A dear colleague sends me poems randomly, and this is one that she passed along...the more I read it, the more I love it. Happy Monday!
The Continuous Life
by Mark Strand
What of the neighborhood homes awash
In a silver light, of children hunched in the bushes,
Watching the grown-ups for signs of surrender,
Signs that the irregular pleasures of moving
From day to day, of being adrift on the swell of duty,
Have run their course? O parents, confess
To your little ones the night is a long way off
And your taste for the mundane grows; tell them
Your worship of household chores has barely begun;
Describe the beauty of shovels and rakes, brooms and mops;
Say there will always be cooking and cleaning to do,
That one thing leads to another, which leads to another;
Explain that you live between two great darks, the first
With an ending, the second without one, that the luckiest
Thing is having been born, that you live in a blur
Of hours and days, months and years, and believe
It has meaning, despite the occasional fear
You are slipping away with nothing completed, nothing
To prove you existed. Tell the children to come inside,
That your search goes on for something you lost—a name,
A family album that fell from its own small matter
Into another, a piece of the dark that might have been yours,
You don't really know. Say that each of you tries
To keep busy, learning to lean down close and hear
The careless breathing of earth and feel its available
Languor come over you, wave after wave, sending
Small tremors of love through your brief,
Undeniable selves, into your days, and beyond.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
Yummy Granola Bar Recipe!
(courtesy of The Runner's Cookbook: Winning Recipes from some of the World's Best Athletes)
NATURAL ENERGY BARS
Ingredients:
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
8 oz. container vanilla or fruit-flavored low-fat yogurt
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
2 tbsp. vegetable oil (I use applesauce and they still taste great!)
2 tbsp. skim milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I use whole-wheat flour)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups uncooked oats (either quick or old-fashioned)
1 cup diced dried mixed fruit, raisins, or craisins
1/2 mixed nuts
2 tbsp. flaxseed (optional)
1 tsp. ground ginger (optional)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine both sugars, yogurt, beaten egg whites, oil/applesauce, milk, and vanilla extract; mix well.
3. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, flaxseed (optional), and ginger (optional); mix well. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the large bowl; mix well.
4. Stir in oats, dried fruit, and mixed nuts.
5. Spread the dough onto the bottom of an ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan.
6. Bake for 25-32 minutes, or until bars are light brown and a knife placed in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool before cutting into bars. Enjoy!
NATURAL ENERGY BARS
Ingredients:
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
8 oz. container vanilla or fruit-flavored low-fat yogurt
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
2 tbsp. vegetable oil (I use applesauce and they still taste great!)
2 tbsp. skim milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I use whole-wheat flour)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups uncooked oats (either quick or old-fashioned)
1 cup diced dried mixed fruit, raisins, or craisins
1/2 mixed nuts
2 tbsp. flaxseed (optional)
1 tsp. ground ginger (optional)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine both sugars, yogurt, beaten egg whites, oil/applesauce, milk, and vanilla extract; mix well.
3. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, flaxseed (optional), and ginger (optional); mix well. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the large bowl; mix well.
4. Stir in oats, dried fruit, and mixed nuts.
5. Spread the dough onto the bottom of an ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan.
6. Bake for 25-32 minutes, or until bars are light brown and a knife placed in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool before cutting into bars. Enjoy!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
One of Sara's Favorite Poems
How to be a Poet
by Wendell Berry
(to remind myself)
i
Make a place to sit down.
Sit down. Be quiet.
You must depend upon
affection, reading, knowledge,
skill—more of each
than you have—inspiration,
work, growing older, patience,
for patience joins time
to eternity. Any readers
who like your poems,
doubt their judgment.
ii
Breathe with unconditional breath
the unconditioned air.
Shun electric wire.
Communicate slowly. Live
a three-dimensioned life;
stay away from screens.
Stay away from anything
that obscures the place it is in.
There are no unsacred places;
there are only sacred places
and desecrated places.
iii
Accept what comes from silence.
Make the best you can of it.
Of the little words that come
out of the silence, like prayers
prayed back to the one who prays,
make a poem that does not disturb
the silence from which it came.
by Wendell Berry
(to remind myself)
i
Make a place to sit down.
Sit down. Be quiet.
You must depend upon
affection, reading, knowledge,
skill—more of each
than you have—inspiration,
work, growing older, patience,
for patience joins time
to eternity. Any readers
who like your poems,
doubt their judgment.
ii
Breathe with unconditional breath
the unconditioned air.
Shun electric wire.
Communicate slowly. Live
a three-dimensioned life;
stay away from screens.
Stay away from anything
that obscures the place it is in.
There are no unsacred places;
there are only sacred places
and desecrated places.
iii
Accept what comes from silence.
Make the best you can of it.
Of the little words that come
out of the silence, like prayers
prayed back to the one who prays,
make a poem that does not disturb
the silence from which it came.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Shout out to Dad
My dad might be the most patient person on earth. My mom definitely gives him a run for the money, though. Anyways, Dad is the king of lists, which might be one reason why I love reading and making them so much myself. He inspires me. He is quite definitely also the reason I fell in love with the English language, with the written word, with the art of teaching. My dad is a lawyer, but he could easily be an English teacher if he wanted--and a darn good one at that. He loves literature and he loves people (and I am convinced that simple combination is a lot of what it ultimately takes to be an inspiring English teacher). Dad often sends me and Clay fun lists of his "favorites"--favorite movies, favorite books, favorite quotes, etc.
Over the next few days, I will be posting some of our favorites, starting with Clay's favorite poems. Thanks for inspiring us, Dad.
Meditation at Lagunitas
by Robert Hass
All the new thinking is about loss.
In this it resembles all the old thinking.
The idea, for example, that each particular erases
the luminous clarity of a general idea. That the clown-
faced woodpecker probing the dead sculpted trunk
of that black birch is, by his presence,
some tragic falling off from a first world
of undivided light. Or the other notion that,
because there is in this world no one thing
to which the bramble of blackberry corresponds,
a word is elegy to what it signifies.
We talked about it late last night and in the voice
of my friend, there was a thin wire of grief, a tone
almost querulous. After a while I understood that,
talking this way, everything dissolves: justice,
pine, hair, woman, you and I. There was a woman
I made love to and I remembered how, holding
her small shoulders in my hands sometimes,
I felt a violent wonder at her presence
like a thirst for salt, for my childhood river
with its island willows, silly music from the pleasure boat,
muddy places where we caught the little orange-silver fish
called pumpkinseed. It hardly had to do with her.
Longing, we say, because desire is full
of endless distances. I must have been the same to her.
But I remember so much, the way her hands dismantled bread,
the thing her father said that hurt her, what
she dreamed. There are moments when the body is as numinous
as words, days that are the good flesh continuing.
Such tenderness, those afternoons and evenings,
saying blackberry, blackberry, blackberry.
Over the next few days, I will be posting some of our favorites, starting with Clay's favorite poems. Thanks for inspiring us, Dad.
Meditation at Lagunitas
by Robert Hass
All the new thinking is about loss.
In this it resembles all the old thinking.
The idea, for example, that each particular erases
the luminous clarity of a general idea. That the clown-
faced woodpecker probing the dead sculpted trunk
of that black birch is, by his presence,
some tragic falling off from a first world
of undivided light. Or the other notion that,
because there is in this world no one thing
to which the bramble of blackberry corresponds,
a word is elegy to what it signifies.
We talked about it late last night and in the voice
of my friend, there was a thin wire of grief, a tone
almost querulous. After a while I understood that,
talking this way, everything dissolves: justice,
pine, hair, woman, you and I. There was a woman
I made love to and I remembered how, holding
her small shoulders in my hands sometimes,
I felt a violent wonder at her presence
like a thirst for salt, for my childhood river
with its island willows, silly music from the pleasure boat,
muddy places where we caught the little orange-silver fish
called pumpkinseed. It hardly had to do with her.
Longing, we say, because desire is full
of endless distances. I must have been the same to her.
But I remember so much, the way her hands dismantled bread,
the thing her father said that hurt her, what
she dreamed. There are moments when the body is as numinous
as words, days that are the good flesh continuing.
Such tenderness, those afternoons and evenings,
saying blackberry, blackberry, blackberry.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
25 Random Things...
As many of you know, there is this new phenomenon sweeping Facebook called "25 Random Things." Basically, people are encouraged to write and post 25 Random Things (makes sense, huh?) about themselves and then tag 25 people, who will then read them and hopefully write their own. So in the spirit of fun lists (which I LOVE), here are 25 Things about life in Chattaboogie since our last post:
1. Today is Catherine Grace's birthday--Happy Birthday!
2. Tonight we went over to our friend Kat and Nate's house for dinner. I was reminded how much dinner at someone's home, a good glass of wine, and laughter can make me feel so relaxed and content. Oh yeah, it helps when the host is a chef, too.
3. We had Clay's advisees over to make chili for a Chili-Cook-Off between all of the advisee groups on Campus. Our boys came in 5th out of 10. Not bad...but we already have our sights on next year.
4. We love Mad Men. "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" was funny but also pretty forgettable.
5. Camden ate earphones #4. Sara got mad. Camden looked cute. Sara forgot about the earphones.
6. I decided I want to needlepoint something this year.
7. Our Sunday School Class is going really well so far this semester! Let's pray that it holds on over the next 12 or so weeks. Tomorrow's theme is "Listening and Contemplation." I have been trying to listen to my own voice a little more this week, the voices of my students, and the voice of God. Reading Frederick Buechner's work has helped direct my reflections. Am I feeling especially inspired and faithful lately? No. I love our Sunday School class and our church, but I am not sure if I am being challenged and guided spiritually in a way that guides my thoughts and actions. But at the same time, I am constantly reminded that it is not all about me and what I need. So I am trying to read and pray more on my own, listen more if you will. Check out Buechner here: http://http://www.amazon.com/Listening-Your-Life-Meditations-Frederick/dp/0060698640/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233469672&sr=8-2
8. My students are now writing Inauguration Poems--and they are pretty good. I will post a few in my next post. It is pretty neat to see what they would say about this moment that we are living in today. They also wrote letters to Obama. They were also good, but perhaps not as good as the ones in here: http://www.amazon.com/Thanks-Have-Fun-Running-Country/dp/1934781576/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233467738&sr=8-1
9. One last entry about books: Ernest Hemingway once said that his best story was told in only 6 words: "For Sale. Baby Shoes. Never Worn." Sad. There are a couple new books out that challenge people to write their own six word stories: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061713716/ref=s9_subs_c2_s1_p14_t2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=04DGQRBJBQ21P2HAR9N9&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=463383371&pf_rd_i=507846
10. Heard poet Billy Collins last week. Funny funny guy. And an impressive poet.
11. Volunteered at the Community Kitchen this morning--and moved over 500 (literally) 12-packs of Tropicana Grape Juice. A few burst. I don't really want to drink "Chemical Grape" ever. Yuck.
12. Bought tickets to CALIFORNIA to see Mary and Jamie!!! AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME!!! We can't wait to hang out with them, see their new digs (although not really new to them anymore), and tour some vineyards. How many more days until Spring Break?
13. Lots of running. Some yoga. Always wish there was more yoga.
14. Clay and I had lots of QT with our dentist this week. Sara=6 cavities filled (??). Clay=needs impact on front tooth to the sound of $4000. I hate going to the dentist.
15. Made several more batches of granola bars. I am addicted. Let me know if you want the recipe.
16. Baked a Super Bowl Football Stadium cake for our Super Bowl get together with friends tomorrow night. Thank you, Gege, for that wedding gift!
17. Ali is coming to visit this weekend! Wahoo!
18. Soccer for Clay starts on Monday--the joy of relaxing afternoons is replaced by practice for the next few months. Track starts for me first week of March.
19. My parents (and the rest of Kentucky) got hit with a major ice storm, knocking out their power this week. Thankfully, their power came back on within 24 hours, but many people aren't as lucky...stay warm, Kentucky.
20. Lashelle Chappell gave birth to a gorgeous baby boy! Hayston Davis Chappell. Awesome. Check out her photography blog for photos: http://www.lashellechappellphotography.blogspot.com/
21. Only one more week until Winterim 2009...theoretically our Winter Break, but somehow that means Sara travels to Sharp Top (a Young Life camp) with 15 8th graders for 48 hours while Clay gets to stay at home. Hmmm...
22. Graded a LOT of papers this week. That's the main reason the blog has been neglected for the past 10 days. Sorry, team.
23. Didn't take a whole lot of pictures. Correction. Didn't take ANY pictures. Sara resolves to take more pictures.
24. Found and bought $15 green high heels on the sale rack today while shopping for new black heels (Camden continues to destroy my shoe collection, when they are placed up high. He is now climbing on top of major furniture. No joke. Our beagle puppy is an acrobat.) I was inspired by Michelle Obama.
25. Felt blessed at multiple times these past few days to have such sweet friends and family in my life.
1. Today is Catherine Grace's birthday--Happy Birthday!
2. Tonight we went over to our friend Kat and Nate's house for dinner. I was reminded how much dinner at someone's home, a good glass of wine, and laughter can make me feel so relaxed and content. Oh yeah, it helps when the host is a chef, too.
3. We had Clay's advisees over to make chili for a Chili-Cook-Off between all of the advisee groups on Campus. Our boys came in 5th out of 10. Not bad...but we already have our sights on next year.
4. We love Mad Men. "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" was funny but also pretty forgettable.
5. Camden ate earphones #4. Sara got mad. Camden looked cute. Sara forgot about the earphones.
6. I decided I want to needlepoint something this year.
7. Our Sunday School Class is going really well so far this semester! Let's pray that it holds on over the next 12 or so weeks. Tomorrow's theme is "Listening and Contemplation." I have been trying to listen to my own voice a little more this week, the voices of my students, and the voice of God. Reading Frederick Buechner's work has helped direct my reflections. Am I feeling especially inspired and faithful lately? No. I love our Sunday School class and our church, but I am not sure if I am being challenged and guided spiritually in a way that guides my thoughts and actions. But at the same time, I am constantly reminded that it is not all about me and what I need. So I am trying to read and pray more on my own, listen more if you will. Check out Buechner here: http://http://www.amazon.com/Listening-Your-Life-Meditations-Frederick/dp/0060698640/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233469672&sr=8-2
8. My students are now writing Inauguration Poems--and they are pretty good. I will post a few in my next post. It is pretty neat to see what they would say about this moment that we are living in today. They also wrote letters to Obama. They were also good, but perhaps not as good as the ones in here: http://www.amazon.com/Thanks-Have-Fun-Running-Country/dp/1934781576/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233467738&sr=8-1
9. One last entry about books: Ernest Hemingway once said that his best story was told in only 6 words: "For Sale. Baby Shoes. Never Worn." Sad. There are a couple new books out that challenge people to write their own six word stories: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061713716/ref=s9_subs_c2_s1_p14_t2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=04DGQRBJBQ21P2HAR9N9&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=463383371&pf_rd_i=507846
10. Heard poet Billy Collins last week. Funny funny guy. And an impressive poet.
11. Volunteered at the Community Kitchen this morning--and moved over 500 (literally) 12-packs of Tropicana Grape Juice. A few burst. I don't really want to drink "Chemical Grape" ever. Yuck.
12. Bought tickets to CALIFORNIA to see Mary and Jamie!!! AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME!!! We can't wait to hang out with them, see their new digs (although not really new to them anymore), and tour some vineyards. How many more days until Spring Break?
13. Lots of running. Some yoga. Always wish there was more yoga.
14. Clay and I had lots of QT with our dentist this week. Sara=6 cavities filled (??). Clay=needs impact on front tooth to the sound of $4000. I hate going to the dentist.
15. Made several more batches of granola bars. I am addicted. Let me know if you want the recipe.
16. Baked a Super Bowl Football Stadium cake for our Super Bowl get together with friends tomorrow night. Thank you, Gege, for that wedding gift!
17. Ali is coming to visit this weekend! Wahoo!
18. Soccer for Clay starts on Monday--the joy of relaxing afternoons is replaced by practice for the next few months. Track starts for me first week of March.
19. My parents (and the rest of Kentucky) got hit with a major ice storm, knocking out their power this week. Thankfully, their power came back on within 24 hours, but many people aren't as lucky...stay warm, Kentucky.
20. Lashelle Chappell gave birth to a gorgeous baby boy! Hayston Davis Chappell. Awesome. Check out her photography blog for photos: http://www.lashellechappellphotography.blogspot.com/
21. Only one more week until Winterim 2009...theoretically our Winter Break, but somehow that means Sara travels to Sharp Top (a Young Life camp) with 15 8th graders for 48 hours while Clay gets to stay at home. Hmmm...
22. Graded a LOT of papers this week. That's the main reason the blog has been neglected for the past 10 days. Sorry, team.
23. Didn't take a whole lot of pictures. Correction. Didn't take ANY pictures. Sara resolves to take more pictures.
24. Found and bought $15 green high heels on the sale rack today while shopping for new black heels (Camden continues to destroy my shoe collection, when they are placed up high. He is now climbing on top of major furniture. No joke. Our beagle puppy is an acrobat.) I was inspired by Michelle Obama.
25. Felt blessed at multiple times these past few days to have such sweet friends and family in my life.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
America's Song
Free Download until 5 p.m. on Thursday! Check it out: http://www.oprah.com/article/world/peopleandpolitics/pkginauguration/20090119_tows_americassong
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
INSPIRED
Ok, I won't write a long one here because I don't want to be overly political, but man, after yesterday and today, I can't help but respond. I have so much faith in America today. Faith in Obama, yes, but also tremendous faith in the goodness and hope and vision and potential for all Americans to achieve their worthy dreams and create a future for our children that is solid and bright and empowering. I have been teaching rhetoric and poetry lately, so the inauguration festivities fit perfectly into my lesson plans--and after watching the ceremonies today, my students and I looked more closely at Obama's speech and Elizabeth Alexander's poem, as well as the 3 (4 if you count "Dedication") previous inaugural poems. Something about studying just a couple elements of this historic day and these traditions makes me a bit sentimental--and proud. We are lucky to live in this fine country.
As I begin to study "Gratitude," the theme for our Sunday School class this week, I can't help feeling today an immense amount of gratitude for all of the people, past and present, who have brought us to this historic, exciting day. There certainly is work to be done--and I am excited to do it!
Friday, January 16, 2009
A New Respect for Single Parents
I don't know how they do it. Wow. Clay has been out of town since Wednesday at a soccer conference in St. Louis (where is it seriously 0 degrees--yowzers!), so I have been on Cam-dawg duty. Who knew a beagle puppy could be so high maintenance--and such a comforting companion. Here he is looking for Clay out our living room window :-). We both miss Clay. It is just not nearly as much fun without him!
After a Wednesday night filled with chasing Camden around the dining room table after yet another shoe or trying to get him off of the couch for the fiftieth time, I decided Thursday that I would skip exercise and spend some quality time with our puppy instead. Maybe it was Marley and Me that reminded me of what gifts our pets are in our lives. So I came home to a sweet Camden who had been cooped up all day, took him on a long (and frigid! Brr!) walk around campus, and then loaded him in the car for a field trip. Yup, we were off to Aunt Sue's K-9 Bakery. He flipped he loved it so much. One half of the store is literally a kitchen in which "Aunt Sue" bakes treats for dogs all day--and Camden definitely got his fill that afternoon. After selecting a bag of homemade goodies and a new bone, we were off to visit his vet for some new food and then home for more play time. What a difference it made that night. He was an angel, so happy and eager to curl up with me as I worked and read in our quiet apartment. I know most people love their dogs and think they are the best (as they should), but man, the past few days make me wonder if we didn't totally luck out by somehow bringing home the cutest, sweetest dog alive.
Clay comes home tomorrow night, and we can't wait. It's amazing how long 5 days can feel when you are used to seeing your love every night. But he is having a good time with the thousands of other high school soccer coaches at this conference and learning more about the game, so it was a good one for him to attend.
Tonight I head back to school for a lock-in with the 10th graders from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m., so Camden will hopefully hang tight and not bark too much without the two of us for 11 hours (sweet Ashley is checking in on him, so he's not totally being abandoned!). It will be a night full of Dance!Dance!Revolution, Guitar Hero, movies, relay races, ice cream, board games, and swimming. The girls are adorable and fun, and the three other chaperones are also fantastic, so it should be a lot of fun. It's just too frickin' cold for Ashley and I to do our usual Saturday morning run together tomorrow, so we will be P90X-ing it instead on the big screen TV in her dorm. Awesome! A little more baking (I am making granola bars like it is my job), perhaps a bit more of a workout at the Sports Barn, and some quality time planning for classes and reading on the couch tomorrow is my plan until Clay comes home. And then, life will be better once again.
Happy weekend, everyone!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
A Few of My Favorite Things--Just This Week!
My students are currently working on writing (and recording) their own "This I Believe" statement to be shared with their peers and submitted to NPR. Let's cross our fingers at least one of my girls makes it on the radio or website!
I cried cried cried. If you have ever loved a dog, you need to go see this movie. Loved it.
In the midst of high-energy, full of interaction days, there is just something soothing and illuminating about yoga.
This is the latest on our Netflix queue, and two nights of duty this weekend enabled us to really get into it. I have to admit, though, this show makes me glad I wasn't a working woman in the 60's.
My Mom's pumpkin bread. It doesn't come much better than this, folks. Our Sunday School class savored the final bites from the Christmas installment she sent home with us. Our class also enjoyed the yummy wheat bread I baked from scratch with Erin this weekend!Thursday, January 8, 2009
Books 1 and 2
Hooray! My new year's resolutions are off to an exciting start! I watched Suze Orman on Oprah today while I was at the gym and thus got my financial lesson for the day (by the way, you can download her Action Plan for 2009 book for FREE this week on Oprah's website! This is the second time these two go-get-em women had tag-teamed to give one of her books away for free and I loved the first one, so download, here we come...). The more I learn about managing money, the more I want to know. It's fascinating. And while Clay nor I may ever make millions of dollars in the lucrative field of education, we CAN be smart about what we do with it. Saving is the name of our game right now, friends.
I am also reading up a storm. In an effort to learn more about our new President before his inauguration, my first book of the year was Obama's Audacity of Hope. I don't want to get too political here, but reading his book made me have even more confidence in his intregity, vision, and understanding of what needs to be done for the good of America. It also gave a very real account of the challenges he and Michelle constantly navigate in their marriage and family life. She seems to definitely keep him in check, reminding him that his work in government is important but so are his roles as a husband and a father. He admits finding the balance between these two main responsibilities in his life (public figure and family man) is extremely difficult and potentially impossible to ever be satisfactory, but he tries to remain mindful that the fact he has two such weighty parts of his life also makes his extremely fortunate. His book is divided into thematic sections such as "Opportunity," "What Makes the World Go Around," and "Race, " so it is an easy one to pick up, read, and then put back down again without being totally lost upon your return. That said, I read it pretty quickly--I didn't want to put it down.
My second read of the year was a book that my kind, thoughtful in-laws (by the way, I hate that term--feels so cold), Pat and Kay, gave me for my birthday: Bill Bryson's Shakespeare: The World as Stage. Talk about a perfect present-this is a concise, accurate, thoughtful overview of Shakespeare's life and work that enabled me to quickly and enjoyably prepare to teach Macbeth to my 10th graders this quarter. What I didn't know is that this text is part of a series called "Eminent Lives" in which well-known and reputable authors write short biographies on "great figures." Others in the series include Francine Prose on Caravaggio and Christopher Hitchens on Thomas Jefferson. I made tons of notes as I read--this work seemed to synthesize a lot of what I had previously read about Shakespeare with new insights and a very readable, storytelling style. Perhaps what I liked most about it was how it began: "He is at once one of the best known and least known of figures." Ah, if only we knew why he left Anne Hathaway with his "second-best bed." I guess it will always be a mystery!
What am I reading now? A book my friend, Kat, lent me called While I Was Gone. Perfect; I was in the mood for a little fiction :-). If you have any book recommendations at any time this year, I would love to hear them!
My second read of the year was a book that my kind, thoughtful in-laws (by the way, I hate that term--feels so cold), Pat and Kay, gave me for my birthday: Bill Bryson's Shakespeare: The World as Stage. Talk about a perfect present-this is a concise, accurate, thoughtful overview of Shakespeare's life and work that enabled me to quickly and enjoyably prepare to teach Macbeth to my 10th graders this quarter. What I didn't know is that this text is part of a series called "Eminent Lives" in which well-known and reputable authors write short biographies on "great figures." Others in the series include Francine Prose on Caravaggio and Christopher Hitchens on Thomas Jefferson. I made tons of notes as I read--this work seemed to synthesize a lot of what I had previously read about Shakespeare with new insights and a very readable, storytelling style. Perhaps what I liked most about it was how it began: "He is at once one of the best known and least known of figures." Ah, if only we knew why he left Anne Hathaway with his "second-best bed." I guess it will always be a mystery!
What am I reading now? A book my friend, Kat, lent me called While I Was Gone. Perfect; I was in the mood for a little fiction :-). If you have any book recommendations at any time this year, I would love to hear them!Sunday, January 4, 2009
Chicago!
Early Saturday morning, Clay and I drove to the Chattanooga airport and hopped on the first (and let's be honest--probably ONLY) flight to the Windy City for Blair and Jurgen's wedding. Before we knew it, we were walking around downtown Chicago at 7:45 a.m. looking for fun.
Since nothing opened until 9 a.m., we window shopped along Michigan Avenue until we could go to the top of the John Hancock Building to see a panoramic view of the city. We LOVE Chicago! What a beautiful, fun city. As we listened on our interactive media headsets to David Schwimmer "tour" us around "his" city, we couldn't help but marvel at Lake Michigan, the Navy Pier, and Chicago Tribune building. While we wish we had more time to really get to know the city, standing on the 94th floor of the third tallest building in Chicago (and fifth in the U.S.) gave us a pretty cool sense of how broad and dynamic it is.After grabbing brunch at the yummy Grand Lux Cafe with my sister, Brittany, and hitting up Crate and Barrel's sales and Anthropologie (LOVE this store!!), Clay and I headed back to the hotel for a glorious nap before Blair and Jurgen's wedding....which was beautiful! Blair, our family's dear friend ever since birth (our moms were in each other's weddings) looked radiant and she and Jurgen looked so happy. She has been keeping an excellent "Wedding Blurg" about her experiences as a bride-to-be--check it out to the right if you want to see pictures of the cute couple. From the instant photo booth to the delicious food stations around the room to seeing my sister as the Maid of Honor for the second time, we loved loved loved being a part of their thoughtful celebration. Congrats Blair and Jurgen!
Having fun at the reception
Look at that cute fam!
Brittany, me, Clay, and Mom
Brittany giving her awesome toast to Blurg
What a cute couple they are! Love the dress!
At the next-day brunch before we all said goodbyeOkay, now it's back to reality: Clay has an inservice tomorrow and I luckily have one more day to prep for classes, but then its full speed ahead as we jump into Semester #2. It's been a restful, love-filled, enjoyable break, though--we are pretty lucky.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
New Year's Resolutions
"I wish for those I love this new year an opportunity to earn sufficiently, to have that which they need for their own and to give that which they desire to others, ot bring into the lives of those about them some measure of joy, to know the satisfaction of work well done,
of recreation earned and therefore savored, to end the year a little wiser,
a little kinder and therefore a little happier."
~ Eleanor Roosevelt
You would think that working at a gym for several years in high school would turn me off of new year's resolutions, but there is something about the start of a new year and time to reflect that always makes me excited to consider the possibilities for a new year. As a person who loves to write lists and set goals, resolutions are right up my alley.
Every year I outline just a couple key goals for the year. Last year's included running a marathon, starting a blog, and immersing myself in as much Shakespeare as possible when in Oxford finishing my degree. 2008 was a great, great year. We moved into the dorm, Clay and I traveled abroad for the first time, we got Camden :-)...great stuff. But I have noticed that I was constantly in a state of movement, of trying to do 10 things at once. I think I actually like life that way, but one significant activity kept being pushed to the side: reading. As an English teacher, I need to read. And aside from the 11 Shakespeare plays I read this summer at school, I haven't been reading thoughtfully or regularly. I even dropped out of my book club because I was embarrassed at how little I was reading. So after some thought and several lists, here are my goals for 2009:
1. 2009 is the year of the BOOK. There are probably hundreds of books on our bookshelves that I yet to read. I am focusing on them. I want to read the books we already own and that promise numerous lessons within their pages. I'll keep you updated.
2. 2009 is the year of FINANCIAL SAVVY. I already am a bit obsessed with this, but I want to push myself to find new ways of saving and spending wisely and intentionally.
3. As always, I want to write more letters.
That's it! I have a feeling these will keep me pretty busy. If you are making resolutions, I would love to hear what they are! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
The Blog Book
I don't know why this is loading vertically, but you can get the idea...it is a blog book. My amazing sister turned my "Mind the Gap" blog into a coffee table book using http://www.blurb.com/Unfortunately, Blurb no longer downloads from Blogger (I think they are trying to fix it, however), but my sister was thinking WAY ahead and downloaded our blog back in September when the two sites were still compatible. All of you with blogs out there should check out this site--you can design the most beautiful scrapbooks, cookbooks, blogbooks, etc.! Thank you SO much, Brittany, for this super special gift!!!
Christmas Joy!
Liz, Jesse, Sara, and Clay at the UK-Tennessee State Game the first night we were in Kentucky. Notice Liz's fun UK Santa Hat--she should have made it onto the Santa Cam!
The cheerleaders had a lot to cheer about--UK won 102-58!
The beautiful tree COVERED with presents. Santa did in fact arrive!
The stockings--note the one for Camden on the far right :-)
Camden has increasingly liked to "cuddle" with us when we read or watch movies on the couch...he might have driven Max and Maggie crazy, but he sure is cute sometimes!
One of my favorite times is Dec. 27th--my Dad's birthday! It is traditionally the day when my entire family gets together, and we always have so much fun not only celebrating Dad's b-day but also catching up and continuing the holiday funness. It is a special day for our family. Here are Dad and Brittany blowing out the candles on the homemade carrot cake--my mom makes the best carrot cake in the world!
My sweet grandmother, Nonna, in the middle of one of her stories. This time she was telling us about how our grandfather, Walt, was "different" from all of the other boys she dated...in a good way :-)It was a WONDERFUL Christmas at home in Louisville this year--thanks for everything, Mom, Dad, Brittany, and Gege! We cherish our time with you always!! Miss you already!
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