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!