Come from behind Winners...a Tribute to Whitney and Caron

Where did we go wrong? Was it when we played the King too early and couldn't catch the three? Was it when we forgot about the Big Joker being able to trump the Little Joker? Was it when we bid 7 three times in a row and thought we might have a shot at winning our first match from a negative 8 deficit? I don't know, but Wanda and I could not seem to get our cards to fall in the right places together. And neither could Caron and Whitney. They got smoked so bad by Dad and and Tom the first game that they were finished well before our game and had to spend some quality time in the kitchen munching on cheesecake bites, fruit and dip, and chips and guacamole. (Of course, this didn't upset them at all.)

When Wanda and I finally lost and were met with the other first losers, we thought our game was going to turn around. We had come back from the negatives to actually playing competitive, so we figured our luck would come with us to our new table. And yes, it did. We lost that game in another landslide.

So Dad and Tom beat Faron and Spencer, and went to the table to play Caron and Whitney, who had to win two games in order to claim the championships. And this, much to everyone's dismay, they did. They both pocketed a whopping $7.25 and left full and happy.

During the championships, the rest of us, not too interested in watching someone else play, decided to play 9 rounds of Mormon Golf. This got a little intense when Wanda, a new player to golf, was kicking the daylights out of all of us. She did end up winning, but not before I got to hand out 20 points to everyone! :) (Oh, and so did Wanda, but since she won, it doesn't count, right?) :) Next time, we'll have to play for a few quarters.

Here are some super easy and super delicious recipes that were big hits Saturday night. They are perfect summer and spring recipes, but I think everyone was craving fresh fruit in the dead of winter.

Super Easy/Super Delicious Guacamole Dip
2 avocados
1 Roma tomato
1 lime
salt

Peel and mash the avocados, dice the tomato and add to the mixture. Slice the lime in half and squeeze one half of its juice into the mixture. Stir. Add salt to taste. Serve with tortilla chips (I'm in love with Tostitos Multi-grain.)

Super Easy/Super Delicious Devonshire Cream Fruit Dip
1 small Hiland whipping cream
1 cream cheese (softened)
1 cup sugar

Whip the cream cheese, (yes, it will stick in your beaters), add the whipping cream and when a little fluffy, add your sugar. Whip to your desired consistency. Serve with apples, grapes, kiwi, and other fruit of your desire.

I'm a Keeper

This is Preston. He wore this shirt today. Here are his thoughts on why he wore this shirt: "I always get the worst kind of girl...so I just thought I'd wear this shirt today to prove to everyone else that "I'M A KEEPER!"

So really, it's his tactic to attract the kind of girl he wants. So if someone actually believes his shirt, he should be swarmed by girls. But today, he says, "it's not workin' out too good, but maybe it will when I go to town tonight." Poor Preston. I know he will make a fine husband and father...someday.

It's the first Friday of this week. This class is behaving miserably. They are not writing, but smack-talking their way through the last 25 minutes. We had accomplished nothing until the yearbook girls walked in and had everyone complete a form to order their 2009 Williamizzou. This, I thought, might get us back on track...but nope. It didn't. They went crazy as usual.

The only thing I've accomplished is this:

Amanda, guess what I have?

What?

Since the summer I've been collecting the nice candles jars that the White Barn Company uses for their candles.

REALLY??!! How much do you want for them???

We'll talk about that later...but would they be something you are interested in for you senior project?

Oh, yeah. Definitely.

Crazy For You...by Madonna

I've been reading the latest of Edutopia. The entire December issue follows a theme called The Collaboration Age: Teachers Jump Into the We Generation. I couldn't help but snag it from the table in the teachers lounge. These types of magazines are always laying around in the lounge and I'm pretty sure very few people thumb through them.

I can't concentrate because it Cherish by Madonna is on. The kids want Akon, but I could only find 30 second segments of his songs.

Brittney is asleep today. We are all totally wiped out this week, the first week back. I wonder if she had to work last night. She woke up briefly, looked at me, and then put her head back down and pulled her hoodie over her neck and ears. She's cold, or she hates Madonna. Kayla is writing in her journal. Kyle is doing a pretty good job of writing for just recently starting the class; Blake's just looking at his paper...he's written about a half page. Matt is writing, then pausing, then writing some more. He sits quietly and unnoticed. Robert pretends to write, or maybe he's drawing today. Cali is here for the first time since Thanksgiving. Kayla writes. She used to have a fabulous journal but she is writing in a composition notebook now. I wonder where her pretty journal went. Shelby writes. She writes all the time. She works on things in here and she never seems to run out of things to write. I think her fluency has definitely improved. Morgan is writing as well, and her and Shelby are sharing Shelby's ipod. Samm is writing tucked away in the corner. The layout of this class amuses me. They all sit as close together as possible even though we have empty tables for them to spread out. It took a while for Cheyenne to get started, but she's . Jessica is stretching. Garrett and Bobby are writing s l o w l y. They don't write much. Fetty goes in spurts. We are listening to Vogue now.I can't stop singing in my mind.

Uninspired by Chris LeDoux

I'm at a loss for things to write about right now. We are listening to Chris LeDoux. For some reason country music has never been too inspiring for me. It's first block: 8:30. I've been at work for almost an hour and a half--faculty meeting this morning.

I wish I knew the potential my keyboard has. There are so many numbers and letters and function keys. I'm still using only the ones I was taught in Mrs. Luna's keyboarding class 25 years ago. I was a pretty good typist back then, and even went to contests at Missouri State for speed. I can't remember what they called it. But we never learned what F8 did, imagine what Fn + F8 could do when pushed together with the control key. FYI--it controls my touch mouse pad. :)

Janet has been having a wonderful experience with her job lately. She's felt the rush and anxiety of opening a new After School Academy, followed by the joy of watching the kids utilize all she and her staff have done to make the ASA a true educational experience where students are engaged and active in learning that is valuable to their own being. I can't remember all the details, but she's been running this program for the better part of 10 years and they have now moved into a new facility.

We're in the 3rd song. These are quite soft and soothing...even if they are country.

Come Away with Me

We are listening to Nora Jones during warm-up writing. We've never put her on, and it's very soothing...and makes me think about friends and places a million miles away in my mind.

Nora Jones got me through one summer in Brazil a few years. I never stopped listening to her on the plane, on buses, working at the children's home; my earbuds were never far from my body. I put together a photo album of pictures of Brazilian children living in stonecutter's villages. These children were happy. Their homes jutted out from the sides of hills where their front yards, back yards, side yards, and every yard was ground dust leftover from their older siblings and parents cutting through the earth to dig up marble slabs to sell. Every time I see marble tabletops, or marble kitchen counters, I think about the children who grow up learning how to cut marble from the earth for just a few cents a day. They live with no running water, no electricity. They serve alcohol to men. And cook for their mothers. Many walk around without shoes. I visited three days in a row once and never saw any change their clothes. I left them with crayons and fruit and a little piece of my heart.

Seven Years, by Nora Jones

Spinning, laughing, dancing to
her favorite song
A little girl with nothing wrong
Is all alone

Eyes wide open
Always hoping for the sun
And she'll sing her song to anyone
that comes along

Fragile as a leaf in autumn
Just fallin' to the ground
Without a sound

Crooked little smile on her face
Tells a tale of grace
That's all her own

Spinning, laughing, dancing to her favorite song
A little girl with nothing wrong
And she's all alone

This song always brings tears to my eyes for all the children throughout the world who just want someone to stop and listen to their song.