Friday, December 15, 2006

a teacher's wish list

so my buddy Alex asked me once to make a "hmm...what do they REALLY want" blog and after today, I think I might have the answer to every teacher's dream gift-

alcohol.

Yup, that's what we really want.
We want to cut loose-get our groove on-let down our hair-party like it's 1999.
If you think we don't, you're wrong.
We do.
Even when we think we don't.
We do.

The perfect gift-a bottle of fabulous wine (yet to be drunk by me)
"Praxis"
Yes.
That is the real label...
PRAXIS!!!

Can you believe it?!!
Neither could I?
But receive it, I did, with a fabulous corker in the shape of a silver bell
(a la The Polar Express)
from a colleague who is helping me find my
CREATIVELY INSUBORDINATE self.

(that's a post for another day!)

We also like the chachkies, like ornaments and whatever we collect (for me, that is wine labels-ask Avery, she started this mess!)

We love personalized things, and coffee mugs (if we don;t drink coffee, a mug will make a great pen holder).

We love chocolate, and baked goodies, and dinners we don't have to cook much less plan!

Most of all, (and most days but not all,) what we love most are your kids.

We don't get paid to do this, we choose to do this.
You share your greatest gifts with us, and trust us to do no harm but instill good-
every day.

Big job.
Whoa big job.

Keep gifts light, happy, full of genuine hugs and love, and if at a total loss-give the booze!
We may not remember what we do as we drink it, but we will ALWAYS remember who the gift giver was!

Always!

Saturday, December 09, 2006

one of the hundreds of reasons why I love Rae...

This was the email I got yesterday...don't be surprised if you all get bells from me this year!!
enjoy-
xoxoxo
essie
*********************************************************************************
The Bell

Just up the road from my home is a field with two horses in it.
From a distance, each looks like every other horse.
But if you stop your car or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing.
Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind.
His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him.

This alone is amazing.

If nearby and listening, you will hear the sound of a bell.
Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field.
Attached to her halter is a small bell.
It lets her blindfriend know where she is, so he can follow her.
As you stand and watch these two friends, you'll see how she is always checking on him, and that he will listen for her bell and then slowly walk to where she is, trusting that she will not lead him astray.

When she returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, she stops occasionally and looks back, making sure her friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell.

Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges.
God watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need.

Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives.
Other times we are the guide horse, helping others see.

Good friends are like this.

You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.

Please listen for my bell and I'll listen for yours.

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

"Sahwee"

That was Dulce-her most famous one liner, which I must borrow as it seems to fit for this post...

Friday was a REALLY
REALLY
REALLY bad night.
The weekend wasn't so hot either, but Friday, well I think I hit rock bottom.
I told Hannah that talking to people has made me miss them SO much more it actually hurts and Friday night I got to speak to Alex AND Eadie...by the time I got home I was done.

I was done with work (which still really sucks, but I guess, oh well)
I was done with dishes
I was done with laundry
I was so done with our two dogs-
I was done with gift wrap and glitter everywhere
(and you all know how much I love glitter!!)
I was done staring at my living room and feeling like nothing in it was home for me, nothing was real.

What I "got" over the weekend is, living here in NC is real.
For now, I can't change that.

What is also very real, is how much I care for and miss all of you-
so much
so, so much.

Everyday, each of you did something that made my day real (-even if "we were in a fight!")
Everyday I knew you'd pop in or out somehow, maybe a phone call, maybe an email, a funny pair of socks, a song on the radio that my kids shouldn't hear (much less sing), a morning radio show, breakfast a la Safeway, or surprise me with Starbucks, a beautiful child who smiled their daily greeting-or shouted it for that matter...every way you shared your lives with me.
I didn't say it out loud enough, my heart must have taken it all in.
It all mattered.

You were all my clique...and click, we did.
I think my heart broke a little on Friday, and I'm so sorry if I freaked anyone out, but I just couldn't keep it all in and was so sad! Blogger got the best of me, and the end result was my post.

SO, I am taking Avery's advice and not listening to Michael Buble' ANYMORE! Tony has promised to take at least one Friday off a month just for us/our family, and isn't football season over soon?! We'll see more of him then too, I hope!

Rae reaches out through storm clouds for me and Hannah said that I can get to the end of the year; she's right, I can. Alex and Eadie helped me recognize that hard decisions are hard decisions, but always happen for a reason. Rahn knows what to say, even when it makes her feel uncomfortable...Tali, we'll talk soon! I have an "effing" conference to go to, tomorrow, overnight. La reminded me that this IS my season, so the tree goes up this weekend! Gab and e, with what you have been through this year, I have no right to be silly-thank you for you and understanding me.

With all your hugs and love, I'll get back to me. I'm under all these curls-well frizz actually-the winter here is just rain, which really sucks for curly headed people!
thank you guys-I love you all so so much-

essie

now, b/c I am clearly a spazz, I can't get my song to play...it's a good one
"You Get What You Give" by New Radicals and definately worth the listen.
xoxo
e

Friday, December 01, 2006

what to say?

don't quite know.
I am officially miserable here.
I miss my friends and family-well family/friends-whatever, they're all a big blurry group of love anyway-
I miss
I miss
I miss and it makes me very sad.

Has anyone else ever felt this empty after all the boxes are finally put away, and you can't clean your garage even ONE more time? What is WRONG with me???
It certainly can't get any worse, I just keep hearing the Michael Buble' song in my head, and I just don't know what to do.