Enough Already

I am so tired of politics. Mudslinging, creating fear, saying what people want to hear. Countless ads, constantly in the news, a total mental overload. I am tired of people voting for Republicans because they are Republicans, and people voting for Democrats because they are Democrats. What about what a candidate stands for? What about the direction they are going to lead us in? The programs they will cut, the people they will hurt? As an educator, this is a really difficult time. Again, funding is going to be cut from schools. Again, teachers will be blamed for student failure when there is not enough money to buy basic supplies, some schools are falling down around those who are supposed to work and learn there, and support from anyone becomes nonexistent. Again I and my colleagues will be told we are simply not doing enough, when we work from the time we get up to the time we go to bed, constantly trying to give students what they need, constantly trying to do a better job. I would like the legislators and news media, who all claim the failure of schools is due to bad teaching, to come to a classroom in my high school for a day. Better yet, into one of the schools where students dodge ceiling tiles and try to learn sharing one computer and a handful of books. I want them to see the work we do. And then I want them to go home with my kids - those children all over the nation - who face beatings, lack of food, lack of shelter, and/or no parents at home and then figure out why their test scores don't measure up. It doesn't take a genius to see that there are other factors. If only the politicians - or more voters - cared.

Ethical Dilemma

I opened up my blog tonight to get to a link to show my husband. And then I saw it.

I am still Miss Evans on this blog. My URL is missevansexample.blogspot.com, and each posting attributes the thoughts and words to Miss Evans. I am no longer that person.

I started this blog as an example for my juniors who have to create and maintain their own blogs, so I designed everything around that. I even tried to be careful at first about sharing my personal beliefs, because I was using it as a teaching tool in public school. I soon woke up and realized that my students probably aren't reading a single thing I write on this blog, so I decided to start including references to my faith when I felt like it. (And Beloved Students, if one of you does actually decide to read a post or two, here is my disclaimer that what I write here are my personal beliefs; this blog is not a platform to attempt to brainwash you to think like me. No lawsuits, please.)

So now what do I do? I can easily figure out how to change my profile, so the postings can be claimed by the correctly named person, but what do I do about the URL? (I don't want to start a new blog. I have a hard enough time remembering this one.) I guess all this means is that there will be a little part of Miss Evans that doesn't go away...metaphor, anyone?

Pictures

I love blogs that have amazing photography interspersed with text so insightful it makes me jealous and mentally stirred all at the same time. I adore photography, and while at the moment I do not have a decent camera, I am going to start including some photos with my postings. Starting tomorrow. I have missed so many opportunities lately. The trip to Ivanhoe's after parent/teacher conferences, the weekend of good deals with Andrew - I may have to back track and include that one, the beauty of the fall leaves which have outdone themselves this year, the Pioneer Festival....the list goes on an on. I'd like to include pictures of our new house, but right now it's boxes and piles of who knows what everywhere you go. If it weren't so embarrassing, I'd include before and after pictures. Maybe I still will...

For My Husband

Andrew and I joked on the way to work today about what I would write in my blog today...I wasn't actually going to write anything and just let things sit and percolate, but I feel the need to post something for his sake. Good thing for the day: a husband who can make me laugh at 6:30 in the morning when I am tired and just want to stay home. Thank you, Jesus!

On a Dollar a Day

One of the signs last week that showed how the depth of my sickness was the fact that I did not have the energy to read - even for fun! This was serious indeed. But once the doctor gave me some medicine, the first thing I felt like doing was reading a book that I had checked out of the library about a week previous. Since reading the opening chapter, I have been totally and completely fascinated by the book On a Dollar A Day: One Couple's Unlikely Adventures in Eating in America by Christopher Greenslate and Kerri Leonard.

These two English teachers - yes, they had me with that much - decided to go on a culinary adventure of sorts, but one that is unlike anything I have thought of before. They started by eating on a dollar a day each for a month. After that, they tried living on the price given to those on food stamps; they had a mathematical formula for figuring out what the amount should be. Then, they moved on to what it costs to eat healthfully. That was interesting in itself, but I really appreciated the social justice slant that pervaded their thinking and writing. Although I am not quite done with the last chapter, this book is one that I think may change my life, as strange as that sounds. I believe I was primed for it, waiting for a catalyst to push me in the right direction - who new that mono and a book from the library could bring me to this point? (Reading this after a week of total brain-rest made me more able to focus and fully interact with the ideas.)

How might it change my life? There are so many ways, but to begin with, I am rethinking a unit with my students. I have a very tight schedule for what I have to teach, but I am planning on changing a couple of literary units to focus on the social justice issues that are pervasive throughout. This may seem small, but I feel like this is the beginning of something different. And Andrew and I are thinking of embarking on a project of our own...

A Week Away

The next time anyone tells me they have mono, I will be far more sympathetic.

I had no idea how debilitating this virus really is; I missed the last five days of school, because I did not have the physical energy to stand up for more than 30 seconds. Now, on doctor-prescribed steroids, I can stand up, but doing much else is pretty difficult. I am at school, attempting to teach, but I am struggling to make it through what would typically be one of my easiest days ever.

People have made many comments today after my long absence, and it has been interesting to hear them. Most people are kind and at least pretend to be sympathetic, but some people do not have an empathetic bone in their bodies. (Apologies for the clichés - I blame the mono.) If someone has been absent, missed work, been gone for awhile, and it is clear that they have been sick, they may not find it funny if you ask how their vacation was and continue to make light of their situation every time you see them. Maybe I'm just overly sensitive, because I still feel horrible and am trying to do the right thing by going to work anyway, but I feel like if you can't say anything nice, you shouldn't say anything at all. (See above apology.)

To wrap up my rant and to reiterate my initial sentiments, while I would have at least pretended to be sympathetic before, I have a whole new understanding for people who have to deal with something debilitating over a long period of time. I know with mono there is an end eventually, so I really empathize with people who struggle with things like fibromyalgia. And that is what I hope to focus on; not the insensitive comments of others towards me, but thinking about how I can help those who don't have an end in sight.

The Urge to Write

The weirdest thing has happened. In my tiredness, I can barely bring myself to stand up at times. Grading is almost more than I can bear. But in the midst of this, I feel the urge to write. As my kids are watching a movie, I just want to sit here and pour out words onto the page. Not about anything in particular, just writing, thinking, sharing, being. I hate to finish a post, because then I feel like I should be done writing. Maybe this will spur me on to something different.

The other thing I've found energy for is reading my friend Leah's blog. She is a wonderful, engaging writer, and I feel almost transported as I read whatever she has to say for the day. Her last post about fall in Pennsylvania reminds me of childhood back East - with her - and makes me hunger for real fall. Falling, colorful leaves, comfort food and hot drinks, pumpkins, and days of sweatshirts and light jackets. Yes, please.

Mononucleosis

I can barely spell it, but I have it. I was finally persuaded to make the trip to RediMed after dinner last night, because I have been feeling way too tired for weeks, since even before the wedding. The last few nights I had a low grade fever. I am not contagious unless I sneeze directly into someone's face or share eating utensils, so I can go to school, but wow, I don't feel well. This is not the type of thing that I would normally share with a general populous who may be reading my blog, but I am trying to be more disciplined in keeping up.This just happens to be what is going on in my life at the moment, and because I am too tired to do much, that's about all that's going on.

I can, though, share how wonderful my husband is. What man really wants to start off marriage taking care of a pathetically sick wife for potentially months on end?

Mine.

Andrew has not only picked up all of the slack, but also has said numerous times that he is so glad to be able to take care of me. He even stayed with me and held my hand when they took blood for the mono test. "In sickness and in health" is being lived out at our house, and my husband is the most gracious and caring man. With him, it's easy to count my blessings.

My Love/Hate Relationship with the Internet

Currently it's all hate. The internet at school is lousy at best, making it impossible to take attendance or put any grades in the grade book. The poor students who are expected to use the 30 computers in my room every day have to fight slowness and the inability to load anything valuable. That is, if their machines even turn on.

If you couldn't already tell, I am extremely annoyed, and the lack of technology is wearing my nerves thin. I could go old school and make my students do everything with pencil and paper - which I have done to some extent - but whether we like it or not, technology is here to stay, and my students must gain mastery of different tools to be successful in life. Most of them also learn this way best. Maybe it is a problem with our society, and we rely too much of machines, but I can't change the nature of that. I have to meet my students where they are. Which I am right now...at a place called frustration.

Catching Up - Exhaustion

I thought with my students again blogging, that it would be easier to take time to find some personal discipline in writing on my blog. Oh, so naive.

With a wedding, moving into a new house, and missing almost two weeks of school between honeymoon and sickness, I have done nothing but sleep and make pitiful attempts at catching up. My stack of papers to grade is getting bigger than me and is growing by the hour. It probably wouldn't be so bad if I could actually keep my eyes open or find the energy to do more than jsut get through the school day. Hopefully I'll get enough naps in this week to get The Year of Fun back on the right track...

Speaking of fun, my friend Leah's blog has pictures and a story about my wedding that makes me teary. Feel free to visit justpluckingdaisies.com. :)

Back to Work

It has been a long time since I have visited this site, but school has started again, my kids are blogging, and it's about time I started again too. The Year of Fun has exceeded all expectations. When I started in January, I never would have imagined that I would be getting married in September! Andrew is an amazing man, and I am so incredibly blessed! We have had amazing adventures so far, and I can't wait to continue our journey together as husband and wife in 17 days!

Pink Frosted Doughnuts with Sprinkles

A fluffy, sweet yeast doughnut with strawberry pink frosting and multicolored, long, and thin sprinkles. The kind, brown-haired man who worked behind the counter at the Headless Horseman Diner in Tarrytown, NY, always gave the 6-year-old me two of these treats when I went with my parents and ordered one. This is one of my favorite memories from early childhood about life in New York. Last night, Andrew brought home dessert from a Mexican bakery. Amongst the empanadas and sweet bread was a pink-frosted dougnut with sprinkles. I had told him the story of my experience with the Headless Horseman, and he surprised me with one of my favorites. It was a sweet surprise in more ways than one!

Culver, Indiana

Who knew Culver was more than just a military school? Andrew took me on another adventure driving across Indiana; we didn't expect greatness, so when we drove across the covered bridge in Roann and saw a crazy looking burro, we thought the trip had peaked. Little did we know that Culver is a pretty sweet town. We actually had a hard time deciding where to go to lunch - we thought we might find just one option, but we found several. The winning location was "The Original Rootbeer Stand" where we tried the Chicago Dog, Pizza Burger, and Coney Dog. They also made their own root beer, but Andrew's tasted a bit like Aunt Jemima Maple Syrup. Even so, eating by the lake and then taking a walk was picture perfect. The Year of Fun is progressing well.

Ivanhoe's Adventure

Parent/teacher conferences make for a very long day; 13 hours at school does not classify as a day of fun, but Andrew and I made an impromptu trip to Upland, IN, after we put in all of those extra hours. Most people thought we were crazy for driving 2 hours after all of that, but we went to Ivanhoe's for sundaes, making the day that is normally not fun at all an actual great one. Vanilla ice cream with peanut butter sauce and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups is always appreciated, but it was even better at 9pm on Wednesday.

Year O' Fun Birthday Part 2

I really am blessed. Between school and tennis practice, my mom made a wonderful dinner, my parents and Andrew gave me presents, and I received flowers from an aunt, uncle, and cousin. There were many notes and phone calls, one of my favorite being my neice singing happy birthday over the phone. It's so easy to focus on the negative in daily life: this or that didn't go well, I didn't like his attitude, the day didn't go as I planned. But today I am reminded to think about what beautiful things I have been given: my family, my friends, my ministry in and outside of work. Life is good. Thanks be to God.

Year O' Fun Birthday Part 1

It's been awhile since I have found the time to post anything; the last few weeks have brought huge changes to my life - and yes, they have been fun. A new relationship, buying a house, and taking a new coaching position have made life exciting but very, very busy.
I'm sure I will address these new ventures in detail later, but today the topic is birthdays - namely, mine. This year it falls on a Monday which means teaching all day, tennis practice, and a parent meeting, but my loved ones have ensured that I have been celebrated and felt loved. It has been amazing! Saturday was a trip to Jonathan and Laura's; Andrew came along to meet them for the first time. We had a wonderful day, including a trip to the now legendary Big Donut, time in a bookstore (shocking), incredible meals made by my lovely sister-in-law, Apples to Apples, and lots of laughing. On Sunday, after church and coffee with Mom and Dad, Andrew took me out to lunch at Flanagan's. We then picked up crazy snacks at the gourmet grocery store and went on a driving adventure around Indiana. There have been moments of fun interspersed among the duties of today as well. My co-worker Melissa brought in an incredible spread of treats for my birthday: chocolate oreo layer cake, strawberry trifle, carrot cake-like bars, and brownie bites with peanut butter cups. I have also been getting clues about a birthday surprise yet to come. I am feeling very blessed.

Bob Evans Breakfasts and Coffee D'Vine Grading Parties

Snow Day #3. We will now officially be going to school solidly from now until the end of time. Hope no one had fun plans for the summer.
I'm really not that cynical and depressed about the days off; I am most definitely a play now pay later kind of girl. I have been as lazy as possible and spent a lot of my days avoiding school work. My favorite parts of snow days are breakfasts with my parents at Bob Evans, solving the problems of the world (and my life), and get togethers with my teacher friends, drinking coffee and maybe getting a paper or two corrected in between conversations. This may not seem fun to anyone else, but I definitely think it qualifies for the Year of Fun, especially when most Thursdays at this time, I am corralling my seventh period into some semblance of order. I love my students, but sipping my latte and writing on my blog is a welcome break. Especially for 3 days in a row.

Slacking

I knew it would happen eventually. I get excited about big ideas and have a tendency to lose motivation later on, so I have been slacking a bit in the Year of Fun. I did a few things but didn't take the time to write about them. And then everything happened with my dad, issues arose at school, and life was certainly a challenge for awhile. I am trying to refocus and have confidence that this is not the end to the Year of Fun. I just need to get back on track again and perhaps be a little more realistic about how much fun can be had while still being responsible and getting everything done. It is a fine balance that I haven't quite achieved yet.

An Unexpected Interruption

I had plans to catch up on a lot of things this weekend - including this blog - but an early morning wake-up call on Saturday morning changed everything. At 4am my dad collapsed on the bathroom floor and after a few hours in the emergency room was admitted to the hospital. Growing up, this was not unusual, as my dad has had many heart problems, but there has been a good 12 year span where spending days and nights at the hospital became less commonplace. I wasn't expecting it to be so hard, because it didn't used to be. It was so routine.
Sunday I felt like I had been hit by a truck, and today I'm all over the place. It's a good thing today was a training day, because I don't know how I would have functioned with my students, as much as I love them. I feel more responsible for my dad's health now as an adult; he's currently at the cardiologist, and I wish I was there to ask my questions and ensure the right things are done. But all I can do is pray.

Hair Dye and School Closings

I got a little help today from Mother Nature (or Someone Else) in keeping up with my blog; hooray for no school! Because it is the year of fun, I will have to celebrate in some way beyond catching up on grading and lesson planning. (Although if my students are reading this, I take great pleasure in reading your assignments...;) ) I don't know what that fun will be, but I put forth effort last night to have some semblance of fun on what I thought was a school night. Between committee meetings and bible study, I dyed my hair for the first time ever. Those who knew me in college may beg to differ that this was the first, but the time of electric blue streaks was caused by hair extenstions and not actual dye. I don't know if I will ever do it again, but it was fun once. Trying something new this week: check.

Grand Plans...

I was going to be meticulous about my blogging for my year of fun. Apparently I was having so much fun that I could not find time to blog...
I am reforming, especially as I received an email asking for my URL. That was the motivation I needed to actually start writing something again. (Although I'm sure that all of my students are also reading...ha!) I was feeling the need to catch up on all that has been done so far, but that has only proved to help me in my procrastination. Despite my lag in blogging, I have been slowly working on the list of things I want to do, be, and accomplish. There was a fabulous trip to Minnesota to see friends - the best way to start a year of fun!, movie nights and coffee shop meetings, new volunteering and ministry opportunities, and less time at school. Still a work in progress, but it's a start.

2010 - The Year of Fun

I am embarking on an adventure. At the encouragement of my concerned family, I have decided to make 2010 my "year of fun" - a New Year's resolution of sorts. I had realized at the end of the semester that I was working too much, becoming less of me and more of a joyless workaholic who lost sight of the true meaning of what I do. The plan was formed sometime during Christmas vacation; while I cannot remember the exact timing, I remember the idea coming about because of a conversation with my aunt, cousin, and mother. Sitting in the living room around the Christmas tree, it was decided that I needed to have more fun so that work wouldn't be so hard and so all-consuming. A chance to be me again.
There are several layers to the plan for the Year of Fun, some of which too personal to discuss on a public forum that my students may or may not read. I plan to do things that I love to do but have stopped due to work. I want to try new things and travel. I also want to do a little work on my inner self. (This is where it gets personal; also, due to my faith and the fact that I am a school employee, I'm not sure that I am supposed to talk about it unless specifically asked what I believe, even on a personal blog.) And I plan to record my adventures on this blog - in part so certain people can keep tabs on me to ensure I am actually having fun.
So here's to the Year of Fun. May it live up to its name.