Booktagged!

Alright, so Kelli booktagged me. I knew things like this existed but I didn't know this one. Here is what it is. You have to answer the 4 questions given and then "tag" 5 other bloggers. Here are the questions, along with my answers:


1. Total number of books you've owned: Would you like to come see my bookshelves? Joe and I own alot of books. It's amazing what you come up with when you put two distinctly different tastes together. Joe likes classic literature, where alot of my books are more modern chick lit (however, not the sexy stuff, just great girl stories by woman authors). I also have a lot of "how to" books.


2. Last Book I Bought: The Last Time They Met by Anita Shreve. I tend NOT to buy books because my friend Elise and I share quite a few books from each other's library. I do know that this was the last one I bought. Thank god for being a teacher! Most of my reading is done for free. B and N gift cards make GREAT gifts (wink wink). If we are talking "books lined up to read", I have The Master Quilter waiting, by Jennifer Chiaverini. This is the 5th book (?) in the Elmcreek Novel Series. I am currently reading A Quilter's Legacy, the book before it. This is a GREAT series and I'm really enjoying it.


3. Last Book I Read: The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares. Yea, I know..easy reading! It finally came out in softback and Elise bought it so I wanted to read it considering the first book is coming out in the movies! I liked the first book much better last year. I thought this one was lacking in information. If you plan on reading them, read them TOGETHER, not a year apart when you are bound to forget small details. I can't wait to see the movie tho!!


4. 5 Books That Mean Something To Me:

A. The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver--I finished this book over a year ago and I still can't get over the characters in it. They moved me so much! I miss spending my nights with them.

B. The Pharmer's Almanac - A phish reference book..volume three..I THINK it's page 39. I was published ;) It makes me so happy..even tho Joe basically rewrote it from his point of view..and both our names are on the story, it was all me!


C. The Elmcreek Novels, Jennifer Chiaverini - Does such a place exist? A place where one can go for a weekend to quilt and do nothing more than bond with other women? I suppose I can dream..In the meantime, I'll keep reading about it in this series.



D. A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson - Once upon a time, I wanted to hike the Appalachian trail. That is, until Bill gave me the inspiration to go out backpacking for a weekend, hiking 14 miles with a pack..and painful feet for days after it was all said and done. Seeing Bill speak in Philadelphia at the public library gave me real perspective into his cynical humor. He has an interesting way of looking at the world. If you like travel books, I recommend checking him out, not just THIS book, but other ones!


E. Roxaboxen, Alice McLerran - Noone said we couldn't use CHILDREN'S books. This is my all time favorite. I remember building forts in the woods as a child. I remember imagining things that weren't there, that we saw as being grand. These places are still there today, however overgrown they might be. This book reminds me of my neighborhood. I share this with my kids on the first day of school..I like to remind them that we should never be too serious to play sometimes, as a release.

TAG--you're it!

If your name is below, I expect you to do this too!!

Laurie B.
Rachel

I need more blog friends ;) lets start with that!

A Year Ago Today..

I remember it vividly. It's as clear as a glass. It was a warm sunny day. I came home from

school and sat down to check my email when the lights went out.. My life was about to change..

Trey decided Phish was no more.. I haven't revisited the letter in quite a while, but I remember it clearly stating "We're done..."

I watched my world turn to a blur full of panic and anger, combined with frustration and tears..

What do we do now? Where do we go? We all thought it..

but you know what? Life does go on..I shed my tears for the band I love so dearly, even today, a year later. They've left behind a culture that won't be so easily disbanded..a community..

So..what has the last year brought me??

There are things i'd love to do again, but never will..

There are things i'd rather forget but loved doing..

There are things i've learned about myself..and surprised myself doing them..

I have days when I drag on and days when I glow..this won't change no matter who I am, where I am, or who I surround myself with..

Rock on Trey..Page..Mike..and Jon..We love you..thank you for everything!

That Familiar Place

I keep wondering what brings me back to that familiar place..I used to come and go..but I can't seem to let go anymore..not for more than a few days..The more I go, the further I feel..but some how, for some reason, I still do it..maybe I'll feel detached the longer I do it..maybe that's how it's supposed to be..

I DARE you...

to show me why DARE is a good program. As the government cuts funding for it, I find myself perplexed..This is the second year I have sat and watched the DARE program take place in my classroom. The books were new this year, all in full color, half as many pages..why you ask? The DARE officer tells me they cut funding..

uhm, ok..so lets think this through. Any moron knows just by comparing the two books that it would cost about the same to print them, regardless, because one was black and white, the other, full color!!

So what did my kids do in DARE, you ask? They filled a box with useless questions all week for the DARE officer to answer, that is, if he showed up to talk to my kids. Did he actually teach? Are you kidding? The answer is NO..I'm not sure how 22 students managed to write a DARE essay on what they learned in DARE when I know first hand that he taught them absolutely nothing!

Read this page..read that page..oh, i'm about done with the program this year..graduation? Whats that? Oh wait, thats MY JOB..not really, but who else is going to take charge because it obviously wasn't the useless DARE officer! So I did it..because I'm not going to let my kids' parents see a half baked graduation..

Did my DARE officer show up for graduation practice? Of COURSE not!! Did he put the students' names on their certificates? Well, he lost the list, and I refused to do it the day before and made him come in an hour early to do it! He promised them pizza..12:15 I tell him..thats LUNCH time..when does he show up? 12:30!!

And my tax money pays for this program? Why? I keep asking myself why? Soon, I'll be asking the chief of police the very same question..because this year, DARE just didn't cut it..

but then again, does it ever?

Angry PT

Man, a lot has changed in a year. At one time, you could take a minute to breath and have a little bit of fun on a fast moving message board. Granted, they've always been a little on the aggressive side there, but lately, it just seems like people are out to get you..following you to multiple threads to rip at you and just be downright mean. They find the time to do this even the day after a little squabble! They actually take time out of their day to go and troll someone they disagreed with the previous day! It's really amazing..to think, that a year without Phish has left us with a community so vindictive and out to get each other..ahh well..The tough just have to get tougher I suppose!

Refreshed yet tired

On Sunday, Joe and I went out and finally bought our kayaks! We found the deal we were looking for and we are now the proud owners of two old town kayaks. I can't even begin to explain the world that awaits me. Just three blocks from my house, I launch from the Bordentown Beach into the many inlets of the Delaware. I can meander up the D and R Canal, Crosswicks Creek, or another small creek that I don't yet know the name of. I've spent the past few afternoons exploring the river, both with and without Joe. Yesterday, I went out at high tide thinking it would be easy to get into Crosswicks Creek and found myself struggling to get back out! It wasn't all that bad but I certainly do feel it today in my shoulders! I guess today can be a rest day, thankfully, it looks like rain anyway! I'll get to know the tides and how they affect the flow of the creeks and this summer will be lots of fun!

My mind feels so blank..

I finally felt like I was recovering from being so exhausted in life this weekend..and the week starts over and I feel like I'm back again, feeling exhausted...I'm hoping Summer is my cure for this..I can't deal much longer, it really sucks!

On a better note, I got my laptop back..and I said I'd tell the story..A few weeks ago, my ipod fell off my laptop and the cord snapped open at the usb port. I immediately removed it, examined it, snapped it back together, and electrical taped it just to be sure. Then, a week and a half ago, I was sitting on the couch when I went to pull my computer onto my lap...the cord was attached, but not my ipod. It shorted out. I was very confused, until a few hours later, I went to plug in the ipod and it wasn't recognizing it.

After two days and many many hours on the phone with Dell Support (yes, IN INDIA), they had me reformatting the computer (thus getting rid of all the Dell crap) and eventually sending my computer back...I got it back today..it's all better! No problem! Now it's just a matter of putting it all back together software wise..ugh..

Lesson learned? Although the Ipod cord saved my ipod, it did my computer in in the end!

30 days!

Ok..so is it too early to put it up on the board?? It is the beginning of May now..I did make a countdown on request of some of the students, but hot damn could I use a nap right now!! Denali woke me up at 4:50 this morning, and for reasons besides bed, I just couldn't find my mind going back to sleep..so up I got..showered, even made breakfast an hour into it!! I didn't know what to do with myself...the whole thing completely threw me off and I found myself at work BEFORE 7 oclock!! I don't know..really..its a bit absurd, but now i'm tired, and I feel like I should be two more hours into my day which would put me at almost time to go home..and now it's all messed up!! GRRR!!

We had this missionary visitor today..I learned something very interesting from him. No no, I'm not going to dish out some religious stuff to you..this is very interesting! Really! In Africa, people don't pay mind to dates..they pay mind to events..like for instance..the summer of "Coventry" or the year they held the "Clifford Ball"..you get the idea..we all know what YEARS they were and what SEASON, MONTH, etc..but if you didn't..thats how you might remember things..ANYWAY..this ALSO goes for birthdays..so they don't know when a child is old enough to go to school..Want to know how they tell?? If you can stick your arm over your head and touch your ear on the other side, you are of school age and allowed to go to school. Try it! I'm sure you can do it..apparently, kindergarten and first grade children have difficulty. Amusing ehh??

Alright, now I'm getting batty..almost lunch time, breath of fresh air, a little daydream and two more periods..

People may surprise you...

when you least expect it! Leaving you in the best mood all weekend..Thank you..you know who you are....