kabong!

Friends. This is a maddening time of year, but I'm so thankful. Had precious HOURS with some friends of 10 years this week, three coffee meetings in between, received encouragement, books, ideas that will propel my writing for years to come. Have seen the Durham downtown lights at least 2 nights, and tonight, it's off to Raleigh to bake cookies with precious women. What amazes me is that none of us gave each other gifts, but we encouraged each other and that is worth way more than any Target purchase.

One of the most exciting things, faithful blog readers, to announce to you first is that my birthday party will actually BE on my birthday: January 22, 2009 - a Thursday. I'll send invites soon with more details :). Having a party this epic makes me feel like this:
Some brief shots of teaching to humor you:
I just finished working with Romeo and Juliet. The kids had to perform skits in different time periods: the 20s, the 30s, the 50s, the 60s, the 70s. One of the weirdest questions I got during this process was, "Can we wear fat suits?" This question came from the two smallest girls I've ever taught. The kids also had to incorporate slang from their time period into their skit. The group from the 30s used the word "sucks." I still haven't asked him if this originated from the 30s. And probably the most interesting thing, I've had two dating couples in the same class this semester. This latest really perplexed me - I saw them hugging in the hall and promptly thought, "How did this happen? They sit on opposite sides of the room!" Lo and behold, the next day were skit performances and I realized, "Oh, they were in the same skit group." I continue my refrain, "There is no love in English!" *Sigh* - it never works.

Next, I teach poetry. I am excited about it, but my deepest teaching question remains: How do you get guys to like or just have a passing interest in poetry?

For sure, my next post will be pictures and updates from Budapest. I have a lot to do between now and then. Happy Holidays to all!

jane austen

her birthday is December 16th - she's turning 233!

today has been awesome! I encouraged a student to attend the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston Salem - she's just the girl for it. I almost cried thinking how I could have had this opportunity in high school, but have always been proud that I bloomed a little later because art has helped me much.

Anyway, I think this is sort of a save-the-date: I'm turning 233 on Jan. 22nd (this is my real age: I told my students it was somewhere between 103 and 269). Jan. 22nd is a Thursday, but my party will probably be on a Saturday, like the whole day, so people can float in and out. Please save the date, I have some good ideas: JANUARY 24th, 2009!

Gearing up for Budapest! I'll be bringing an empty suitcase back (making deliveries to missionaries) - any small requests? I'll bring lots of paprika, of course.

slow down

It's so good to do this once in a while. I've stayed home a startling 3 nights this week so far - one of them was a SATURDAY (unbelievable, I know). I appreciate all the friends I said no to who made this possible.

Anyway, in my reading adventures, I found a really beautiful snippet of a poem I thought many people should hear. It should encourage the socks off you (that's right - you'd better be barefoot next time I see you):

From "August in Waterton, Alberta" by Bill Holm

Above me, wind does its best

to blow leaves off

the aspen tree a month too soon.

No use wind. All you succeed

in doing is making music, the noise

of failure growing beautiful.

YAY!

Great news, people. I PASSED NATIONAL BOARDS! I am definitely glad I don't have to go through any further trauma. :D

Tiffany. .. and my first spoken word reading

I'm not sure how people get anything done once they start writing. Yesterday, I wrote six poems throughout the day and let my students know that this is probably why their papers haven't been graded, but I'm not sure what to do about it.

I've been waking up everyday with a poem or two on my heart for the last two weeks. And, I will mention that I'm working on four major art projects right now as well, still learning the guitar, and not getting much sleep.

I have a poem that exemplifies how I feel at the moment (this is certainly a sneak peek for this week's Broad St. Mic and a preview of this coming Monday's Mansion 462 Mic):

famous

I like being famous

staying up all night 

is so much better for creativity

I like being famous

I change my hairstyle

once per week so I can stay

in obscurity

I like being famous

because I don't have to see

the same people everyday

I have lots of stuff to give away

I have people to drive

people to keep my plants alive

people take seriously what I say

I have lots of friends but my

phone never rings

people are afraid to call

I like being famous

I can't have pets

I'm never home to take care of them

I never have time to create anymore

And every time I leave my house

paparazzi are at the door

I like being famous

Maybe being famous isn't all it's cracked up to be,

but I must admit I sure

enjoy the money.

Onto the title of my post: Tiffany is phenomenal! I just linked her blog to mine on the right, so check it out!

Two years ago, she came to speak to students in all of my classes and had many poetry prompts ready for them. She inspired me with her teaching techniques, and she shared poetry and prompts for the entire hour and a half of all of my classes. She is ONLY a senior in college at this point (almost done!), so imagine how good she was last night when she was the featured poet. You all have no idea. My favorites were her Ode to Food and a poem, which was probably titled "Five More Minutes" about how she wishes she could sleep a little more (those words were certainly resounding in my head this morning). I was so blown away by her poetry that the one picture I got with her was quite dark, so that's why I included two artsy PICTURES of my experience. The first is of me writing - my journal really looks like this. All of my poems start this way. Second is a shot of a doorway in my apartment: On the left is a card Sarah gave me not long ago as a housewarming gift - it has a woman on it and says "You're fab!," which is always a great reminder. Beside that is a picture Tiffany and I took together several years ago (probably like 5) at a Valentine's Ball. We are holding a sign that says, "Happy Valentine's Day." It was the first time I met her and a good reminder to be joyful on that day no matter what's going on.

The Mansion is a unique spot. Poets of many ethnicities are there; many, many people have dreadlocks (and I got lots of compliments on mine), and the talent of the readers is so beyond mine at this point that I left feeling really inspired as hearing word always makes me feel. 

I will certainly be back next Monday.

blog love

Even better (and so kind!): http://ncpoetlaureate.blogspot.com/2008/11/nicole.html I've been thinking this for a while anyway, but now since I might have a few more visitors, I want to post two definition poems I read at open mic this past wednesday (what a GREAT time that was!, even my hairdressers came!):

Rebound

In basketball
This is a good thing
But in dating
It doesn’t help
Attachment born
Of misery
Is not love

Teens

They are too young
To diet
To dye their hair
To wear short clothes
What habits
That may
Carry them into
Addictive adults

Short poems are definitely great for blogs!

I've received a lot of encouragement lately about a whole lot of things. Monday, I met a woman who is going to help edit my novel (that's a big announcement, for sure - I have about 40 pages (started this about 3 years ago) - but I am really thankful for people who want to trade writing). Wednesday was just amazing: 20 + people came to my open mic and I got to see some new friends' talents in major ways, which really inspired me. Last night, I met a woman who played electric violin in a band called Sugar in the Dirt. She had beautiful locks and taught me more about how to maintain mine on my own. I've been working on them even today (the ends) and they're looking great! (people are stopping me on the street as usual).

Thank you, kind world!

musings

Okay friends, look at My Laureate's Lasso. It's minor publishing for me, but it's still publishing. My English Department chair sent this to me and lo and behold, another Hungary hint hit my heart (scroll down to the post "Autumn in Budapest" and read my comment).

Favorite band of the moment: "Bowerbirds."

Favorite website: justinguitar.com If you're trying to learn guitar, it's so FREE and awesome!

I did some link cleanup - if I deleted you, it's because you don't post often enough. No hard feelings, but you probably won't even notice. . . .

Going back to open mic this week. Lots to share.

family

First, I'll introduce Jaimie, my youngest sister. She's a talented singer first and foremost (yes, surprisingly better than I), a good cook, and knows a lot about pop culture (my guess is that she'd be a good pick for any trivia night at a bar). Not only that, but she is also super attractive and extremely kind. She brings out humor in me like no one else and has a contagious smile.

Dawn is good at planning events. I'm going to feel like it's fall until Christmas and probably then still in January. She had spaghetti ready for us on Friday night, pumpkin pancakes Saturday morning, and beef stew Saturday night (and a lot of other snacks and food in between). She talked eight people into going to a corn maze and we competed 4 against 4. Okay, we lost, but it was so awesome. Dawn also had 9 pumpkins ready for carving at her house, and we had a blast carving them! Jaimie's was a monkey, Dawn's was a ghost, Andrea's was a cute kitty, and mine was a guitar.

Andrea is the reason our team lost the corn maze (she was on the opposing team). She's peaking through the corn here, seeing other puzzle pieces and getting young children to hand her puzzle pieces through the corn. Her navigation skills are amazing. I made sure to recount to others the story of her getting us through Dublin, Ireland in one day. I also appreciate that she is certainly a friend that I can cry with, laugh with, and pretty much say whatever I want without losing her respect or friendship. We've been through a lot together. She's my third sister. And, I simply love the fact that she's always up for a trip!

Can't say much more than that! I value these women's perspectives, appreciate their comfort when I'm going through tough times, and couldn't imagine a better family.

hungarians are everywhere

Gearing up for a show tonight at BCHQ (www.bullcityhq.org), I was sitting talking to a group of people who live in Raleigh when a man sat down and started eating hotdogs with piles of onions on top. We start talking, he tells me his name is Zsolt, and I ask, "Where are you from?," hoping Poland because I know about coincidences all too well.

"Hungary," he replied. Yep, the guy used to own a hostel in Hungary - he's definitely Hungarian. Lord, could you be any clearer?

This reminds me of the time I was stood up for my last tutoring appointment with this GRE student a few months ago at Caribou Coffee in Raleigh. A man named Iszti sits down and wants me to help him with song lyrics. After some conversation and my own private concert, I ask him where he's from: Hungary. He later came to open mic with his girlfriend, but we neglected to exchange numbers, so I may never see him again, unless he shows up randomly at open mic. 

Late for a post, but just can't help but realize that these are NOT coincidences!

And, on a completely nonrelated note - we've been experiencing spam in the Wake County School System email. You would think after decades of consistent email contact for professional purposes, people would be more considerate. Everyone in Wake County had about 600 emails over the last few days. Here's a sampling:

The original email was sent to every staff member at every school in Wake Co. When you reply and request that your name be taken off the list, that email is also sent to everyone in Wake Co. If everyone will simply delete all of these emails that they are receiving, this problem will take care of itself.

In other words, STOP REPLYING TO THESE EMAILS!!!!!!

(Just to note that this person also replied to EVERYONE. Shift. Click. Delete. Repeat.)

Szia!

weekend reflections

First, does anyone know what kind of flower this is? So awesome to receive this from friends Saturday night:

So, when you have about three options for every day of your weekend, what do you do? Exactly what you want.

Friday night artwalk (I knew two of the artists' works posted). Saturday night poetry reading, which spurs an hour of writing Saturday night and another hour Sunday morning. And Sunday, I left church and given the option of three different events, chose a day outside, laying in the grass, staring at clouds, listening to music at shakori hills. Started with my favorite local band Midtown Dickens, then moved on to other bands. Ended the night dancing, dancing, dancing to some crazy bluegrass. Speaking of bluegrass with a punk feel (reminiscent of Fiddlefoxx), has anyone heard of Boulder Acoustic Society? I can't find one particular song on iTunes about the Zombie Carnival *sigh.* Good times.

update on upcoming life abroad

The main thing I want to say today is read Justin's Sudan Blog (see link on the right). It is funny! and it makes me want to travel to Budapest today as in, right now.

Okay, so I won't have an African adventure. I'll be in a city, allowed to drink the water, etc., but I am excited even still. I'm currently getting ready for another Hungarian lesson. I met a girl through a language exchange website who currently lives in NY. She's tough. I read dialogues to her, and she tells me she can't understand me.

I will be in Budapest December 23rd - January 1st. I am so thrilled! Spending Christmas day with the Bullocks, meeting people for coffee throughout the week (I have a lot of friends with friends in Budapest and a lot of friends who have lived in Budapest), potentially taking a glance at a Christian school where I might teach part-time, and hanging out with Jen for a few days around new years. She lives in the city centre - no doubt we'll have a great time, and I'll get to hear more about missionary life in Budapest.

Meeting with a friend in human resources tomorrow for all the details about how my job in NC will be affected by my leaving. Counting the cost, but knowing it's worth every penny. No doubt about it, there's much to be excited about here and abroad. 

poem by alastair reid

I do like that my job affords me opportunity to read poetry while supervising students in the computer lab:

Curiosity
may have killed the cat; more likely
the cat was just unlucky, or else curious
to see what death was like, having no cause
to go on licking paws, or fathering
litter on litter of kittens, predictably.

Nevertheless, to be curious
is dangerous enough. To distrust
what is always said, what seems
to ask odd questions, interfere in dreams,
leave home, smell rats, have hunches
do not endear cats to those doggy circles
where well-smelt baskets, suitable wives, good lunches
are the order of things, and where prevails
much wagging of incurious heads and tails.

Face it. Curiosity
will not cause us to die--only lack of it will.
Never to want to see
the other side of the hill
or that improbable country
where living is an idyll
(although a probable hell)
would kill us all.
Only the curious
have, if they live, a tale
worth telling at all.

Dogs say cats love too much, are irresponsible,
are changeable, marry too many wives,
desert their children, chill all dinner tables
with tales of their nine lives.
Well, they are lucky. Let them be
nine-lived and contradictory,
curious enough to change, prepared to pay
the cat price, which is to die
and die again and again,
each time with no less pain.
A cat minority of one
is all that can be counted on
to tell the truth. And what cats have to tell
on each return from hell
is this: that dying is what the living do,
that dying is what the loving do,
and that dead dogs are those who do not know
that dying is what, to live, each has to do.

my 9th-grade self tells all

Oh, get ready: I was reading my 9th-grade journal today, and I found these gems:

"The good thing about family parties is Mom buys you a lot of presents since your friends don't come."
"The quality I like about myself is my ability to get along well with other people."
"I'll tell you one thing, if I was a teacher students would like to come to school so much, there would be no absences."

Out of a list of things I would do with unlimited money:
"give money to the government to get it out of debt (even though there may not be enough money in the world to do that)." "I would buy someone to teach me every little thing and I would become the smartest person in the world."

"Today so far has been a pretty boring day. Things have gone so smoothly and so according to routine that I'm just a little bored, but hopefully things will get a little more interesting."
"I guess you could say I have a taste for situational irony."

After my Dad came back from Europe:
"You know, he said 'you expect lazanya [I love my 9th-grade spelling!] to come from Italy, well they served some kind of ravioli.' We were all a little surprised."
"In Spain, he said he loved the paella (it's a favorite Spanish dish with rice, some sort of meat, and seafood). My Dad said he didn't bother to learn any Spanish: just paella."

About my 16th-birthday party:
"I want my party to be the biggest one ever! (I sure am planning ahead, I haven't even celebrated my 15th birthday yet!). I'm going to invite almost everyone I know."

"I think the Government is trying to give too much power to the States. This could lead to states wanting to become separate countries and perhaps start another civil war."

"I am trying to learn to write with my left hand, that way I can use both my left and right hand to write with, that way if one hand gets tired like mine is now, I can just switch to the other." [On this one, I even drew an arrow to "I can" and wrote "this is lefthanded (pretty bad, huh?)."]

"You also may know that my hand and arm are hurting pretty bad right now and I have a bad case of writer's cramp, but so far I've got almost 2 pages, and I'm going to keep going. I may never write again after this so I hope you appreciate it."

"I've never been much of a person to go to football games and things like that, I must confess, and it's simply because I just don't want to."

"Mrs. Grey, a lady who lived in a big white house whom I used to rake leaves for, died Sat. She was 97 years old, she was one of my favorite older people, she was sweet and serious."

"One thing that's been in the news is the death of Rabin, Israel's Prime Minister, and I am totally for sure that I will most definitely not be the only one writing about this."

And finally, an entry about George Washington:
"Oh, if 'ole Georgie could see how the government is being run today, he would probably faint at all the chaos, how more emphasis is put on who is getting elected than who in this world is getting killed by people who were getting life-imprisonment got to go free in a minimum of 7 years. I think he would be most concerned."

I'm so glad I still have this precious English journal. I'm going to go encourage my students to save the journal they're writing for me now!

political thoughts

Am I really doing this? Since my political science major (5 years ago - my 2nd major), it's like I've been on a long hiatus from political discourse, but in the last few days, I've been quite interested in a few things and even discussed some at length with a colleague during our mutual planning time.

First things first, though. Lindsay asked if I got the second frap - the answer, of course, is "no" (one coffee per day is enough for me, and I didn't need an afternoon caffeine boost disturbing my nap time). After talking this over with some friends, though, I realized that if you teamed up with a friend and your friend liked to drink coffee in the morning, you drank in the evening, and you split the cost, you really would have a symbiotic relationship that fared well for you and Starbucks. Use it to your advantage! (Who knows how long this promotion will go on?).

Anyway, my colleague mentioned a quote from Bill Clinton that I thought was just beautiful: "People the world over have always been more impressed by the power of our example than by the example of our power." Doesn't this hold true for each of our lives? We should definitely take care of the economy at home and bless others by leading by example. I thought about how much America is in debt and how many people in America are in debt. Could it not be because of our leaders' examples?

Oh, but the reason I'm so amenable to democrats and republicans is because I also see the need to finish what we started in Iraq. I guess not so much in a war sense, but could we repair what is broken over there? Could we rebuild what we've destroyed? The most frustrating thing to me is not knowing what really goes on day in and day out.

And, what else? McCain chose a woman for his running mate. A history teacher told me just mins after it happened. This came as really good news to me (and is certainly complicating my voting choice). I do wish health to McCain, but man, if he were to die in office, we'd have a woman president. That was a smart political move for him, no doubt.

revival

Hey all! School's back in session, so since I can't access facebook at work, I'll probably get to do some more work on my blog.

The freshmen are SO CUTE.

Just went to Starbucks (this year is SO different from last year in regards to me having time). I ordered a tall mint mocha frap, which I highly recommend (chocolate whipped cream on top: imagine that!). Now, the hilarious thing was that with my purchase, I got a coupon to receive a $2 grande version (I think it has to be the same drink) after 2 p.m. TODAY. It is clear that yet again, Starbucks is certainly requiring addiction.

So, last night at writers' group, I wrote a few journal topics for my freshmen, but this question is certainly one I've been pondering over the last few days:

* Are certain people destined to be popular? Why or why not? How do appearances factor into one's status, or do they matter?

It's certainly an interesting question when observing teenagers at any level (and even some adults).

Open Mic tomorrow night at 7 p.m. at Broad St. Cafe - be there! I had a tough time choosing out of SEVERAL poems I'd written throughout the summer (not to mention the two I wrote last night).

review of a week in the mountains

Friends,

Zoe is awesome.

Monday - we painted a little - mostly enjoyed one another's company, and I played guitar for the first time EVER! (wanted to buy one immediately, but I've gotta save the learning on that for some other time, I think).

Tuesday - painted for four hours in the woods (First time painting outside). Picked mulberries during a rainstorm and climbed on a precarious bridge in order to do so. Went to church and then went contra dancing. Then watched Bella, which is a great movie and is directed by a Christian.

Wednesday - Painted with Zoe's friend Cindy in her house on top of a mountain, made key lime pie, and performed at open mic. They gave us free steak dinner - how cool is that?

Will have art pictures to share soon!

Hope everyone's enjoying their summer. Going swimming in the rock quarry tomorrow!

Need an Outlet

I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT GOING TO BUDAPEST!

God's provision will be made known.

I told Jeff Bullock today that I had a prophecy that said "I'm going to whistle and call you to another nation" - told him I had no idea what the whistling was about, and what did he do?

He whistled . . . for a long time.

When they prayed for me, they prayed, "Thank You, Lord for sending us cool people."

I know my Hungarian numbers up to 20.

I also know just enough to be dangerous in photoshop right now. . . .

Ah, what a wonderful summer of dreams!

A Snippet of Open Mic

I read a series of lists, and since I'm procrastinating a little bit on my project right now, I thought I'd post:

Top Ten Ways to Scare a Friend:

10. Change your identity.

9. Change your friend's identity.

8. Become a zombie.

7. Once you're a zombie, bite your friend so that he or she becomes a zombie.

6. Show your friend "Salad Fingers" on youtube.

5. Stage a car accident and "die."

4. Eat an entire bag of Doritos in under five minutes and then throw it up.

3. Have a party and invite all three versions of yourself.

2. Tell logical knock knock jokes. Knock, knock. Who's There? Duh, Me.

1. Eat a llama while it's still alive--start with its toes.

post from the pro

My MacBook Pro waves hello to everyone. I'm not kidding - this thing is crazy.

Whew! I've been busy taking classes at Duke. I biked to class this morning, biked back around lunch, took a 2-hour nap, ran errands (I love going to the Post Office, this time to mail a package to my friend in El Salvador to help eliminate her parasites), ran (really!) to my dance class, danced for an hour, ran home, ate crab croquettes with my housemate, and went to writer's group. I've been on the internet for 2 hours, but I'm really about to leave so I can type my lists for open mic night. 

8 p.m. Wednesday Broad St. Cafe - don't miss it!

I'm on a picture posting hiatus briefly. My camera cord is at school, so that means I'll have to go back to school to get it sometime next week, I think.

end of a school year

9 days left!

I took an hour-and-a-half nap when I got home yesterday afternoon. I attribute most of this to a spider bite on my ankle (why else would I be so tired?).

I've seen a lot of movies recently: Indiana Jones, Wattstax, and Son of Rambow were all very good. Wattstax is about an African-American cultural revival in 1965 in Watts, near L.A. I *highly* recommend this film: Richard Pryor narrates and is hilarious. The Nasher Museum of Art on Duke's Campus is showing several free films on Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. Go see one!

I'm working on art and Hungarian :). Good times.
Vizontlatasra! (yeah, that's missing some accents and probably spelled incorrectly. . . ).

Stay tuned. I'm going to a quinceanera this Friday and camping out in my backyard in a few weeks. I'm sure I'll have lots of interesting stories to tell.

wake county propaganda

Teachers, think you're going to enjoy your summer? Think again. This message is the *first* message on the wake county website that I see everyday:

Summer Is a Great Time to Have Fun Outside
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. Exposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays appear to be the most important enviromental factor involved with developing skin cancer. During the summer months, UV radiation tends to be greater. For additional information, view the Staff Wellness website.

Film Festival tonight at school! after days of selling tickets, coordinating people, and running up and down three flights of stairs to talk to people, drop off films, etc. I'm very excited ;).

whew! busy

freerice.com is the most addictive english-teacher website I've ever seen. learned some new words today ;).

the performance

You have to tilt your head to the left to see this properly ;).

uber blogging

Okay friends, I know there's a lot on here recently, but I can't help it. I'm joining an ESL program at Duke this summer :). The meeting last night really revealed that this is a great way to get into Budapest whether the schools accept me as a teacher or not. I am really excited about it and am going to take the plunge.

I'm also going to take Hip Hop Dance this summer and who knows what else. The world's just not ready.

Reading FIVE poems tonight. . . and Tiffany Okafor is coming in all of her spoken-word glory! Don't miss it!

s.c. wedding part 2: the south of the border pics

The cactus climbers.











The gorilla. Poor thing.

Okay, not at south of the border, but I love palm trees! This was just outside the reception (and it was windy).

s.c. wedding

Probably one of the best parts about the whole trip had to have been a leisurely walk on the beach after the wedding. Although not much really beats having shrimp and grits at a wedding. From left to right: Emily, Lee (her husband), Andrea and Brooke look like they're in a rock band. I'll call them "Rhymes with Noodle."
Andrea wanted the pink pool noodle to be part of the band. Brooke considers it.
Eventually, however, the band members move towards the beach, and Andrea is left to make a decision. I'm glad she got back in the car with us later because we never would have made it to South of the Border for lunch the next day. I was able to comfort a distraught gorilla, Brooke and Andrea fearlessly climbed a cactus, and we got the heck out of there when we realized that they were going to charge 25 cents to go to the bathroom.

In other news, this Wednesday, open mic night at Broad St. Cafe in Durham at 8 p.m. I've never really decided to publically read my poetry before! No sneak peeks ;).

netflix

Anyone want to be my friend on Netflix? I have 29 movies in my queue right now! Certainly a record :).

I've had so much fun being good to friends recently, and I have some AMAZING ones!

Test tomorrow! Look at this cool poem I found today while studying:

Resume

Razors pain you;
Rivers are damp;
Acids stain you;
And drugs cause cramp.
Guns aren't lawful;
Nooses give;
Gas smells awful;
You might as well live.

- Dorothy Parker

Humor is definitely an effective tool to get a major message across. And no, I've never even remotely considered suicide. I'm a wimp who can't even stand too much sun in my eyes.

studying

Rest = divine activity. I spent at least some of the weekend resting. Got some revelations, went to an African-American church, communed with nature and the durham community (quilted on the community quilt friday), and got a precious book My Utmost for His Highest. Makes me want to write a devotional.

This helps so much:
"God always ignores the present perfection for the ultimate perfection." He ultimately knows what will make us most fulfilled and holds out in the present struggle to ultimately satisfy.

Everyone PLEASE come to storytelling for adults the last Sunday in May at 7 p.m. Broad Street Cafe. It's the last one before they break for the summer! I'll send an email as it gets closer. The ladies who told stories last night were so awesome.

Please pray for the National Boards test on Friday: it's a behemoth! Can you imagine answering 6 essays prompts in 3 hours? At least after, I'm going to a concert to see Arcade Fire and potentially Barack Obama.

shout outs

It's been a little over a week since my last post. . .

I wanted you all to meet Hera, my new orchid. I had been scoping for months and finally alighted on this one at Trader Joe's for a really good price!

Enjoyed so much hosting Lindsay's international party this past Sunday night. Everyone really came through with some awesome food and costumes! I especially enjoyed the fact that we broke a pinata outside of my house, and I've still been allowed to live in the neighborhood.

So, I have a GREAT movie recommendation (going to finish it tonight). It's called The Inn of Sixth Happiness. It's about a woman who ups and goes to China, feeling called by God. She doesn't even consider what she might lose in this venture. She was even denied by the mission board before she went. Whoa.

Reading The Sacred Romance (John Elderedge coauthors). I've read Captivating, Wild at Heart, The Journey of Desire (actually comes after Sacred Romance), and I'm still trying to figure out what living from the heart really means. Maybe the orchid knows. . . .

Okay, too mystical here. I'm about to post something really flakey (I'll make you go to the link):

http://www.americanidol.com/contestants/season7/jason_castro/

My coworker thinks she's found my soulmate. . . .

spring break reflections part 2

The day after my party, there was an artwalk in downtown Durham (the best place to live in the Triangle). We saw Barbara at the bull (soon, I'll post our made-up legend about the Bull statue) and watched an incredible brass band. When they play, smoke comes out of their instruments. I mean, just look at the one guys' cheeks on the left! Probably at the exact moment we were watching them play, Arlissa and Allan got engaged! If you were at my party, you met them. They are some awesome people.
Zoe and I met a TON of artists and got to fingerpaint. Her tree is now hanging in my kitchen.
One of my favorite things about Durham is the serendipity that exists there. Last night, on an after-dinner walk, I encountered Will (of Joyce and Will) and Jamie Lathan. I had a few other car horns honk at me, so I kept walking until they eventually screamed my name from the car. I encounter so many people just walking around my house: it's great to live in a COMMUNITY.
Speaking of community, the womens' retreat was PHENOMENAL. I really wish I was still there. Oh well, back to work. . . .

spring break reflections

I slept for about the first four days of spring break. On Friday, I finally got off the couch, and Amy (friend of 10 years) and I went to the beach. We saw two jellyfish, I got stuck in quicksand, we created a large sand drawing and almost got knocked off the shore twice by killer tides. We even got a slight sunburn because it was overcast. (okay, I'm a little dramatic)
Many of you who came to my party may wonder where the inspiration for the game came from. I had a pre-party dinner for the out-of-towners, and we thought, "Let's come up with an awesome icebreaker." It was great seeing all my friends get to know each other, deciphering whether they were "google" (poor Kevin), "clock," "mirror," "me," or any famous person.
And, it was Zoe's birthday! She turned 23!


Kevin won the point-spread bet. We were all depressed the Tar Heels lost, but we had champagne anyway. Thanks to all who came!

spring break!

see you all April 5th! call me if you need anything party related! (no internet for a week) I'll be hangin' in downtown for the most part. Lots of cool concerts (free one in the park this Sunday at 3!!), an art walk, and a film festival for which I might volunteer.

The best lesson plan on a day before spring break is to have kids present projects which involve food to celebrate To Kill a Mockingbird. Haha, one group made a video where they tried to get Boo Radley to come out of his house. One of the methods was a note on a fishing pole. This note, which the camera got twice, said, "Ms. Strachan is the most AWESOME teacher ever. Give us 100%!" And discreetly on the side, "Come out Boo!" So hilarious! We had a kid play a song, some skits on Southern etiquette, and biscuits. YUM. These are the days I love being a teacher.

Except, we had a bomb threat today at school. GeEeEeeez. Wasn't comforted to find index cards that said "Bomb 11:30" all over the teacher parking lot when we walked into school today.

getting addicted

Yeah, so I'm getting addicted to my blog.

What do you guys think? I had a party scheduled for April 5th - are people still going to come given the NCAA finals? I'm going to email my guest list yet again to get feedback - *sigh.* As of now, party's still on!

art recs

So, everyone should see August Rush. Yes, it's a little cheesy, but a BEAUTIFUL story and some pretty good art shots.

EVERYONE should own the Once Motion Picture Soundtrack. Of course, "Fallen from the Sky" is incredible, but "Leave." Woo, so much passion.
I also highly recommend Rock Band on Playstation, especially if it's on a big screen with family and friends. I toured in London, Paris and Stockholm all in one weekend - found out I can play drums! Here's my family on tour - Rockin' out is hard work!

You should believe me because on Friday at work, I won an award for volunteering for EVERYTHING representing the English department. My dept. chair nominated me, and the whole staff said "aww." It was cute.

My sister and I also played "feminist chess." We were playing along, and I had already taken her king when my sister's roommate walks in and asks what's going on. We swore it was the queen that needed capturing the whole time! (It had been at least 3 years since I even played chess).

I swear this is the most artistic picture I've taken yet. My sister is starting to grow her own veggies - she already has some sprouts of what we believe to be basil. Yay Dawn!

college friends

This is Jessie. She was my roommate sophomore and part of junior year.

She's amazing and does art for a living (need a logo? website? a beautiful painting?).


She also just so happens to live in Charles Town, WV. Site of the historical Harper's Ferry:



What a beautiful 3 hours we spent there! Lucked out and had a sunny day with a slight breeze. It was the first day the restaurants were open for the season, so we had to wait close to an hour for some fries and sandwiches, but hey, it was worth it.



This is Andrea, my roommate freshmen and senior years. She actually lives here in the Triangle. She tried to run away to Boston recently, but I'm GLAD, oh-so-glad, she stayed. She rode with me. For about 8 of our 10 car hours, we listened to lectures on CDs about Greek gods and goddesses. I teach The Odyssey this week, so all of it was very interesting. She had us climbing huge walls. Jessie and I are much shorter, so it wasn't an easy task, but I'm glad she always makes me do more than I think I can. We beasted Ikea Sunday on the way back, too. It's amazing what you can get in that place for a few hundred dollars. If you're coming to my party, you get to see the purchases firsthand.

And this is Gywnne! I didn't know her in college, but she is a strong woman, too. About 1.5 years old and already knows how to use a Swiffer. Jessie is an amazing mother. Ah, such a great trip!

Given my recent life experiences, it's nice to know that I really do have friends that have seen me through several relationships and will never break up with me. (Make sure you read the post before this one if you're confused).

unbelievably stunned by god's power

God never ceases to AMAZE. I know that I can't get a phone call/email around to everyone, so I wanted to post here, too: Burton and I are no longer together.

I am doing very well. God woke me up at 3:30 Monday morning and told me "Budapest." I can't wait to spend the next few years of my life there. I'll be working very diligently to get myself there by Fall 2009. This was His plan all along. I am so BLESSED!

DONE WITH NATIONAL BOARDS

Turned in the 3 lb. box Wednesday.

Party invitation coming sometime next week. Stay Tuned!

Yay!

I'm in my new place. Anyone can visit any old time :). No couch yet, but it's coming. Gotta go shopping, finish national boards, etc.

Sarah (click on "Wilda's Site") did sooo much better in defining sleuging (her spelling is way better than mine, and I'm an English teacher!).

Parent Night tonight - whew! I'm tired. . .

Fun Times Update

Andrea made me a birthday cake. She's the best :).

Peter organized an amazing event that had Sarah practicing interpretive dance. Sandra brought the cooking oil. Yes, slooging was a blast! By the way, read Peter of Arabia - especially check out "Doggy Poo."

Two Things

Okay, I cave in! I've been working on a short story to submit to a contest. Keep your prayers high for me! I'm also submitting National Boards on Feb. 27th (welcome back to having friends) and thinking about applying to a 3-week poetry extravaganza at Harvard this summer (so cool).

Two names you go by:
1. Coley
2. Cola

Two things you are wearing right now
1. a scarf my Mom got for me this past summer in AL
2. keys around my neck (I'm still at school - it's the only place I have internet)

Two of your favorite things to do:
1. sleep in
2. eat

Two things you want very badly at the moment:
1. to be done with national boards so I can get on with my life
2. to be done with national boards

Two people who will fill this out: aka My Wish List:
1. man, I think it's maxed out? (I don't enough people). Wilda would be awesome.
2. Dwight from The Office

Two things you did last night:
1. Made Burton read my short story to edit it a second time.
2. ate some of his Mom's soup - AMAZING.

Two things you ate today:
1. a frosted chocolate Dunkin Donut
2. carrots

Last two people you talked to:
1. definitely two coworkers
2. on the phone, Burton

Two things you're doing tomorrow:
1. going to Axcess Encounter! (yay)
2. hmm, teaching

Longest trips taken
1. South Africa - flight time
2. length of time - my backpacking trip around Europe
--LOL Sandra at your Z.Z. Top Story - hilarious!

Your favorite holidays:
1. Christmas
2. My birthday

Two favorite beverages:
1. Cafe Verona by Starbucks (I lick the cup when I'm done).
2. Homemade smoothies

Back to editing!!! (short story and national boards)

no pics this time

Burton just said Brier Creek was like a "disney world for adults." haha

Anyway, I found a place! Moving Feb. 8-10 - moving party anyone? There'll definitely be many parties forthcoming!

PICTURES :)

Sarah is such a trooper - we shopped for hours for a duvet cover, but I ended up buying one online because America's dept. stores hate duvet covers.














Barbara and Jeff took me out for a night on
the town. I might move to Durham d-town!















Phillip eating a cookie at our last FCA meeting.


What fun times I've had!

Wedding Delay

Okay Everyone, Burton and I are taking our time. We've been way too stressed about trying to force this wedding along. We are very excited about the future, and I am so glad I get to slow down some :) - takes a lot of pressure off. I'm still getting my own place - yay! I can shop for furniture :).

Eddie also pointed out that I didn't make it clear that I met the daughter in the recent Die-Hard Movie. She was AMAZING. Refer to earlier posts ;).

Cheers, everyone! HAPPY NEW YEAR! I got a digital camera - look for pictures soon.