Meme: Passion Quilt

"Monica Reading" by Anne Belov.

To me the greatest joy in teaching is when I see a kid who is so into a book that the rest of the world ceases to exist. That little guy at the back of the room who is so engrossed in Sargent Rock or The Magic Tree House or Captain Underpants that he will be physically ill if I make him put the book down? That's my people, right there. As a first grade teacher getting them to that point of independence is my #1 goal, and when they finally cross that Rubicon....that's why I do it.

Thanks to Dr. Pezz for the tag.

Read more here, if any.

The Christmas Post

The gifts are mostly wrapped, the cards have been sent. Mrs. finished all her cooking, and the Cute Deaf Baby is absolutely loving all the lights and bric-a-brac that define the season.

Coming in March I'll finish up year 2 of the blog and begin year three. It's been a busy two years, with the birth of my daughter, my work with the WEA, and beginning my principal's certificate, and I appreciate you all having been here for the ride.

I'll be taking a few days of shortly to immerse in the Christmas fun, so here's my annual Christmas post, today using a meme that I first saw at The Science Goddess' website.

• Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both. Bags are nice and easy for oddly shaped things.
  
• Real tree or artificial? Real, but this is where Mrs. and I have a split. She likes the pines, with their clearly defined branches. I like fir trees, blobs of green. We always get pine.
  
• When do you put up the tree? Sometime after December 8th. My mom's birthday is December 8th, and she always said that we weren't going to get ours until she got hers. Mom is very provincial about her birthday.
  
• When do you take down the tree? Usually, January 2nd. I like having it done before school gets back in session.
  
• Do you like eggnog? Ugh.
  
• Favourite gift received as a child? My grandfather had a huge, huge collection of old copies of Life magazine that he gave to me when I was 10. I loved those magazines.
  
• Do you have a nativity scene? Yep. It's sitting on the bar right now, not that that means anyhting.
  
• Hardest person to buy for? My wife, oddly enough, because she doesn't like jewelry, flowers, furniture, electronics, and I can't get her taste in books nailed. My dad is a close second, because he's just plain hard to read.
  
• Easiest person to buy for? Me!
  
• Worst Christmas gift ever received? A game for the Sega Genesis. Nothing wrong with the game, mind you, except we were a Super Nintendo household.
  
• Mail or e-mail Christmas cards? Mail. Did 120 this year!
  
• Favourite Christmas movie? I'll always make the time for A Christmas Story.
  
• When do you start shopping for Christmas? All year long. We have a box we store them in and pull them out when the season comes.
  
• Have you ever regifted a Christmas present? Oh heck yes.
  
• Favourite thing to eat at Christmas? My wife's fudge. My God, does she ever make good fudge.
  
• Clear lights or coloured on the tree? Colored. Clear lights annoy me. Why even bother?
  
• Favourite Christmas song? Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies. That's music, right there.
  
• Travel for Christmas or stay at home? I travel because I have to, but my druthers would be to stay at home.
  
• Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Dang right!
  
• Angel on the tree top or a star? Star.
  
• Open the presents on Christmas Eve or morning? Oh boy. We usually open one gift on Christmas eve, go over to my sister-in-laws house on Christmas morning and open presents there, then bring everyone up to our place Christmas night to open more presents. It's a season, after all.
  
• Most annoying thing about this time of year? Not having enough time to do all that I want to do.
  
• What I love most about Christmas? The spirit. When it all comes together and everyone just relaxes and enjoys, that's a great thing to see.

May God bless you and keep you safe during this holiday season; have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Read more here, if any.

Tag, I'm It!

The Four Things meme, thanks to The Exhausted Intern:

Four Jobs I've Had:
*Cutting the lawn at the Episcopal Church in Chehalis. My stepfather was on the vestry. It was good work.
*The shipping department at Aluminite Northwest, one of the nation's largest producers of screen doors and windows. I have never, ever been in better shape than I was doing that job. The 50 hours a week of factory work diet will take the pounds off in a hurry.
*Working in the hall office during college. I'm one of those nerds who lived in the dorms for four years, but it was cheap living on campus, so why not?
*Teacher!

Four Movies I Can Watch Over and Over:
*The Shawshank Redemption. When Andy breaks out through the sewer pipe and looks up into the rain....that's good video, right there.
*Unforgiven. You can't watch the last 15 minutes of that movie and not get emotionally involved.
*Batman Begins. I'm a bat-nut from way back, and this re-imagining of the series warmed the cockles of my heart, big time.
*Citizen Kane, for all the obvious reasons.

Four Places I've Lived:
*Born in Vancouver, Washington.
*Moved to Rochester, just south of Olympia, when my parents divorced.
*Graduated from Rochester and went to Cheney to attend college.
*Fell in love with a Medical Lake girl, and now here I am.

Four TV Shows I Love:
*Around the Horn. It's brain candy!
*The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. How the hell they think Conan can replace Jay, I don't understand.
*The Daily Show with John Stewart.
*Countdown with Keith Olberman.

Four Places I've Vacationed:
*Long Beach. My family has a house near the beach, and we spent many happy hours down there when I was a kid.
*Colville. What? Yes, Colville. My in-laws have the neatest cabin in the woods up there, and when you want to get away from it all that's the greatest place in the world to go.
*Disneyland, after my high school graduation.
*The Oregon Coast. I'd love to get there again some day.

Four of My Favorite Dishes:
*Arroz con Pollo.
*The chicken quesadilla from Taco Bell.
*Brownies, the moister, the better.
*Lasagna with a little provolone cheese melted over the top.

Four Sites I Visit Daily:
*The Education Wonks
*Statcounter
*NYC Educator
*Washington Teachers

Four Places I Would Rather Be Right Now:
*As I type this I'm in Shoreline, Washington attending the WEA Leadership Academy. I'm in the thick of it, and I can honestly say that there's nowhere I'd rather be!

Read more here, if any.

The Joy of Down Time

The car's in the shop, so I'm at Starbucks a block away with nothing to do but play on the internet. Ms. Cornelius showed me the way to a grand collection of those stupid little quizzes, so let's waste some time:

Your Aura is Blue

Spiritual and calm, you tend to live a quiet but enriching life. You are very giving of yourself. And it's hard for you to let go of relationships. The purpose of your life: showing love to other people Famous blues include: Angelina Jolie, the Dali Lama, Oprah Careers for you to try: Psychic, Peace Corps Volunteer, Counselor

What Color Is Your Aura?

You Are 50% "Average American"

You are average because you live within three miles of McDonalds. You are not average since you do make New Year's resolutions.

How "Average American" Are You?

You Are 68% Democrat

You have a good deal of donkey running through your blood, and you're proud to be liberal. You don't fit every Democrat stereotype, but you definitely belong in the Democrat party.

How Democrat Are You?

Your Social Anxiety Level: 40%

You have low social anxiety. Of course very unfamiliar or strange situations make you uncomfortable. But you can pull through and handle almost any social occasion with grace.

Are You Socially Anxious?

You Are Midnight

You are more than a little eccentric, and you're apt to keep very unusual habits. Whether you're a nightowl, living in a commune, or taking a vow of silence - you like to experiment with your lifestyle. Expressing your individuality is important to you, and you often lie awake in bed thinking about the world and your place in it. You enjoy staying home, but that doesn't mean you're a hermit. You also appreciate quality time with family and close friends.

What Time Of Day Are You?

And this one is spot on:

You Should Have Voted for Ralph Nader.

Sorry - Shirts and Shoes are Required in the Voting Booth.

Who Should You Have Voted For in 2004?

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