  I'm always reading...and usually I'm reading three or four books and a couple of magazines at the same time.  Right now, I'm reading:

A Single Voice by Kristen Oaks
Outliers by Malcom Gladwell
Once Upon a Crime by Michael Buckley
Craft Inc. by Meg Mateo Ilasco
The Handmade Marketplace by Kari Chapin
and Blogging For Bliss by Tara Frey (which is full of brilliantly fab ideas, that I plan to use to make this place that much more magical!)
...and Martha Stewart Living, and Women's Health, and Lucky...  :)

I've read hard classics for my AP English classes, the books EVERYONE MUST READ, the books that EVERYONE currently is reading (yep, count the Twilight Saga, The Hunger Game Trilogy and The Maze Runner books on that list.), religious books, dirty books, mystery books (hello, Mr. Bond...), and countless children's books...
But nothing I've read will ever be held as high as
The Catcher In The Rye...

To be honest, I'm not too sure exactly why I love this book as much as I do.  It's just one of those things in my life that is part of me, one that I love because deep down I feel it has somehow flipped a switch and created the person I am today.  This book, this harsh, difficult book that has been linked to many odd, sad and scary events and seems to be on every one's Conspiracy Theory list, has somehow become so much more for me.

I read it for the first time in tenth grade for my AP English class.  I fought a lot of the books I had to read that year, but this one felt easy and relatable...which is funny, because Holden Caulfield and myself are NOTHING alike.  It was the words of J.D. Salinger and the way he wove them into the story of Holden that I loved the most, I think.  My personal copy of Catcher is falling apart and faded and dog-eared and underlined, and loved, and it smells just like an old, loved book should. 

Much Love,

j

Some of the reasons I adore Catcher:


'What I was really hanging around for, I was trying to feel some kind of a good-by. I mean I've left schools and places I didn't even know I was leaving them. I hate that. I don't care if it's a sad good-by or a bad good-by, but when I leave a place I like to know I'm leaving it. If you don't, you feel even worse.'
-Holden Caulfield


'What really knocks me out is a book, when you're all done reading it, you wished the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it.'
-Holden Caulfield


'Among other things, you'll find that you're not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior. You're by no means alone on that score, you'll be excited and stimulated to know. Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now. Happily, some of them kept records of their troubles. You'll learn from them - if you want to. Just as someday, if you have something to offer, someone will learn something from you. It's a beautiful reciprocal arrangement. And it isn't education. It's history. It's poetry.'

-Mr. Antolini



Day: The Tenth...

A gorgeous image...of one of my least favorite things...

Click for more amazing pics!

Day 10 - top ten pet peeves...

1. Wet Socks
2. Having to wear socks.  Period.
3. Wet pant legs
4. Mayo
5. Tattling
6. Drivers that DON'T use their turn signals
7. Fingernail biting...Gah...
8. Squeaky snow boots
9. "Teacher!" Poke, poke.  "TEACHER!" Poke, poke, poke...
10. Bogie licking.  (Yes, I see this about 40 times a day!)

...Much Love,

j


I am giddy...

I love these men.

Not just a little bit of love.   LOADS.

I heard once that, "girls aren't supposed to like Monty Python".  I suppose I'm the exception.
I.  ADORE.  THEM.
I have always loved dry British humor.  The dry British everything.  But Monty Python was different.  My first exposure was in 7th grade-when we got to skip band and watch Holy Grail in the library after our first concert.  I was hooked...and have had secret crushes on all the guys since. (Shhh...Eric Idle is my fave... ;) )  It doesn't matter what mood I'm in when I start a show...I'm always, ALWAYS happy when I finish.  My face hurts from smiling, and my stomach hurts from laughing.  Hard.

Yesterday, I asked one of my fave people at Liberty if I could maybe, just maybe, possibly borrow her stash of Flying Circus, IF I promised to take ever such great care of them. (Because I was very much in a Flying Circus sort of mood.) She said she'd have to ask her hubby.

Today, she met me in the hall with this:

She said, "For keeps...to make you happy." 

Leslie, I can't tell you how stinkin happy you've made me.  I am thrilled and giddy and happy and I can't WAIT to plug one in.  YOU, my friend are amazing. 

Thank you.
(I promise to take good care of them and love them and NOT to bug you with TOOO many quotes...just a few...Wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more, SAY NO MORE!)

Much Love,

j



Day: The Ninth...

Day 9 - something you have to forgive yourself for...

Ugh...this is hard...

While preparing to graduate HS, I thought a lot about what I wanted to do and be when I..."grew up".  I didn't really WANT to grow up, but the funny thing was that I never actually acted my age to begin with.  I was the one doing homework and reading the hard books and studying all hours of the night.  Mom and dad were the ones telling me to get out of the house, call a friend and to get into some trouble.  I took AP classes, hard classes, art classes, science classes and a Japanese language class that I couldn't quite get the hang of...I also took an internship at the ECEC: Murray School District's preschool. 

I LOVED IT.

Every single second of it. 

I got to be everything I wanted to be-and was in the eyes of the kids I was with.  I had an awesome trainer, and learned then why my mom was so different than all my friends.  She actually knew what she was doing and was insanely good at it.  She knew how to talk to kids, how to treat kids and how to get them to do what she needed them to do...all while they thought it was their idea.  I wanted to be just like her. 

So I studied and learned and threw myself into that work. 

And it stuck. 

I was lucky enough to be hired on as a sub my Senior year of High School and had a job in the Special Ed. classroom before I graduated.  I fell in love with this, too.

One year turned into two.  Then three.  Then four...

Then amazing Kaydee and I were asked to start up a new three year old room...  With Kaydee's natural, amazing ability, and my SPED background (I was pretty amazing, too, actually!) we kicked it.  It was amazing. Our 3's were the happiest, brightest, well-rounded three-year-olds in the state.  Guaranteed.  :)

During this time, I met and fell in love with some of the most amazing kids...with some pretty hard challenges.  Kaydee and I learned how to care for and support lots of difficult special needs...and we both felt very much like...we were needed. 

I didn't feel that I could leave that work...for anything else.

EVEN the U.  Even if it would make me a better teacher.

I wanted to go to the U.  BAD.  I thought about it.  I prayed about it.  I read about it... 
And always, I got the same answer:  The kids at the ECEC NEEDED me. 

So I never went.

I forgot the U.

Fast forward almost 11 years.  I am now counting down to my 30th birthday (which is incredibly scary!) and am working at Liberty Elementary as the aide for the all day kindergarten class (we were just approved for ANOTHER year!!! YAY!!)

I LOVE my job.

But I want to be better.

So...the thing that I get to forgive myself for???


The fact that I'm almost 30...and don't have my degree.


But...


I also know that what I was doing in the meantime was VERY important.

I just get to remember that...and move on... 



Much Love,

j

Day: The Eighth...(sort of...)

Sorry friends.  I've been a slacker.  But really, who's surprised? ;) Between The Bachelor and food poisoning and movie dates...I've been SO swamped! HA!!!

Now, ON with the show...

Day 8 - A picture of you and your friends...

Brienne and I at the Jet concert. 

I.  Look.  MANIC...

Courtney, Colette and I at...

WICKED!!! :)

At the Orpheum in San Francisco.

My Loves...



Much Love,

j

Day: The Seventh...

Day 7 - have you ever thought about giving up on life? when and why?

Here's what I know:

Life is hard.  Sometimes.  

But...everything happens for a reason...and ends up being an awesome life lesson...if you take the time to look for it.

So...no.  I've not had that thought...nor do I believe I ever will...

Besides, it's not up to me when I leave.  That is in the hands of my Heavenly Father.

Much Love,

j

Day: The Sixth...

Day 6 - a funny (and true) story...

Last Monday (President's Day), Brienne and I decided we needed an adventure.  The only thing on the plan was a trip to The Wood Connection...but that would come later.  First we needed lunch...

We ended up at Ichiro Buffet, just for giggles.  It was awkward at first, but we decided to give it a go.  There was a nice looking salad bar and a few veggie rolls...and a WHOLE bunch of random mochi.  I drank my tea, Brie her Pepsi while eating everything with chopsticks.  It only got better when... 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas' came blaring on the radio.  I snotted wasabi!  Not to be stereotypical or anything, but 1) It WAS an English song and 2) we WERE in a Japanese place...so...

I did a bit of looking and found some FUNNY reviews about Ichiro at Urban Spoon.  PLEASE check them out!

After lunch and a very intimidating bill paying experience, Brie suggested a trip to VINH Long, our local Asian market.  I've been told repeatedly that I shouldn't go alone-or without a man-but we were feeling brave...and I was out of Sriracha (a kick booty, amazing, hot, chili-garlic sauce that I put on EVERYTHING!) and I was feeling adventurous (and brave) so we decided to go for it...

The first thing that hit me was a very scary smell...a big time sensory overload that was full of spices, pickled somethings, and fish.  To keep from gagging (I *was* being a tad over-sensitive...) I kept repeating, "It smells like the Dutch store...it smells like the Dutch store...it smells like the Dutch store..." (Which, incidentally smells funky to me too, but I tough it out, you know, because of the chocolate, gouda and cassis...)  Anyway, I grabbed a basket and headed down the spice isle.  We found curry spice, soy sauce, my sriracha, other stuff I couldn't make out, and lots and LOTS of this:

Was IS that? You're wondering?  Why, it's just your typical bag of DRIED TUNA FLAKES.  Yep.  Dried tuna flakes.  It was sitting there along with this:

(Yes, that says "Prepared Rolled Squid" up there...) and some random bags of dehydrated mini shrimp with their tiny eyes attached still...

Further down the isle, we found lots of odd, pasty, muted (and some hot pink) colored jars.  Most of the labels were in Chinese and Japanese but a few were in English.  Enjoy and don't gag:

Yeah...

That seriously was enough to do me in.  Gagging happened.  Dry heaving happened.  And yes.  I threw up in my mouth.

We hurried a bit faster after that...and kept finding surprises around every corner...

Preserved turnips.  Yep...

Vegetarian Chop-Suey in a can...

(They also had "Fried Gluten-Mock Pork" in a can.  I bought that...)

Random Mochi Balls...

And SOOOOO Scary Kewpie Mayonnaise.  It jiggled when I poked the bag...

We found some good stuff too, though.  I picked up some soy bean pudding, some dried yam snacks, awesome rice bowls, and we made a friend with the lady at the cash register.  She had drawn-on eyebrows that looked very...quizzical.  She told me the fried gluten was good with rice...and left us with a sage caution:

"No text and driving.  You  go to jail TWO day!"

(Yes.  "2 day!")

 

 

Much Love,

 

j