quote of the day

so does this mean i can start telling people we're together? --my dear sweet george

it's a jolly holiday...

we'll all remember "our place" from high school or middle school, i'm sure.  the place where you & your friends congregated at lunch, in between classes, etc.  i have a group of about 20 students that congregate in the open hallway between mine and the leadership room, right in between two medium sized trees.  there is an 8 foot bench in that area, also.  they all stand around and talk & laugh and yell both obscenities and niceties at each other.  every day.  and i "get" to be a witness to it. 

 

today i walked outside my room, and something was different.  behind that 8 ft bench, there was a poster on the hallway wall, depicting a winter scene, complete with a fireplace, and two windows with snow coming down. and, there were ornaments and streamers and tree garland hung between those two little trees. one of the trunks was dressed in wrapping paper.  and the kids, loud as ever, most wearing santa hats, were there.  laughing and taking group pictures.  the bench was loaded up with gift bags and goodies.  these gems had put together a full on christmas party at lunch. 

 

i wish wish wish i could post pictures of my students.  then maybe i could have rationalized asking them to pose for a picture for me.  but, i didn't ask.  i just walked back into my room.  but trust me.  it was very jolly.   

aspirations.

i have these two students...student one is a senior, but has the reading & writing & critical thinking abilities of a 2nd grader. every day he comes in and tells me his daily paper is lost. and i tell him to look again. and he tells me its still lost because someone took it. and then sometimes i find it for him. sometimes i tell him that things dont disappear, that i don't move the papers, and that he should look harder. (note: this student leaves papers and assignments all over my classroom and kitchen, as if the second something leaves his hand it magically turns up in its appropriate location. if he learns nothing else other than to fill out this paper and return it to its manilla folder, every day, so that he will know where he can find it tomorrow, i will feel as though i have accomplished some sort of great feat.)

student two has the oral comprehension of a wall. don't get me wrong, he's concerned about his grade and is diligent about keeping up and turning in all assigned work, and if give him written instructions and he is good to go. but if i give him verbal isntructions, no matter how clear, short and personally directed they are, he will wait until i am finished speaking and then immediately say..."so......what do i do?"

anyhow, it was student two's turn for his recipe demonstration in front of his peers. 6th period gets a little squirrely, and while they actually do listen while the presenter is speaking, during down time in between steps they turn into chatty cathy's. after student two's demo, they were chatting and giggling and waiting for the school day to end. then student one came up to claim his sample of the dish, and approached student two and said the following: "its aright, bruh. you di good. dem people just be laughin because they dumb. it ain you."

these two students aren't particularly friends. i dont know that they would ever speak to one another outside the class, they are from different places and have different cultural backgrounds. to be honest, i don't know that student two was concerned at all that people were chatting away and laughing as he passed out his sample dish, i wasn't concerned, as the presentation was over. but student one was concerned. and he wanted to make sure student two felt ok about his demonstration.

it was sweet and kind and thoughtful, but so simple. ait was a needed reminder that i should aspire to be a little more like my students.

quotes of the day

MS WORK!!!!!!!!!--dear student as he approached me with outstretched arms.

and

dear student #1: ms. booth....(holding up a bag of yarn & a mini loom)
me: wow.
dear student: i'm making a scarf

a little bit later...

dear student #1:  my scarf is going to be SO sexy.
dear student #2:  that is very disturbing.

and

how was the funeral? --dear student, quietly and earnestly. not so anyone else could hear, just because she wanted to know. (sometimes my students aggravate me and push my buttons in ways that i feel that i may explode if i do not remove myself from the sometimes arrogant, self-centered and inconsiderate nature of teenagers. yet, other times they melt my heart with their humility, concern and kindess. this quote may not illustrate it to anyone else, and that is OK. but this dear student melted my heart today.)

dear grandpa

rest in peace, grandpa. i'm glad you're back with grandma and that you're free of all your bothersome ailments. i sure miss you, already though.

James Don Tygerson

ps--i love both of those pictures of you. so handsome & happy.

pps-tell grandma & brandon hi. love & miss all three of you.

quote of the day

me:  and if you accidentally throw the water out that you boiled the chicken in, or there's not enough, what can you use instead?

dear student #1:  chicken broth

dear student #2:  CHICKEN BREATH???  WHAT????

interesting

i came across this from a friend's blog who teaches at a feeder school for Thurgood Marshall. I thought this video was informative and interesting.

quote of the day

your name ms. work. i gonna call you ms. work from now on. --dear student

(i was quite pleased with this nickname at first. because i thought it was in reference to the fact that my students have to do actual work in my class. i later found out it has nothing to homework or classwork. im not entirely sure what this definition of "work" is, but i know that it makes teenage boys giggle in the most incriminating way. we all know that can't be good. the notion that my new nickname was referencing something else was cemented when they started snickering and i told him i was starting to think that meant something else, and that he should explain it to me. he completely avoided eye contact and he and the others fled the kitchen immediately.

quote of the day

dear student:  sorry ms. booth, i had to go meet a raider. 

me:  i heard about that.  why is he here?

dear student:  i don't know. he's a backup.

me:  oh.

dear student:  he aint even that big.  he like this big.  (motioning with his hand at about head level)

me:  so i'm bigger than he is?

dear student:  no.  (with a puzzled look.)

stovalls

quotes of the day

dear student: ms. booth. you not gonna eat?
me: no, i'm just going to make sure everyone has everything they need.
dear student: well...do you want me to fix a plate for you?
me: no, I'll be ok.
dear student: so you can eat it later when you are at home?
me: no, thank you though.
(this student is so darling. he was one i was worried about on the first day of class. on parole & such. and aside from catching him carving a "XI" into a pie crust, he has been an absolute joy to have in class.) i'm not sure if he was going to follow with another "I" or a "V" and I'm not sure it matters.)

and

dear student: (quietly) um, ms. booth, do you think I could make up a plate to take home for my mom?
me: yes, that would be fine.
(i almost melted at this boy's tenderness for his mother.)

quote of the day

we 'bout to pray up in here? i got a prayer for ya'll...--dear student before eating our thanksgiving feast

quote of the day

(it was a q & a with new brishopric members)

primary 1st counselor:  does anyone have any other questions for him?

darling 4 year old girl: i just have 3 words for you:  mybirthdayisinfebruaryrightaftervalentimesday. 

 

(she was so cute, and this was so funny i almost died.) 

quote of the day

he is a vagrant, dirty hippie, freeloader.

quote of the day

i have a moothie smustache!!!!!  --dear student with berry goodness all over his upper lip

quote of the day

dear student:  hey ms. booth.  wanna see an awesome picture?

me:  sure

dear student:  (holding his phone out with a picture of a dead raccoon.)

me:  ew.

dear student:  what?  what would you do if you saw a dead raccoon in the road?

other dear student:  uh...leave it there?

 

and

 

student #1:  look at my sister's halloween costume.  she was a witch.

student #2:  look at my brother's pet chinchilla.  his name is paul.  he is awesome. 

and

every place makes you have those value cards now. its like you gotta walk around with suitcase full of cards to get anything these days. --my dearest george

quote of the day

me:  um, the one is backwards.  (on the bleacher decoration)

dear student:  no its not.

me: ...

dear student:  its supposed to be that way.  its...artistic. 

macaskill family

meg & i go back to BYU days. before moving back to CA. before reese & zoe. just a side note: every time i see her i wish my hair was red. =)

i rushed down to the south bay for photos after school one day last week, and on the way there i got SUPER nervous. i like i was unprepared. i hadn't "studied." i hadn't drawn out stick figure poses. i hadn't scoured other photographers sites like i often do. i was photographing a dear friend & the dearest people in her life, and the more i thought about it, the more unprepared i felt. ive photographed quite a few couples. they are easy. but little kids, while darling, are sometimes intimidating and not always easy, as i've learned firsthand in primary. so, here was equation: dear friend+talented photographer+kind, consenting husband+2 darling little girls under the age of 4+unfamiliar location and a somewhat persnickety camera=lots of butterflies.

meg picked the greatest location. here are a few of my favorites...












also, for some reason i can't get my blogger images to look the way they look on my smugmug. BOO. they are actually a lot more vibrant than they are here. click here for the rest of the images.

happy halloweenies

a cute little punkin...


AND

from hermione & harry

and

a sassy cat

AND

a cute witch and her green faced goblin


AND

fred & wilma

quotes of the day

student #1: you do have nicely sculpted man-boobs.
student #2: you just took that too far.

and

dear student: cuz we be mobbin up in here.
me: yep. (nodding, smiling as i walked to another kitchen)
dear student: ms booth know what we talking 'bout. (walking away)

quotes of the day

student 2 slaps student 1

student 1:  did you see that?????????

student 2:  i'm sorry.  it had to happen. 

 

and

 

(after watching some birth video clips)

community educator: alright guys what did you think?

students:  (groaning & giggling)

community educator:  OK, what was the most shocking thing?

student 1:  it gets HUGE.

student 2:  i din know the placenta look like THAT.

student 3:  bleh. 

community educator: which part?

student 3:  the head. (dramatic pause)  it just....slips out......horrible. 

 

and

 

(after a discussion about recent uses of the cord blood, stem cells and how different cultures treat the placenta)

dear student:  so, like the placenta.  can you sell it? 

some things.

-i am less interested in being a "liked" teacher and more interested in facilitating growth. i think that kind of makes me like the human form of a vegetable.
-witnessing someone waver in their faith is difficult. it seems like it would feel like watching a child flail & splash around in some really strong ocean currents. and not be wearing a life jacket or water wings.
-we were recently informed that we have 40 active gangs on our campus.
-the show "hoarders" makes me so anxious i start biting my nails (which is a disgusting habit i ditched long ago)
-some chiropracters are miracle workers.
-i'm still shocked that all the chilean miners made it to safety. flabbergasted, really. i was SURE something awful was going to happen during the rescue.
-it is very important to make every child you come in contact with know that you are aware of them, and that you are happy to see them. even when you really aren't, it isn't important that they know that.
-having the football coach on my side legitimizes my purpose and efforts in many sets of eyes.
-the a&e series "teach" with tony danza warms my heart.
-and most of all....i married an absolute gem of a man. i thank my lucky stars every day that he waited for me.


story: today we were holding the sophomore class meeting in my room during lunch, going over all the specifics for the dr. seuss themed spirit week that is fast approaching when i heard, "jacqueline booth, report to your car immediately. jacqueline booth, report to your car, immediately." i grabbed my keys and stormed out my back door expecting the worst (like all the bashed windshields from my days on nicolet.) i found my security gaurd and AP next to my car, with the trunk open. no broken windows. ahhhh. relief. i accidently left it open after having kids help me haul in bags of groceries during first hour. my security guard motioned toward a corner-dwelling posse about 50 ft away and then motioned to my car and just said, "be careful." i shut my trunk and walked back inside. i knew of few of the corner posse. one was a boy that missed the first couple of days of class because of court, and parole meetings, etc, and one has really bad adhd and is disruptive both in my class, and also with the law, i believe. the first boy has turned out to be an absolute dear. he is helpful, respectful, kind, hardworking and concerned about his grades. i have been so please and so, so impressed by him. the second boy is working hard also, but still gets easily distracted. the first boy was absent today. the second boy was back in class after a week long stint of absenses because he was still. we had the following conversation today.

me: hi, (dear student's name) do you hang out in the corner on the blacktop?
dear student: yah. how you know i be over there with them?
me: oh, i thought i saw you over there.
dear student: yup.
me: will you do me a favor?
dear student: sure.
me: will you keep an eye on my car? its that white one behind the classroom.
dear student: yup, i know. your trunk was open today and one of my friends said we should get it in it and go through stuff. i told him we could get arrested for stuff like that, and so he didn't.
me: thank you so much.
dear student: i got you ms. booth. ill watch it back there.

i got very lucky today. thank heavens he was there.

quotes of the day

dear custodian:  annd NOW they're saying it'll be thursday or friday.  for the rain. 

 

and

 

this sh#t go.  --dear student complimenting the creamy tomato basil soup

and

he goes. --dear student commenting on the art teacher's crepe making abilities.

quotes of the day

dear custodian:  you know, it was supposed to rain today?

me:  oh really?

dear custodian:  yes, and now look at it.  there's rays of sun. 

me:  there is.

dear custodian:  i wouldn't want to be a meteorologist.  the weather will make a liar out of you every time. 

and

dear student 1: ms. kohl cooks?
dear student 2: yah. she a wife.

i am in the midst of my "guest chef" program at school. its a fun thing i started last year where i invite other staff members to demonstrate how to make their favorite recipe for my students. some come on their prep periods. some come with their classes. its a win-win either way, because the students get to see that "everybody cooks," including science teachers, PE teachers, english teachers, etc, and its kind of free advertising for my program when the teachers bring their classes. either way, its super fun.

quote of the day

you have a super-sonic dog nose. --my dearest george

quote of the day

i gawchu.--dear student

fridays we have football games on campus. and when we have football games, the campus gates all get locked, so parents, buses etc can not park in certain areas. well, i park in the back of the campus, and so when i go to leave i have to stop the car, unlock the gate, drive out, stop the car, re-chain and lock the gate. and avoid all the spideys and their webs that are all over that nasty gate. anyway, i started this whole rigamaroll, and after i got out of the car to re-lock the gate, one of our dear football players waved me on and said this. i waved, and thanked him and turned to get in my car. in my rear view mirror i tried look a little closer. he was familiar, but with football helmet on, its super hard to tell who anyone is, from a distance or not. but then i realized it was student A. it was interesting.

quotes of the day

i think we'll have some rain this weekend.  --dear custodian who cleans my classroom (he says this same thing to me every day.  sometimes i wonder if he's testing me or if he really forgets that we've had the same exchange the day before.) 

 

and

 

this be smackin.--dear student on the 6 can chicken tortilla soup

quotes of the day

sidenote: we were called as the CTR 7 teachers. and 7 year olds are frightening sometimes. way scarier than thugged out teenagers. i told my mom what a hard time i was having with them, and the following conversation ensued:

me: man, being a primary teacher is the quickest way to scare someone into waiting to have kids.
mom: how old are they?
me: 7.
mom: bummer. i swear 7 is the adolescence of childhood.

on sunday, our class was particularly small, and the sunbeams were all present, and their teacher was not, and so i left george with our boys and went to sit with them during sharing time. no sooner had i sat down than the most darling little child came and plopped himself on my lap. i asked his name, and the name of the little boy sitting next to me. he answered and then said:

i have a wast name TOOOO. (he was very serious, and intense)

the one on my lap told me he liked my necklace and pointed to my eyelashes, but told me that my hair was a mess. he snuggled into my arms for the rest of sharing time. annnnnd, i absolutely melted. the one next to me would pat my leg periodically throughout the lesson, and the one on my lap just continued to snuggle.

apparently, children are not always scary.

quotes of the day

yah. because apparently dreams are possible in UT --jules (ps--if i quoted this wrong, please correct me. =) )

and

yah....i'm about ready to go. i think we've got everything we need. --dear george, nonchalantly looking over his shoulder. i looked in our cart to find a ceramic cat-shaped toilet brush holder, a stuffed rabbi and a menorah, all at different points during our BBB shopping excursion.

quotes of the day

i farrrrr-ted. i farrrrrr-ted i farrrr-ted. --dear student as he was skipping through my classroom.

and

don't make me bomb you. --dear 9th grade student to another

upon my starting to laugh and asking for an explanation he told me that another student told him that he "spoke good terrorist," and that he should, "be a terrorist for halloween."

veggie quesadilla lab

today i had my kids make veggie quesadillas. this is one of the most rewarding labs that we do. when i tell them we will be shredding up home grown veggies, namely zucchini, carrots & a leek, mixing it with cheese & chopped cilantro, and squirting lime juice over the top before melting it between a folded tortilla, they are ALWAYS skeptical. BUT, they always LOVE the result and end up asking for seconds & thirds. it is so fun to watch.

here is some beautiful produce from the THS farm on the south side of campus

and

the taste testing of tomatoes set up.

every lab they have to compelte a "nutrition check" where they practice reading the food labels, and listing the most prominent nutrition factor. this nutrition check is a little different....the kids had to try the different color tomatoes and compare and judge the flavor. the red one was store bought, and the beautiful orange, yellow & green zebra tomatoes were grown on site.

makes me want to garden real bad.

(ps, i wish i could post photos of my students, but that is illegal. so, photos of our produce will have to do.)

quote of the day

Splurge on experiences, not stuff.-- this darling girl whose site i stalk.  i've never met her, but read her blog.  her name is gail.  (don't judge me.  or do. whatever)

quotes of the day

peek-a-boo --dear albert (or elmer, as me, mom & george had been calling him) he was my grandpa's dear old, feeble roommate at the care facility, who sometimes sleeps with his sheet and blanket pulled over the top of his head. this was his greeting for the nurses when they came to give him some medication when I was watching conference with grandpa.

and

grandpa: thats a nice hat.
me: what did you just say?
grandpa: this is a good set.
me: ohhhh (laughing)
grandpa: what?
me: i thought you said "thats a nice hat"
grandpa: quiet giggle.
me: and i didn't know how to tell you that president monson was not wearing a hat at all.

quote of the day

i wonder if this be what heaven smell like up in here.  --dear student on the lovely smell of baking cinnamon rolls

quote of the day

me:  i'm passing around bags of wheat, wheat flour and cracked wheat for you to see the difference

dear student:  hahah.  crack. 

witness to sweetness.

student A:  last week, "student A" was added to my class.  he was a senior football player, who had a smart mouth, and questioned every single direction i gave him.  he was expectant and somewhat arrogant.  NOT my favorite type of class addition. 

 

student B:  she has been in my class from the beginning. her mother is schizophrenic and bi-polar.  her father is autistic.  she is smart and dilligent and a talented cartoonist from what i hear, but also has very few social skills.  her hygiene has been problematic in the class, and  her ability to interact with and communicate effectively to others is not "normal."  she doesn't talk much at all, unless she is whispering or laughing to herself as she is staring off in the distance. 

 

last week, after repeatedly asking to put his drink away, put his phone away, get his belongings under the table and having to hear his snide excuse and argument for every request, i had about had it with student A.   

 

i was talking with student B later, and as I walked away, student A quietly mentioned I mispronounced student B's name.  i thanked him and carried on. 

 

TODAY i was buzzing around each kitchen as they made their banana crumb muffins.  after student A learned that this was NOT an "easy A" class, he visited his counselor to put in his class change request.  he kindly let me know that he'd be officially  transferred out later that day.  we both seemed to tolerate one another much better after this information was out in the open.   

 

i helped student B stir some ingredients, and then her group members continued with the recipe.  i brought her some towels to fold and continued helping other groups.  there were a few students sitting down as they waited for their muffins to bake.  students A & B were sitting close to one another. 

 

i kept a curious eye on student A as he started small conversations  with student B.  he mentioned something about her outfit, and motioned to her jeans that were tucked into her socks.  a few students looked as though they'd start laughing, but student A wasn't laughing.  i casually came by the table and gave some cleaning instructions to the others, to get student B out of the spotlight and kept an eye on them as I walked away. 

 

student A kept quietly speaking with student B, when the audience dispersed.  poitnting to her shoes socks.  someone must have questioned what was going on, because student A answered, "what.  me & (student A's name) go way back."  everyone else got preoccupied with their muffins at this point.  

 

and then i saw a sweet, quiet moment.  student A started tying student B's shoes.  inconspicuously.  not together, like i feared at first.  but just tying them.  so her laces wouldn't be all over the place.  he might have untucked her socks a little too, i don't remember.  all i know is he finished one shoe, and she walked away without saying anything.  then when she came back to the table, she patted her chair, motioning for her to put her other foot up there.  without looking at him, or really acknowledging him, she put her other shoe up.  he tied it neatly in a bow, and tucked the laces in so they won't flop all over the place.  and then patted the top of her shoe and she walked away again.  

 

i don't know if anyone else saw.  i don't know how well these two know one another.  i dont really know much.   but i saw a sweetness and a kindness where i had only seen obnoxious, smart-alecky arrogance, before.  

 

i don't really know what to say.  im just glad i was a witness to it. 

quotes of the day

me:  that looks beautiful! on a perfect, golden waffle, with a sliced tablespoon of butter and a drizzle of syrup

dear student #1:  aww, miss.  YOU taught me how to make it beautiful.

dear student #2:  you are such a F&$%#*! kiss a$$.

dear student #1:  SO?  that be my grade, right there. 

and

MISS!! can i help you with that? --dear student whom i've never met, but that saw me struggling with an armful. she took half the load from my arms and opened the door for me at my classroom. (sigh.)

and

miss...can i have a paper plate? i want to take this home for my mom. --dear student on his fresh, golden brown waffle

quotes of the day

me:  and then put some parchment paper on there before you put the biscuits down.

dear student:  WHERES THE PARKING PAPER???

 

and

 

this BANGIN!!! --dear student on his honey mustard salad dressing\

 

and

 

i done with the terms and it aint even 11 yet. --dear student on his work progress 

 

and

 

dear student:  ms. petty, did you hear about the robberies that have been happening at atms?

me:  no, whats been happening?

dear student:  a guy, wearing a black hoodie & mask been walking up behind people and robbing them at night.  you should be careful. 

photo proof

socks with heels = awesome.  5/19/10

 

quote of the day

Smooth criminal --picture caption on incriminating photo from nicole 5/9/10/917 

quote of the day

 4/12/10 Honey that is not real life. Don't you dare not tell me your woes.  --text from dear mom

quote of the day

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  HAVE A GREAT DAY-or as Grandma would say,A GREAT MONTH!!!!  --text from mom 5/20/10

quote of the day

Guess who's going to peeeeeerrrooooommm.  -text from baby michelle 4/12/10

quote of the day

 4/13/10 Did you hear the news? Baby michelle got asked to prom!--text from my mom

status update

i am excited.  seminary was excellent. its homecoming and so the kids are excited & happy, rally, food fair, good class discusisons, lots of talk on goals & progress and its only 10 am. some fresh air is on the agenda tonight and watching some students perform in a parade tomorrow morning.  -emailed/mental status update 9/25/09   

photo of the day

fabrics!  4/10

quote of the day

This should be a ben and jerry's add 1/23/10

quote of the day

 12/13/09 @ 11:17 am yes already in the car. ps i have ur green make up bag too. or some green bag with a lot of jingly stuff in it. --my dearest george

quote of the day

i didnt work on my cookbook today because i forgot my stuff.  so, instead ive been working a story ive been writing. so, go me.  --dear student from TN  (i found this quote in my email.  it is from last year 3/31/10.  it made me giggle, so i had to post it even though its late)

quote of the day

that F&!$#N smart.  ms. booth, yous smart.  --dear student on an object lesson quiz about reading the directions

quote of the day

I might as well have wrapped my arm in 20's. --dear sister kris in THIS post

quote of the day

you are what you repeatedly do. excellence then, is not an act, but a habit. --aristotle

i found this gem on my google reader. being intrigued that shaq could offer such advice, i googled it a little. and then found the quote listed above.

c'mon, really? i could make a number of comments about what shaq has "repeatedly" been involved with lately, but i wont. its a little too easy. ill just post aristotle's quote, instead.

denise & maddy

today.

what a difference 30 minutes makes. 

 

i just found old, rotting, onions & garlic in a closed pantry.  that had invited lots of gnats to come and play.

 

and now, today, i don't like my job very much anymore. 

quote of the day

dear student: where is da paper?
me: what paper?
dear student: da yellow paper?
me: what yellow paper?
dear student: da yellow paper we write all da jank on.
me: oh. by the door.

(i was not trying to be difficult. and what is funny is his explanation made perfect sense to me. )

teaching today.

today, i love teaching. 

 

we were doing an exercise on kitchen conversions & equivalents.  i was having the kids hold up the number of fingers related to different equivalents.  one student was a bit lost, and verbally answered "3.5" for how many cups 32 TB was equal to.  but then i looked over and he was trying to fashion his hand in a way that would represent 3 and a half.  it made me giggle. 

 

and

 

then we were correcting a chapter from the text on quick breads & yeast breads.  we talked about how freezing bread will prevent mold growth.  i told them if they just left a loaf of bread on the conuter it would get very, very moldy and it would be discusting.  one student mentioned that was the kind of bread they served in juvie.  (is that how you even spell it?  i don't know)  i told him if he didn't go back, he'd never HAVE to eat moldy bread again.  he agreed.  i was pleased. 

 

 

quote of the day

if we're going to be hoarders, we're going to be hoarders with an excel spreadsheet. --my dearest george on the merits of cataloguing storage boxes, complete with box numbers, content listings and photos.  

kicked.

how am i only seeing this for the first time?

quotes of the day

i feel like i finally understand how to succeed at college: You have to do crap--dear sister kris

and

me: yah because big baby boys are so annoying.
Kristin: hahaha its true. there are a lot of them at BYU. they all have infinite potential. but few actually grow up. its like planting a field of men, and only 5% of it grows.

dear security

my dearest campus security officers,

 

i genuinely missed you last year.  and you still brighten my day with your "hey baby!" greetings every morning. 

 

HOWEVER.

 

i have NO idea how you've made it to middle age without knowing you should NEVER, ever, under any circumstance, ask, assume or make reference or gesture to a woman being pregnant.  the only exceptions to these rules are if she TELLS you she is expecting or she is giving birth in your midst.  when you act against these rules awkwardness ensues for everyone. 

 

just sayin.

 

love always,

speedy

quote of the day

be unique without being ridiculous. --morning radio host in response to lady gaga's raw meat bikini photo shoot

quotes of the day

hey pettys!!  --dear flooring specialist at lowes (yes, they all know us around those parts)

 

and

 

don't do that me.  you do that to moths.  --my dearest george on why i shouldn't swat at him

and

ohhhhh. the late night crew...-- lowes customer service rep acknowledging the ridiculous hours we keep around their store

quote of the day

 i love my family and i never want them to die. amen.  --dear child at the podium 

happy friday.

 

I FOUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNND IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

i can't really describe how absolutely thrilled i am at this moment. 

 

i have thought about a certain exhibit hundreds of times over the last 2 years.  i wrote pages about it in my travel journal, pouring out my thoughts & heart.  few times in my life have i ever felt so inspired. 

 

i then left my sweet, newly filled, leather backed travel journal on the bus at some point during our tour of the english countryside.  typical, i know.  we went back to the tour group, but they hadn't found it.  i left them my address and phone number.  told them i was visiting from the US, but to please please please please please send me my journal if they found it.  but they never did. 

 

every time i tried to remember who the artist was or what decade it came from, i drew an absolute blank, which made me even more upset about losing my journal with all of my thoughts about the WHY behind my love of photography. 

 

but today, i was reading something from reader and i was linked to this page http://www.chroniclebooks.com/index/main,book-info/store,books/products_id,8518/title,Life-on-the-Lower-East-Side/.  her name reminded of my dear, favorite exhibit.  i think they must have displayed some of her work during the exhibit.  because it was enough to get me to THIS site http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/streetandstudio/rooms/room6.shtm .  no, my journal still wasn't found or ever sent to me. but the source of inspiration for the words that made it so valuable to me, was. and if you still don't get why this is such a big deal to me, don't worry. you will soon. 

 

happy friday to me. 

quotes of the day

what kind of options are there?  --dear student 

 

(ahhhh.  moments like these make my little heart flutter, as a teacher.  we spent the next 20 minutes talking about college and careers and doing what you love and making money and exploring so you can find something you really enjoy.  it was so so lovely) 

and

me: now, i do NOT need a report on what happens when YOU go to the bathroom. go tell your DOCTOR, NOT ME, if you have any of the symptoms that we mentioned in class today that can indicate food bourne illness.
student: don't YOU want to be my doctor?
rest of the students: (uncomfortable silence)
me: no, i do not.
student: are you sure?
me: yes, very.
rest of the students: lots of "you're he**a dumb"s uttered in his direction

(this did NOT make my heart flutter. high school boys can be so....bleh.)

high school.

today, while correcting some chapter work and prepping for a sanitation quiz, the students were all writing down answers and asking questions. i noticed a stir, and turned around to see one of my students standing in the front of the class, folding his oversized jeans. that he had just taken off. he looked at me and waited, whilst wearing a tshirt and the oversized shorts he was wearing under his oversized jeans. and i asked him to sit down, and he agreed. no scene. once again, some things need to be publicly addressed, while others, when publicly addressed, exacerbate the problem. this was one of those. it reminded me of this.

quote of the day

security #1:  SPEEDY!

security #2:  that MRS. speedy now.  now we just waitin on da belly swell.

 

back to school...

i was "flipping" through old posts and i found the ones where i was counting down to my last day at my dear school. i never finished or wrapped up the story. so, here 'tis: they canned me. you know, it was wrapped in, "oh we need to reduce sections, make cuts, etc etc etc..." but the fact of the matter is i had a super shady boss, whom i caught doing shady things, and i called him on it. and proved he was a liar. shortly thereafter is when they started referring to cut-backs, etc. that didn't change the fact that i felt like i had just gotten dumped. it was like re-living a parallel, all too familiar and recent heartbreak. so, without any choice, i packed up my car and left.

BUT now...

i'm back. i'm not unpacked or settled or really ready for ALL of the nutso crazy things this year has in store for me, but i'm back. and i'm so so happy. it just feels like home, here. which, makes absolutely no sense to anyone. including my students. and i'm ok with that.

and remember that super shady guy? yah, they caught him in even shadier stuff then before. so he got fired. (nanner, nanner, nanner)

dear hampsters...

i get it. you like running. and probably caffeine. (though you don't need it) but, i think i've finally figured you out, and i just have one small request:

SLOW THE HECK DOWN.

while im doing my darndest to keep up, i've never been much of a runner.

love always,
me

quote of the day

ms. booth, whats it like being married? is it really different? --dear student

quote of the day

where you been? --dear grandpa

quote of the day

is that one light skinded boy in our class still?  you know, the one with all the gold teeth....the grill? --dear student

quotes of the day

dear student: is he** OK?
me: no.
dear student: what about da*n?
me: no (walking away as i continued to hand back papers)
dear student: FFrench toast!  oh HEavens no!  shut the FFront door.  (he continued sharing many 'non swearing' exclamations after my reminder that no dirty words should be spoken when or where i can hear them

this was AFTER a table of four, 17 year old boys made a game out of trying to get each other to swear where i could hear them. and so the G rated exclamations continued. it was quite hilarious.

and

dear student: here is my quiz. it was easy
me: great! thanks.
dear student: bye
me: bye. have a good one.
dear student: (turning aroud) you too.
me:
dear student: oh. i hope you have have a nice weekend.
me: thanks!
dear student (turning around again) oh. and...
me: ....
dear student: its nice you got married. bye.

quote of the day

george:  if i were homeless, i would totally shower in that.  (motioning toward the fountain/water sculpture on the corner of mowry and paseo padre.)  lather up....perfect

me:  strange look

george:  i'd keep my pants on, of course.

 

quote of the day

There really should be a public service anouncement addressing the fact that pukas are a sign of douchebaggery and weakness, and that wearing them does not magically transform you from a tool into a winner. --my dear witty sister, kristin, on her newest blog thatmustgo.blogspot.com

quote of the day

gotta go. snot all over the place --IM from cass.  (poor baby sophia has a cold.) 

and

why is your big butt calling my wife? --text from dear shweggie on my accidental purse (or butt) dial

oops.

this is what happens when i make a 30 minute commute with a flat tire.

quote of the day

shoot them. --dear coworker in response to the rhetorical question "what do you do when a child walks into your class tardy?"

a few favorites...

so, my dear friend meghan is a photographer. and a few weekends ago she brought me along as a second shooter for a wedding up at lake almanor. it was lovely. i had nightmares about it for days leading up to it, because well, that is how my little brain deals with things....its obsesses and worries and stresses out, trying to figure out the best plan of a attack. i learned on this trip that the second shooter has the fun job. it gives you the subjects and time to get the fun detail shots, while the main shooter has to get the money shots. you know the ones. anyway, here are some that i took that weekend. i'm quite pleased. and, in case you were wondering, i'm getting closer. =)