Poetry!

For the past three years, I've taught poetry during January - it seems like a good choice and it's a nice way to end the semester. Also all the literary language leads nicely into the second semester books, which are a little more... umm... literary.

This year, however, I'm teaching Juniors for the first time. I have to include transcendentialism so how and find poetry that will be more than slightly interesting to the class. I need help!

New Year

I've always like the idea of New Year's Day. It seems so ripe with possibilities. Of course, it's an arbitrary date and any day has possibilities... but maybe I'm just a traditionalist.

So what's on my New Year's Resolution list?

1. Keep up with grading!
2. Eat more vegis
3. Build up my savings account

Not very exciting, I'll admit. I think, however, I'm looking forward to a more relaxing year.

Merry Christmas

I jetted out of school on Friday morning like the devil himself was on my tail... I left my last class to another teacher, so I'm hoping that there wasn't a lot of food left lying around (going away party for a member of the class)...

The moutain pass on the way home was predicted to be bad Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday - if we didn't leave on Friday, we might just miss the holiday entirely. Friday was a great day to travel - clear roads, no snow. Since our arrival, it's done nothing but! It's a freakin' Winter Wonderland out there and I'm loving it. Especially since I don't have to drive anywhere or even scrape my windshield clean.

The night before I left, I had my final homestudy check to become a licensed foster-to-adopt parent. The licensor will write up the report and hopefully all will be done by the middle of January. I'm hoping I'll be adopt a young girl sometime in the coming year. It's a very long, nerve wracking process and I'm sure what's to come will be even more so... but I can't wait to get there!

Merry Christmas

and may the upcoming year be filled with dreams come true!

Via Mildly Menlacholy

Here are the rules:

- Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.

- Share 7 random and or weird things about yourself.

- Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.

- Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. I had an Uncle named Ronald McDonald - no one in the family thought it was wierd, just annoying when others laughed.

2. I can have a cup of coffee at 2am and still fall asleep.

3. I own 26 purses and still buy a new one each season.

4. I found my dog's name on pet naming website. I choose it because it rhymed with the name the shelter gave her. Now I wish I hadn't becuase I think it would make a great child's name.

5. I'm usually done with my christmas shopping by Dec. 1 and am always the first to send out holiday cards (Thanksgiving weekend).

6. I read the entire Twilight series (3 books) in approximately 4 days.

7. I'm hoping to adopt a daughter this coming year!

Tagees - What It's Like On the Inside, BeverlyRevelry, NYTeacher, The Daily Grind

A Week Later...

Well, things are slowly returning to normal. We were out of school for the entire week, which made for an interesting time this past week. With the holiday break so close and a weeks vacation, everyone was a bit squirrly. The first days everyone traded tales of cold showers and the number of monoply games they managed to get in during the power outage.

Did you know that Monopoly now comes in an electronic form? Yes, today's kids don't even have to count their monopoly money - an electronic debit card does it for them. Seriously, I think there is a little too much automation in their lives. Of course, that statement makes me officially old.

My sophomore Honours class is doing really well with finding the symbolism and imagery in the Christmas Carol - at least in Stave three. It's nice to have a class that isn't just interested in who's dating whom. They've actually pointed out a few that I never really thought about... it's nice to have a literary discussion that doesn't involve the word dude.

The AP class got their first major paper back. It wasn't pretty. I'm guessing it's the first time some of them have ever gotten a 50% on any assignment in their entire lives. However, it's bound to happen when the student ignores half of the prompt or thinks that two paragraphs should cover it. No matter how many times I explain the prompt, this first one always gets most of them. All that talk about rhetorical strategies and style suddenly gets a real application.

BTW, the dance team did make it to the competition. They were very nervous and made mistakes, but it was a good experience. Their next performance last night was 10 times better. I'm expecting that the one on Tuesday will be even better.

Still Hanging Around

Apparently, no school tomorrow either. Hey, as long as I've got electricity, who can complain? Heck, there may not be any school this week at all! Latest rumor has it that since the kitchen cupboards are bare, the school can't open.

I dunno if we're going to the competition on Saturday either... the roads are still sketchy apparently, and no one is being all that communicative.

Really Hanging Around

What's the old saying... "men make plans and God laughs"...

It snowed on Saturday. Really fat flakes that stuck around long enough to make a snowman. Sadly, it melted in the rain on Sunday. Sunday night brought on a big storm - at least to Pacific Northwest standards - kinda like a Nor'easter only with more panic. Really, people around here are such pansies when it comes to inclement weather. I was a little worried about the satellite dish on the roof, but I also knew that there wasn't a clear path for the wind to blow it directly.

About 1.30am (monday), the power went out. I woke up about 5.30am to wait for the phone call from school... it never came. Eventually, I found my emergecy radio (hidden next to the emergency candles, except I already had candles out, so looked there last), wound it up and listened. No power anywhere, most of the county was dark. People are starting to call me to find out about school, but no word. I was just about to drive in when the radio finally announced the school closure at 6.30am. What were they holding out for? Who knows... I'm guessing they did not build in any extra days into the calendar (God forbid kids should attend school for one second more than the state mandated 180 days) and since some genius scheduled graduation on the last day of school, it's likely to be fubar when the missed days are added back in. BTW, it's now day three of no school and no one from the school has called. Someone did manage to update the school website. Heh.

Monday morning I drove down the road to get some hot coffee, but otherwise sat around the house reading a Patricia Cornwell book. Thanks to Ikea, I had plenty of batteries and candles. I even rigged up little hot pot set up using tea lights and the broiler tray from my toaster oven. Tuesday I went to the grocery store to pick up some more fruit and, you know... escape the four walls I'd been staring at for the last 24 hours. The wind had stopped and the roads were passable to the grocery. Of course, the highway was blocked by landslides and trees. There were huge lines to get gas, but I think they all used most of what they bought in the waiting.

The power went back on at 12.37am, but we're still out of school. There's no real flooding (beyond the annual) around here. Lots of trees down and almost every street sign came down, but for the most part we're watching everything on TV, just like you are. It looks worse in the outlying areas, but I'm not going to have a real close look.

Not Really Hanging Around

With the holidays coming on and three performances next week, I've barely been online in the last week, avoided email and blogs and just tried to keep my head above water.

I still have a ton of grading to do and am debating heading into the big city to meet up with a friend.... decisions, decisions, decisions...

Yesteday I got the insulation finished (finally!), in snowed and I finished all my christmas cards. My shopping is nearly done; all that is left is making of cookies for the neighbors and friends.