Musings Aloud

So Tell Me Again?

2011-04-18T13:16:00.000-04:00

"So tell me why again you do that?" he asks me after I mention that I count gifts.

He glances up at me, a half~smile curling his lips and I sense that he just wants to hear, to watch me speak.

I smile also as his hand finds mine, feeling like Ann as I explain, "I count so that I see God in everyday moments, so that I'm thankful and don't miss all the gifts that point back to Him." Eyes meet and... breathe... "This moment is a gift..."

:: friends who draw out my hidden & latent spontaneity
:: hands covering eyes during a scary movie, an arm beside me to grasp
:: peach glow fringed with slate clouds, backdrop to mountainous skyline
:: a quick visit that turns into 6 hours
:: dense fog giving way to muted luminance of murky lights as I drive toward the city
:: baby smiles at the coffeeshop, little ones who beam into face and rub each other's bald heads
:: white tree blossoms blown across the street, bouncing like popping popcorn on the pavement
:: spring photoshoots with future suitemates

Counting at Holy Experience today:

Anything but my Age

2011-04-04T12:53:00.000-04:00

Why I'm Young at Heart

:: I look young.

My age was always overestimated throughout my childhood and teenage years. Perhaps because of my height? Or astounding maturity? ; ) But currently, my sister & I are asked who is older and she was born two months after my fourth birthday.

:: I eat dry Cheerios.

:: I {heart} goldfish crackers, fruit snacks, animal crackers, candy necklaces, & ring pops.

:: I can't hold back tears. My emotional regulating abilities can be a bit... lacking.

:: Sometimes I wear my hair in a high ponytail and whip my hair back and forth like Willow Smith.

:: I thrash around in foaming ocean waters, ride the waves & let my hair become whipped and salty, never sunbathing on the shore with sunglasses and perfect hair like the other early twenties ~~girls~~ women.

:: My profs still refer to my peers & me as "the kids."

:: Sometimes I just want my mom.

:: My idea of a mixed drink involves Ginger Ale & Cran~Grape Juice.

:: I attend birthday parties at the local Bounce~Plex; jumping, running, sliding...

:: I wear jingle bell earrings at Christmastime.

:: I lack self~control around chocolate.

Why I'm an Old Soul

:: I read mommy blogs.

:: I probably have stronger opinions regarding Gary Ezzo & Dr. Sears than any other non~mother my age.

:: I can't stand cartoons.

:: I contemplate life while sitting in coffeeshops.

:: Noise & chaos wear me out.

:: I need several shots of espresso in my system throughout the day, coming from delightful sources such as mocha frappuccinos & chocolate chip mocha crunch coffees topped with mountains of white chocolate drizzle & more chocolate chips.

:: I read theology books for fun.

:: I keep a baby names favorite list.

:: I'm fascinated by local history and family genealogy.

:: I'm a "cute dress w/ leggings, sophisticated metropolitan fashion" enthusiast.

:: Flashing lights and rock music in church aren't my style; I attend a small, reflective/contemplative, service~oriented, hipster~influenced church.

:: I feel most "myself" in a teacher~caregiver~mommyish role.

{What about you? Are you young at heart? Or an old soul?}

What So Much Depends Upon

2011-03-30T16:29:00.003-04:00

We're sitting in history class and professor clicks to the next powerpoint slide.

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.

~{William Carlos Williams, 1923}

The air is aWkwArD. It feels....

too simple. Uncomfortably so.

I scan the class from my perch in the back of the classroom, --{I always sit here to survey... I watch.}-- upholstered bucket seats & stadium seating fall in terrace below my lookout.

My eyes stop on slouched basketball star, his hair braided in thick rows. He frowns at the poem, no doubt unimpressed, re-reading, thinking there must be more.

I shift in my seat, half-waiting for someone to say what we're all thinking. "Yes..and??"

Lectures on the 1920s & Modernism showcase this period's willingness to "risk a certain amount of incoherence and experimentation in order to challenge preconceived notions of value and order."

Professor says, "I wrote my entire dissertation on this William Carlos Williams poem."

But how to eek out meaning in sixteen words of apparent randomness describing an arbitrary scene? & exactly what "depends upon" it?

Yet, isn't this a lesson to learn? This challenging preconceived ideas of beauty, of significance, of ways of life? Taking each moment as meaningful & each breath as bread?

I feel the moment suspend, one moment of life that I could let pass and forget for it's assumed insignificance.

In the margin of my notes I scratch down:

so much depends
upon

a brow knit
together

perched on tiered
seating

searching for meaning
in quotidian.

Fudge, Steak, & Pimples

2011-03-28T12:33:00.002-04:00

This semester I have a practicum in a second grade classroom four mornings a week.  Since I'm used to 2, 3, & 4 year~olds, these mid-elementary students seem like BIG kids to me!  Nevertheless, they've supplied me with some fun tiny talk snippets!

 {via}

: : Standing in line waiting to leave the classroom, glasses hanging on the tip of his nose, Boy Ba announces, "I wish I had some chocolate fudge right now!"

You & me both, boy!!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

: : Returning from our field trip, Girl M spots animals grazing in a distant field. "I want steak! Are those horses in that field? If they're cows, I want to stop and kill one to make my steak."

What a lovely thing for a vegetarian teacher to hear!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

: : Boy Br volunteers to turn out the lights so the class can see the SmartBoard projection. Returning to his seat, he grins at his tablemates, declaring, "My pimples are getting big!!"

He, of course, means "pupils."

{After teaching in the education field for a few years, will I finally stop feeling the urge to laugh at inappropriate comments? Doubtful. I just hope & pray no one decides to fart out loud in class. Student teacher laughing at farts = not a good look.} Linking up with Mary for Tiny Talk Tuesday.

Gifts {139-148}

2011-03-21T12:40:00.001-04:00

| Amish apple pie and cinnamon rolls with buttercream icing

| dashing through warm spring rain

| first crocuses of the year

| 2nd graders on picture day

| "That was kinda fun.. working with you," after one-on-one instruction with hard~to~reach boy

| eager raised hands to volunteer answers

| waking up at 8 am & feeling like I slept in

| white chocolate mocha crunch in the morning

| "I miss you" text in the still of night

| dreams, anticipation of summer

And finally, just slipping this in here.

My photo was one among the featured at the Bloom Book Club

at Incourage in this final post of the series.
Five of my munchkins & I are on the second slide.

"The First Bloom (In) Courage Book Club"

Create a free slideshow with Picnik!

So appreciative and honored to have been a part of reading Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts with a community of readers.

& the counting continues. . .

Multitude Monday

2011-03-14T03:30:00.001-04:00

I try to count and realize I've lost track. Haven't recorded since. . . Christmas? I check back and oh, of course -- picking up at 130:

{130} .. roadtrip to friend's hometown & shopping weekend

{131} .. crackling of spring thaw

{132} .. chocolate chip bagel in booth corner

{133} .. a moment of quiet in pitch-purple stillness of late night

{134} .. speaking with only a gaze

{135} .. hilltop view of city lights

{136} .. instantaneous connection between stranger {& no longer stranger} and I

{137} .. heart~to~heart with young mentee-friend

{138} .. stampede of tiny feet, jump-&-cling hugs

Giving thanks with Ann today:

Threes About Me

2011-03-12T19:49:00.001-05:00

I was looking through my drafts folder and found this little diddy that I wrote several weeks ago but never ended up posting.

Three names I go by:
1) Miss Leah
2) Leah Bonita
3) Leah Boo

Three jobs I have had in my life:
1) Daycare teacher
2) Babysitter
3) Pianist/violinist for special events

Three places I have lived in the past:
1) Morgantown, WV
2) Grantham, PA
3) Philadelphia, PA

Three favorite drinks:
1) Mocha Crunch Coffee (Java Cooler) from Organic Grounds
2) Cake Batter Shake from Coldstone Creamery
3) Starbucks Mocha Frappuccinos

Three shows I watch:
1) The Bachelor/ The Bachelorette
2) Supernanny
3) What Would You Do?

Three favorite foods:
1) Lentil casserole
2) Arroz con habichuelas rosadas {Puerto Rican rice & beans}
3) Chocolate cake

Three things I am looking forward to:
1) Graduating college w/ degree in elementary education & Spanish
2) Becoming a teacher in inner~city Philadelphia
3) Adopting a child from foster care

Joyful ~ {faces}

2011-03-09T12:23:00.000-05:00

This sweet little girl was being feisty, giggling & dodging my camera. I captured her joyful face in the middle of a side-to-side fake-out. She's a two year-old of 1,000 expressions.

But of all 1,000
I love to see her joyful
most of all.

Hot Off the Press: Tiny Talk

2011-03-08T18:38:00.002-05:00

This week is my spring break, so yesterday I went into the daycare center to visit some of my kiddos! Truly, whenever I feel as though no one really cares, all I have to do is pop in and love on those little ones. Getting stampeded upon my entry speaks volumes. : ) ♥

Inevitably, any time I stop in, I'm bound to glean a few tiny talk snippets.

I was holding little Announcer {not pictured} while we were watching an episode on the Dora DVD that I had bought them for Christmas when I noticed her hair smelled a little....different. "Announcer, did your mommy spray something in your hair?"

"Yeah." *grin* "Bug spray!"

Evidently, .....she was getting over lice.

{A few minutes passed. This time, Announcer was still on my lap but facing toward me.}

*Huge smile* "Miss Leah, your earrings are big, big, BIG. They're bigger than your cheeks!!" she said as she held my hoops to my face. *Pause* "But, you DO have big cheeks!!"

Yeah. I've missed them. ; )

Linking up today with Mary's Tiny Talk Tuesday.

A Sampler of Diamonds, Engagement, & One Thousand Gifts

2011-02-21T17:14:00.002-05:00

1~Belly Bling & a Growing Up Thing.~1

Look what I did:

Yep, that's a pic of my bedazzled belly! Much to the chagrin of certain family members, I got my navel pierced just over a week ago. No, I don't plan on walking around with my midriff showing all the time now. I got it pierced mostly for myself; I'm learning that it's usually worth it to "go for it" & try new things that I've always thought, "Wouldn't it be neat if..."

Two years ago I decided to have a sideswept bang cut into my hair. I met resistance with that idea, too. However, I am SO GLAD that I got my hair styled the way I wanted, and so far I'm very happy with my belly piercing, too. I think a 22 year~old can decide these things for herself, especially since they are rather inconsequential! ; )

& if you're offended by my picture... join the club! ; )

2~My Gift Girls.~2

One blog that I read faithfully is A Holy Experience by Ann Voskamp. Ann recently authored a book entitled One Thousand Gifts. There's a book club over at (in)courage for this book; I'm following along with the book club in a semi~participatory fashion as I seek to keep up with reading the chapters on top of all of my required daily activities.

Under the "meet the readers" section of the One Thousand Gifts website, there is a slideshow of readers with their One Thousand Gifts books. I don't think mine has been added yet, but I submitted the picture shown above, one of me with the book & five of my blessings. I look ALL KINDS OF CRAZY in this photo, but I love love love how sweet these five little girls look. Each one's personality is so apparent simply by viewing this photo.

...

Gifts!

3~Congratulations!~3

My brother is now engaged! I will finally have the big sister that I always wanted!

I didn't get permission to post their picture on my blog, but surely a pic of the bling is in order since that seems to be the theme of the day!

The wedding will be in October. Yay Tyler & Bethany! : )

4~Sacred Time.~4

It's easy to tell what ancient cultures held as their sacred objects of worship. My prof said something during a lecture the other day that really made me think. He said that if future societies were to analyze our physical artifacts and our patterns of life, they would think that we worship. . .

{source}

Time.

Think about it. What governs our day? What do our schedules revolve around?

When is the only instance an otherwise well-meaning person would deny another person proper acknowledgement/attention/concern? Probably if time was running out!

Even the expression referring to time "running out".. being depleted... shows how valuable time is to us.

What is placed at the highest, most prominent place in most rooms? Not a religious symbol of any kind!

A clock.

Sometimes I have to stop & remind myself that here is now.

Breathe. I am here in this moment.

Right now.

Be still...

{source}

Linking up with Miscellany Monday today.

The Space Between

2011-02-10T23:00:00.001-05:00

{source}

The song admits, "I always fall for your type" & it's true.
You are mine, you wounded yet strong
you soiled yet redeemed.
Ours is a Romeo & Juliet saga,
Star-crossed though our paths crossed
from different worlds that couldn't quite fuse.

Yours is a life that spins on revolving door.
I'm different than any you've had before
I intrigue you, but how do you know I won't leave like the rest?

Mine is a life of privilege and formal academia
but with a heart for the downtrodden,
a heart that beats in rhythm with the hurting.

May we ever meet in that place,
the place where black & white make gray?
where an ages-old chasm rejoins?
where you and I make a we?

Accents/Dialect Vlog

2011-02-03T17:04:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer: I can't STAND to watch myself in movies. I apologize in advance!

Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught

▪ What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?

▪ What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?

▪ What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?

▪ What do you call gym shoes?

▪ What do you say to address a group of people?

▪ What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?

▪ What do you call your grandparents?

▪ What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?

▪ What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?

▪ What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

My Heart Hurts

2011-01-11T22:36:00.000-05:00

I've been silent for a while, & I'd be lying if I said it had everything to do with the start of a new & busy semester. That is certainly part of my preoccupation, but there are other things that are causing me to struggle.

I fully intended to write a post on my 2011 word of the year,

~Release~

but as I introduce you to my word of the year, I can already say that it's been more of a stretch than I had ever anticipated. When I chose "Release" I had specific things in mind of which I knew I had to let go. However, I've been asked to release things already that I never thought I would have to say good-bye to. And it hurts. I thought these were good things, & maybe in some situations they are, but at least for a time... I have to release them.

Even when it breaks my heart.

A non-related, heart~happy moment.

____________________

Letting go of certainties.....

......grieving the loss.....

......releasing.....

~::Counting the Multitude of Gifts::~

2011-01-03T18:53:00.000-05:00

|a peek into the manger. . . dare I behold?

|new perspectives on Christmas

|22 years of life

|42 facebook birthday wishes

|new life

|terrycloth sleepers

|baby coos

|piano & guitar improv

|cookie dough

|melty, spreadable chips

|a silent night

|chocolate drizzle

|my toast to 2011, given 3 minutes before midnight

|"happy birthday baby girl!" text buzzed in 15 seconds before the ball dropped in Times Square

|my virgin appletini with sugar crystals on the rim

|a Light burst forth in the darkness

:::

Tiny Talk Tuesday :: Christmas Edition

2010-12-28T17:51:00.000-05:00

I've been blessed with some work hours at the daycare center over this Christmas break. Next week I work every day for 8 hours! Last week I worked 3:00 to close, & during those times I gleaned two little Christmas~themed tiny talk nuggets to share.

Here's a picture of the featured gals {taken last summer}:

Too bad they lack so much in cuteness & personality {sarcasm}! ;-)

Miss polka dots on the left was so excited about making pretend gingerbread men in our class after reading The Gingerbread Man. She later related how she decorated her craft, and apparently not understanding her explanation, one of my co~workers asked, "What is it that you made?"

"A chickenbread man!" she replied excitedly.

Go ahead & say "chickenbread man" out loud; it does sound quite like "gingerbread man"!

Miss baby blues on the right has been featured on Tiny Talk Tuesday several times before & maybe some other blog posts too, but I can't really post her picture AND use the alias that I've given her {because then certain events that I've related before will start getting matched with images of certain children, & I'm not comfortable with that.}

Anyways, as this little one was opening a mini gift bag that was given to her by a classmate, she pulled out two candy canes & exclaimed with glee, "Look! TWO candy lands!"

Link up & share some tiny talk at Not Before 7!

I have an itchhhhhhh!!!

2010-12-18T15:03:00.003-05:00

... to work on my blog! New posts & new design are long time in coming!
I have to finish up a few final assignments for
Monday, & then I'll be done for this semester.
I am in serious need of a BREAK!
I've found that many bloggers say that they'll be taking
some time off writing over the Christmas season,
but blogging is my leisure time, so I'm hoping to be back more frequently
in this little tiny corner of the web in a few days.
Hey, I can still spend time with family
& friends, bake cookies, go Christmas shopping,
AND enjoy time online, right?? : )
Additionally, I want to jump in {or maybe start from the beginning}
with Ann Voskamp's Jesse Tree devotional for advent.

At any rate, I'll be back soon! Until then, eat a cookie for me & sing a Christmas carol!

A Proverb

2010-12-09T03:03:00.000-05:00

"The rich & the poor have this in common: . . .

. . .The LORD made them both."

~Proverbs 22:2 {New Living Translation}

On Roots & Wings

2010-12-02T14:51:00.000-05:00

My heart and my wings scream city skylines, subways, rowhouses, inner city teacher, & urban nomad of the downtown fast~paced & gentrified. Yet, there is no doubting the bit of mountain & farm country blood that flows through my veins, diluted by time & experience.

At my mom's mother's home, she sees me open my red paisley messenger bag & remove my lap top, set up my materials & settle in with my companion through many nights of tireless work~ a companion monitor~faced and garbed with keyboard & touch pad.

"You gonna study? I guess you probably want online, don't you?"

"You all don't have online?" I ask, already knowing, eyes round in mock shock.

"No, the only line we have is the clothes line out back. And it's in full service."

Some Tiny Talk Soundbytes

2010-11-29T23:38:00.001-05:00

Earlier this month with one of my four year~old Pre~Ks

Three year~old Cheerleader half runs, half waddles down the playground sidewalk.

"Cheerleader, is your ankle okay? You're limping a little bit."

"Yeah, I was just....*gets distracted*...umm, what was I talking about?"

"You were telling me what happened to your ankle."

"Yeah, I just hurt it at home when I fell off the jumpoline."

:: :: :: :: :: ::

While enjoying free play in the pretend kitchen area of the classroom, two year~old Santa's Helper puts a tiny pretend piece of bread on the floor & exclaims, "Look!! It's MANNA!!"

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

I give my two year~old cousin a Melissa & Doug Cupcake Set so that she can pretend to bake & decorate cupcakes. We play this together at the kitchen table.
After Elizabeth finishes decorating a cupcake, she says, "Here, let me put its pants on," as she slips a paper liner on the cupcake's bottom.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

Tiny Talk to share? Head over to Not Before 7!

The ABC's of Thanks

2010-11-24T19:00:00.000-05:00

:a: all of us; humans & all creation~ shalom
:b: break~through moments
:c: chocolate
:d: dreams
:e: education
:f: field experiences in the early learning center & elementary schools
:g: gatherings of family & friends
:h: hearts ♥ ♥
:i: intentionally serving
:j: Jesus
:k: kisses xxx
:l: little ones; namely, MY little ones {you knew that one was coming}
:m: mocha java cooler crunch coffees {you also knew THAT one was coming}
:n: new beginnings
:o: open minds, eyes, ears. . .doors
:p: Philadelphia
:q: quaint coffeeshops
:r: resiliency
:s: Stacy, a friend like none other
:t: teaching
:u: urban culture & urban education
:v: violin; though I haven't played recently, the ability to play & know music has been a gift
:w: words & The Word who was & is God
:y: youth {my K sisters & my "ia" triplets}
:z: zzzzzzzzzz's ...aka, rest

The Girl on the Piano Bench

2010-11-23T18:44:00.000-05:00

♫ I have been taken before.

You're not the first to rob me of my peace & sanity.

You run over my heart,

and then ask for it back.

But you're not even human.

You're just the lovely idea

of one who I accidentally loved

and gave everything~

to become the girl on the piano bench,

singing all of her tears away.♫

Lyrics excerpts from "Not Even Human" by Angel Taylor

Allow Me to Be Petty For Just A Moment. . .

2010-11-22T16:49:00.001-05:00

. . .
while I take a break
from the not~so~petty pre~Thanksgiving
crunch time that has left me up to my ears
in practicum observation reports
& online quizzes
& lesson plans
& pointillism for two year~olds
&. . .

Some of my blogging pet peeves:

:: using word stubs like "delish", "presh", "maybs" & "hubs"...I've maybe done this in a comment or two before, but the problem is that my brain repeats what it hears & sees. I annoy myself. It's true.

:: syrupy sweetness. Now, if this is the blogger's true style, the posts can be really quite homey & cute! However, I have a very sensitive BS detector with an alarm that goes off if it senses...well...BS.

:: pre~packaged comments like, "Thanks for sharing!" You may as well have said, "I'm just popping my head in here to invite you to click over to my blog, comment, & follow."

:: when people get mad at their followers for not contributing enough $ to whatever cause they are currently championing. I LOVE when bloggers use their blog as a platform for supporting altruistic organizations, but when it doesn't turn out as the host blogger had envisioned, reading a huge guilt trip rant does no one any good.

:: punctuating! the! end! of! every! sentence! with! an! exclamation! point! Is! it! really! that! exciting!??? Well! then! carry! on!!!!!

:: excessive complaining in general {this post might qualify, huh? ;-)}. But seriously, can you tell that it makes me want to pull my hair out when people don't realize that there's life outside of blogging & people that exist outside of themselves?

/pettiness. Back to the daily grind. : )

When I'm a Mommy. . .

2010-11-15T14:38:00.000-05:00

How will I guide my children in the way they should go,

when I am still myself figuring all this out?

How will I teach them to value & respect their bodies,

while avoiding the obsessive modesty standards that seems to say, "I am what I wear."?

How will I teach them that certain behaviors are unacceptable,

while encouraging kind & nonjudgmental hearts towards those who make different choices?

How can I justify primping in the mirror every morning,

while insisting that character trumps outward appearance?

How will I protect them from the dangers "out there" in the world,

while allowing them to hurt as God hurts when He sees suffering & injustice?

How will I teach them HOW to think,

without attempting to teach them WHAT to think?

How will I teach them the importance of being grounded & stable,

while encouraging them to live the questions, be inquisitive, always ready to learn something new?

How will I tell them that I am their support & advocate, that I'll always have their back,

when I know that I will fail them?

How will I teach them what I believe & pour my heart into forming them into adults,

yet gracefully accept when they come to believe differently than Mommy believes?

How will I give them roots

. . . and wings?

Miscellany Monday

2010-11-01T00:32:00.004-04:00

{1} recent coffeeshop digs.

It's no secret that I love coffeeshops & that I frequent Organic Grounds, a local coffeehouse. However, recently I've begun stopping by our on~campus coffeeshop. Here are a few pictures {excuse the quality; taken from my phone}:

Now, this may not look like much, but this space is very sleek & suave for our small, Christian liberal arts university. I love the contemporary Manhattan loft feel of the space!

Below is another camera phone shot, this one taken at Barnes & Noble:

That's a Mocha Toffee Frappuccino. Note the tiny plastic Starbucks shot glasses provided for water.
Too cute!
Or maybe I'm just strange.

{2} fear forest.

This is where I toured last Saturday night. I've never been to a haunted house {or forest, as it were}, so this was certainly a new experience. To be honest, it wasn't that bad! The goblins that jumped out mostly targeted the squealy girls {you know the ones}, so I was careful to keep my cool.
I wasn't scared at all!~ BUT... I must admit, the claw marks in poor Cory's hand and arm tell a different story. ;-)

{3} home is where I'm with you.

I've substituted at the daycare center 3 afternoons in the past week. I was so happy to see the kids again because I've been sadly MIA since my school year has begun.

Clearly, they love this spinner.

Would you believe me if I told you that I wedge myself down

into that seat & spin with them, which promptly sends hoards of more children

over to us squealing & laughing & demanding room be made for them, too?

That would never happen. I am far too dignified.

{5} how can I..

..change the color of my Feed-jit? I can't figure out how to customize the color without having to download this & sign up for that. Please help me if you have any ideas! Additionally, I want to design a new header for Musings Aloud, so if you have any pointers on that, I would be so thankful!

Link up your miscellany with Carissa at lowercase letters!

While I Should Have Been Reading Piaget and Studying Biodiversity & Toxicity Levels...

2010-10-21T22:34:00.001-04:00

I changed my blog! I actually have the same background because I'm not yet
willing to part with this "Fabulosity" print, but I've purged the clutter & made it a bit
airier and brighter.
Hopefully a new header to come. Possibly soon. Most likely in the far future.

However, the special Scriptura font that I downloaded &
installed for my post titles is now gone. Apparently selecting a
new template altered that customization..? The strange thing is, the
Century Gothic that I set as my default font has remained. I don't have the time at the moment to
go back & muddle through the html to find out vhat ees dee pwoblem with the
vanished Scriptura font, so if anyone has any ideas,
do enlighten me!

Oh, & have a marvelous weekend!

I Count Because. . .

2010-10-18T02:55:00.005-04:00

. . . when I give intentional thanks,

my heart is worshipful, my restless spirit is content, and my mind ponders the praiseworthy.

~.:Gifts 100 ~ 113:.~

~: the long~awaited & ardently hoped for "let's catch up soon"

~: unseasonably warm temperatures

~: apple cider

~: dinner on the rooftop

~: goldenrod, scarlet, crimson, amber, burnt sienna & rust

~: birthdays & 49 years of life for the person who knew me before I realized I existed

~: night out with one of my besties at a funky, artsy joint

~: courage to join the spinning, dancing circle

~: boom box necklace purchased during my last visit that distant & happy summer

~: one~on~one time with the new third grade student, frail & meek

~: leading toddler music & going crazy with bean bags, scarves, & rhythm sticks

~: an email to my prof from my field placement advisor praising my skills & abilities {for real, now?}

~: cinnamon rolls with buttercream icing from the farmer's market

~: tears that wash clean the eyes of my heart

Photo taken April 2009 in North Philly, Puerto Rican quarter; Lehigh & N. 5th area

Count with us as part of the Gratitude Community at Holy Experience:

Top 15 Worst Pick~Up Lines ~ Compiled by Yours Truly

2010-10-13T19:35:00.003-04:00

{1} Have a baby by me, baby- be a millionaire! {compliments of 50 Cent}

{2} You make me wanna say 'oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh my gosh!!!!' {compliments of Usher}

{3} Is your dad a terrorist?~ because you're the bomb!

{4} I've heard that my shoulder makes a pretty good pillow.

{5} I forgot my phone number. Can I have yours?

{6} Is your daddy a pirate? 'Cuz you could have fooled me with booty like that!

{7} Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?

{8} If you were a booger, I'd pick you first.

{9} Wouldn't we look cute on a wedding cake together?

{10} Call me Fred Flintstone; I can make your bed rock!

{11} You look like my ex.

{12} You be my Dairy Queen, and I'll be your Burger King.

{13} You must be tired, because you've been running through my head all day.

{14} Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk past again?

{15} What's the name of your perfume? "Catch of the Day"?

Now, the million dollar question: Have any of these gems been used on me?

Unfortunately. . . . yes.

Can you think of any other heeby~jeeby~inducing pick~up lines to add to this list, ones that are either totally cheeseball or grossly stale? Do share!

Tiny Talks with a New Batch of Little Ones

2010-10-12T01:03:00.003-04:00

It's been awhile since I've participated in Tiny Talk Tuesday. The reason? Resuming my college courses this fall has packed my schedule so that I can no longer work at the daycare center {except an occasional late afternoon}. My life has been sorely lacking in little people, and I miss them oh-so-much!

However, some of my current education courses require that I spend a few hours a week in our lab preschool, so I've gleaned a few tiny talk soundbites to share!

I don't know these children well enough to give them aliases yet, so the first letter of their names will have to do for now.

: :

"What kind of flowers are these, E----?" her mother asked her as we entered the school, pointing to a flowerpot of yellow flowers.

"Chrysanthemums," itty-bitty-tiny-petite two year-old, squeaky-voiced E---- replied with perfect articulation.

One of the teachers later commented to me with E---- nearby, "She speaks with such great articulation!"

"Articulation," E---- echoed with each syllable pronounced and consonant crisp.

Later, I was playing with L------ in the pretend kitchen area of the classroom. As we were serving up a tea party, P----- wandered over to join us. {Both, like E----, are girls, two years old, and extremely verbal}.

"Oh look," L------ said to me. "I think P----- wants to be our guest."

"No," P----- replied. "I don't want to be a guest! I just wanna live!"

Overheard any tiny talk from the little ones in your life? Link up and share over at Mary's Not Before 7.

~JOY~

2010-10-03T15:44:00.000-04:00

"A single joy shatters a hundred griefs."

This week's photo challenge at Aspire is JOY and I immediately knew I have no better selection than this photo in my archives with that simple title.

The contagious cheerfulness on the faces of these two beautiful baby girls radiates off the photo. How blessed I was to be their teacher for a time!

Her fingers say "peace" and their faces say "joy" . . . sheer, innocent, untainted . . .

Who is that Girl?

2010-09-29T17:25:00.000-04:00

Just a few oldies. . .

on this Wednesday. . .

for your enjoyment. . .

and my embarrassment!

{baby in the car seat = sister. little boy = brother. the blonde in each photo = me, of course}

Whether wordless or wordfull, share you Wednesday with us and link up with a lovely photo

at Hannah's Aspire.

For Who? For ME??

2010-09-23T15:34:00.000-04:00

I've been given my first blog award by the lovely Hillary! This lady has even published a book, so I'm both shocked and honored to learn that I was one of the bloggers she had chosen for this award. : )

I don't know how soon I'll be able to write the "About Myself in Seven" considering my coming days will be filled with exams, quizzes, papers, and presentations. . .

but I do want to express my honor and gratitude.

I've often pondered my lack of a blogging niche, but describing my multi~faceted~ness as "versatile" makes it seem like a positive thing!
Thanks Hillary! I'm not blushing ~ but beaming!

MiScellaNy MoNdAy

2010-09-19T21:17:00.001-04:00

source

{1} someone get these squirrels a Nicoderm patch.

In the winter/spring of 2009, I spent a semester at the Philadelphia campus belonging to my former college. Part of this experience included taking courses at Philadelphia's own Temple University.
Fun fact about Temple University: The squirrels that frequent Temple University's campus allegedly have a nicotine addiction because they chew on the cigarette buttes galore smoked and littered by the Temple students.

{2} the three~story crash.

Speaking of college craziness, an apartment in a local college complex collapsed last Friday night. A party was in full swing on the third floor, the floor gave way, and many people crashed through to the ground floor. The result: crushed pelvic bones and clavicles, injured spines and numb legs.
I tell you this because my young 15 year~old friend was one of those who fell. Her eye was busted and people fell on her head after she crashed to the ground from the third floor; she was taken to the hospital in one of the ambulances.
I stopped by her home on Saturday to check in with her and give her a get well gift card to her favorite restaurant, Chipotle. She is doing well, but please pray that the vision in her injured eye will be restored and for the other people injured in the accident. I'm thankful that no one's injuries are life~threatening.

{3} almost autumn. fairly fall.

source

All of the "autumn is here!!!" gleeful celebrations make me think, "Oh yeah? Where?" We're still having daily temps in the 80s around here.
I've already made the first step in transitioning to this new season, and that is accepting that I'm back in school. ;-) The second step is one over which I have no control, and that is for the weather to match the season. However, we've been experiencing such beautiful days, it's difficult to wish too hard for some aerial crispness. One seasonal trademark that I HAVE been enjoying, though, is apple cider from our local orchard!

{4} not a bed of roses.

Have you heard of Iya Isoke? She's a poet laureate in Harrisburg, PA, a place where I have many fond memories. {If you're ever in Harrisburg, you must visit City Island and Cafe di Luna}. But back to Iya Isoke. . .
She once spoke a quote about the practice of writing to which I deeply identify. These words may as well be my own, if only I were as eloquently articulate and poetic:

"I have tried looking at the world through rose~colored glasses, but the thorns of reality continue to pierce my eyes, and so I blink back the bloody tears and write what I see."

Miscellany musings to share? Link up with my bloggy friend Carissa at lowercase letters.

Counting the Endless Gifts {89-99}

2010-09-13T14:54:00.010-04:00

"Sing to the Lord of the harvest, maker of field and of sky. God of the seasons both fallow and full, speaking the world into life.

Come to the Lord of the harvest, come to the table; rejoice! God, who has given the hunger for song, fill us with breath and with voice.

A field of voices raised up and gathered, now we offer a harvest of song. Hear our hallelujah! Hear our grateful amen!"

::pumpkin smoothies

::veggie croissants

::new friends

::concerts, dramas, and musicals

::cornfields topped with a golden~baked crust of tassels

::apple spice cake

::skies splashed with sunplosion, tree silhouettes in the foreground, rays streaming

::learning new teaching strategies and child development principles

::the ability to miss, to feel, to grieve an absence

::baristas who know me by name and begin to make my drink as soon as my foot crosses the threshold

::second chances

Song is "Sing to the Lord of the Harvest"
Lyrics by David Wright
Music by James Clemens
Copyright 2004

Head First Into the Books

2010-09-06T00:17:00.015-04:00

{via}

Now that school has resumed {the time distinguished by my running around like a chicken without a head}, I'm not too sure how often I'll be able to steal away moments to blog. I hope I can keep up somewhat with my "out loud" musings, as this is a creative outlet I've really enjoyed during my semester off school.

There probably won't be as many stories written about my kids {yes..MY kids..I insist that they are} because my academic schedule doesn't permit me to work like I have been for these past months. I will, however, be in a field experience in a local elementary school as well as in our university's early learning center. The privacy policies at these schools are more stringent than I'm used to; simply making up online aliases for the tots won't be sufficient I'm afraid. :-/

Perhaps the only written pieces that I'll be able to post are class writing assignments. You wouldn't mind, would you? I know you'd be so thrilled to muddle through some gritty first drafts and edit them for me! Awesome.

Maybe I'll have more free time than I currently anticipate, but just remember: even if I'm gone awhile and only post sporadically,

{via}

What are little BOYS made of?

2010-08-31T21:36:00.003-04:00

.:Unwrapping the gift of the little boys in my life this Tuesday/Wednesday:.

What are little boys made of, made of?

What are little boys made of?

Smiles and stains. . .

trucks and choo~choo trains.

That's what little boys are made of.

7 Quick Takes Friday

2010-08-26T23:09:00.026-04:00

~1~

Question: What could cause my "vain" twenty~one year~old self not to care if snot and smooshed green beans are wiped upon my white shirt?
That would be if this little dumplin' flips backwards in her chair during lunchtime. Which she did.

These littles always have the same look on their faces when they take a spill; they look utterly shocked, but at the same time, they look right at me and know I'm coming for them.

It wasn't until after I had comforted her, calmed her down, and had her focused on devouring her mashed potatoes again that I noticed my shirt was decked out with the beans that had fallen with her and her boogies. And I didn't even care. :-)

~2~

After taking this past semester off, I'm returning to college this fall. I transferred to a university here in my hometown, but I'm keeping the same major, of course: elementary education.

I'm learning that sometimes the plans we make for ourselves aren't always what God has in mind. Letting go is difficult, but "I'm had by the love unexpected, the hope still strong, the tender surprises only God can imagine," as so beautifully said by Ann Voskamp.

~3~

Here's another gal in the midst of making an academic transition:

Meet Princess Tiana, star of several Tiny Talk Tuesdays.

I would have included Princess Tiana's photo in my Lovely Photo Wednesday post along with the other little girl who is leaving the center, but I actually borrowed this pic from her mother's facebook and then edited it myself.

When I talk to Princess Tiana, I honestly feel like I'm speaking to an adult! She is so advanced and will do great in the Pre~K program. And she's clearly adorableness overload!!

~4~

One web tool that I have been utilizing and enjoying is the Colorzilla. This Firefox plug~in allows you to click on any color on any webpage and copy the color code to your clipboard; then all you have to do is paste the code where it belongs in your html! This point-and -click color dropper has been super handy as I've been making some changes to my blog. It's so much more convenient than trying to match colors and muddling through all of those six digit color codes!

~5~

One story that I saw on my Yahoo homepage a couple weeks ago that immediately captured my interest was about a woman who is making a dress every day for an entire year, using an old dress and making it new with a budget of $1 per day. That's 365 days, 365 dresses, and 365 dollars. Check out her site here!

~6~

I have enjoyed meeting up with my friend Marilea this summer and talking about everything from school and love to spiritual gifts and exorcisms. *Laughing* Marilea and I attended the same high school, but it's been since graduating that we've actually become closer friends. Funny how you think you know everything at 18, but things still manage to change! We've "met in the middle" and I'm glad for these life surprises.

~7~

"You did it: you changed wild lament into whirling dance;
You ripped off my black mourning band
and decked me with wildflowers.
I'm about to burst with song;
I can't keep quiet about you.
God, my God,
I can't thank you enough." ~Psalm 30:11-12

You'd Be Hard Pressed to Find. . .

2010-08-25T03:59:00.007-04:00

. . . a little girl who is more photogenic. . .

than this one.

This photo captures her essence to a tee. Can you see the spunk in her spring? The blaze in her eye?

Here is my most recent shot of her, after the summer sun has warmed her biracial skin to a golden brown, piercing green eyes dancing ~

Simply. Lovely.

No longer at the center where I teach, yesterday she began a pre~kindergarten program at one of the local public city schools. And she's still only 3!

Smart, creative, mature, nurturing, ~~bossy~~ a natural ~ born leader, NEVER wordless {Wednesday or otherwise},
I hope you learn SO MUCH this year and that you never lose your zest for life.
Miss you bunches! ~Miss Leah

Re~evaluating Product and Success

2010-08-22T16:59:00.018-04:00

I've been reminded

to "enjoy every inch of the mess . . .

. . . and those responsible for it."

The crumbs, the scattered toys, the chaotic play areas

are signs of life, and life lived together.

"Miss Picasso, please clean up the blocks you were playing with before you dump out the farm animals."

"Fireball, we don't roll the markers off the table on purpose. Please pick those up."

"Muffin, you know better than to slap the puddle of apple juice you just spilled. Wash your hands, and here's a paper towel to clean up your mess."

These are important lessons to teach young ones, but is a spotless classroom true success? A schedule with seamless and smooth transitions a sign of a good teacher? Are the products that truly matter the ones that are seen?

What about the invisible moments, the ones that no one but God sees, ones that change and shape these young lives? Perhaps, just maybe, my type~A tendencies need to fall by the wayside in order to truly invest in these moments of our lives intertwined that will vanish before I'm ready.

Even when my flip flops adhere to the sticky floors, ripping them off my feet and leaving them stuck to the floor in my wake.

"Sure, let's read another story. This sweeping can wait."

"So I saw that there is nothing better than that a {wo}man should rejoice in {her} work. . " ~Ecc. 3:22

Baby Names that Aren't

2010-08-18T22:19:00.001-04:00

"Cellar door" ~

. . . apparently the most beautiful combination of words in the English language. There's a bit of disagreement regarding to whom the cellar door meme should be attributed, but apparently it's been coined and re~coined and studied and re~studied by influential writers including fantasy writer J. R. R. Tolkien and poet/writer/literary critic Edgar Allan Poe. {The repetition of "nevermore" in The Raven is supposedly inspired by admiration for the euphony of "cellar door".} Most recently, in the "On Language" column in the New York Times, Grant Barrett studies the cellar door meme.

:: Cellar door ::

Does it sound beautiful to you? Can you disregard the meaning that our language attributes to these mere sounds?

Phonaesthetics is the study of the inherent beauty OR unpleasantness of the sounds of certain words; euphony, being pleasant, and cacaphony, being unpleasant.

I must confess, I listen in everyday conversation for words that are phonaesthetically pleasing and amuse myself by imagining that these words could function as names for people.

Thinking of such words as names is amusing only because it IS so difficult to dissociate the word from its meaning. However, if I'm successful in thinking of these words as just combinations of various sounds, I can think, "Hmmm. . .this does actually sound like a name!!"

Here is my list of baby names that, well. . .aren't:

Camera
Ecstasy
Calorie
Debris
Celery
Lasagna
Malaria
Memory
Apathy
Vanity
Chlamydia
Witness
Limber
Canister
Mascara
Tendril
Militia
Dijon

Do you have any suggestions for additions to my "could be names if only they didn't mean that" list??

I realize that this is a strange subject, but it's one of many results of my love of language. : )

Miscellany Monday ::: Little People Edition

2010-08-16T17:00:00.022-04:00

::You scared me, Peanut::

It absolutely freaks me out when people sleep with their eyes open. Today this sweet little gem fell asleep with his peepers unclosed.

His eyes were almost completely open; I could even see him going cross-eyed. He would occasionally turn to look at me and make his eyes into tiny slits. Was he really asleep? Was he pretending? Then he stopped moving, his little body just still, his eyes staring ahead unfocused. I had stared at him for so long that my eyes began to play tricks on me, and I thought he had stopped breathing. My blood turned cold. I called his name just like the frantic people in the movies do, and I checked his vitals.

Of course I was flipping out over nothing, but in that moment I was convinced something was really wrong with him! He was fine and breathing well, but I called over the other teacher to confirm that Peanut was indeed just sleeping. : )

::Blessings::

I'm still counting my endless gifts as part of a community of gratitude at Holy Experience. Check out my latest list addition to find out what one two year~old saw when he spotted this paint splatter on the floor:

::Watch out Tyra Banks::

I don't know about you, but I don't look this cute right after I wake up:

Miss Photogenic, even though you're prone to going crazy and having epic meltdowns, the two year~old class just wouldn't be the same without you. You're spunky, witty, quick...and just plain cute! : )

Link up with your own miscellany over at lowercase letters!

Endless Gifts |80~88|

2010-08-15T14:03:00.017-04:00

On the days when the curses seem to outnumber the blessings, on the days when the butterflies are smashed on the highways, I keep counting to keep my sanity. . .

Even when I can only think of 8.

:: opportunity to continue my education, and thereby achieve my career dreams

:: meeting new people

:: identifying shapes with little ones.."Das a hoowwut." {That's a heart.}

:: having a girl talk fest with a co-worker during naptime

:: realizing that my difficult experiences, though specific, are also universal

:: "Hi Miss Leah!!!!!" greetings and running to the playground fence when I arrive

:: beauty from the ashes, a harvest from the barren

:: viewing the world through untainted, innocent eyes:

Pointing to a paint splatter on the ground, Cherub lets out an exclamation. What do you think he saw?

"That's blues clues!!" Do you see it?

May I continue counting forever these forever gifts, missing none, giving thanks for each and every.

Shots of Amnesia

2010-08-13T18:27:00.011-04:00

Disclaimer #1: I don’t intentionally wish to be depressing; however, if you’re in particular need of an uplifting, “rainbows and butterflies” blog entry, today may not be the day to read this post.

Disclaimer #2: Drinking and drug paraphernalia are mentioned. Now, before you go calling Dr. Drew on me, I have no substance abuse issues; such phrases are merely symbolic and indicative of raw emotion.

Disclaimer #3: The following reads as a rap/spoken word. I’m an expert in neither.

Light me up, fill my cup
With shots of amnesia.
Give me a hit, so I can forget
The plagues of this season.

Squirt lemon sour, on the rocks by the hour
This potion’s sure to ease the
Pain of betrayal, heart pierced with nails
Loose the chains that have seized ya.

Just to know the truth, recover my youth
And from these lies be freed up,
Start again, forget where I’ve been
With shots of amnesia.

Miscellany Monday

2010-08-09T17:39:00.017-04:00

{1} With less self control, I would be bald.
Today was one of THOSE days. You know the ones. Especially if you spend any length of time around small children regularly. I gush about my job so often on this blog that it probably seems like it doesn't ever challenge me. Ha! By the time 5 year~old Pixie threw mulch at me, deliberately disobeyed consistently with an apathetic expression painted on her face, ran out of timeout 7 times, and told me flippantly, "Yeah..well..I've already heard all this before...so..." as I was explaining to her why she had to stand out, I was ready to pull my hair out! And that was only in the morning. And an encounter with only one child. Today the Pre~K had 16 high~energy, ~~disobedient~~, ~~naughty~~ attention~seeking children.

{2} Watching their quest for love.
The Bachelorette finale aired last Monday night. What am I going to do with my Monday nights now that it's over? Oh yeah! The Bachelor Pad! Some of my favorite former Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants are coming back for another shot at love {plus there's a money component..hmmm}. The Bachelor Pad premieres tonight at 8 Est. on ABC.

{3} Enhancing the peeper fringe.
Many of you already know that I'm a mascara junkie. I feel like my current mascara is causing me to have a lot of breakage, so I'm in the market for a new one. Any suggestions for a mascara that gives great length and volume and doesn't seem to cause breakage?

{4} Back to lowercase.
I was pushing Carrot Top on the swings today when she began to slow down while I pushed some other children. She reacted to her slowing swing by saying, "Miss Leah, I need another push! I'm back to lowercase!" This was quite an interesting way to describe her position in relation to the ground {as opposed to swinging HIGH and UPPERCASE/CAPITAL LETTERS.} This is also a perfect shout~out to the fabulous Miscellany Monday host blog, lowercase letters! : )

Head over there and link up your own miscellany!

Saturday Evening Blog Post {July}

2010-08-07T19:12:00.005-04:00

I'm linking up once again with Elizabeth Esther's Saturday Evening Blog Post. Today we're sharing our favorite posts from July 2010. I entered my Nuturer by Nature post. Select your fave from your July archives and link up!!

Counting the Endless Gifts :|61~80|:

2010-08-01T15:17:00.027-04:00

Counting the extraordinary embedded in the ordinary...

{61} torrents that break the heat

{62} fifty years

{63} saying and meaning "I do"

{64} love and commitment

{65} memories

{66} doting grandparents, then and now

{67} anniversaries

{68} camera shy cousins

{69} pushing price~tagged Bethy on her swing

{70} little legs braced straight

{71} pink ball cap askew
{72} toddler noodle sucker/slurper

{73} back patio bbqs

{74} vegetarian picnic food {for yours truly}

{75} purple icing on sticky fingers

{76} being dubbed "Miss Big Leah"..to distinguish from 3 year~old student with the same name

{77} beautiful, goofy smiles

{78} asked if I'm a child or a mommy; and if neither, "Then what are you??"

{79} Miss Picasso's heartfelt morning hug and "MY Miss Leah!"

{80} "MY Miss Leah" retort from Cheerleader

The ~Wipers~ of Blessing

2010-08-01T14:26:00.009-04:00

This verse snippet comes from a passage in Isaiah in which captive Israel is being informed of many messages from God of redemption and promise.

"If you had listened all along to what I told you, your life would have flowed full like a river, blessings rolling in like waves from the sea."
~Isaiah 48:18 {The Msg.}

I pray that we can LISTEN in all the ways God is speaking, teaching us to live right and well. Listen through the Word, through other people, through experiences, through heartache, through unspeakable joy, so that our lives may be blessed and full as He intended.

Teach me Your way so that I can be deluged with the waves of Your redemptive fullness...

miscellany monday

2010-07-26T17:25:00.011-04:00

{1} watch your back!

I'm currently on someone's hit list. But I'm safe. I think.

{2} mmmmmmocha!
The absolute BEST boost after a tough day is a wonderful Mocha Java Cooler Crunch Coffee. When I'm at my wits end and I swing by Organic Grounds to pick up one of these, I feel like a baby drinking my bottle.

{3} screamo!
My cross-cultural experience of the heading~banging variety of last Friday night describes my first {and truly unintentional} experience at a heavy metal concert. Yes, my auditory hair cells have finally recovered.

{4} powerful passage!
My new favorite Bible passage is one that I've encountered several times recently. I'm specifically touched by the promise of healing and life that comes from serving and caring for others.

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

to loose the chains of injustice

and untie the cords of the yoke,

to set the oppressed free

and break every yoke?

Is it not to share your food with the hungry

and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—

when you see the naked, to clothe him,

and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

and your healing will quickly appear;

then your righteousness will go before you,

and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;

you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

If you do away with the yoke of oppression,

with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry

and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,

then your light will rise in the darkness,

and your night will become like the noonday.

The LORD will guide you always;

he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land

and will strengthen your frame.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

like a spring whose waters never fail.

Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins

and will raise up the age-old foundations;

you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,

Restorer of Streets with Dwellings."

~Isaiah 58:6-12

{5} two of many darlings
And I'll leave you with a new pic of two very special little people:

Link up your own miscellany with Carissa at lowercase letters!

A Cross Cultural Experience ~ of the head-banging variety

2010-07-24T18:06:00.017-04:00

Having grown weary of the same ole same ole selection for evening out activities, I decided to try something a bit different last night. I had heard that our local Ethiopian restaurant, The Blue Nile, hosts concerts in the evenings; so, ever~desiring to try new things, I decided to meet my friend Mare at this downtown joint.

The concerts are held in the basement of The Blue Nile, so we parked just west of Main St. and headed towards the back entrance, paid $5, and showed IDs. We hopped up at the bar and I order my go~to drink on nights out: a Shirley Temple! {Yes, I know, I'm such a good girl. Believe it.}

I recognized the bartender as a former fellow student from our combined middle and high school. "Hey, did you graduate from _____?" Mare inquired.
"Yeah..did you all?"
"Yes."
*puzzled look* "When?"
"Ohh~seven," we said in unison.
"Aww, you all were mere babies when I graduated!"

Hmph...just for that, no tip. {Just kidding.}

We then moseyed over towards the stage and found spots near~ish to the stage so we'd have a semi good view. Then the music began.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH....WWHAAAAAAAAAA"
"*Bleep* the *bleep* and bleeeeeeeeep*"

Now, I'm a hip~hop and R&B girl myself. But last night I had no such hopes of hearing music from my favorite genres. I figured we'd be hearing maybe Alternative Rock, which would have been fine with me because, we were trying new things, right!?

But there was no getting around this. We were at a Heavy Metal concert. HAVE MERCY.

The headbangers were lined up along the edge of the stage, banging their heads in time to the {music?} like bobbleheads jolted on caffeine. The guitarists were jumping, flinging hair, going crazy in general, and the lead screamer was a tiny, skinny dude with curly dark hair who I immediately recognized as the guy who recently quit working at one of the local coffeeshops that I frequent.

I wanted to march up to him after his band played and demand, "You mean to tell me that you quit making my Mocha Crunch Coffees so you could tour with your Screamo band?"
I would have, but he positioned himself directly in front of the stage before the next band began, and I didn't want to venture into a potential mosh.

Mare and I plan to return to a Blue Nile concert again soon, but I think we'll be doing more research on the scheduled bands next time. ;-) Nevertheless, I can appreciate last night as a "cross cultural" experience.

We'll be back ~ once my auditory hair cells recover.

So tell me again...WHY??!!!???

2010-07-23T00:04:00.001-04:00

When I see horrible things happening in the world, when I witness struggles other people are facing, and when proverbial doors are slammed in my face, my first reaction is to demand an explanation. ::WHY is this happening? WHY isn’t this working? WHY do you feel that way? WHY did she make that choice? WHY aren’t my efforts being rewarded? WHY does he have to encounter so much hardship? WHY wasn't this disaster prevented?::

Why?! Why!? Why?! Why!?

I remind myself of a two year~old at times. {You know how older toddlers and younger preschoolers are so fixated on questioning? When they keep going and going and pushing and pushing until you're left with something like, "Because God created it that way"? Yeah...that is SO my life.} You would think that with all the two year~olds in my life I would be tired of the word "why"...but I'm not. I want to know. I want to understand.

I have a dear friend who noticed this about me, and after she displayed some {if I may say so myself} puzzling behaviors/choices, she told me,

"Don't search for an explanation for my actions, Leah. There isn't one."

Ha! That's what you THINK! 'Fact is, there's an explanation for everything! And if there isn't one, I will FIND one!! Or CREATE one!!

So..in searching for an explanation, I'm...

10 times out of 10: seeking better understanding, which would lead to greater peace and contentment with regards to life situations and events

and

3 times out of 10: challenging someone/something, hoping that she/he/it will see the folly in her/his/its ways.

Remember my pancake post? God's ways are higher and far more complex and profound than our finite minds can comprehend. Not only does God rarely tell us why, even if He were to explain His reasons, we would rarely understand.

I have to accept that I'm not the answer woman for situations and events in life that don't make sense. I must realize that what I need to know will be revealed to me at the correct time, and if it's not, then it really does not require my knowing!

In Take This Bread, one of my current reads, author Sara Miles states, "Faith for me didn't provide a set of easy answers or certainties: It raised more questions than I was ever comfortable with."

and later..

"Now I understand that questions are at the heart of faith, and that certainties about God can flicker on and off, no matter what you think you know."

While I will continue to seek clarity and pray for wisdom, maybe I need to accept that questions and uncertainties are part of believing, part of being human. Perhaps the lack of answers I encounter shouldn't discourage me, but INSPIRE me to continue growing and learning about God, others, and myself.

After all, inquiring minds want to know! ;-)

"...look with your eyes and hear with your ears and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here." ~Ezekiel 40:4

Rest and Listening

2010-07-21T14:17:00.007-04:00

You come to me in the silence.

I hear your voice in the thick of the night.

You speak to me through quiet narratives of pain and redemption,

and my Bible falls open to The Restoration of Jerusalem.

Not one sparrow is forgotten, You dress even the lilies in extravagance.

I have not forgotten about you, Leah.

"The LORD said, 'Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.'

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave."

I listen through life's clamor and chaos for the still whisper.

I find rest at my core while the tempestuous winds gust and the churning waves crash about on the surface.

"I will come to you in the silence, I will lift you from all your fear. You will hear my voice, I claim you as my choice, be still and know I am here.

I am hope for all who are hopeless. I am eyes for all who long to see. In the shadow of the night I will be your light, come and rest in me."

Scripture from 1 Kings 19:11-13...Lyrics by David Haas

Miscellany Monday ::: Beach Edition

2010-07-18T18:45:00.007-04:00

Random, miscellany lessons learned over the course of 19 years vacationing at the beach; some weighty, some silly, all REAL TALK:

{1} I was three years~old when my family began taking our annual summer excursions to Topsail Island. I remember as a three year~old trying to comprehend my parents' descriptions of what the ocean would be like before we arrived. "Daddy helped Mommy in the water," I remember my mom saying. I could only picture a huge pool with my dad holding up my mom above the water.

When we finally arrived that first year, I immediately ran down to the beach and picked up the first seashell I encountered. I was drawn to it like a magnet. I remember one side was tan and porous, and the other side was smooth and purple. I carried the shell everywhere I went that week, and in typical three year~old fashion, I lost it.

Lesson #1: Follow what you're drawn to, be in tune with your passions, but don't hold on too tightly lest the tide of life change and suck your dream back to sea.

{2} The next year, a burglar stole some of our beach supplies off of our deck in the middle of the night. My Miss Piggy towel was stolen ~ I was devastated. My grandpa promptly went out and bought me a new beach towel, one with a duck wearing sunglasses...and sporting voluptuous bikini~clad women in the background.

Lesson #2: The Stealing Salty Seaweed Monster has an affinity for the pink muppet porcine.

Lesson #3: Grandpas try to be helpful, but overlook certain crucial details.

{3} Several years later {I was about 11}, my sister and I got caught in a riptide current. We were both very strong swimmers for our age and fearless in the water. My mom saw us from the shore when the current started pulling us outward; she later explained that each wave would bring us closer in towards shore just a bit, but after the wave would pass, we would be sucked backwards about four times as much!! In addition to this enormously strong current pulling us out to sea, the water was well over our heads so we couldn’t use the ocean floor as emergency leverage. Being a private beach, there were no lifeguards.

*Luckily*, there was a lifeguard vacationing in the beach house next to ours ~ she helped my dad pull us out of the water. I don’t know how long it took to retrieve us, but they both collapsed on the sand when we reached the shore, demonstrating their extreme exhaustion.

Lesson #4: "Coincidences" may not be coincidences after all.

Lesson #5: Surviving a near death experience may be an indication that there's unfinished business, a purpose yet to be fulfilled.

{4} The summer of 2003 brought my official introduction to reality TV with NBC's For Love or Money. Immediately, my favorite contestant was Paige Jones, and I cheered for her the entire season. Paige made it to the finale episode, which aired the week we were at the beach. Rob chose the other woman, and I CRIED!!!

Lesson #6: Don't become emotionally involved with or attached to reality show characters. You can always become friends with them later in life ~ on facebook. Which I did.

{5} A couple years ago I suffered a wipeout while swimming in the ocean, which caused me to lose my prescription sunglasses to the sea. I thought I would never be able to see clearly at the beach ever again {my vision is about 20/400} because I couldn’t risk losing my contacts. However, after I switched to dailies {contacts that I change everyday}, I was ecstatic to be able to once again see individual shells in detail and enjoy each ripple and bubble in the water!

Lesson #7: Don't lose heart when things go wrong; new and better options may be coming your way, options capable of enhancing your "vision."

Nuturer by Nature

2010-07-16T01:00:00.000-04:00

I feel happiest and most alive when caring for someone else. If there is some sort of womanly inclination to protect, love, and nurture, I have that instinct in overdrive.

I thrive on the wiping of sticky mouths, the scooting of chairs up closer to the table to avoid falling dribblets, the serving and cutting of food for little fingers, the keeping watch over tiny sleeping bodies, the fixing of ponytails and snuggles after naptime...

But there are times when caring for these little ones is not so simple.

Her mother finally out of jail, "I loved her but then she left again," Cheerleader tells me; little bobbed haircut, full cheeks, and a matter-of-fact affirmative nod.

Miss Picasso spent yesterday with us, then spent the evening and entire night at another daycare facility, all day today with us, and then picked up in the afternoon once again by the others. Thirty~six hours is a long time for a three year~old to be without mommy and she clings to me and cries, the man who is to pick her up embarrassed. But the man who helped give her life doesn't see the light of day and spends his days in an orange jumpsuit.

She draws a picture of two figures, "Miss Leah and Me."

Legal issues and custody battles play out with Muffin today. Dad shows up unannounced without mom's permission. Mom rolls in with her entourage, next the police. I can see the escalating conflict through the window. Muffin is two and she's agitated and confused.

At naptime I lay between two floor cots and stare at the ceiling. I think, We are all of us up against something ~ we will all face trials in this life, but for these children their trials begin over a decade before mine did.

::Calm us, Lord, as you calmed the storm.::

Fireball falls asleep nestled perfectly in the crook of my arm as I pat Little Ducky's back...

...and for a moment they are mine, and we rest.

I'm Still Counting |Endless Gifts|

2010-07-11T20:54:00.020-04:00

The summer passes and reaching its middle, we make our annual trek to Topsail Island. The trip is a gift, with gifts embedded within like Russian nesting dolls.

{31} fizzing ocean waters
{Real ocean fizz!!} : )

{32} silky sands

{33} swaying sea oats

{34} skittish crabs

{35} darting fish

{36} sighting of fins (!) ~ that are dolphins

{37} seashells, especially ones with unique colors, striations, and swirls

{38} salty sea air

{39} beautiful weather everyday

{40} a sunburn that doesn't hurt

{41} gentle breezes &..

{42} powerful gusts

{43} waves crashing on the shore as I drift off to sleep

{44} fireworks on the pier

{45} Patio Playground ice cream &..

{46} the delightful, eccentric owner

{47} nightly restaurant excursions

{48} grandma

{49} layers upon layers of chocolate

{50} times of peace swimming in the ocean

{51} feeling on top of the world on top of a wave

{52} getting blindsided and smacked by a wave

{53} guys who think they're surfers

{54} getting my island on

{55} mochaccino smoothies from the quaint bookstore Quarter Moon

{56} family traditions

{57} crazies with whom I share a gene pool

{58} time to slow and contemplate

{59}color splashes

{60} ~~browner~~ ~~tanner~~ less pale skin

a Wurk in ProhGreSS

2010-07-08T21:12:00.006-04:00

9:00ish~ Well...I shouldn't have experimented when I don't have time to make the blog layout look how I want!! Hmmm...

12:31 AM-- okay..I think I like it now?? I'll peep it tomorrow and view it with a set of new eyes and decide then I guess.

...I think the header is still a little funky looking...maybe once I ACTUALLY install my Photoshop I can make something a little less..rough?? more..professional??

I don't know ~ all's to say: don't judge it yet! : ) I was just desiring a new look, but I think I'm in over my head! : )

Tiny Talk Tuesday

2010-07-06T21:03:00.009-04:00

Some of my students are featured on Tiny Talk Tuesday so often that I should give them their own alias nicknames! The little sweetie from last week who picked me a peanut butter is the star of both quotes this week. From now on I'll call her Princess Tiana on here because she sports outfits themed with this Disney princess, in addition to the fact that she looks very much like her!

here

Last week I was supervising the kids peddling around the playground on their bikes/tricycles/scooters when Princess Tiana rode by me and exclaimed, "Miss Leah, why do you have a pimple on your foot?"

I assure you...I had no such thing on my foot. It was a bug bite.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Waking the pre~K's up from naptime, I started to sing a song that had been in my head since hearing it on the radio earlier that day.

"I better find your lovin'..I better find your heart."

They exploded in, "I know that song!" and "So-and-so likes that song!"

"Let's sing another one," Princess Tiana suggested. "Take it, take it, baby, take it, take it...."

If you're familiar with pop music, THAT would be Rihanna's Rude Boy. *sigh* What am I to do with this teenager in a four year~old's body?

Share Tiny Talk that you've overheard at Mary's at Not Before 7.

Views from Dinner

2010-07-04T20:00:00.007-04:00

taken from my dinner seat ~ the sound side of the island

and of course, frolicking on the docks afterward.

A Year Ago

2010-07-03T22:56:00.009-04:00

For me, there's nothing like "one year ago" memories that really make me realize how much can change in a year. I also find myself thinking, "Last year at this time, I was _______." And it's annual traditions that prompt these year ago memories.

This week my family and I are vacationing at the beach. We've gone to the same beach since I was 3 years~old; I'm now 21.

I'm not the same girl who posed for this picture last year outside one of our favorite island restaurants.

I look at this girl and think, "Oh goodness..you just have no idea do you?" I had no idea this next year would be such a formidable year of my life. I didn't know that I would grow up tremendously..and learn a lot about myself, perhaps more than I ever desired to know.

In some ways I'd like to be "her" again. Her {or my} outlook on life was so different then. I was so trusting. Experience has worn me, and made me cynical..and less of myself.

Ah, but vacations at the beach are supposed to be fun, light~hearted times filled with relaxation and memory making! What am I doing thinking and living inside my head when I should be taking in the beauty around me?!

Okay, I'll try. I'll try to pack away my musings until I get home. And allow my mind to fall in sync with the flowing, ebbing tides.

Kindred Connection Party

2010-06-30T18:29:00.008-04:00

My bursary of bliss:
I just began the list today, so I'll probably add more as I think of others.

{one} coffeeshops

{two} carrying and snuggling little ones

{three} holding babies

{four} loving and being loved

{five} receiving smiles from strangers

{six} clean, organized spaces

{seven} concrete jungles, busy urban centers

{eight} the ocean

{nine} sundresses

{ten} singing in four~part harmony

{eleven} tackle hugs

{twelve} good hair days

{thirteen} deep emotional connections with unexpected people

Tiny Talk Tuesday

2010-06-29T15:58:00.004-04:00

I honestly did not want to take off my jacket. Doing so would reveal my tube top underneath, with which I usually wear a tank top, but this particular day I did not have a tank underneath because I had planned to keep my jacket on. However, I was BURNING UP as I was cleaning up and taking care of the kids. I hate sweating. So, I removed my jacket. My disrobing was met with several gasps coming from the children.

"Umm..Miss Leah? What's holding your shirt up?" L----- asked me.

I wasn't about to answer "my boobs," so I paused before saying, "Nothing."

After she had thought about my tube top shirt through snack time, she said, "One time I went to a store with my mommy and we saw some dresses that didn't have anything holding them up."

Hmmmm...riiiiight.

I tied my jacket around my shoulders for the rest of the day. And remembered the next time to prepare for the sweltering heat at work with a shirt that has something holding it up.

:::

"What's this, J-----?" I asked one of my little four year~old beauties, holding up a buttercup she had picked for me.

"Ummm...a peanut butter?"

Join in the fun and share sound bites from the little people in YOUR life at Mary's at Not Before 7.

I'll Never Forget

2010-06-26T01:07:00.004-04:00

Is this a persona prose, or have I written it from personal experience? Well..I'm not exactly certain. But it will make sense to whom it is supposed to.

I'll never forget how you snuffed out the light that danced in my eyes...
Stole the rosiness from my cheeks, replacing it with an ashen pallor...
Sucked away my curves of womanhood, leaving in its wake a bony frame reminicent of my preteen years.

You took everything from me, even my autonomy.

My insides rotted, my mind decayed as my intuition countered everything you claimed. I began to question the validity of my own perceptions as I was betrayed
again...
again...
and again.

My face numb, I didn't know I was crying.

Desperate to believe the best about you, only to be proven wrong
again...
again...
and again.

You plant seeds of doubt, seeds of paranoia, seeds of hopelessness.

Each "loving" word you spoke was a farce...it would shatter if I threw it...
In a million tiny, sharp, mocking pieces it would shatter on the ground,

next to my treasured bracelet of silver, round like eternity with a broken clasp and tarnished heart.

Another Miscellany

2010-06-21T15:49:00.008-04:00

{1} Okay, so I lied about taking a break from blog hops. I suppose I'll still have to do a few here and there, plus I haven't participated in Miscellany Monday for a couple weeks! I still have more to write independently though, but sometimes I just can't resist a good ole link~up! ; )

{2} The other day I was thinking about all the sleepovers I've attended and traveling school groups that I've been a part of, and I did a little tally...AND...I've slept in the same bed with about 14 different people, not including bunk beds! If I include bunking, it's more like 20. You're probably thinking, What a strange thing for her to think about/realize, but it just seems like more than average. No worries, they were all girls, subtract my brother when he was 5 and I was 3. So...if you're ever on a game show answering questions about me and this one comes up, you'll be able to answer confidently!

{3} I'm counting my gifts! Check out my posts here and here in which I've reached #30 of my endless gifts...not gifts I want, but gifts I already have.

{4} I am not a gardener; I hate getting dirty and sweaty. My mom, however, is an avid gardener, so I get the chance to enjoy the fruits of her labor...and then retire indoors to the nicely air~conditioned quarters.

Happy Monday, and Happy Miscellany!

Endless Gifts ::11-30::

2010-06-20T13:38:00.015-04:00

"For it is God’s love that warms me in the sun and God’s love that sends the cold rain. It is God’s love that feeds me in the bread I eat and God that feeds me also by hunger and fasting. It is the love of God that sends the winter days when I am cold and sick, and the hot summer when I labor and my clothes are full of sweat: but it is God Who breathes on me with light winds off the river and in the breezes out of the wood. His love spreads the shade of the sycamore over my head and sends the water-boy along the edge of the wheat field with a bucket from the spring while the laborers are resting and the mules stand under the tree.
It is God’s love that speaks to me in the birds and streams; but also behind the clamor of the city God speaks to me in His judgments, and all these things are seeds sent to me from His will.
If these seeds would take root in my liberty, and if His will would grow from my freedom, I would become the love that He is, and my harvest would be His glory and my own joy.
And I would grow together with thousands and millions of other freedoms into the gold of one huge field praising God, loaded with increase, loaded with wheat. If in all things I only consider the heat and the cold, the food or the hunger, the sickness or labor, the beauty or pleasure, the success and failure or the material good or evil my works have won for my own will, I will find only emptiness and not happiness. I shall not be fed, I shall not be full. For my food is the will of Him Who made me and Who made all things in order to give Himself to me through them."

~excerpt from pg. 18~19 of New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton

And so that I might become the love that He is for His glory and my own joy, I attempt to consider all the seeds of His will so that they may take root. And so, I continue to count...

::Gifts 11~30::

{11} mild, breezy temperatures on freshly~showered skin

{12} coffeeshop havens

{13} burdensome secrets, no longer hidden

{14} curls that are wild and free

{15} birthdays~celebrations of life

{16} impromptu reminiscing with old friends

{17} tiny baggy jeans that sag to reveal ~~gangsta boxers~~ Pampers

{18} nearly 90 degree temperatures after sundown

{19} little baseball caps, hair clips, and barrettes

{20} toddler voices shouting my welcome

{21} girl time with mom and sis over a Chipotle burrito, too spicy to finish

{22} refreshing Cake n' Shake that sweetens my tongue and my disposition

{23} bonding moments overlooking the city river {with an intrusive SKUNK}

{24} closed doors. even though my heart breaks that they're not open.

{25} time to relax and read magazines at The Studio while Brandi cuts my hair

{26} temporary smooth silkiness to replace spirals and waves

{27} the man who has the courage to be himself despite society's criticisms

{28} church community where I can fellowship, grow spiritually, and welcome others...where I look forward to attending on Sundays

{29} carrying toddlers on my hip

{30} a heart that is growing in fullness and selflessness everyday with each new experience, hardship, insight, and undeserved grace received.

Clothes Sorting, Memories Sorting

2010-06-18T20:33:00.009-04:00

I’ve always been a wistful, nostalgic kind of gal, but I think that’s one characteristic of mine that’s beginning to wane. Once you have to give up and say goodbye to something that actually does matter, less consequential things are put into perspective.

I went shopping a couple days ago, but before I picked out some new summer clothes, I had to go through my old clothing items. Many of the clothes that I have are 2-4 years old, which results in a recurring and familiar scene: me standing in front of a full closet all the while not seeing anything legitimate to wear.

here

So, it was time to take some of my oldies to the thrift store. Earlier in my life, going through clothes with the intention of getting rid of them would have been an emotional ordeal. Not *tears* kind of emotional, but emotional as in, “Awww..maybe I better hold onto this.”

Though not NEARLY as traumatic as my real world trauma experiences, I was hit with memories as I folded up the eliminated clothing items.

This striped polo shirt…I wore it in Europe four years ago during my choir tour. I wore it that night of our outdoor concert in France at the music festival, where the host choir was monumentally intimidated by our "professional" choir..until they saw we were 17 and 18 year~old American kids. Professional sound? Yes. Professional appearance? Umm...no. Oh yeah, and they didn't have any vegetarian food because it was a cookout, so I ate a sandwich with potato chips and mustard!

This sequined tunic…I wore it while reading C----- a story in my lap; her beautiful, naturally tightly~curled mini ringlets left the scent of her shampoo on the front of my tunic blouse, and I could smell her for hours afterward. She soon withdrew from the daycare center. I missed her.

This pumpkin colored sweater...I've worn it proudly during many autumns, trying not to be overly seasonal, but still seasonally appropriate {you know, PUMPKIN colored}. That one fall {when was it?} I was obsessed with buying everything cranberry and pumpkin just to make sure I did my part to contribute to the festive mood.

The clothes are now gone, but I still have the memories. I didn't give up past experiences by giving up items that were present in the midst of the experiences. Though they did serve as triggers for my reminiscing, someone else can now get enjoyment out of them...

...and even more memories and experiences will be absorbed into their fabric, stitching, and sequins.

Taking A Break from Memes and Blog Hops

2010-06-16T16:06:00.019-04:00

Recently I've been participating in many link~ups hosted by other blogs. It hasn't really become mindless writing for me, because I've found some blogs that allow me to write and share about topics that interest me. I've taken part in blog hops that allow me to share...

*tiny, random snippets of my life
*cute and funny things that my kids say {my kids=my students}
*answers to questions about my interests/preferences
*pictures of my home
*ways that God is blessing me
*my favorite post of the month

{I linked to the host blogs.}

Additionally, I get to find new blogs and meet other bloggers. I also enjoy supporting other bloggers by participating in the hops that they host.

ALL THAT SAID...I'm going to take a short break. I have a lot on my heart, and I want to give myself a chance to put my thoughts and feelings into words.

So whether it's solemn and beautiful...

quirky and funny...

or joyful and spirited...

I'm going to break free from my blogging routine for a bit.

...and see what comes.

Beginning to count my endless gifts

2010-06-14T17:44:00.009-04:00

Inspired by Ann at a Holy Experience, I've decided to join in with the Gratitude Community and begin counting my gifts ~ not gifts that I wish for, but gifts I already have. I want to sing hallelujah for the smallest things and see God's hand everywhere. And so tonight in the early AM hours, I begin to count...

{Gifts 1-10} of 1,000 gifts

:: solitary time in the nighttime hours

:: reading by lamplight

:: silky purple pillowcase, pilling from use

:: peaceful, lulling fan hum

:: journal of letters..written to me

:: cocoon of sage green walls

:: ethereal colors formed from light bent through blown glass and cast on open pages

:: photo vignette of dear ones far away

:: books read, books that have shaped me, and books that await in anticipation of being read

:: a peace, stillness and quiet, feeling that all the world is asleep and it's just me awake, time frozen ~ only thawed by my thoughts

We're Party Girls

2010-06-09T14:34:00.020-04:00

Today I'm linking up with the Kindred Connections Party at Windy Poplars. The theme this week is food:

1. What is your favorite ethnicity of food?

My favorite would be Italian, chiaramente! {without a doubt}. I love pasta; I love bread; I love tomato~based sauces. There are so many options for me as a vegetarian in the Italian food category. From manicotti and cheese ravioli to minestrone soup and pizza, I'm fond of it all.

2. If you could eat only one meal for two weeks straight, what would it be?

If I had to eat just one meal for two weeks straight, I would choose Puerto Rican rice and beans. I've eaten this meal for several consecutive dinners before because the recipe yields more than one or two portions. {Goya rice, Goya beans, Goya tomato sauce, sazon, recaito, and adobo}

3.What is the "signature" dish that you cook? (you know, that always receives rave reviews and/or you get requests for the recipe - feel free to share the recipe!)

This isn't something cooked, obviously, but one dish that is very simple to make and always gets rave reviews is a frozen dessert that I make. I layer ice cream sandwiches in the bottom of a casserole dish; then I put Hershey's caramel sauce on top. Next, I put whipped cream and then top with crushed Heath bars or M&M's. Surprisingly, after it's frozen and served, many people don't guess right away that the bottom is made of ice cream sandwiches!

4. Is there something that you just can't handle eating - like gag reflex?

Any animal parts. As I said, I'm a vegetarian. {Not a vegan, however. I do eat foods containing eggs and dairy products}. I've been a vegetarian since I was about 8. At that point my parents still required that I eat my meat portions, hoping I would grow out of it. I didn't.

5. Do you think that the Kindred Connection should continue through the summer, or take the summer off?

I thought it just started! Whatever the hostess decides is fine.

Home Tour :: Living Areas

2010-06-08T16:16:00.020-04:00

Natalie at Extraordinary Love is hosting a home tour for the months of June and July. Today the featured area is Living Areas ~ as in, sitting areas within the home {like living rooms, family rooms, dens, great rooms, keeping rooms, parlors...anywhere there's a furniture arrangement where one can sit one's hiney}.

Since I'm a college student that lives at home when I'm not in school, I decided that I can claim my parents' house as mine...mwahaha. I did live here full time for 11 years, after all! Additionally, I don't write much about my home on this blog, so I suppose this is a good opportunity to do that {since I usually write about topics that represent my "wings" rather than my "roots"}.

Alright. Enough prefacing. First up is our formal Living Room:

Here's a shot viewing the Living Room from the Foyer.

Standing within the seating area looking towards the music room with my piano and beyond to the kitchen.

Leather chair and ottoman

Candle wall sconce

A view of the built~ins
~

We call the sitting area adjacent to our kitchen and breakfast nook "the Great Room." Technically, I think great rooms are family room/kitchen/breakfast area combos ~ when those three areas are together in one open space and function both together and separately. Here's a shot of the Great Room when I'm standing within the adjacent kitchen:

The third sitting area on our main level is in the Sun Room. We converted this space from a screened porch into a sun room years ago.

Upholstered and rattan furniture; the walls are ash wood.

A longways view

Here's a shot where you can see the semi~circle window, keystone, faux pillars, beams, and vaulted ceiling. The ceiling is vaulted 1.5 stories. We couldn't go with a two~story vault because that would have COMPLETELY obscured the view from my bedroom window upstairs : )

Oak built~ins.

I considered including our TV room downstairs, but I think this is sufficient. I hope you enjoyed the tour of our living areas! Thanks for visiting! : )

Saturday Evening Blog Post

2010-06-05T20:06:00.005-04:00

Today is the first Saturday of the month, and that means it's time to share favorite posts from the previous month. This month we're sharing our favorite post from May 2010. I browsed my archives and chose to feature my original poem under the post A Midnight Scrawling. Visit Elizabeth Esther to link up and read the faves of other bloggers from this past month.

Pancakes and Thoughts About God

2010-06-04T17:45:00.019-04:00

I'm a seeker-- unsatisfied with pat answers and glib responses. I've created many an awkward moment pointing out the proverbial elephant in the room, not willing to gloss over something that inhibits me from
unearthing the truth.

I think this may be one of the reasons I love thinking about God and learning about God. There's always room to grow in spiritual maturity and wisdom, more to experience and discover. A seeking mind like mine, however, desires to "arrive"...to have it all figured out and every fact and experience contemplated, it's relevance discerned. That, of course, isn't attainable when seeking to comprehend the complexity of God. Contradictions {or what seem to me as contradictions} send my probing mind into a tizzy.

According to Donald Miller in Blue Like Jazz,

"I can no more understand the totality of God than the pancake I made for breakfast understands the complexity of me."

I, as the Creator of the Pancake, am so much greater than the facts of my pancake's reality. The same goes for me as God's creation. Creator God is so much greater than the facts of my reality that it would seem at times that, viewing God through the lens of my reality, God contradicts reason.

Allow me to introduce to you, the FoUrTh DiMeNsiOn!! I'm just kidding...sort of. I'm not a Sci~Fi person AT ALL {I've never seen any Star Wars! *gasp*}, but this helps me think about this concept in another manner. Two~dimensional drawings on flat surfaces can't comprehend our three~dimensional world, like my pancake can't fathom the intricacy of me. In the same way, we can't comprehend a fourth~dimension.

"The little we do understand, that grain of sand our minds are capable of grasping, those ideas such as God is good, God feels, God loves, God knows all, are enough to keep our hearts dwelling on His majesty and otherness forever."

Does this mean I'll stop seeking, discerning, and contemplating because I won't ever fully understand? No, and I don't think I'm supposed to. But as my mind reels to grasp the unknown, my heart can rest in awe because my Creator transcends my understanding.

I'm a seeker. Yet I love to wonder.

::Fun Things on My To-Do List::

2010-06-02T17:07:00.011-04:00

{1} Meet my real~life and bloggy friend Davene at Barnes and Noble tomorrow night

{2} Schedule my facial with The Beauty Spa {will pay using a gift card~ a Christmas gift!}

{3} Attend my cousin's 21st birthday party in PA. Happy birthday Leigh Ann!

{4} Create a blog header that FINALLY satisfies me. I created a makeshift one today with Picasa, but I can't ever seem to make it look how I want due to the limited options. I have Adobe Photoshop, but I don't want to install it until I get all the viruses cleared off my laptop. Yes, you heard me right. Viruses.
For memory's sake, I'll post a picture of my old header, which I'm still kind of stuck on..

{5} Finish Blue Like Jazz. Donald Miller is soo insightful, and I've been positively challenged by reading his "nonreligious thoughts on Christian spirituality" in this New York Times Bestseller.

Miscellany Monday

2010-05-31T18:24:00.008-04:00

DISCLAIMER: My miscellanies are very random today. Buckle your seat belts and be prepared for some whiplash.

{1} Since posting on Thursday about growth and flourishing in unexpected places, sustenance, and thriving life, I’ve been observing frequent examples of life and growth defying the odds and cropping up in often surprising places. One such example is this beautiful, lone pansy that sprang up between a brick wall and our outdoor patio.

Tenacity. Persistence. GRACE.

{2} I bring home birthday cake when it’s no one’s birthday, just because I love it that much! It’s truly been a lifelong obsession; I spent hours sketching cakes as a preschooler. I drew several models of multi-tiered wedding cakes with fountains of water shooting out of the top layer…and I fully intend to track down a pastry chef and engineer combo team who can bring this dream of mine to fruition for my future wedding day.

But for now, I’m enjoying this little four-inch-in-diameter cake with extra icing for absolutely no occasion whatsoever!! {My thumb in the pic can be used as a scale to see just how tiny the cake is! This mini confection came from the day-old table at work and was roughly handled, hence the frosting boo-boos.}

{3} If you were to ask me today where I bought the shirt I’m wearing, I would answer, “It was left over after the drug bust.” …

Allow THAT to sink in.

Explanation: A family member of a friend bought a house that had previously been inhabited by a family involved in some debatably dubious activities. These former homeowners had to leave their house in a hurry as their secret operation had been found out, so they left behind many of their belongings. The house was sold with these items, so this family member of a friend gave some clothing and purses to me that had been left behind by the other family! So now I’m wearing the busted gal’s clothes, many of which still had tags when I received them. Strange story, huh?

Hopefully I won’t meet her on the street one day resulting in her demanding her shirt/belt/purse back.

A Midnight Scrawling..

2010-05-29T18:34:00.009-04:00

Who is that girl I saw today,
with gray pools under eyes;
a shadow perched upon her brow,
her hair strand a futile disguise?

What weight collapses her slender shoulders?
What burden does she behold?
The contours of her face reveal
her stories, yet untold.

Who is that girl I saw today,
whose lashes suspend a tear?
One blink, it falls, and I realize
that girl lives in the mirror.

Tree Song

2010-05-27T16:11:00.014-04:00

I saw a tree by the riverside one day as I walked along.
Straight as an arrow and pointing to the sky growing tall and strong.
"How do you grow so tall and strong?" I said to the riverside tree.
This is the song my tree friend sang to me:

here

~

I saw a tree in the wintertime, when snow lay on the ground.
Straight as an arrow and pointing to the sky winter winds blew all around.
"How do you stay so tall and strong?" I said to the wintertime tree.
This is the song my tree friend sang to me:

here

I saw a tree in the city streets, where buildings blocked the sun.
Green and lovely I could see it gave joy to everyone.
"How do you grow in the city streets?" I said to the downtown tree.
This is the song my tree friend sang to me:

here

I've got roots growing down to the water,
I've got leaves growing up to the sunshine,
and the fruit that I bear is a sign of the life in me.
I am shade from the hot summer sundown.
I am nest for the birds of the heavens.
I'm becoming what the Lord of trees has meant me to be:
A strong young tree.

~"Tree Song" by Ken Medema

There is growth and flourishing in areas that we may not expect....

....even in conditions not typically ideal for growth. From weathering the winter storms to practically growing out of concrete, none of these conditions have to be limiting or terminal. In becoming what the Lord of trees has meant us to be, we are sustained.

And we have Life.

: : : NO MAKE-UP ZONE : : :

2010-05-26T19:34:00.000-04:00

Apparently, going make~up free is the latest celebrity fad for photo shoots and TV hostings. I've noticed a general trend in "back to the basics" thinking, not just in make~up, but in many arenas {for example, in food choices....e.g. organic and free range...and in the "going green" energy movement}. "Don't eat anything that you can't trace directly back to the sun!"

I applaud these efforts to streamline and simplify things that have gotten so complex and bogged~down that they no longer serve their intended purposes. I've observed this cycle of beginning with simple, gradually becoming more complex, and then eventually coming full circle with a re~simplification process. Take music, for instance. The Rococo music period {sandwiched between Baroque and Classical} was marked by refined decoration forms and ornamentation. The following Classical music era was distinguished by a cleaner style, very orderly and more simple, with clearer divisions between parts. In many ways, the Classical period was a response to the "sickeningly sweet", OvEr ThE tOp Rococo era.

Am I digressing? mmmm...I think it's all connected.

One of the main purposes of this no make~up, back to basics, natural beauty emphasis that is so popular as of late is to empower women to feel comfortable and confident as their natural selves.

Wait, wait, waaaaaiiiitttt....stop the clocks. This photo of Kim Kardashian au naturale is supposed to make me feel BETTER about myself?

Some days when I'm in a rush and I skip the make~up, I may say to some friends, "Aaahhh...I didn't have time to put on any make~up this morning..do I look horrible?"

After a pause and a puzzled look, said friend(s) will respond, "Uhhhh...you look exactly the same as always."

So much for putting in a little effort here and there! At first I thought they were just being nice, but I've been told this often enough that I've begun to think that maybe I DO look about the same and it's just more of a security blanket for me. Clearly I don't LOAD IT ON since going au naturale vs. some make~up apparently doesn't make much of a difference, but I still won't be posting a pic of me on here without just a little mascara. I like to make these babies look LONGER THAN LIFE!!!

So, gratefully no one wonders, "I wonder what Leah looks like without make~up?" {Admittedly I do wonder that about some people}.

But, no photo of me in the no make~up zone. I'm not quite that brave. ;-) {winking with my mascara~laden lashes}

::MIA::

2010-05-23T18:31:00.007-04:00

I've been MIA...missing in action. One thing I didn't expect when I began Musings Aloud is that I would feel GUILTY when I don't have time to post. It's not like anyone's day is incomplete without reading one of my FaBuLoUs posts ;-), but I feel badly just the same.

I've been absent, but for good reason. My week consisted of this:

So, if I'm ever MIA again, there's a pretty sizable chance that I've been busy ~~giving time~outs, changing poopy underwear, and wiping snotty noses,~~ taking advantage of teachable moments, testing my own patience, and caring for my precious little ones.

Another Miscellany Monday

2010-05-17T17:47:00.011-04:00

{1} I was sleeping in this morning when I received a phone call from work:
"Hi Leah sweetie, can you come in today? One of the teachers is sick and has to go home."
"Oh, why of course!! I'll be right in!"
*Rips self out of bed*
Blah.
*Does a slap~dash job of getting ready*
Double blah.
*Speed demons it to the northeast side*
Greeted by these cuties:

Awww...so worth it! :-)

{2} In case you didn't know, I'm a Mennonite.

However, this dress and apron are not part of my daily garb. I've been participating in a re~enactment featuring the traditional Mennonite and Brethren people during the Civil War era. School groups come through, and I show them around my kitchen and demonstrate how to make butter in my butter churn.

{3} I had a dream about these verses two nights ago, and since then I've been seeing them everywhere:
"See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these." ~Matt. 6:28-29

Hmm...perhaps I should pay attention, eh?

{4} My celebrity crush that WON'T GO AWAY: James Blake

Okayyy...I know, I know...

{5} My bff Stacy got accepted to grad school in Philly!! Whoop whoop!! I'm so excited that she's going to be closer this year. Harrisburg to Philly is only like 2 hours, so you all can bet your Philly soft pretzels/Tastykakes that I'm going to be making that trek! Congrats, my friend.

Hop over to Carissa's at lowercase letters for more miscellany, and link up to participate in the randomness!!

Life on the Fringes

2010-05-13T17:34:00.007-04:00

No, not THAT kind of fringe..

...

The edges. The margins. The spaces in~between. The gray areas.

According to my preschool teachers {or according to what they told my mom}, I preferred to play alongside the other children as a three and four year~old. I wasn’t the bossy ringleader, or part of her inner circle. However, neither was I the backward child who preferred to be completely alone and isolated, the one rejected by her peers. I was somewhere in between…included, even sought out at times; but I preferred to do my own thing just enough that I wasn’t part of the inner circle. And yet, I wasn’t that child “over there”…far away from everyone else.

This continued later in my life. I’m not that girl in the center of the dance floor, basking in the attention of others and in the shine of the strobe lights. Yet, I’m not that girl alone at home wishing she had been invited to the party. Not the life of the party, yet not somewhere across town on a Friday night working on my homework for Monday morning.

This may be why I’ve come to reject categorization so strongly. As soon as I hear someone say to me, “Oh, so you’re a—"

“NOO!! I’M NOT!”

Labels are limiting.

I have yet to find a label that fully encompasses the ToTaLiTy of ME.

There are challenges to being on the fringes. Sometimes there’s a sense of being a chronic outsider because I’m not distinctly categorized. One foot in, one foot out.

For example, I’ve been told that I’m “the perfect combination of religious and chill people.” This has given me the ability to relate to and connect with a vast array of different people; however, I’m also met with criticism from those who fit squarely within categories because I’m not completely “one of them.”

This has also been my experience in the blogosphere. While I’ve only been writing on my blog for a few months, I can already tell that the blogosphere functions very much like the real world. There are distinct blogger groups, and I don’t really fit into any of them.

First, there’s the group of bloggers who are young to mid teens. From what I've seen, they're typically homeschooled. I wasn’t homeschooled. While I have a special place in my heart for young teens, I can’t really relate to them anymore, but I try to be of support and encouragement.

Then, there are those who seem to be about my age but are actually a bit older and in a different stage of life than me. Their lives tend to revolve around being wives to their new husbands and life at home. While I’m not ruling out being married someday or having children {because kids are my WORLD}, I’m not the “hearth and home” kind of gal. And it's a shame that I'm missing out on knowing people for the simple fact that I'm not wearing a wedding dress in my profile picture.

Then there’s the group of homeschooling moms who are older {and when I say older, I mean 30’s or approaching 30 :-)}. I love reading about their families, but I can’t chime in with stories of my own children who don’t yet exist! Additionally, while I have immense respect for these ladies, I don’t see myself being a homeschooling mom when I reach that season of life.

Then there’s the theological and political bloggers. Sometimes I write about similar topics to these bloggers, but yet I also want to share stories about my preschool students. Probably not something they’re interested in reading...

So, where do I fit in? Do I fall somewhere in the margins again? Who wants to read what I have to write? Maybe no one, if people only want to read thoughts written by clones of themselves.

But while I ponder that, I'll be right here...in the gray.

One foot inside the group, one foot poking outward to connect with someone else.

Somewhere in the in~between....

Linking Up to the Partaayyy

2010-05-12T20:36:00.012-04:00

1. How do you most like to entertain during the summer (pool party, picnic, cookout, etc.)? - Or if your situation doesn't allow for entertaining right now, what do you look forward to being able to host?

Currently I just enjoy going out for coffee dates with friends or meeting up at the pool during the summer. At this point in my life I don't really host events, but I help my mom when we entertain people at our home {which usually entails making and serving dinner in our sunroom}. Some of my friends host cookouts and I attend, but being a vegetarian, I don't want to put myself in a position where I'd have to grill someone else's meat!!

When I'm older and living on my own, potentially in a city like Philly, I look forward to hosting my segment of our block party.

2. Do you have a favorite summertime dessert?

My favorite dessert is the same year~round, but I don't feel like such an idiot for ordering a cold dessert in the summertime as compared to the winter. My fave, of course, is the Mocha Java Cooler:

I also enjoy getting the Birthday Cake Remix at Coldstone Creamery and eating cold treats from our local, world~famous Kline's Dairy Bar.

3.What is your best outdoor summer date idea?

I've always thought it'd be SO NEAT to have a candlelit dinner on the beach...

or on a rooftop overlooking a city's downtown, cultural center, or coast...

Alfresco rooftop terrace dining with a hot tub included?? I think yes.. ;-)

4. Share any outdoor decorating tips/ideas you have...

I did not inherit my mom or grandpa's passion for gardening, but I've always thought that outdoor fireplaces are so charming, so I'd love to have one of those! Also, I loooove fountains and water gardens. If I live in the city when I'm older, I probably won't be able to have an extensive outdoor space, but a rooftop garden would be awesome! {I didn't realize I had such a rooftop obsession!} :-)

5. What will we find you wearing most in the summertime?

In the summertime, I really enjoy wearing sundresses and cabana dresses. This past winter I got into wearing leggings with my longer tunic shirts and shorter dresses, but with warmer weather coming, I'm excited to pull out my brightly~ and boldly~printed summer dresses.

This is me looking slightly windblown to say the least, but I'm wearing one my favorite summer dresses.

Join the party with Kristin at Windy Poplars!

miscellany monday

2010-05-10T18:32:00.010-04:00

I'm joining in with the first Miscellany Monday Meme hosted by Carissa at lowercase letters. Hopefully these musings are sufficiently miscellany!

{1} Terrifically Two and Superbly Spicy: My featured student of the day...

This girl has zero personality. Isn't that apparent?

Actually, she's quite the little spunkster.

She's even capable of completely imploding and losing her mind {fancy speak for a tantrum}! Oh well, I guess that's par for the course with those feisty types. ;-)

~

{2} Happy Mother's Day....to me??

I was wished a Happy Mother's Day for the first time yesterday. I had mentioned something about wishing a Happy Mother's Day to everyone who has ever played the role of Mommy, and the person who I was talking to said, "Well, then a Happy Mother's Day to you, Leah!" While I haven't borne a baby out of my own body as of yet, have I not tried to model the Spirit of adoption that God demonstrates to us with my little ones {Romans 8:15}? Have I not cried out for them in prayer {Lam. 2:19}? Have they not called me blessed {Prov. 31:28}?

~

{3} La Leche Hair

I've been using a fun new shampoo recently. It's "fun" because it's called Hair Milk. It's also fun because I'm pretty sure it's made for kids. And it's ALSO fun because I found it in the ethnic hair section. No, I'm not delusional...BUT, my hair is very curly, and the curls can get dry and frizzy at times, so I figured I should try a shampoo made for hair that is even curlier/coarser than mine and dries out at a quicker rate. So far I've enjoyed using it, but then again, I just like trying out new beauty products, period. :-)

Have You Seen Lilivette?

2010-05-09T17:36:00.010-04:00

When I was in high school I volunteered in a Mathematics ESL classroom at the local city middle school. I learned this past week that a young girl from one of the classes that I assisted in has been missing since April 1st.

If you've seen Lilivette Perez-Garcia or have any info regarding her whereabouts, contact the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office at (540)-564-3800.

Please pray she'll be found.

Carissa's Giveaway

2010-05-09T16:44:00.004-04:00

Since I fared so well in the last giveaway in which I participated {I'll write a post once I receive the hat in the mail!}, I decided to participate in another one. Carissa at lowercase letters is hosting this one and giving away a free clutch by Charm Design. Head over to her site and join the giveaway {or don't. Because I'd love to increase MY chances with lower total numbers ;-)}. I chose this clutch:

Love it! *fingers crossed*

Break Dancers

2010-05-05T18:53:00.012-04:00

THIS is what my 3 year~olds were doing today {starting at about 0:16}:

Yeah, they're pretty amazing. I wish I had brought my camera to record the kids themselves! I taught them everything they know!

Actually, they were clearly imitating something they had seen before, but I can assure you it was not me or my poppin' n lockin' that they were emulating.

I had turned on some music so they could dance as I greased them up with sunscreen before we headed outside for a bit. No sooner had a kid bop~ish song come on than they gathered as this crowd did around individual kids, each taking a turn dancing in the middle. I didn't suggest or instruct this.

The dancer in the middle would flop on the floor, dance with choppy moves, bend down, and stick legs up in the air {trying to do FLIPS like these break dancers}, while the others looked on CHEERING, "Whoaa...yeah...huhoohh...yeah...wwhooo."

Maybe we don't need to have a bake sale, auction, and car wash to raise money for the center after all. How about a dance battle? ;-)

Do I Look Illegal?

2010-05-03T17:24:00.006-04:00

¿Le parezco una ilegal?

"Show me your papers."

Planting Chums :: Four Fun Facts

2010-05-02T15:03:00.021-04:00

This week I'm participating in the Planting Chums blog carnival/link~up hosted by Hannah at Aspire. This is the final week of this series; to participate, you have to come up with four fun facts about yourself. Below are the four facts I generated. My ClAiMs To FaMe {not really}. Ready??...FOURFUNFACTS~~Wooooo...

{1} I baked a layer for a REAL wedding cake when I was in 8th grade. {not the one pictured}

{2} My uncle's ex-wife plays the Judge Martha Sirkin on Law and Order. She also had a role in the 2008 movie Definitely, Maybe.

{3} The summer of 2005 {when I was 16}, I traveled with a school group in a motor coach covering over 9,000 miles in 27 days. We studied land sustainability issues, immigration, and native people groups...hiked the Grand Canyon, went rafting on the Colorado River, spun above Las Vegas on the Stratosphere, and snorkeled in the Florida Keys. {I don't have many pictures from this trip on my laptop; the one below was taken in Galveston, TX after my group won our "Don't Mess with Texas" American Idol spoof}

{4} I love metallics!!

Give me SPARKLE, give me shine! Be it clothing, jewelry, or make-up, I like the gLiTz, sequins, and "reflective metals". :-)

Saturday Evening Blog Post

2010-05-01T16:51:00.004-04:00

I just linked up with The Saturday Evening Blog Post at Elizabeth Esther. According to this blog carnival's originator, The Saturday Evening Blog Post is "where bloggers gather on the first Saturday of each month to share their latest and greatest blog posts." I shared "I See What Your Hair is Saying" from March and "Betrayal" from April. I don't know if these are my best posts, but they are two that required a lot of discernment and reflection on my part. Hop on over to Elizabeth Esther if you'd like to participate!

Flawed. Crazy. Eccentric.

2010-04-30T19:20:00.010-04:00

.: Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it's
better to be absolutely ridiculous....

than AbSoLuTeLy boring.

~Marilyn Monroe

Philly Ketchup

2010-04-29T13:35:00.015-04:00

Before I had a chance to write about my second day in Philly, I was off on another trip! So here goes with my attempt at catching up...

I woke up my second day in Philly and walked the block and a half to the elementary school where I had my field experience last spring semester. This school keeps the classes together as they move from grade to grade, so I got to visit both classes I had helped last year. The "then" kindergartners are now first graders, and the "then" first graders are now second graders, of course. The class I had as kindergartners stampede rushed me at the classroom door upon my entry! I had missed them so much! I had to try hard not to cry when I saw all their faces again. They were tickled to see that I remembered their names; I was rather pleased myself, because they total over 40 children, and their names aren't exactly among the most common monikers. They really have some great names! I wish I could share them on here, but I need to keep their privacy.

Both classes had grown up so much. Even during my short visit I observed great improvement in their skills. I was no longer referred to as "Mrs. W-T" {for those of you who know my last name, you can see how they thought my last name sounds like the combo of these two letter names}, but rather they could pronounce my name just fine. Some of them even mentioned the bookmarks I had made for them before leaving last May. As I left, I was bombarded with, "Are you coming again on Monday? Are we going to see you soon?" So adorable. Maybe I'll see them again some day if I get to return to Philly as a REAL teacher. :-)

Here is the memorial {?} that our group left behind at the Messiah Philly campus. It's now hanging in the Caf. My hand prints are the purples ones on the far left. I don't think I actually got to see the finished product before this weekend. There's something that makes me happy about leaving my imprint behind!

Later in the evening I went to a party and then got to see my friend Jeremiah afterward, who I hadn't seen in over a year! Dora and Eriica were too busy being studious to make the trip. Maybe next time ;-)

So now, consider me officially caught up. And officially missing Philly.

Tiny Talk Tuesday

2010-04-27T16:09:00.004-04:00

Looking at pictures of marine animals one day during circle time, I showed my two year~olds a photo of an octopus.

"What's this?"

A----- answered excitedly, "An applesauce!"

Join in the fun and share some Tiny Talk over at Mary's at Not Before 7.

Musings Aloud

So Tell Me Again?

Anything but my Age

What So Much Depends Upon

Fudge, Steak, & Pimples

Gifts {139-148}

Multitude Monday

Threes About Me

Joyful ~ {faces}

Hot Off the Press: Tiny Talk

A Sampler of Diamonds, Engagement, & One Thousand Gifts

The Space Between

Accents/Dialect Vlog

My Heart Hurts

~::Counting the Multitude of Gifts::~

Tiny Talk Tuesday :: Christmas Edition

I have an itchhhhhhh!!!

A Proverb

On Roots & Wings

Some Tiny Talk Soundbytes

The ABC's of Thanks

The Girl on the Piano Bench

Allow Me to Be Petty For Just A Moment. . .

When I'm a Mommy. . .

Miscellany Monday

While I Should Have Been Reading Piaget and Studying Biodiversity & Toxicity Levels...

I Count Because. . .

Top 15 Worst Pick~Up Lines ~ Compiled by Yours Truly

Tiny Talks with a New Batch of Little Ones

~J*O*Y~

Who is that Girl?

For Who? For ME??

MiScellaNy MoNdAy

Counting the Endless Gifts {89-99}

Head First Into the Books

What are little BOYS made of?

7 Quick Takes Friday

You'd Be Hard Pressed to Find. . .

Re~evaluating Product and Success

Baby Names that Aren't

Miscellany Monday ::: Little People Edition

Endless Gifts |80~88|

Shots of Amnesia

Miscellany Monday

Saturday Evening Blog Post {July}

Counting the Endless Gifts :|61~80|:

The ~Wipers~ of Blessing

miscellany monday

A Cross Cultural Experience ~ of the head-banging variety

So tell me again...WHY??!!!???

Rest and Listening

Miscellany Monday ::: Beach Edition

Nuturer by Nature

I'm Still Counting |Endless Gifts|

a Wurk in ProhGreSS

Tiny Talk Tuesday

Views from Dinner

A Year Ago

Kindred Connection Party

Tiny Talk Tuesday

I'll Never Forget

Another Miscellany

Endless Gifts ::11-30::

Clothes Sorting, Memories Sorting

Taking A Break from Memes and Blog Hops

Beginning to count my endless gifts

We're Party Girls

Home Tour :: Living Areas

Saturday Evening Blog Post

Pancakes and Thoughts About God

::Fun Things on My To-Do List::

Miscellany Monday

A Midnight Scrawling..

Tree Song

: : : NO MAKE-UP ZONE : : :

::MIA::

Another Miscellany Monday

Life on the Fringes

Linking Up to the Partaayyy

miscellany monday

~JOY~