I so severely need a nap...

I was lamenting to one of my friends today that though the last three years of being a full-time student were crazy, busy, and hard, I somehow always made it home for an hour-long nap between morning/afternoon classes and evening classes. I miss napping sometimes. :) Today was definitely one of those days where I could have easily snuggled up for a little snooze... but that was completely impossible!

Today was the first day of our church's homeschool co-op. I was (and am!) sooo exited, as this is my only "first day of school" I'll be getting this year.



Although she wouldn't admit it, I think Anna (who was a little nervous about her first day with a teacher she hadn't met) had fun packing our lunches - red pepper vegan hummus from McKay's and veggies for dipping - since, as homeschoolers, we rarely get this pleasure.





Of course, it helped that I tucked in a Peanut Chew bar - the only commercially made candy bar that is milk free! - as a back to school treat.






Ruth was a little jealous. :)








Check out my awesome lunchbag! My best friend, who has gone all creative and artsy on me, designed this bag for my birthday, and I have turned it into my lunchbag as it's just the perfect size for my little bento lunchbox (which I seem to have lost all the little containers out of - boo).

This weekend was really long and busy... you know it's been a long weekend when you're excited about going back to work so you can take it easy! :)

One of the things I love about going back to teaching is the chance to network with other folks who have the same passion for teaching, and the sharing of resources that inevitably follows. I was excited to be able to share some of the treasures I'd found over the summer, like Andrew Adam's Center for Literacy Education and his incredible teaching materials, as well as some terrific thrift-store finds. It's just another reminder that my passion for language and teaching continues regardless of my academic status!

Finding Treasure!

I love thrift shopping. :) I used to say this a little quietly, only to people I was sure also indulged, but I've noticed that some of the gals on some of my fav fashion blogs are listing "thrifted" next to their outfits, so I thought I'd join the proud and the thrifty!

Today I hit my favorite thrift shop, "Hooks & Hangars" in Charlotte Hall. I found quite a cache of finds! (Pardon the poor quality of these photos... I broke my camera this summer so I am relying on my phone, which doesn't quite compare).

I found a peasant-top dress which is really gorgeous (no picture, it can't even begin to show the beautiful autumn colors and print). This will be a great dress to wear with tights when I'm feeling a little lazy. :)

Destined for a care package to my friend Becka is this adorable little makeup case with the motto, "When the going gets tough, the tough get waterproof mascara." :)


Of course, no trip to the thrift store would be complete without books. If this had been a sale day when books are ten cents apiece, I would have come home with many more, but as regular prices applied (fifty cents for a hardcover, twenty-five for a softcover) I limited myself and left behind "Eight Verses Or Less: A Study in Poetry" and a hardcover copy of Lewis' "The Great Divorce" (which would have been my third copy :)). I did, however, pick up this small stack.

I finally have a copy of Shakespeare's Macbeth, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, a book about C. S. Lewis entitled The Narnia, a new book entitled Praise Her in the Gates, and Among the Hidden and Among the Imposters, both by Margaret Peterson Haddix.


I am excited about this book about Lewis - he is my favorite author and definitely one of my "spiritual parents." I think every Christian (and every non-Christian too!) should have to read Mere Christianity.


I picked up Praise Her in the Gates out of curiousity and began to skim through it this afternoon. I'm impressed! It seems Biblically accurate and is written in a very encouraging tone. If you want this book after I'm done with it, leave me a comment and I'll be glad to send it along!


Ok... I swore this post would not be about books, but one last comment... has anyone read this new series by Margaret Peterson Haddix? I started to read one of these books years ago, but never finished it... rereading it today was jaw-dropping. The storyline revolves around Luke, a "third child" who is a modern-day Moses in a society where only two children are permitted per family. It's a really insightful critique of the direction our culture is headed, but geared for adolescents. I'll definitely be adding this to my "suggested reads" list.

Other things I've found include this awesome pair of leather boots...



...and purses. Lots and lots of purses! :)



One of the most encouraging things I've learned from the thrift store is that there is really no excuse for not dressing modestly and adorably. I found racks and racks of modest, sturdy, and absolutely adorable skirts in a variety of colors, styles, and materials... cardigans in every color... lots of button downs... dresses and jumpers... all for a fraction of the price you'd pay in a store, and lots of higher-end brands. Especially if you are new to dressing femininely or modestly, I'd encourage you to check out the treasures to be found!

And now, just for kicks, is a funny picture of me with my hair all damp and mussed up from my shower, showing off a pair of $5 multi-colored hippie-inspired oversized sunglasses that I bought on a whim while vacationing with my best friend. They make me smile, so I thought I'd pass along the sunshine. :)




In a little while I'm off for a weekend away with my mother's side of the family - I'm just waiting for my fabulous boss to call so I can drop off the kitten on my way out of town. It was the last workday of the week for three of us at the store today... as you can imagine, we were all a bit antsy and ready to let the weekend commence. Lots to get done before next week, but I'm determined to just lay it aside and enjoy the next few days (and the beautiful weather!). Have a great weekend everybody!

Small Bits of Grace

I've been down in the dumps lately... I was sick almost two weeks ago and it seems like even though I'm "better" (i.e. have been forced to go back to work, routine, etc), I've felt really run-down ever since. It seems to take so long for me to recover from anything allergy- or cold-related, and I've just been dragging myself around feeling sick, tired, and depressed. Since fall is usually a time when I begin to struggle more with depression than any other time of the year, the fact that I felt depressed, after doing so well all summer, made me even more depressed (how's that for a vicious circle?!).

I have been trying so hard this week to force myself to feel better - thinking about all the things I have right now that I didn't have this time last year, thinking about all the wonderful experiences that I have been able to have, thinking about all the amazing people I have as resources should I really feel the need to get some input or encouragement.

It didn't really help. On Sunday I felt especially discouraged that, after all that I had learned over the last few years, I still find myself in the same emotional struggles every year...

Today I came home from work and just felt drained, knowing that I had to be up at 3 AM to go back to work, and looking ahead to a (hopefully fun but)stressful weekend on vacation with my family. I was desperate to make myself feel better somehow... all I wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep.

Instead, I ran on the treadmill with my Fuze cranked up full blast to some uplifting tunes and hit the shower. Instant mood lift! I know that later on in the year, when I am feeling worse, this won't work as a temporary "fix", but at the moment I am grateful for small blessings and a little bit of grace.

Some other things I am thankful for:

~ A manager who always says "Thank you" at the end of the day and means it; who also makes sure everybody gets a break if it is at all humanly possible; who can hold an intelligent conversation so that a really, really long day becomes a little less so.

~ A great haircut, and being friends with the person who makes it happen. :)

~ Coffee and Red Bull, but most of all, enough sleep so that they become luxuries, not necessities.

~ A relationship with my dad that is the best it's been in 10+ years.

~ The amazing way that God has worked in my life, in ways I could not have foreseen or imagined ahead of time.

~ That, despite the fact that I feel myself getting "blue," fall is still my favorite season. And that after fall comes spring, and feeling better. :)

Some Resources

Just a few of my fav resources that I use in my own personal research/study, as well as teaching:

Online-literature.com - I have found very,very few pieces of literature that are not included in this beautiful online repository. To search for a particular piece (or even just browse among the authors!) click on the "authors index" link in the first paragraph. In addition to the literature itself, it offers nice author bios, info on particular works, and a discussion forum where lit buffs can wrangle questions about plot, setting, theme, and anything else that catches their fance.

abcteach.com - If I need a worksheet fast and I don't have time to create it from scratch, or if I'm in a bit of an inspiration "slump" and need a fun activity idea, I hit the good folks at abcteach.com. While there are many pages limited to their members (I think membership runs about $30 a year and is probably worth every penny), there is a bevy of pages available for free, which tend towards the colorful and fun!

Of course, I'm a stickler for format, so I love The Owl At Purdue. MLA format made easy!

Bits and pieces

What to post about, what to post about? :)

Not much is going on for me right now besides work and getting ready for fall.

I still enjoy snuggling with the family's latest baby, "Ranger". I have never considered myself a cat person - I'm for dogs all the way! - but Ranger has almost changed my mind. :)

I can't wait for the homeschool co-op to start again - I'm teaching two classes this year, "Writing and Composition" and "Film and Television," both at the upper high school level - but just in case the year doesn't go as smoothly as I anticipate, I'm prepared (see above :)).

This morning, after I was unable to sleep in (my last chance to do so for eight more days, but my body is used to getting up at 5 AM these days), Maggie and I ducked out for a little shopping and lunch date. I had money in my pocket to spend on new shoes for fall, and legitimate reason (it seems like all my shoes save pumps are literally falling apart!), but I couldn't find anything I liked that also fit well. Eep. Time to go to the mall, I guess.

I was in the mood to explore, so we ducked into the new Irish pub in town to check it out. No pictures, as I did not have a camera with me. Unfortunately the menu failed to grab either of us (the most "interesting" thing listed was a grilled chicken breast stuffed with apples and brie with plum sauce, but it was the only interesting thing and was priced quite a bit higher than the rest of the menu). Maggie ended up ordering a pub salad, and I went for the fish and chips. Maggie's salad was a bit of a flop - a very large bowl of lettuce with a few (very few) slices of green pepper and cucumber - but my fish and chips were actually better than the average seafood restaurants' around here. We both fell head over heels in love with their thick steak fries in malt vinegar. I don't know what they do to those potatoes, but goodness! Mmm!

The atmosphere was fun - lots of Irish folk music - but if we returned I think I'd throw "high dining" to the wind and aim for the fried. :)

My car air conditioning lost its oomph this week and though I was only without it for a few days, I am grateful to my dad for recharging it. I have had about enough of summer. I am looking forward to fall, sweaters, and tights!

Sightseeing in D.C.

One of the things I love the most about living in beautiful southern Maryland is being within easy day-trip distance of our nation's capitol. I love the pulse of the city, the opportunity to people-watch, and most of all I love all the knowledge that is within such easy reach within the city. I love to spend a day in the museums and memorials.

Today I was exploring for the first time with my younger siblings Anna (16), Elizabeth and Allen (13), and Ruth (9). This is the first time the kids and I have hit the city sans parents (although my father metroed in later and took us all to dinner after a long day of walking).

In spite of the recent accidents that seem to be plaguing the Metro system, I love the convenience of the system. Here we are departing!

Something about riding Metro never grows old for kids. :)

We were destined for the American History Museum, but the peril of walking in D.C. is that there is always something fascinating that calls for a stop and a perusal... like the sculpture garden, one of my personal favorites. I love the playfulness of many modern sculptures and I'm fascinated by shape and form, period!

I loved this fun take on "The Thinker!"

Something else I love about sculpture is the way it changes as you change positions.

We did finally make it to the American History Museum and the display we came to see - the film and television "Hall of Fame"!

We found Dorothy's slippers...

Kermit the frog (I was sad to discover that none of my siblings had any clue who "Kermie" was!!!)...

And Oscar the Grouch! :)

Downstairs in the Lobby, I found another dear childhood friend! :)

After we finished in the American History Museum and met Dad, several of my siblings wanted to revisit the Natural History Museum. If I had to look at the Hope diamond or dino skeletons one more time, I was going to die... so Ruth and I parted for a quick run through the art gallery!

My favorite display was easily this new display of light and motion called "Multiverse." This is easily worth going to the gallery for alone! Try as I might, I could not get any pictures that came close to capturing the incredible beauty of this piece...

... However, this video at least gives you a sense of it.

Some of the pieces that Ruth and I deemed among our favorites included these geometric-y pieces.

We also found this picture by Jean DuBuffet, titled (very loosely translated) "Facade of a City Block". In fact, we liked it so much that we memorized the artist name so we could come home and google the picture!





This picture is too small to show much detail, but each of the little white spots in the windows is a face with its own personality! It truly captures the idea of a city block!

Maggie and I had visited Chop't during our last trip to D.C. for a concert at Strathmore, and so we walked to Chinatown for dinner.

For those of you unfamiliar with the concept of Chop't, it's like a giant salad bar stuffed with the most awesome of ingredients, like black beans, chickpeas, sesame noodles, grilled tuna, avacado, edamame, hearts of palm, kalamata olives, goat cheese, craisins, and much, much more. You select your lettuce base, pile on the toppings, and the chefs then dice all your tastiness together with a mezzaluna knife (like this one). Everything ends up nicely distributed, so you get a bit of each flavor in each bite!

It was delicious as always. :)

It was a lovely trip, but my poor feet have had it. :) As one of my favorite books as a child ends: "At the end of a long, long day, it's nice to be alone and think about tomorrow."

New Curriculum Review

For the last two years, as I've been teaching various English-related classes through my church's homeschool co-op, I have ended up writing/assembling my own curriculum. This was not for lack of looking for a ready-made curriculum to use - I would have been glad to find one; however, it just seemed that all the curriculae I looked at were either too childish and relied mostly on rote busywork (which I hate as a main learning tool), or too mature or explicit (including themes, language, or analysis that was offensive or just too heady for my younger highschoolers).

For my first class, an introduction to poetry class, I actually spent several weeks writing my own curriculum, complete with workbooks and lesson plans. For the rest of my classes, I ended up selecting my own literature, pairing it with discussion prompts I developed, and writing my own classroom charts, handouts, and worksheets. It worked well - it was tailored exactly to the level and interest of my students - but it was time-consuming.

Imagine my excitement when I attended HEAV this year and discovered Andrew Adams and his Center for Literacy Education! Finally a "curriculum" that I could apply to any piece of literature, complete with teaching method, supplemental materials, and resources. After sitting through two of his seminars and looking through his exhibit table, I ended up buying his Worldview Supplement (including DVD set) for this fall.

I am looking forward to selecting literature to use with this method for the upcoming school year!