Winter Weather!

There is so much snow in Oklahoma City today! It is crazy! As of 5 p.m. there were 11 inches of snow...and it is still snowing! It is a blizzard. The malls are closed, Christmas Eve Church Services are cancelled, even all of the interstates around the metro are closed! What usually takes my mom 30 minutes to get to work, took her 4 hours to get home. It is definetly a White Christmas. Here is my photo journal of my day.

Above: Pictures of the snow, Christmas Tree, and Bradford, the cutest dog in America!

It continues to snow! I continue to take pictures, laugh at Jonathon Condor (the newscaster who has been outside in the snow all day entertaining me), and hope that those in the snow are okay. The boredom was so high at one point that I had cast my family in the Nativity Scene, since we cannot go to the Christmas Eve Service...haha! They weren't crazy about my idea! Welcome White Christmas 2009!

So Much

So much has happened since Morgan Le Fay's death (a.k.a. my last post)! I have finished my first full semester of teaching, and I know that might not seem like anything big. However, I feel a sense of accomplishment. I have learned at an exponential rate for 18 weeks, and it is nice to have a mental vacation from teaching. Well actually a physical vacation, too. A few weeks ago I decided to incorporate an art project with the novel my Juniors were studying, Of Mice and Men. The art project went great, but while I was getting out supplies, I sliced open the back of my hand on a rusty, old nail that was lurking in one of my cabinets. It looked horrific for 2 weeks, but thanks to my mom and grandma and their insistence on pouring hydrogen peroxide on it off-and-on for 2 hours, I think it is getting better! YAY! I guess a forever memory of my first year teaching...haha!

I am loving Christmas Break! It began with a friend's wedding and the fun has continued. My plans for the break are the 3 R's. Running, Reading, and Relaxing! Today I went for a wonderful run in the warm sun. I just love warm weather! Honestly, it would be fine with me if we didn't have a white, snowy Christmas...haha! My reading plans are plentiful. I have taken the bite...I am obsessed with the Twilight Saga. I stood in line for 7 hours to see New Moon for the midnight premier, and it was worth it! I feel somewhat like a 14 year old, but I am addicted to the books. I am reading the 3rd book, but during the break, I also want to read The Story of Edgar Sawtelle and Stephen King's Memoir, On Writing.

I have chosen the writing book because I think my students are ruining my grammar and my ability to write...haha...but seriously! Please, please, please tell me if I ever say "I seen," "ain't gonna," or spell a lot "alot." These are battles I face every day (but not for 2 weeks...YAY!), and I do not want their mistakes ingrained in my brain. I go over the proper usage when I see major standard English grammar errors; however, I think I need a new approach. It is hard to compete with the erroneous "language of the land" that is heard in the community and even on the radio stations.

I am also relaxing during the break. I am really looking forward to seeing friends that I haven't seen in quite a while and being with family. I love being in the midst of my mom's beautiful, holiday-spirited house with peppermint scents, comfy couches, warm quilts, and Bradford (the dog), who's warm, 6 pound body sleeps at the foot of my bed. I love laughing at my sister's witty replies; however, I wish she were not able to find a CSI Marathon...everyday! Overall, I am happy to be with loved ones! I hope everyone has a great Holiday Season!

No More

Morgan le Fay (my goldfish) died. End of story. Sad day.

We Landed on the Moon!

Some may call this crazy, but I love it!! I have always been fascinated and intrigued with space. Now, I'm not talking about the space that you search for as you try to cram something else in your closet or the space that you sometimes need from people with whom you have spent a considerable amount of time. I'm talking about the real deal, outerspace, universe, galaxies...Space!

From a young age, I can remember my uncle teaching and quizzing me about planets and stars and showing me different constellations through his telescope (even though the only one I can point out today is the big dipper!). From then on space has always interested me. I'm a frequenter of cnn.com and even to this day if a space related article is there, I just have to read it. I watched the movie Apollo 13 earnestly. For a speech in high school, I even chose the topic of space. So, I guess it makes sense that on today, the 40th anniversary of the day man walked on the moon, I awoke elated, as I had planned a party in honor of this great achievement! Yes, it was a party that featured tang, moon pies, the original newscast of July 20, 1969, and music made popular in 1969 (which I hope you are enjoying as you read this!).

Anytime one mentions landing on the moon, there is often a mentioning of the conspiracy that perhaps we didn't really land on the moon. That we (as Americans) needed a moral boost and NASA officials staged the landing. I like to think that we did land on the moon, and I believe that we did. However, the arguments posed from both sides are intriguing and make one think and question the validity of space travel. Nevertheless, Happy 40th Anniversary to all of those involved with the Apollo 11 mission!

As John F. Kennedy said, we choose to go to the moon not because it's easy, but because it is hard. Landing on the moon, a great feat, shows us that with hard work and perserverance, we can accomplish the unthinkable.

Adventures with Friends

The theme of this week could best be expressed with the words friends and dancing! I am blessed with so many wonderful friends, and this week I spent all sorts of time with friends. Friends that I have known since kindergarten, college friends, friends that live in small towns, friends that live in the city, and friends that I met in England. To kick off the week, my sister and I decided to go rock climbing!! After we convinced the people working there that we actually were over 18 so that we could climb, it was really fun! However, we learned that rock climbing is a little harder than it looks...we could only master level one!

Adventure number two: Rodeo Dance

Where I'm from, the Elks Rodeo is the social event of the season. Directly following the rodeo is the rodeo dance. It is held in the county fair barns and features live country music. When I heard my friend was going, I put on my cowboy boots and joined the fun! Because the dance is the social event of the season, I also got to visit with several classmates, all of us had attended kindergarten through twelfth grade together. It had been about a year since I had seen them and it was so fun to catch up with each other's lives. In school, I was on the livestock judging team; our team consisted of the same four people 4th grade to 12th grade, and the majority of us were at the dance. Last summer, one member and I had our kareoke singing debuts together at a bar. I learned that his kareoke career has taken off and he is performing...he even has some video's on youtube...check it out "Daren Miller." The end of the night was the best part, as we drove to "the cliffs" and watched the stars. I had forgotten how they populate the sky in NW Oklahoma and how calming the sound of nature is...truly wonderful!

Adventure number three: Emily's Wedding

Student teaching in England allowed me to make many friends. Maybe it was living in such close proximity, seeing unforgetable places, having limited internet connection, renaming ourselves with travel names, growing as individuals, relying on each other, or surviving hostels and subways. Whatever it was, I have some great friends from this experience. One of the members of the "Feltwell Crew," Emily, got married this weekend. She was beautiful and the wedding was wonderful. All of the girls of the Feltwell Crew were there; we gave an Irish toast and danced the night away.

I have had a great weekend being with friends. Here's a toast for all you friends out there!

A sunbeam to warm you, Good luck to charm you.

A Sheltering angel, So nothing can harm you,

Laughter to cheer you, Faithful friends near you,

And whenever you pray, Heaven to hear you.

Expect the Unexpected

You know those sayings that your mother always tells you growing up..."If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all," "Elbows off the table," and "Mind your p's and q's." Living with my parents this summer, I have learned that "mom-isms" still exist; they have just changed a little.

New Momism: "Don't buy the first couch you see."
I will soon be moving into my first house after college, and I have been looking for furniture to have in my new house. I found this pretty creme colored couch that I really liked, but it was huge, heavy, and a little too pricey. Driving back home, my mom could tell I was a little bummed that it wasn't the perfect couch, and she offered this advice of don't buy the first couch you see...her new mom-ism for this twenty-something. I took her advice and a few days later found the perfect couch! It is even better than the first one.

New Momism: "Expect the unexpected"
Not to be a "Debby Downer," but I was scheduled to work the entire 4th of July weekend. I was not happy about this, mostly because the 4th of July is my favorite holiday. Before I left for my first shift on Friday, my mom, trying to cheer me up, said "expect the unexpected." I think she meant that work might be better than I was anticipating it to be. Work was absolutely crazy and unexpected this weekend! Once again...Mom was right!

Friday at work, we had a main water line break and it shorted out the electricity. The fire alarms were going off, then the air conditioner broke, then the electricity went off in the kitchen. It was madness in the restaurant, and I got the pleasure of informing the guests waiting for tables about the problem. We were not seating guests for 2 hours while people were fixing the problem. Once we opened back up, everyone was a little upset. Usually, I am never praised for being a hostess. In fact, I usually leave feeling like the worst hostess ever. I constantly get in trouble for not handing guests the menus, not washing the windows correctly, not walking fast enough, not standing up straight, not holding the door open for guests, not offering a bag for to-go boxes, talking to the other hostesses, etc. Basically I feel like Cinderella...sometimes I even sing "In my own little corner, in my own little world" to myself. Okay so enough feeling sorry for myself. In our restaurant, you can be "caught giving exemplary servce" by the managers. Now, I've never been "caught giving exemplary service," but on Friday night I was! I was so happy! Definetly Unexpected!!

Saturday at work...more unexpecteds! I enjoy speaking in Spanish; we were not busy, so the bussers and I began talking to each other. I would ask them what words were in Spanish and they would ask me what words were in English...pretty fun! Then a storm came through, and once again I was at the restaurant working. It was so windy and the rain was coming down in sheets. The restuarant began leaking in numerous spots. Then, a guest informs the hostess stand that there is water standing in between the front doors. I opened the first set of doors to find about 6 inches of standing water. I got the pleasure of squeegee-ing the water from the front doors. I had never used a squeegee before, so another unexpected. Because of the rain, several of the firework shows were cancelled. This means that I still get to see fireworks tonight!!

Expect the unexpected...so true! I have learned that your plans never go as expected, and I have learned that that is the fun part of life! Sometimes what may seem like a bad thing can turn out to be great!

It's Official...I am a Teacher!

It is true...I have a job teaching high school English! I wrote the following poem from the perspective of walking into my classroom for the first time.

Clank! Rattle! Click!

As I open the door with my new key,
I am greeted by darkness and warmth.
I see shapes and begin to guess the structures.
Running my hand along the wall,
I give light to this room.
And I see for the first time,
where I will teach.

I see carpet and dry-erase boards.
I see a large desk and filing cabinent.
I see a bookshelf and 23 desks.
I see a Smart Board and podium.
I see textbooks and teacher guides.

Then I see it.

The
ONE
poster
hung.

And I know I have made the right decision.
A map of England, marked with Lakenheath and Mildenhall.
The very area I lived for 3 months
And embarked on this journey of teaching,
Already living in my classroom.

Satisfied, I turn off the lights
And lock the door.

Clank! Rattle! Click!

New Orleans or Bust!!!!

Let me preface my saying that I LOVE the South!!! I love Southern hospitality, crepe myrtle trees, magnolia trees, Southern literature like William Faulkner, Flannery O' Connor, Harper Lee, Truman Capote, Nora Zeale Hurston, Mark Twain, and I even love the contemporary Southern settings of Nicolas Sparks' novels! I love the Southern dialect and hearing some genuine "please," "thank you," "yes ma'am," "no sir" phrases. I'm a fan of Paula Dean, pink lemonade, sunshine, warm weather, and wrap around front porches. I am not a fan of Nascar, the rebel flag, or the stereotype that Southerners are slow and ignorant.

I knew a trip to the deeper south was in store when my friend, Brandi, moved to Louisiana and a favorite music artist was playing in New Orleans. My friend Emily and I roadtripped to Lafayette, Louisiana, where we met up with Brandi. We ate Indian Food and had some yummy daiquiri's. Surprising fact: You can order daiquiri's from a drive-thru window! The next morning we left for New Orleans. We drove through the swamps and Lake Pontchartrain (I love saying that word!) before we arrove in N'awlins! It was the world's hottest day in the "Paris of America!" We walked around the French Quarter and Bourbon Street and ate beignets and then got ready for the Thriving Ivory/Brett Dennen concert at the House of Blues! The concert was great, and the great music continued throughout the night. We enjoyed Bourbon Street after the concert, where the live jazz music billowed into the street.

A road trip cannot be complete without waiting in traffic for road construction, and we encountered that several times. We ventured off the beaten path a few times, laughed a lot, and enjoyed the trip! Here are some pictures!

Hello to the New!

All I can say is "Wow!" This past week has been crazy and full of new experiences!

New Experience #1:
I am still in the search for a "real job." By the end of this week I will have had NINE interviews! I really didn't think it would take 9+ interviews to find a job (am I doing something majorly wrong?!?..haha!) Looking on the positive side, I have seen 9 very different schools, and with each interview, I gain some tips on answering a question a little bit better.
Craziest Interview Location for a teaching position: at a Starbucks (I'd like a Chi Tea...and a job please!)
Busiest Interview Day: this coming Friday...two within 2 1/2 hours...eek!

New Experience #2:
I was getting bored and felt unproductive, as I love being busy! So I decided to find a summer job. I had done my research in the newspapers and had found a few places to apply. I first tried a bakery (because I secretly want to have my own someday!), but they needed someone year round, not just for the summer. Then I tried a bridal shop that was hiring, because I thought that would be fun...right? Wrong again! I filled out the application and then had an immediate interview with the owner, who I found out was not the nicest man! He didn't understand why I was applying because as he put it "I do not have any experience in this field." And I will not be gaining any in the near future either! After he finished explaining all of the knowledge one needs for work in a bridal shop (i.e. knowing what size a girl is when she walks into the store, what style of dress will flatter her body type, what invitations go with certain wedding themes, etc., etc., etc) it was exhausting, and I didn't think that was for me either! I walked out of the shop jobless, but I was determined to find a summer job.

Next on the list, a restaurant. My grandparents owned and operated a steak house for several years. They still have the building (it is just storage now,) but when I go in the building, I always think about and picture what it must have been like when it was open. My mom and her brothers and sister worked in it along with my grandparents, and they tell stories from working in the steak house. This old family steak house was the inspiration to apply at a restaurant. So I applied at one and found my summer job! They hired me as a hostess! I was excited; however, after working several shifts, I have realized that it gets a little crazy sometimes! I never realized all of the information hostesses need to know...phone numbers, how to give directions to the building, memorize table numbers, problem solve to mix and match tables for large parties, and a nice demeanor to deal with all the "happy people" in the world! Okay...so the job is not rocket science, but I was surprised with all of the technicalities that it entails. There are even hostess tests that I have to take...and pass!

New Experience #3:
I have always enjoyed working out and running, but have never understood lifting weights. I always like learning new things and trying new things, so I asked one of the trainers at the gym to help me develop a weight training program! He helped all right...helped make my arms sore...haha! I am working some muscles that I didn't know existed...and am hoping for some Michelle Obama arms!

Learning new things like hostessing and lifting weights and being turned down for jobs, has taught me life lessons. First, learning something new is humbling. Second, I have realized that there are many things that I do not know. I do not know how to manage a fast-paced restaurant, I do not know how to run a school, or even a bridal shop. Third, I have learned to stay positive, hopeful, and patient when it comes to interviewing and hearing back from schools.

Family and Memorial Day

My family has many things you can just count on. For instance, Christmas will be celebrated on Christmas Eve, you will find homemade cookies at my grandma's house, and my mom will clean the house before she leaves for a weekend trip. In addition to these traditions, so too is the tradition of a family get together on Memorial Day Weekend. This year was no different. It began on Saturday, when my mom, sister, and I made the 2 hour drive to Mooreland. Mooreland is the town in which I grew up, and the town where several of my family members reside. I am proud to be from Mooreland, and I was very excited to see my family....many of whom I had not seen since Christmas. Because the majority of the drive is on small highways, we have figured out the so called "short-cuts," and usually, they are just that. However, this time our "short-cut" road had barricades saying the road was out...local traffic only. My sister, who was behind the wheel at this point, decided that we were "local traffic" and went around the barricades. We inevitably had to cut back and forth through several county roads, but our Off Roading was just the beginning of the fun for the weekend!

The fun continued when we had a cookout at the farm with the family. My cousins who are full of energy and vigor had my sister and I playing hide and seek, freeze tag, and a really fun game of baseball. The evening concluded with conversations with my grandma and aunt. The next day, we decorated the graves with flowers. This has always been a tradition, and one that I enjoy. I enjoy visiting the graves of loved ones and recounting stories of when they were alive. To conclude the weekend, my aunt had a movie night with the girls of the family and then my grandma made lunch for everyone today. Overall, it was a great weekend visiting with family!

While this weekend was a blast, it would not have been the same if I would not have had my partner in crime, professional sleeping, cruise control only driving sister. We are living together this summer and I am super excited! While we may stay up way too late talking and laughing and listening to the latest music, it is always a fun time! My sister is one of my best friends; she just gets me, and I think I get her. We have gone through almost everything together and I am so thankful that out of all the people in the world, I got Jennifer for a sister. To top it off, just last week she returned the color of her hair to its' natural brown color, so now we look even more alike! Now don't get me wrong, we have our fair share of fights and disagreements. I think the next few pictures explain our relationship pretty great.

This is a classic look I get from Jennifer. She is completely annoyed at me.

It has been my sister who has always been there with me in those awkward poses in so many pictures.

When I came home from a 3 month student teaching experience in Europe, my sister greeted me with a welcome home sign!
She even carried the heavy bag!

I have a pretty great sister, an amazing family, and this weekend was a fun official beginning of summer. I believe I counted 8 mosquito bites from this weekend...so let Summer '09 start!

Excited and Reluctant

I just returned from a wonderful run around the lake. It was one of those runs where you lose yourself in the moment of running, I actually ran past my car and didn't realize it! The sun was setting, I had some great music in my ears, just a perfect evening for a run. It was a greatly needed good run, too. I was able to clear my head and think. As a recent college grad, I have now...somewhat by choice, I guess...entered "Operation Find A Job." Don't get me wrong, I am excited about the new adventures that a "real job" will create, and I am excited about the profession I have chosen, teaching. However, at the same time, I am reluctant to begin that "real job." I am reluctant to end my somewhat spontaneous and carefree college days where friends were abundant. I am reluctant to know that someday, and a day in the near future, I will report to a building at the same time every morning. I am reluctant to begin taking full responsibility for my finances. While these are some of my apprehensions about a "real job," I am also excited for the new opportunities and just the overall newness that having

a"real job" will bring.

Aside from job searching, I am also excited about my summer to-do list. I have decided that my summer project is going to be learning how to play the guitar. My mom played the guitar, and a few years ago I found her old guitar in the garage. I took it to a musical shop and they fixed it, as some strings were broken. That summer, I tried to teach myself the guitar; however, I did not get very far. Tomorrow, I am setting up guitar lessons!! I am excited about this summer project! Also making the list...climbing a 90 foot rock wall, a rowing trip with my sister, watching Shakespeare in the Park productions, a 10 mile Emily walk, watch parties of "The Bachelorette," and visiting my friends!!

My friends and I have already had several get togethers, and I am happy that more are in the works! I went to the "Tulsa Extravaganza" this past weekend, where Erin, Emily, Rachel and I went downtown for a festival, ate in a small town pizza parlor, and exchanged crazy stories. Caroline and I cheered the Redhawks to 2 victories on Monday. Three members of the Feltwell Crew are having lunch on Saturday, and then next week is a Feltwell Crew Reunion Sleepover...it saddens me however that not everyone can be there...but we will be thinking of you and missing you! So here's to an exciting summer and hopefully an exciting "real job!"

Why I Love Summer

Summer is by far my favorite season of the year, and today's weather makes me believe that we are on the verge of another wonderful summer. What's not to love about summer? We are graced with extra hours of sunlight, have the possibility of getting a great tan, and have several holidays with which to congregate with friends and family. However, summer means even more than that to me. Summer is running barefoot on green grass, driving with the windows down, watching fireworks on the 4th of July, walking around the neighborhood of an evening, reading books for leisure, grilling with family in the backyard, listening to the crickets chirp, tasting the sweetness of summer fruits, wearing sunscreen and bugspray, swimming, diving, and lifeguarding, watching the golden wheat sway in the wind, watching baseball, gearing up for an exciting evening of thunderstorms, and watching new flowers grow and bloom, amid other reasons. There is a sense of freedom that goes along with summer.

The inspiration for this blog occured a few hours ago when the family dog, Bradford, a miniature white poodle, had a taste of his own summer freedom. He has a doggie door that leads outdoors, and he was in the backyard when the incident began. I just happened to look outside and saw him having a blast...having a blast playing in noneother than a MUD PUDDLE! The once white dog had turned brown. My step-dad and I began laughing and enjoying the new found freedom Bradford had discovered. However, we realized we better quickly cover the doggie door, so the dirty dog could not enter the house, as the tile and carpets are white. However, "The World's Greatest Dog" as he is sometimes referred, knocked down the doggie door cover and darted through the house. He was running high speed, leaving muddy paw prints throughout the house, until the chase ended. Once I caught him and removed his dirty body from the house, it was time for operation clean-up. I cleaned the house, while Steve cleaned the dog.

This humorous incident led me to believe that summer is here! I hope that everyone has the opportunity to express their freedom this summer and take a metaphorical roll in the mud. Stretch the rules a little, try something new, live in the moment, and "seize every opportunity."