Monthly Archives: September 2011

Sep14

Thanks, Dad

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Thanks, Dad

I received a wonderful surprise in the mail today. I saw a package addressed to me and was confused because the thing I ordered from Amazon arrived yesterday (Big Bang Theory, Season 4!). So, still confused, I opened up the package and out came the book A Wrinkle in Time.

I love this book, mainly because it’s one that my dad got me into when I was young. It was a favorite from his childhood, and I really enjoyed sharing the love of this book with him. Madeleine L’Engle created a blend of science, Christianity, and real life in a way that could be understood by kids. So it’s one that I’ve encouraged lots of kids to read. And there are LOTS of books in connection to the series, so if you do like it, there’s more fun to be had.

It’s a little weird in ways, but I love some of her philosophies and backstories behind this. I came across this passage in where L’Engle discussed how she was rejected many times (From A Circle of Quiet). She writes:

I am often asked how I came to write A Wrinkle in Time.

Even with all the hindsight of which I am capable I can’t quite explain it. It was during a time of transition. We had sold the store, were leaving the safe, small world of the village, and going back to the city and the theatre.

While we were on our ten-week camping trip from the Atlantic to the Pacific and back again, we drove through a world of deserts and buttes and leafless mountains, wholly new and alien to me. And suddenly into my mind came the names, Mrs. Whatsit. Mrs. Who. Mrs. Which.

But why did those names come to me just then, and from where? I haven’t the faintest idea. I suppose that my writing mind, which is always at work no matter what is happening on the surface level, took over from there. I had brought along some…Einstein, a few other books on cosmology…and…the influence of these books on Wrinkle is obvious. I was also quite consciously writing my own affirmation of a universe which is created by a power of love.

After an early rejection (there were many), “X turned down Wrinkle…saying he loved it, but didn’t quite dare do it, as it isn’t really classifiable. I know it isn’t classifiable, and am wondering if I’ll have to go through the usual hell with this that I seem to go through with everything I write…[and yet] this book I’m sure of. If I’ve ever written a book that says what I feel about God and the universe, this is it. This is my psalm of praise….

…In 1963 (c. three years after the above entry), when I was in Chicago to receive the Newberry Medal for A Wrinkle in Time, a woman who was a fine editor…but who had rejected Wrinkle, said to me, “I know I should have published this book. But I wonder: if I had accepted A Wrinkle in Time, would it have been the right moment for it? If it had been published then, maybe you wouldn’t be here now….”

She was a very wise woman.

I am so glad somebody did publish this book, though. Because it was a book that got my father engaged in reading, and he passed that on to me. I know of many other people, my age, older, and younger, that this book has touched for the better as well.

This is my favorite cover- the book that I still have from childhood for my personal home library.

And what would you know? My dad ordered it from my classroom wishlist on Amazon so I had another copy to share with my kiddos in school, for the very same reasons that I have mentioned already.

So, with a blast from the past and a thoughtful gift, a day that was not the best took a turn for the better. Thanks, Dad! 🙂

Sep11

In remembrance…

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In remembrance…

I think any of us who were old enough to remember September 11, 2001, it will be a day that we can never forget, whether we want to or not.  I still remember the sinking feeling in my stomach as I ate breakfast that morning before school, watching them speculate about the first plane in the first tower, as the second plane hit. The shock, the disbelief. Then having to go to school, where my first period teacher (Band) didn’t want to have us watch the footage, so we were playing as another teacher ran in yelling that the towers had fallen. Watching the replays in other classes…

It was terrifying, and I didn’t have any loved ones in immediate danger, even. My heart goes out to those who did, and still do, have loved ones who died or are in danger still from the chain reaction that was set off that day.

Most of my students can’t remember or appreciate the events of that day, as they were two or three. So, as an English teacher, I felt like it would be important to take a day to remind the students one of the greatest purposes of writing: to remember. And why we would remember this day from ten years ago.

As part of that lesson, I found this beautiful tribute on Youtube that I decided to show my students, and that I want to share with you all:

9/11 Tribute

I was so impressed by how my students took all of this so seriously and maturely. I hope it helped give them a broader view of the events that they have heard about growing up, but perhaps didn’t really understand.

I also wanted to share two other things I have come across the past few days that impressed me.

First, the fact that the rest of the world still acknowledges our pain, even though many of these places have their own suffering and turmoil. Here’s the start of this article:

As America looked inward in the days, weeks and months after September 11, 2001, others around the world made extraordinary gestures toward the United States. 
We were all so focused on ourselves – understandably so – that many probably missed the fact that Iran’s President Mohammad Khatami condemned the attacks, that Ireland and Israel held full national days of mourning, that the Afghan Taliban told “American children [that] Afghanistan feels your pain”.

You are even less likely to have heard what could be one of the most touching reactions of all.  This is the story of how a destitute Kenyan boy turned Stanford student rallied his Masai tribe to offer its most precious gift to America in its time of need.

And sometimes, even the beloved Sunday comics can stop for a moment to acknowledge the importance of today’s date.

 

Sep10

New phone!

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New phone!

Today was a great day. Especially because my new cell phone came in the mail.

Now, Jared and I had the same Nokia “Smart” phone for the past two years. (And trust me: it wasn’t very smart at all. It was lots better than my old flip phone, but just lots of issues.)

I could deal with most of the non-abilities that the phone had, but for the past few months, it had developed one very bad habit. And it kept getting worse and worse. It used to be just once in awhile when I turned my phone on, but got worse quickly. In fact, it started to be so bad that if my phone rang, I didn’t know if I should answer it because I couldn’t see who was calling!

It would look like this:

When really, it should look like this:


Ironically, Jared’s phone never had that problem even though it’s the exact same model. Irritating, no?

I finally figured out the pattern. I noticed that at home (with the great AC we have) the phone was consistently bad. But, if I kept my phone warm (like, in my pocket or outside for any given amount of time since Texas has been SO DANG HOT), then it would work more reliably. Bizarre, and not really that convenient for wearing dresses/skirts sans pockets for work.

So, after hearing me complain about, yell at, and even at times smack my phone, Jared did a lot of research about phones. (Plus, he wasn’t totally in love with his Nokia either, so he wanted to start looking into possibilities for himself as well!). And he spent a lot of time on Ebay and other websites to figure out the best way to spend money on an awesome new phone.

So today, I am retiring that unSmart Nokia for my new Samsung Galaxy S 4G phone. Which is totally awesome for many reasons, including the live wallpaper background that easily entertains me for minutes at a time.

Thanks, Jared, for getting me such an amazing new phone!!!

 

Sep8

A fun practical joke

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A fun practical joke

Sometimes, we just need to have fun.

To be honest, I don’t really like practical jokes. Most of the time, I think they are dumb, lame, or a waste of time. I really get annoyed with April Fool’s day especially. If it’s hurtful or slightly mean, I really don’t want to get involved. I’m more into the type of jokes that make people laugh or smile only.

Today a great situation popped up when we saw a friend’s blog. She and her husband are pretty much the only other couple from church who don’t have human children yet- just the four-legged variety, so we get along fabulously. Her husband decided to go military not too long ago, so that’s become a big part of their life lately. Sandi posted this on her blog, and while Jared and I had dinner tonight, we realized we had some rubber duckies, and it was only 8:30 PM!

So we concocted a plan.

We collected our duckies, some post-it notes (I’m a teacher, so I always have them on hand!), and did us some doorbell ditching. And though normally I don’t condone doorbell ditching, we both agreed that Sandi’s laugh was exactly the reaction we hoped for so it was totally worth it. We even got an honorable mention on her blog. 😉

I wasn’t really having a great day today, but making somebody else laugh by being a little silly definitely helped make me feel better, too!

Sep7

Cupcakes!

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Cupcakes!

So, I got to go back to work today. Apparently the district wasn’t concerned about the 45% fire containment over in the neighborhood where I used to work (since they were letting residents back into their homes) and whatnot, so they got to go back to school in their fire zone. And we got our school back now that it and the high school weren’t being used as shelters anymore.

This might sound like I’m unhappy about this situation, but actually, I am oh-so-glad school is back in session. It makes things more normal, less scary from these fires. And I am happy that the vast majority of those residents were able to go back to their homes. (By the way, I am being sincere about this!)

Back to the point. We were back in school today, and the air was just a little heavier than usual because of how so many people know somebody affected by this crazy wildfire season. It just adds an extra layer of “What if?”s and worries to the air, even if you were aren’t directly hurt by it.

 

Then one of the counselors brought a surprise to share with everyone.


Normally, I am not crazy about food smiling back at me, but this cupcake just made me happy.

Look at it! Doesn’t it make you smile , just a little?

Something as little as a cupcake can make your whole day a little brighter. Especially if it has cute little candy eyes and a silly, simple smile!