So, I heard that Oprah did a show on Diabetes. I didn't see it, but my mom told me about it. I checked it out online today, and... I think this fine woman pretty much spells out how I feel.
Grr...
Monday, February 8, 2010
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
An Essay Excerpt
One of my students just turned in his essay on beauty. His nickname is "Big Country," and this is his last paragraph.
"The most beautiful creation of all is guns. Guns make me want to cry tears of joy. They are just that beautiful. I could spend two hours looking at a simple shotgun. One reason guns are so beautiful is they are not created by machines. Each is hand built and assembled. Another reason they are so beautiful is that they all have a different shot pattern. Just like we have finger prints, a gun has its shot patterns. A gun is something only a "different" person would think to be beautiful."
I said smiling, "And you're 'different,' aren't you?"
In his "Big Country" way, he said, "Yes ma'am, I am."
I just want to squeeze him, he's so cute.
"The most beautiful creation of all is guns. Guns make me want to cry tears of joy. They are just that beautiful. I could spend two hours looking at a simple shotgun. One reason guns are so beautiful is they are not created by machines. Each is hand built and assembled. Another reason they are so beautiful is that they all have a different shot pattern. Just like we have finger prints, a gun has its shot patterns. A gun is something only a "different" person would think to be beautiful."
I said smiling, "And you're 'different,' aren't you?"
In his "Big Country" way, he said, "Yes ma'am, I am."
I just want to squeeze him, he's so cute.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
June is Ten Months Old
Poor Junie has been sick! My sister said that she pulled the blanket up all by herself in this picture.
She's starting to walk with her little stroller.
How cute is she?Monday, January 25, 2010
Skittle Auction
During the last period of the day on Friday, my blood sugar got too low, and after confirming this with my meter, I realized that I was all out of juice in my snack drawer. I quickly recruited a student to get me a Sprite out of the Coke machine in the teacher's lounge. He came back with a Coke (?!) and some Sour Skittles. I don't really care for either one, but I took a few gulps and chews. The kids kept eying them, asking me if I would be kind enough to give any away, so I decided that they would have to work for them during the last five minutes of class.
"Okay. I'm trading one Sour Skittle per one compliment, and you better think of something fabulous. I don't want, 'I like your shirt.' I'm looking for compliments like, 'Your face shines like the glittering rays of the sun.' Okay?"
This little descriptive words exercise got out of hand relatively quickly, with kind compliments turning into pick up lines.
"Your eyes are like glittering jewels."
"It's no wonder you have diabetes. You're just sooo sweet!" (That one got two Skittles.)
And from my sweetest, quietest boy, "Are you from Tennessee? Because you're the only ten I see."
I told him, "Save it for the bars, Sweetheart."
It's times like this I really like teaching middle school. I get a big self-esteem boost in exchange for sugar.
"Okay. I'm trading one Sour Skittle per one compliment, and you better think of something fabulous. I don't want, 'I like your shirt.' I'm looking for compliments like, 'Your face shines like the glittering rays of the sun.' Okay?"
This little descriptive words exercise got out of hand relatively quickly, with kind compliments turning into pick up lines.
"Your eyes are like glittering jewels."
"It's no wonder you have diabetes. You're just sooo sweet!" (That one got two Skittles.)
And from my sweetest, quietest boy, "Are you from Tennessee? Because you're the only ten I see."
I told him, "Save it for the bars, Sweetheart."
It's times like this I really like teaching middle school. I get a big self-esteem boost in exchange for sugar.
Friday, January 22, 2010
For You, Bev
I got a text from Bev last night saying, "I miss your blog!"
I miss it too... We still don't have a camera. Grrr. Without one, I fear this blog would turn more of a diary instead of a scrapbook. However, if you want an update, you can have one! I'll just ramble for a bit.
1) I went to a Tai Chi class at the gym on Wednesday. It was one of the funniest experiences I've had in the recent past. The class was small - about eight senior citizens and me. The instructor, a middle aged man with long curly hair and a pot belly, could have been played by Will Ferrell in a SNL skit. He kept saying things like this:
"My body is steel on the inside and cotton on the outside."
"I have muscles like a mountain and skin like a baby."
"Comb out the stress. We want to relieve the tension and turn it into a-tension [attention]."
"Breathe in sky. Breathe out earth."
"Tai Chi will cleanse your body of toxins, so you may yawn a lot in this class."
And yes, there was one senior citizen who yawned, LOUDLY, every few minutes or so. There were also stances called lazy rooster, pet the horse, falling monkey, etc. The only thing that kept me from falling apart was trying to mentally record everything so I could tell Nathan later.
2) On Monday Nathan and I had a surprise party for our friend, Mary Lou. It wasn't her birthday, but it was MLK day, so we decided to celebrate her life as well, since she shares the same initials with Martin Luther King. She came to spend the night with us on Sunday night, when we watched a lot of Alias and ate a lot of kettle corn, and then we went shopping the next day at the outlet malls.
Mary Lou kept Nathan and me on our best behavior while spending the very generous gift card from some folks at church at Jos. A. Bank, a men's suiting store. Mary Lou is a frequent shopper there, and she helped us pick out some great stuff! The manager there, Philip, was very... country... and kept us laughing like crazy. When he measured Nathan, he said, "I'm gonna get up right close and personal now."
Nathan cringed and said, "But I'm a minister, a man of the cloth!"
Philip: "Put your arms down."
Me: "He never puts his arms down all the way. That's just how he stands."
Philip: "Well, then you must be Pentecostal."
Nathan came out of the dressing room wearing a certain pair of dress slacks. Philip then suggested that Nathan go up a pant size, but Nathan didn't want to. Philip said, "Well, one church social and you'll be out of them pants." Mary Lou and I cracked up, but Philip kept right on and said, "You can tell what I am! I'm a Baptist. I like to eat."
When we pulled up to the house after our long shopping trip, all of Mary Lou's closest friends were there with balloons and various yummy foods for dinner. She was so surprised! The timing worked out perfectly, because Mary Lou just found out she's going to have back surgery in a few weeks, and she had been discouraged. It blessed my heart to see her so blessed. She said, "This is one for the memory books." :)
3) The annual youth ski trip is this weekend, and I bought a book - a hardcover book - at Barnes and Noble with a gift card and a teacher discount to give myself something fun to look forward to. It's called The Help, and I've heard it's really good. We'll see...
I'm out of things to ramble about right now. I'll leave you with a picture of June, who is sick right now for the first time in her life, and the car my parents got her for Christmas. :)
I miss it too... We still don't have a camera. Grrr. Without one, I fear this blog would turn more of a diary instead of a scrapbook. However, if you want an update, you can have one! I'll just ramble for a bit.
1) I went to a Tai Chi class at the gym on Wednesday. It was one of the funniest experiences I've had in the recent past. The class was small - about eight senior citizens and me. The instructor, a middle aged man with long curly hair and a pot belly, could have been played by Will Ferrell in a SNL skit. He kept saying things like this:
"My body is steel on the inside and cotton on the outside."
"I have muscles like a mountain and skin like a baby."
"Comb out the stress. We want to relieve the tension and turn it into a-tension [attention]."
"Breathe in sky. Breathe out earth."
"Tai Chi will cleanse your body of toxins, so you may yawn a lot in this class."
And yes, there was one senior citizen who yawned, LOUDLY, every few minutes or so. There were also stances called lazy rooster, pet the horse, falling monkey, etc. The only thing that kept me from falling apart was trying to mentally record everything so I could tell Nathan later.
2) On Monday Nathan and I had a surprise party for our friend, Mary Lou. It wasn't her birthday, but it was MLK day, so we decided to celebrate her life as well, since she shares the same initials with Martin Luther King. She came to spend the night with us on Sunday night, when we watched a lot of Alias and ate a lot of kettle corn, and then we went shopping the next day at the outlet malls.
Mary Lou kept Nathan and me on our best behavior while spending the very generous gift card from some folks at church at Jos. A. Bank, a men's suiting store. Mary Lou is a frequent shopper there, and she helped us pick out some great stuff! The manager there, Philip, was very... country... and kept us laughing like crazy. When he measured Nathan, he said, "I'm gonna get up right close and personal now."
Nathan cringed and said, "But I'm a minister, a man of the cloth!"
Philip: "Put your arms down."
Me: "He never puts his arms down all the way. That's just how he stands."
Philip: "Well, then you must be Pentecostal."
Nathan came out of the dressing room wearing a certain pair of dress slacks. Philip then suggested that Nathan go up a pant size, but Nathan didn't want to. Philip said, "Well, one church social and you'll be out of them pants." Mary Lou and I cracked up, but Philip kept right on and said, "You can tell what I am! I'm a Baptist. I like to eat."
When we pulled up to the house after our long shopping trip, all of Mary Lou's closest friends were there with balloons and various yummy foods for dinner. She was so surprised! The timing worked out perfectly, because Mary Lou just found out she's going to have back surgery in a few weeks, and she had been discouraged. It blessed my heart to see her so blessed. She said, "This is one for the memory books." :)
3) The annual youth ski trip is this weekend, and I bought a book - a hardcover book - at Barnes and Noble with a gift card and a teacher discount to give myself something fun to look forward to. It's called The Help, and I've heard it's really good. We'll see...
I'm out of things to ramble about right now. I'll leave you with a picture of June, who is sick right now for the first time in her life, and the car my parents got her for Christmas. :)
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Not Really Important News
Hey everyone!
Since it's been longer than a long while, I'll just post a little about what's been happening with the Parkers lately.
1) Shortly after the blog was temporarily blocked, our digital camera went missing. It was used by our church's youth group for the annual video scavenger hunt, and it was never seen again. A new camera SHOULD be in my stocking this year, provided by the Christ Church youth pastor, namely my husband. Sadly, this means I have ZERO pictures of the last month and a half of life. Luckily, Nathan made a CD of all of the pictures on the camera before loaning it out, so the year's worth of pictures taken prior to the day it went MIA are safely archived.
2) In diabetes land, JDRF just e-mailed to say that the highlight video from the walk in October is finished. You can watch it here. We're not in it (there were THOUSANDS of people there), but it'll give you a little flavor for the day.
3) Life has just kept on! Weddings, new babies, and funerals have been a part of our lives the last few weeks. We feel privileged to be witnesses and participants in other people's joy and sorrow. Congratulations, especially, to my dear friends Kelee and Pat, who welcomed Parker Kjack into the world last week. I can't wait to see you guys!
4) Two Saturdays ago, Nathan and I and a bunch of friends traveled to Griffin, Georgia to hang out with Will Brown and his parents. They smoked a bunch of meat and spoiled us way too much. Afterward, we went to the Brown Family Christmas Tree farm and helped some friends get trees. I'd give anything to have a video of Will sawing down a seven-foot Carolina Sapphire tree in seven seconds. It was so, so fun!
5) We weren't planning on having a tree because we'll be in California for so long, but our friend Mary Lou wouldn't hear of it. She surprised us with a live two-foot tree, fully lit and decorated. We have it on our bedroom dresser, and I love falling asleep and waking up to its cheery smell.
6) We'll be celebrating Christmas with the Parkers this Friday, and then we're heading out to California for Christmas! I can't wait to celebrate June's first Christmas with her and to see lots of friends and family.
Thanks for hanging in there with the update. Sorry for the lack of pictures!
Since it's been longer than a long while, I'll just post a little about what's been happening with the Parkers lately.
1) Shortly after the blog was temporarily blocked, our digital camera went missing. It was used by our church's youth group for the annual video scavenger hunt, and it was never seen again. A new camera SHOULD be in my stocking this year, provided by the Christ Church youth pastor, namely my husband. Sadly, this means I have ZERO pictures of the last month and a half of life. Luckily, Nathan made a CD of all of the pictures on the camera before loaning it out, so the year's worth of pictures taken prior to the day it went MIA are safely archived.
2) In diabetes land, JDRF just e-mailed to say that the highlight video from the walk in October is finished. You can watch it here. We're not in it (there were THOUSANDS of people there), but it'll give you a little flavor for the day.
3) Life has just kept on! Weddings, new babies, and funerals have been a part of our lives the last few weeks. We feel privileged to be witnesses and participants in other people's joy and sorrow. Congratulations, especially, to my dear friends Kelee and Pat, who welcomed Parker Kjack into the world last week. I can't wait to see you guys!
4) Two Saturdays ago, Nathan and I and a bunch of friends traveled to Griffin, Georgia to hang out with Will Brown and his parents. They smoked a bunch of meat and spoiled us way too much. Afterward, we went to the Brown Family Christmas Tree farm and helped some friends get trees. I'd give anything to have a video of Will sawing down a seven-foot Carolina Sapphire tree in seven seconds. It was so, so fun!
5) We weren't planning on having a tree because we'll be in California for so long, but our friend Mary Lou wouldn't hear of it. She surprised us with a live two-foot tree, fully lit and decorated. We have it on our bedroom dresser, and I love falling asleep and waking up to its cheery smell.
6) We'll be celebrating Christmas with the Parkers this Friday, and then we're heading out to California for Christmas! I can't wait to celebrate June's first Christmas with her and to see lots of friends and family.
Thanks for hanging in there with the update. Sorry for the lack of pictures!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
YAAAAY!
I'm back kids!
I've got so much of YOUR blogs to catch up on, it'll probably be a day or two before I write a substantial post. I'll leave you with a couple of cute June Bug pictures, of course.
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