Special Things

Today's the last day of September...not sure what happened to this month but ok.

Share a photo of something old. Maybe something that has personal history for you, that was passed down to you, and that has special meaning to you. Tell us about it and why it's special.

So....I don't really have anything passed down or old....so I went looking for an old photo...but a lot of the really old photos that I have--like really little Kimberly are in boxes somewhere...so we find one of the first Facebook photos I ever put up.

Winter 2006!

This was a late movie night with my great friends, Jessica and Valerie.  I don't remember what movie we saw, but it was a 10:00 at least at the dollar theater and it started to snow while we were in the movie.  As we drove home...we got this idea that we were going to get out of the car and play...honestly I blame Jess :P She was always the more spontaneous of the three of us with snow.  If it has been cold enough, when the snow first starts to stick to the pavement it is a lot slipperier.  I was so nervous...because I don't like falling! But there I go :)  We had a blast that night.

Dear Facebook

Friday's prompt was:

 An anonymous letter to your Facebook friends. Be as snarky as you'd like. (but don't include people's real names.) 

People on Facebook are sometimes a bit annoying...or over share a bit.  So I am going to do a bit of a Dear Boys style to it.

Dear Oversharers,

We don't really need a "good morning world this is what has happened to me so far".  You don't need to be telling me what you're doing all day long...I am sorry we don't care :)

Sincerely,
Tired of Reading your Statuses

Dear Drunk Picture Takers,

Taking a pic with your phone with your eyes all blood shot and holding glasses definitely full of alcohol. You try to make it look like you are having so much fun. You are setting bad examples for everyone around you--especially to children.  And what employer will hire you now?

Sincerely,
Close to Just Deleting You as a Friend

Dear Long Status Writer,

So this is just to you....you write novels in your statuses...and honestly I do not read them all anymore because I just don't have the time. Don't know how you have the time to write all of that.

Sincerely,
Tired Friend

This video was the last thing I wanted to share today....because all of this is so true!!!

Book Review: The DaVinci Code

This is a typical feature on this blog...but also fits into the Tuesday Blogtember post that I skipped this week. So this is a great double blog post....because I didn't post yesterday. Yesterday I ended up with no ability to do a blog post...and I really should have scheduled one earlier, but I didn't get time :( But this is what I did instead of writing...reading :) I finally finished this book!

Title: The DaVinci Code

Author: Dan Brown

Genre: Drama

Rating: 4 out of 5

Why Did I Read? Well...I read Angels and Demons and this is the next book :)

Summary: Robert Langdon is now thrust into yet another controversy as he visits Paris.  While in Paris, he is scheduled for a meeting with a curator at the Louve.  However, that appointment doesn't end up happening because the curator is murdered. While dying, the curator leaves a message that ends up implicating Langdon in his murder, but also leaves a message that grabs his granddaughter's attention. Sophie, his granddaughter, ends up starting a treasure hunt with Langdon that ends up becoming a quest for the Holy Grail.

What Did I Love: I love how Brown really twists the story around.  Even though I had read this before, I had forgotten about some of the twists and turns that he takes the story through.  He is a great storyteller.

What Did I Hate: Hmm.....I honestly can't think of anything....does that mean I should give it a 5? ;)

Thank you Wikipedia!

Pros and Cons of a Small Town

So this is the prompt today....

Go to a coffee shop. Order a favorite drink. Write about what makes you happy and what makes you sad. Or write about anything you'd like! Bonus points for including a photo from the coffee shop.*if you can't make it to a coffee shop, at least leave your usual space and write someplace new.

Well...one con of a small town is that I don't know where a coffee shop is nearby....there use to be one on Main Street...but they seem to have just recently turned it in to a clothing store....so going to a coffee shop is tricky. I mean I guess I could have gone to McDonalds....but that seems lame!

So...yeah I could have gone somewhere else to write someplace new.  But that would mean that I would probably need to bring a notebook.  There isn't a lot of WiFi hotspots. Honestly, if I had planned ahead I might have been able to think of something before everything closed.  But this prompt came faster than I thought.  It would have been great for me to go outside and write but it was really really rainy....and I am worried that it might snow....oh the joys of high elevation.

As you can tell....there are some cons.  But some pros....less traffic! Personally thanking the guy that sold me my food today because I know him. We bought a house super fast....and knew the people all around us. The town feels like a family though there are a lot of new faces with the oil fields. I like knowing my neighbors and feeling like I can walk across the street and talk to them.  So, though I didn't go somewhere else to write this....that's okay with my small town.

Perfection

Today's prompt is:

Write about a time you screwed up - a mistake you made

This prompt actually started me thinking about perfection.  So many people try to obtain perfection throughout life--and they hate admitting their mistakes.  It is even worse when our mistakes become public knowledge.  There is a bit of the fact that we have this idea that we like to be right.  We also don't like admitting that we're wrong....but I read this article today and I thought it was amazing.

There is a BYU football player named Spencer Hadley that has been suspended for five games for drinking alcohol.  Now at other schools this is nothing, but at BYU that is breaking the honor code.  We commit to it and consequences happen for our actions.  The sad thing is that he has to deal with this mistake in front of the whole world.  It really is too bad that he has to deal with that along with his mistake. But his story is so powerful....go read the article.

Life Lately

Today's prompt is to write about life lately.....and honestly I don't know what to write about.  People are always like, "What's new?" and I'm like....um...not much.  I wake up, go to work, I come home exhausted, try to mentally prepare for the next day and I'm lucky if I get anything done around the house that I want to do, go to sleep, and wake up to do it all again.

I almost didn't write this post because I am in the mood in which I will complain...and you know how much I hate complaining on here. So I am going to come up with the positive things of life lately...and though I might be thinking the negative thing...at least I'm trying to focus on the positive thing

1. Our house is really nice
2. I have a job that has great parts---like my students...and teaching history 
3. My husband is amazing!
4. I got to see my family this weekend
5. The Cardinals are going to the postseason!! Now we need to just get the division title!!

Yay I got to my goal of five :)

Personality Test

Today's prompt that I am pulling from is:

Take this short personality test and respond to your results. (at the end, find the detailed profile of your personality account - click "click to view" under "You" and "self awareness and personal growth." You can even google your type and find more info on it!)

 So I went and took the test and learned that I am an ISFJ. This means that I am an introvert, sensing, feeling, and judging personality.  Though the interesting thing to me about this part was the percentages:

• You have slight preference of Introversion over Extraversion (22%)
• You have marginal or no preference of Sensing over Intuition (1%)
• You have moderate preference of Feeling over Thinking (25%)
• You have distinctive preference of Judging over Perceiving (67%)

The first one no surprise--I would usually rather stay home and do my own thing but I can be social.  The second one I had no opinion on.  The last two seemed odd because I am a bit of a "gut" person--but maybe that's because I just make fast judgments based on how I feel.  Though I use to describe myself as an indecisive person....I have learned I can't really do that anymore, and this test proves that.

From the test you can get more information, like what career fits you. It is nice to see that education was on that list...along with some things that I have considered: paralegal and graphic design/multimedia (though really this is more social network marketing stuff).

In the "which fiction character fits you best" section--they suggested Dr. Watson--which I could actually see. I like him better than Holmes usually.

And then I started to read the "profile"--the how is this really shown in real-life...and yeah I am guilty of a lot of this.  This was like a....gee thanks moment:

ISFJs are often unappreciated, at work, home, and play. Ironically, because they prove over and over that they can be relied on for their loyalty and unstinting, high-quality work, those around them often take them for granted--even take advantage of them. Admittedly, the problem is sometimes aggravated by the ISFJs themselves; for instance, they are notoriously bad at delegating ("If you want it done right, do it yourself").

And reading further through this profile....it is scary how much of this is similar to my life!  Go try it..it's kind of fun? Are you an ISFJ too?

Memories

Tuesday's Blogtember prompt is:

A memory you would love to relive

This is an interesting prompt for me to think about because I try not to live in the past.  You can't change it, and you can't recreate the moments that you love because people change and situations change.  But sometimes I wish that we could have pictures/videos to make us feel like we could relive it.

The moment that I would love to relive would be the first date with Brian that was just us.  We went to dinner and a movie. He would probably correct me on the details of the dinner, because to be honest I don't really remember it.  I think we might have eaten at Village Inn...which is probably why it is still one of our favorite places to go--though it is probably because they have great food. Then we went to the theater and saw Stranger than Fiction--which was actually quite good. We probably drove around for a bit afterwards and then he took me home.

The reason I would love to relive that memory is because everything was so new then.  We were just getting to know each other and that is such a fun time.  Being able to relive that now would be a lot of fun :)

The Meaning of Comfort

Today's Blogtember prompt asks for my definition of comfort.  Comfort I think is what I always seem to be searching for.  This week has been pretty bad with my pain, so I always am trying to find comfort somewhere.  Comfort sometimes is food.....

http://blogs.food24.com/ninaskitchen/2012/07/15/chocolate-comfort-in-a-mug/

Sometimes it clothes....

From Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/502925483358716457/

Sometimes comfort comes in a book....in a show....in something someone says...a blanket...  I think that everyone needs to find comfort in something.  I talk a lot with my students about stepping out of their comfort zone...and this is something that is important--doing things that are hard and that aren't comfortable. But I think it is equally important to know where you can go when you need that comfort....to recharge...and to be able to face the world again.

My Dinner Party

Today's prompt from Blogtember asks for a creative writing story about a dinner party. This one is actually making me a bit nervous because I haven't ever written a creative writing post for this blog....so here goes nothing.

To say I was dreading the dinner party would be the understatement of the century. I was regretting even having invited everybody in the first place.  "Why did I think I could do this?" It was like a scene straight out of "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?"

The house started to fill with smoke as the pot started to overflow.  The milk had bubbled to the top and hit the burner and started to scald.  I quickly open the window over the sink to let the smoke escape.  I wanted to keeping the burning smell out of the house for my guests to arrive.  Everything needed to be perfect.  I grabbed the spoon for the pot, turned down the heat, and started to stir the milk down while adding the spices for a great Alfredo sauce to put over noodles and chicken.  At least I had picked something somewhat easy, who can mess up this? But honestly, if anyone can mess up something in the kitchen it would be me.

As I started to set the table for three, I found matching plates, cups, and silverware.  I turned the news on to hear the events of the day.  As the timer dinged, I went to taste the pasta to make sure it was done. With the appropriate texture, I poured the water out of the pot through the strainer. I put the pasta in a bowl, and pulled the chicken out of the skillet to put on a plate.  I double-checked the sauce as the doorbell rang.  "It's showtime!"

Photo Day

Today's prompt in Blogtember is photo day.  This should be an "easy" post because I don't have to write anything :) But seriously....I have no idea what to put up.  The first thing I really thought of was a couple of pictures that show my life--family, religion, and work.

You can see this picture on the Cedar Ridge Academy Facebook page

Pretty flowers from a mom of one of my students:)

My family and religion all in the same picture...the temple where Brian and I were married

Five years ago :)

Public Letter/Dear Boys and Girls

Today's prompt is:

Write a public love letter to someone in your life. (It doesn't necessarily need to be romantic.)

This prompt is actually intimating me today, because I honestly have no idea who specifically to write to. I don't want to pick on anyone in my life. I have thought about writing a general letter...but I want it to be a little bit more specific too.  So I am actually thinking I will do a Dear Boys/Girls (idea courtesy of Elise's Pieces)....I haven't done that in awhile.  The beautiful thing about this is that it just changes people's names :)

Dear Fellow Teacher,

We work hard everyday.  I have been in your shoes, and I know what it is to grade all of that! I admire that you have seemed to be able to keep up, and I am so glad that you are here to help us out.

Sincerely,
A Grateful Colleague

Dear My 13-Year Old Friend,

Often drama comes into your life--sometimes because we create it and sometimes because life hands it to you. Recently you had a little bit of both.  But just because life hands you drama doesn't mean we have to create it. Continue to try to listen to other people and be patient with others around you. But you teach me a lot about what it means to be a good friend despite the drama.

Sincerely,
Your Adult Friend

Three Month Long Vacation

This is an interesting question to contemplate:

If you could take three months off from your current life and do anything in the world, what would you do?

Wow...it would be amazing to have three months off.  I have thought of so much that I would want to do!

Knitting--lots and lots of knitting!
Reading--my Kindle would go everywhere with me!
Writing--it would be great to write some stories...but that might stress me out too much.  So that might not happen.

But I would also want to travel...problem is I think that my list might take more than three months :(

1. I definitely want to go spend some time in St. Louis with the family 
2. Then I want to go to Washington D.C.--and go all history nerd!!
3. Then I want to go to NYC--I want to see all the sights and catch a Broadway play!
4. It would be great to go to Europe and see England... Ireland... Scotland... France... Germany... Italy... Switzerland... Austria. See what I mean about being more than three months of travel....sigh.  Maybe just one of those in the three months and then another three months of a break a little while later :)

These pictures/websites would be essential to my planning!

26 Fun Things to See and Do in Washington D.C.
http://thefrugalgirls.com/2012/05/washington-dc-travel-tips.html

How To Experience NYC on a Budget!
http://www.prettyprovidence.com/2013/06/how-to-experience-new-york-city-on.html

101 Things Every St. Louisian Should Do
http://www.stlmag.com/St-Louis-Magazine/May-2008/101-Things-Every-St-Louisan-Must-Do/

8 Tips for Planning a Europe Trip
http://www.smartertravel.com/blogs/today-in-travel/eights-tips-for-planning-europe-trip.html?id=11382403&source=91&value=2012-05-25+00%3A00%3A00&u=C9142CF203&nl_cs=11321831%3A%3A7597638%3A%3A11382403%3A%3A

Moments That Change You

Since I didn't get on the Blogtember bus ride on time, I thought that I would go back in time and pick a prompt to do.  This should have been on Tuesday:

Describe a distinct moment when your life took a turn.

The moment I thought of right away was moving to Roosevelt.  I was packing up our apartment in Provo--we needed to move so we were going to Brian's parents until we figured out what school I was going to teach at.  I remember when the school called--I was standing in the kitchen with a box in my hands.  I asked them if I could take the weekend to think about it---but I was glad to finally have a job offer. In a struggling economy, I had been really worried that I wouldn't get a job.  So I jumped at it as soon as I could.  We started make plans--but then the car broke down. Brian wanted/needed to give it a whole new engine, but we couldn't do that in Roosevelt.  We had made arrangements to live on-campus so we could find a permanent spot and I could start work. So he needed to stay in Provo, and I needed to be in Roosevelt. I remember being in my new "home" after Brian left.  I was so nervous--did I make the right call? Were we making the right decision? I wondered that for a long time.  But ever since then I have kept with it.  I still wonder sometimes when I come home from work after a hard day and a hard week (like last night)--did I do what I needed to do? So this is definitely a moment that changed my life.

Self-Portrait Day

So...last night was a bad night.  I was exhausted when I came home, and completely forgot to blog.  Like, I woke up this morning and I was like--dang! I forgot. Today we are going to do two posts :) So, Blogtember's prompt for yesterday was a self portrait.  So I just took a picture with webcam...simple enough

Not very flattering...but it will have to do. Though I think its funny that I always seem to be wearing a Cardinals shirt when I do this.  Go Cards!

How has social media/blogging changed you?

So....I feel like I am way out of the blogging world.  I didn't realize that my good blog friend Jenni started a September blog challenge. I have been struggling for ideas to write about and wanting to just write--like Jenni.  So I really need to hop on this!!

So today's prompt: Discuss ways that blogging or social media has changed you.

The interesting thing is that I have been involved in social media since pretty much the beginning.  I like to tell my students that I was one of the original Facebook users when it was a college only group, you had to have a college e-mail to get on.  It was a great way to interact with friends after senior year had ended.  It has now morphed and moved around--but the addiction is still there.  We checked Facebook multiple times a day--and I check it at least once a day. And then there is the ridiculous games that I swore I would never get into and then I did.  So social media hasn't really changed me because my life was just forming when I got on--so much has it has added to my life and become a horrible waste of time.

However, it has changed my career--I do so much more social media marketing as a teacher than I ever thought.  And I really enjoy it--there is something about the desire to see who sees it, likes it, enjoys it, etc.  I have even contemplated leaving teaching to go into this full-time with a company.  I never would have thought that social media would become a marketing tool--but it is really a great way to get your brand out there.

With blogging, I am not sure how it has changed me.  I really started this to write, and write everyday. I had tried other blogs before, but none of them really had staying power like this one I want to keep. Actually thinking about my early blogs....that's kind of how I met my husband.  Gosh I hadn't thought of that until I was writing--great thing about blogging :) But yeah...the short version of this story is that I had a blog, and his roommate found it.  I started a conversation/acquaintance with the roommate, who lived in the same city as me and invited me to go bowling with him and some friends.  Brian happened to be there and you can say the rest is history. So actually blogging has really changed my life!

How has social media/blogging changed you?

Yep...blogging=marriage :P