No internet

I am currently living without internet. Did you ever think it was possible to live without it! You can! I am doing it right now. Of course I stop into Caribou and other places frequently enough that you could make an arguement that I am not really living without internet... BUT, I am living without in my home. Which means I am drinking a lot of coffee not at home too.

Algebra

I kinda surprised some folks yesterday in our faculty meeting. It's true that I am the sorta person who does more listening than talking, and at work, I kinda keep to myself because I am too focused on work to really think about socializing. So, I think that perhaps people don't really know the real me and have a false idea that I am just sweet and pretty and not much else. So here is where the surprise comes in. Our assistant principal was leading a math session and gave us a problem that involved finding the prices of several pieces of fruit. The fruit combinations and totals were given, so the task was to find the price of the individual pieces of fruit. My first approach was to assign all the fruit a variable and solve the problem algebraically. It was just linear algebra, so it was easy enough to solve and plug and solve some more... So, the fact that I approached the task this way blew away the ladies I was sitting with, whom then asked me why I was teaching first grade, and when I then demonstrated my solution to the entire staff, I was applauded! It made me smile to think I surprised some folks who probably were thinking, "Who'd of thought that Miss Downey had that card up her sleeve?" I wonder if they'd force me to teach 5th grade or higher if they also knew that I got an A in calculus too!

Homemade

I really need some input here. I do a lot of different arty/crafty things. And, I usually do a pretty good job if I say so myself. Most of my work lately is bead weaving, but I also have done some knitting and sewing and painting (I don't claim the painting to be any good!) Anyhow, I often times give something homemade to someone as a gift at Christmas or a birthday. However, sometimes I get a less than excited reaction, and it makes me wonder if homemade gifts can be done too often? I mean, do I give a homemade gift one year and not the next? Does it make me seem cheap? One gift I am working on now I think is beautiful, and although I am only half way finished, I have already invested about 4 hours into it. I personally think that the investment of time makes the homemade item worth more than the store bought item, but I could be bias! So, I really need some folks to chime in here! Are homemade gifts ever not appropriate? Can they be done too often? Are they sometimes perceived as "cheap?" I need to know before Christmas rolls around! If you don't tell me, you might just get an unwanted homemade gift! Here are some pictures of recent homemade things to help your thinking process!

Ironic

On Tuesday I got my hair cut. Most people haven't noticed and probably no one will. But, I did get 7 inches cut off! I needed to tame some of my wild locks, clean up the ends, and go for a more "respectable" length. But honestly, I miss the inches that are gone. I enjoy the blanket of hair that I am known for having. Part of what motivated the cut was a picture taken by a school photographer. I was ALL hair, completely overwhelmed by hair, and it was shocking. So, I had it cut. It still falls down to the middle of my back, which according to everyone else, is still very long. For example, I was at work today when two other teachers commented that my hair was SO long. I laughed and said, "actually, I just had 7 inches cut off!" Which, they both displayed adequate disbelief over. I added, "it feels short to me." They just shock they heads and gave me that "huh?" look. Its just a little ironic that 2 days after I had it cut, people were commenting on how long it is. And yes, it does feel short. I'm used to it being much longer, and much wilder. I feel like I have gone backwards in time to about 25 when my hair was this short. Anyhow, I think by about January it will have grown about 2 inches, and that will be perfect :)

Dr. Jekyll in the fur!

So I tried to get Dr. Jekyll to pose for the camera, but he just wasn't having it. I think the beeping waas actually making him a little crazy. So this is the best shot I could get. I think it's a good shot of his crazy adorableness :)

Vote for Me.

I can't vote. I don't get a choice. But you do. And even if you don't agree with me on all the issues, PLEASE go vote. If you won't got vote for yourself, please go vote for me.

AND his boots leak!?!

I've shared this a couple years ago and found it again. It makes me laugh until my stomach hurts! It's too good not to share again.

These are actual excuse notes from parents excusing their children from missing school (includes original spelling):

~ My son is under a doctor's care and should not take P.E. today. Please execute him.

~ Please excuse Lisa for being absent. She was sick and I had her shot.

~ Dear School: Please ekscuse John being absent on Jan. 28, 29, 30, 31,32, and also 33.

~ Please excuse Roland from P.E. for a few days. Yesterday he fell out of a tree and misplaced his hip.

~ John has been absent because he had two teeth taken out of his face.

~ Carlos was absent yesterday because he was playing football. He was hurt in the growing part.

~ Megan could not come to school today because she has been bothered by very close veins.

~ Chris will not be in school cus he has an acre in his side

~ Please excuse Ray Friday from school. He has very loose vowels.

~ Please excuse Tommy for being absent yesterday. He had diarrhea and his boots leak.

~ Irving was absent yesterday because he missed his bust.

~ Please excuse Jimmy for being. It was his father's fault.

~ I kept Billie home because she had to go Christmas shopping because I don't know what size she wear.

~Please excuse Jennifer for missing school yesterday. We forgot to get the Sunday paper off the porch, and when we found it Monday, we thought it was Sunday.

~ Sally won't be in school a week from Friday. We have to attend her funeral.

~ Please excuse Jason for being absent yesterday. He had a cold and could not breed well.

Dr. Jekyll

I can hear a few things from the chair at my computer: traffic zooming down Briarcliff rd, the hum of the fridge, my downstairs neighbor's ceiling fan (it's less than 50 out!), a bus, and the sweet cry of a kitty. It makes me wonder if it's Dr. Jekyll down there. I go look, but I don't see him, so it must be another kitty. But secretly I was hoping it might be Dr. Jekyll so I could go down for a visit.
Dr. Jekyll is a kitty the lives somewhere near my apartment. He has a collar and looks pretty clean and healthy, so I think he belongs to someone. Dr. Jekyll is solid gray and definitely not shy. He walks right up to you meowing the whole way. He definitely wants your undivided attention. He doesn't have a tag on his collar; I gave him the name Dr. Jekyll. You see, he has this crazy habit of crying for attention and acting sweet, but once you start giving him some affection he starts to eat your hand. And these aren't just little love bites, they are big monster love chomps, including menacing swats from his front claws. I can't figure out why he goes a little mean when you start to pet him, but when you start to walk away, he follows you for more attention!
Part of me thinks that Dr. Jekyll isn't getting enough attention at home (that would be the teacher in me!) and another part of me wonders if he was feral once, and just never got totally domestic. But, regardless, although it took a few careful and tentative pets from me, I learned the art of giving Dr. Jekyll some affection without getting my hand eaten or sliced and diced. When he lays down, you gotta be careful, that's when he's ready to swat. But if he's standing and circling, petting is definitely what he wants. He's such a peculiar little guy, but I think he recognizes me, and I enjoy our little encounters. I don't have a pet of my own, so these little interactions make me feel like Dr. Jekyll is a little bit mine too even if he is a little crazy.
Sometimes I don't see Dr. Jekyll for awhile, and I wonder where he goes when I finally get back to wherever I was going when we bumped into each other. But it's certain that if I even hear a kitty meowing outside, I always check to see if it's Dr. Jekyll coming by to say. "hi!" And it kinda makes my heart smile whenever I it is him dropping by. I can handle that kinda of crazy :)

What do a USPS Truck, MARTA bus, ATL PD, and MARTA police all have in comon?

They've all be sitting in front of my apartment building now for at least 30 minutes or more. At first I thought it was weird when the USPS truck pulled up on the sidewalk, and then the MARTA bus pulled up behind it and just hung out for awhile. But I didn't clue in that something was actually up until I got out of the shower and they were both still there, but now accompanied by their own set of police officers and cruisers. The wonders of the city never cease to amaze me. I'm thankful I don't have to drive south on Briarcliff Rd right now or try to get in my driveway!

Divine Intervention

I know the table is nearly the very same color as the floor, but the table was free! This is the story. One day recently I walked into work and my coworker asked had I settled into my new place yet. My response was, "yes, but I need a table." What a weird way to respond, especially since I was actually still doing a lot of unpacking (see box in corner!) He says, "A table? We have a table you could have." We discussed a few details and that was it. A dining room table, free! And besides the exact coordination of that conversation, I felt like God kept leading me to wait for the table because something just right for me was going to somehow come along. And, without any worrying or stress on my part, no extra cash or budget stretch, God provided the table that I just knew was going to turn up if I waited. Thank you ABBA, God that you are involved in the day-to-day details!

My Prayer for America

We live in a country that we are lucky enough to choose who is going to be our leaders. But, in the process, we tear apart each other with our passionate disagreeing. Friendships, families, communities all broken over differing ideas on how best to handle issues like health care, education, and taxes. Why does choosing someone to be our leader have to leave behind a wake of pointing fingers, rumors, harsh accusations, and heartaches? As I was talking to God about some of the issues we need to make decisions about when choosing our new leader, my heart was broken over how much hate I see and hear when people begin to express their opinions on these things and the people surrounding them. There is not just a dislike of or a disagree with the other ideals and candidates it seems, it is searing, passionate hate. When did our freedom lead us to draw such rigid lines in the sand? Why do you have to be on one side or the other? So this is my prayer, in form of a song from Watermark, for our country as we draw closer to and after this presidential election comes to a close.

Mended

You repair all that we have torn apart
And You unveil a new beginning in our hearts
And We stand grateful for all that has been left behind
And All that goes before us

You've got all things suspended
All things connected
Nothing was forgotten
'Cause your love is perfect
You are our healer
And you know what's broken
And we're not a mystery to you
oh Lord, to you

We will dance 'cause you restore the wasted years
And You will sing over all our coming fears
And We'll stand grateful for all that has been left behind
And all that goes before us

Lord, you mend the breech
And you break every fetter
You give us your best, but what we thought was better
And you are to be praised
You are to be praised

You've got all things suspended
All things connected
Nothing was forgotten
'Cause your love is perfect
You are our healer
And you know what's broken
And we're not a mystery to you
oh Lord, to you
to you, oh Lord, mender of the broken

I'm in love with the Farmer's Market

Its fantastic. You go in and there is fresh, delicious produce, for much less than the grocery store. And the spices are wonderful too. They have dried fruit that is to die for, flowers that are gorgeous, and every variety of fish you could dream off. And of course, who could pass up the delicious prepared foods? Its all wonderful. Farmers Market, I love you.

No Power in First Grade

Once upon a time there was a sweet teacher and a class of students sitting down to watch a Magic School Bus video about plants and seeds, because the class had been learning about the parts of a plant. The children lined up their seats near the TV just like they were at a movie theatre. The teacher turned off the lights and told the class when the video was over they'd have a test over the parts of a plant. Just then, as the video was starting, all the lights went black, the computers shut down, the TV stopped, and the kindergarten class next door screamed. The power had gone out! And our excited first grade class could not watch the science video or take the science test (as the sweet teacher had not yet printed it off the computer). The teacher, being a master of improv, quickly asked the class what they thought a group of people should do if the power suddenly goes out. A bright young boy put up his hand and said, "Read a story!" Which, was exactly the answer the sweet teacher was looking for. So the teacher grabbed a chapter book all about first grader, and read the antsy class a chapter of the story. It was a good story. It was all about a first grader who had a loose top tooth. When the chapter was over, the lights were still off, and the sweet teacher was secretly hoping the principal would send everyone home. Since the lights were still off, the teacher asked the students to make a picture of their favorite part of the first chapter. Soon children were creating pictures of peculiar colors because its hard to see what color you're using in the dark. Pictures finished, children got out toys to have some inside recess and some snack. Our sweet teacher thinks that this power outage must come to an end soon, but as the timer goes off for children to clean up, the power still has not come back on, and now its time for reading centers. What is a teacher to do for reading centers when there is no power? How are the children suppose to listen to the stories on CD? How are the children suppose to use the computer? How are the children suppose to see the words on the pages? How is our sweet teacher going to sharpen pencils in the electric sharpener? Alas, the sweet tired teacher can not let the children play all day, so onto reading centers they go, playing puzzles instead of listening to a story on CD, and writing sight words on dry erase boards instead of using computers, and doing their best to use broken, dull, barely there pencils or in the worst case, a crayon. It was not the best solution, but it was going to have to do. Right about the time when our sweet teacher's eyes seemed too tired to strain to see any more words and just in time to go to lunch (all sandwhiches, because the cafeteria can't cook steak and gravy or chicken chunks without power), the computers flicker to life, the lights buzz on, and the kindergarteners next door squeal with delight. All the children's learning was done in the dark, but fortunately they get to eat in the light! And our sweet, tired teacher wonders why, at the end of the day, she is sometimes exhausted.

Traffic at Church

I was surprised today when I witnessed the human condition, and was actually a little disappointed where I saw it too. Its no big secret that we have a traffic problem at Buckhead Church. If I didn't attend church there, I would avoid going to that area of town on Sundays. But, I do go to church there, and love it, but today I was surprised by my fellow members! Let me tell the story:
I was turning off of GA 400 onto Lenox Rd., making a left hand turn. Traffic was backed up to that intersection and all the way to the next light, which is not unusual. I had to make a left at the next light where there are 2 left turning lanes. I lined up to wait my turn, which I thought everyone else would do also, but as I naively sat there in my car, people started pulling out around the line of traffic and cutting off the people who were patiently waiting for their turns to make the left at the light. At first I just thought it was one rude person, but then I saw car after car do it, and I amazed; couldn't believe it! What is this? Here we are going to church to learn how to live lives that reflect the heart of Jesus, and we are cutting each other off so we can get there first? Is this so we can get a better parking spot? Or better seats? And if so, doesn't that also show that we are failing at reflecting the heart of Jesus who wouldn't fight for the best parking spot or the best chair? I was truly shocked that even at the place we go to learn how to live better we treat each other with very little courtesy. Would it really hurt for us to wait maybe 5 extra minutes?
Now, I know that I am not a perfect driver, that I am guilty of taking control of intersections when it's only maybe my turn, or squeezing through on a yellow light. But for the most part, I think that I am at least aware of the other drivers around me, and I try for the most part not to take someone else's turn, cut people off, or just be plain rude. And maybe this morning God was trying to get me to think about my driving habits and really evaluate how they show my opinion of other people. If I really respected other people, I probably wouldn't tailgate them or get all frustrated when they aren't driving exactly how I want them to drive. Hmm, this is not an easy city to practice courtesy when driving, but you know, I think I really am trying, especially on Sunday morning! And that doesn't mean I am driving super-slow, it just means I am looking for you out on the roads, and respecting the fact that you have the right to drive there too!

It's a book store, they SELL the books...

I love Book stores. They are my personal favorite stay-cation all over town. I love them. Today I happened to be in a big one, when I overheard a guy being down right nasty to one of the customer services guys. His problem? They didn't have the book he wanted. Luckily another one of the stores at a different location had the book, but this mean old man didn't care that he could drive 10 minutes down the street to get a copy, he wanted that book in that store at that moment! When another customer service guy came over to join the conversation, he made the mistake of trying to explain why they didn't have the book (someone else bought it), and this somehow made the man ever more angry. He went to the lengths of saying to the gentlemen, "Look at me. I am a customer, and you should treat me like one." Whoa! Someone is pretty self important. It makes me wonder how people get so self-centered. What exactly has happened in his life, or hasn't happened, that has him under the impression that the whole world is set up to revolve around him? Sure he is the customer, but wow! What about a little common courtesy! It's not like the book store sold the book just to spite you. I found myself wanting to go over and tell the man what a jerk he was being, but alas, I did not. So, here I am telling you Mr. Mean Old man, you can't treat people like that. That's mean and nasty, and even my first graders know better. Be nice, mean people are not cool.

New Day, New Blog

Life changes fast doesn't it? Sometimes everything changes at the same time, and sometimes just one thing changes. But it's constantly something different from day to day. Life for me has been full of changes for the past 6 months. The summer was particularly full of changes, culminating in August, when everything was changing at the same time: New school year, new grade to teach, new colleagues, new lease at a new apartment, new friends, and even a new leader at Waumba land (which means a lot of new also). To be honest, its been hard to deal with all this newness all at the same time. I commented that the only thing that seemed to be the same was that I was driving the same car and my hair is still long. And then my mom added that my family is still the same. But, they are changing too! My little brother is getting married, someone new is being added to my family, and my family is spending its first Christmas in Atlanta this year! But all these new things are good things, and God is using them to produce good things in my life too. And I am not the only one with newness in their lives! I know a couple of people with exciting newness in their lives, and it reminds me that anything new can happen at any time, and it could be amazing newness! So, with all this newness, I've decided that the lessons of Living 101 have drawn to a close. I have learned living 101, it's now time to tackle living 202, where I am sure I will tackle bigger issues and more difficult lessons that God has planned. So, with a new chapter, a new blog.