Random Harvester

I'm Such a Hippie

2010-06-08T10:12:00.004-05:00

After watching the Lost series finale, one of the things that struck me (don't worry - no spoilers here), was that there were almost exclusively couples in the final scene. As I was in a pretty emotional state at that point, I was moved to think, "Man, love really is what it's all about." This is nothing new for me, because I've been really like that for most of my life. I've always been in

Too Old for This...

2010-04-23T16:39:00.001-05:00

Man, I hate the days when I don't feel like an adult. I've been in a slump for a month or so and I didn't realize it till today. I feel like I did when I was a teenager: this overhanging sense of being a screw-up. Isn't that horrible? I'm in my 30's, in a great marriage, have a great kid. I'm a homeowner (and even landlady), pretty good at my job (except getting grades in on time - but who

The Lone Star State

2010-03-04T12:12:00.004-06:00

I'm not always so Texas-devoted, but I remember having a conversation once with my husband about the places we could imagine ourselves actually living, and we determined that this is the only state we could imagine being from. I was a bit taken aback because he's just first-generation Texan. His parents were born in Jersey and Arizona, I think, and, since my family is from Kansas and Pennsylvania

Blogging about Blogging

2010-02-25T10:54:00.004-06:00

I have things to write about and will do soon.They are:Michael Buble'Horses in HoustonA Good MarriageMore Guilty Pleasuresand another one that I wrote down on the back of a receipt in my car while I was driving into the city for an appointment. I have time to think about them, but, apparently, not to write about them.More later.

Book Binge

2010-01-25T21:05:00.006-06:00

I had forgetten how long it'd been since I read a book for fun. Even over the Christmas break, I don't remember managing to read anything (not counting Little Gorilla, Goodnight Moon and Oliver Finds His Way - which I read repeatedly, but not for fun). I'd skimmed through Pride & Prejudice in December but only because I was teaching it in class. (Oh, now I remember, the last book was Garden

Stories... Hmm...

2009-12-31T01:41:00.004-06:00

So... of the cheesy love stories I'm about to write or have half-written in notebooks strewn about my house (and, oddly, my garage), which are you more interested in: the super-unlikely cinderella-ish story, the semi-autobiographical "college freshman" chick lit, the adolescent ghost-mystery-fuzzylove story, or the semi-scandalous December/May (really more October/April) romance? I've gotta say,

More thoughts for the day

2009-12-18T11:50:00.004-06:00

I keep getting distracted by the use of who and whom in my writing. The thing is: I purposely ignore the rules sometimes. You could call it diction (or would that be syntax?), but I seriously just want to be clear. I feel like the correct use of whom sounds stuffy.

Thoughts for the Day

2009-12-18T09:53:00.001-06:00

I like having windows in my classroom because, on a sunny day, the light shines on my wedding ring and the diamond makes sparklies on computer, the desk and the papers I'm grading.

What I Like About Teaching

2009-05-15T09:17:00.003-05:00

No, it's not the summer, because, in fact, it's only about a month and one is still expected to attend trainings & stuff.What I like about teaching is that it's an opportunity for infinite hope.Hope that I get the good kids.Hope that this year goes well.Hope that their parents don't object to the material.Hope that they pass this test.Hope that they understand what I'm trying to say.Hope that

Exes

2009-04-27T08:40:00.004-05:00

I used to feel a bit of self-pity about having been dumped back in the day. Even as a happily married woman, I still felt that twinge of "mean ol' boys didn't know what they'd be missing". I must say that, recently, I had a bit of a change of heart about that. I mean, yes, totally the two (three?) guys that totally dumped me did not realize what they were missing, but, truth be told, I wasn't my

Family Planning

2009-03-22T19:05:00.000-05:00

I ran to Walmart yesterday with a list of things in mind to pick up. Frankie was working; it was just me & the boy. Stopping at Mas Amigos beforehand & walking into the store, I had already seen 5 or 6 current/former students, a Prancer mom, my Sunday school teacher from when I was 4 and random other familiar inhabitants of my small town. I went down the aisle that has digestive health products

Classic

2009-02-18T21:12:00.000-06:00

I watched Casablanca for the first time a couple of weeks ago.*I tivo The Essentials Saturday nights on TCM so that I'll (hopefully) be exposed to the movies that make for a complete literacy of cinema. I'm not really sure why I care. I think it hearkens back to the time my dad told my I couldn't read anymore unless I was going to read classics (no more Babysitters Club until you've tackled Moby

When I Grow Up

2008-11-20T00:38:00.002-06:00

I want to be:a voice actora dancera singera soap opera stara librariana secretaryan event coordinatora paintera proofreaderan online movie critica superhero

Justification

2008-10-22T14:16:00.002-05:00

Anastomosis - a scientific term for the interconnection between two entities, such as vessels, channels, or cavities. Also applied to the folding of one word between parts of another, as in Joyce's "underdarkneath" in Ulysses or a vernacular phrase such as "my own self." Extended to mean the interrelation, interconnection intercommunication or intersubjectivity or persons - used thus in J.

Hello, Thirty.

2008-10-13T23:15:00.001-05:00

Hello, Thirty,I didn't realize you would arrive so soon, and, to be honest, I wasn't looking forward to seeing you. Now that you're almost here, though, I'm delighted to admit that it's not a devastating thing. You see, Twenty was a bit selfish and Twenty-five was a bit pushy, and you, Thirty, seem to be the perfect blend of forgiveness and hope.In honor of you, I will try to redeem the mistakes

Guilty Pleasures

2008-10-08T21:21:00.006-05:00

I love it when Leisure Girl posts about her love of YA books or teen TV, because it gives me respite from the shame I usually carry.I'm surrounded by cool people: people who listen to bands I've never heard of and watch movies that depress me, people who only read books that educate them or push boundaries of social acceptability, people who would totally mock me if they knew I was going to the

Getting in Touch With Nature

2008-09-25T22:06:00.004-05:00

Except for the tiny vacay to San Marcos for three days, these were not a pleasant couple of weeks. The family home is still standing, minus only a few shingles, but, coastal mugginess plus two weeks sans electricity is no way to spend one's free time.At least there were the few days at my mom's: we brought bare necessities and survival tools: the laptop, the baby, Diet Coke, Pop-tarts (

Creativity

2008-07-01T16:38:00.003-05:00

I used to write when I was a kid. I wrote stories, songs, poems - I even tried to write a novel in the fifth grade (I only got about 3 chapters in). I used to be inspired by things and had to control the urge to spill everything onto the pages of my little notebooks.It's much more difficult for me now. I still have the urge to spill my thoughts onto the pages, but the thoughts don't flow like

Wall-E

2008-06-28T19:45:00.000-05:00

What a lovely, fun movie! I heartily suggest seeing Wall-E as a date movie if you're not a kid-toter and, perhaps, even if you are you can leave them at home and watch this without the distractions. (They will watch it a million times on dvd later anyway.)The plot is precious and the characters endearing. The animation, as is usual with Pixar, sets the standard high above all other animation thus

Twilight

2008-06-25T13:09:00.005-05:00

I had noticed in recent years the rise in popularity (especially among teenage girls) a book series by Stephenie Meyer about vampires. The cover art was compelling, but I'm not a vampire book kind of girl. One might note that I'm also not 15, but I find adolescent fiction to be the perfect books to get lost in on summer days - I call it "cotton candy reading" because it generally has little

Copying

2008-06-05T23:19:00.006-05:00

I always warn my students against this, but I'm totally copying someone else's ideas. I mean, seriously, I'm off for the summer! How could anyone use their brains in the thick coastal heat?Anyway, Claire mentioned blogging about the people she loved and I'm inspired. I think I'll start with the short list:FrankieThe BoyThis is easy peasy, right?Husband.Child.But really(!), I have reasons.The Boy

Truth

2008-05-20T14:53:00.010-05:00

Most families tend toward some level of dysfunction these days, and mine was no less normal in that regard. It's almost like a separate version of my life: it can seem really bad on some days and really normal on others. I know that things that my stepdad said to me were wrong: his constant, often sarcastic comments about my weight, my lack of talents, my nerdiness (well, okay.) and other

Research Paper Foibles

2008-05-15T15:07:00.007-05:00

I've had this blog now for a while, but I never can think of anything original and clever to post on it. Today, though, I decided I'm just gonna start throwing stuff out there and see how it goes.For instance, I have shared with a few others some of the flawed writings and conversations of my students, but here are some recent favorites:Some kid just wrote in their research paper that the author

Classy wedding momentos...

2008-05-12T15:18:00.003-05:00

I was at my in-laws for mother's day and I came across the following can-holder-thing:"Wendy and Chuck got married and all I got was this damn koozie."I, quite literally, Laughed Out Loud.

i

2008-04-22T15:21:00.011-05:00

I found this on a friend of a friend's blog. Here goes me.i am: thrilled about the end of the school year and the chance to start being Leah and Mommy again instead of Mrs. Stevenson.i think: my kids are not going to do very well on the AP Lang test because of my maternity absence last semester.i know: a little about a lot.i want: to play tennis.i have: a house full of things (and people) I "