One of the books Bree found while we were shopping today. There are some pretty funny Gosling memes that come up during my feminist unit in my AP Lit class. They crack me up!
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Villains Boo Buckets At McDonald's
1 day ago
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Gotta Love Ryan Gosling
March 30, 2013
One of the books Bree found while we were shopping today. There are some pretty funny Gosling memes that come up during my feminist unit in my AP Lit class. They crack me up!
One of the books Bree found while we were shopping today. There are some pretty funny Gosling memes that come up during my feminist unit in my AP Lit class. They crack me up!
Friday, March 22, 2013
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Tomorrow is Not a Promise
March 19, 2013
I went to a funeral today. It was for an old friend from high school who died suddenly last week from a massive heart attack. No warning signs. Nothing amiss. Until...he was suddenly gone. He was only 46.
I'm 45. I turn 46 this year, just like Zeke did. For him, though he couldn't possibly know it, it would be his final age. Some 27 years ago, my dad died at the age of 46, also from a massive heart attack. I remember distinctly thinking at the time, through the short-sighted and arrogant lens of youth, "Well, he was old. He had lived a full life." What did I know then? Now on the doorstep of the age my dad was when he died, I know that my friends and I are merely beginning to dip our toes in waters of the second halves of our lives--at least that's what we believe. We are alive, vibrant, seeing the future stretch out ahead of us: continued careers, and eventually retirement, watching our children grow and someday kissing and holding grandbabies, traveling perhaps, and envisioning many, many good times with friends. We are young, in our hearts; we are not done, nowhere near the finish line.
But we don't really know that, do we? I should know better. Not only did my father die at the age of 46, but I lost my mother when she was 53. My brother when he was only 42. I know it can happen far sooner than anyone anticipates. But what we know and what we feel can be two very different things. I don't feel like life could end unexpectedly, for me or any of my friends. Or, God forbid, my children. So I get complacent, as many of us do--forget to say I love you enough, forget to be fully present, forget that another time, another chance is never guaranteed.
Zeke was blessed to have a strong band of brothers--friends since early high school--who have been each others' support system for many years. I know his friends all knew Zeke loved them; Zeke certainly knew his friends loved him. I have always admired this group of friends and their connection that spanned 30 years. They lived, laughed, and were an extended family in such a beautiful way.
I have also been blessed with an amazing family, some biological, and some chosen. Especially in the last ten years of my life, I have been able to strengthen long-time friendships and make some new brothers and sisters of the heart as well. Do these people, vital to my mental and emotional well-being, know how important they are to me? I genuinely believe they do. I hope they do. I don't want them ever to wonder or doubt, because second chances are never guaranteed, and tomorrow doesn't always arrive.
So in case you were wondering, you, who are all such an important part of my life--in case you didn't know-- I love you. You, who have been my shoulder to cry on, I love you. You, who make me smile more than I ever thought I could, I love you. You, who are my partner in crime, I love you. You, who make me feel like my best self whenever I'm with you, I love you. You, who light up any room you walk into, I love you. You, who exude gentleness and warmth, you who personify joy and generosity, you who have the biggest heart of anyone I know, you who teach me to see the world through new eyes, and you who have been my champion in my low times, I love you. You with the perpetual twinkle in the eyes, and you who challenge me to grow, and you who love to talk as much as I do, I love you. You who know my insecurities, and you who are a role model to me, and you to whom I can occasionally be a role model, I love you. You, and you, and you...if you think you see yourself here, you do. And I love you for being part of who makes me who I am. I didn't want to wait another day to tell you, because you never know what tomorrow holds.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Fresno County's Miss Outstanding Teen
March 16, 2013
A few weeks ago, we discovered that our friends Wendy and Joe were helping prepare their daughter Emma to compete in the Outstanding Teen competition for Fresno County. This is a junior partner to the Miss America pageant., and the winners get to compete for the title of Miss California's Outstanding Teen. When we heard that Emma was competing, we decided it would be fun to go support her at the event. I had never actually attended a pageant, but as a young girl growing up, I remember watching the Miss America pageant on television every year, and I loved it--especially the evening gown portion of the program.
We saw the fitness portion of the program, where each girl did a short routine, and we got to see the beautiful evening gowns. (Thankfully, the teen pageant does not require a swimsuit segment. I was disturbed enough by watching the intermittent entertainment provided by a trio of young, local dancers. The girls were there as time filler, I presume, as the contestants were changing clothes between segments. Though they were admittedly very, very skilled performers and dancers, the suggestive moves that were part of their performance were completely inappropriate for the seven year olds, and were uncomfortable to watch.) We also watched some pretty great talent from the girls themselves--singing, dancing, and even a clarinet solo. I don't think I'm being too biased to say that although all of the girls were very good, Emma's charm and voice made her singing performance by far the best offering. Likewise, during the interview portion of the program Emma's response to the judge's question was the most articulate and the most endearing, as she infused her response with a little bit of humor and personality.
At the end of the evening, of course, the prizes and scholarships were announced. We were thrilled for Emma when she won Miss Congeniality, and award voted on by fellow contestants. Then, with all the pageantry and spectacle and suspense that one envisions as part of a Miss America-affiliated contest, the winner was announced--Emma DenBesten will wear the crown for the next year as Fresno County's Miss Teen 2013! We are absolutely thrilled that this beautiful, poised, and charming young lady won, and couldn't have been happier to share in celebrating with her on her special day.
A few weeks ago, we discovered that our friends Wendy and Joe were helping prepare their daughter Emma to compete in the Outstanding Teen competition for Fresno County. This is a junior partner to the Miss America pageant., and the winners get to compete for the title of Miss California's Outstanding Teen. When we heard that Emma was competing, we decided it would be fun to go support her at the event. I had never actually attended a pageant, but as a young girl growing up, I remember watching the Miss America pageant on television every year, and I loved it--especially the evening gown portion of the program.
We saw the fitness portion of the program, where each girl did a short routine, and we got to see the beautiful evening gowns. (Thankfully, the teen pageant does not require a swimsuit segment. I was disturbed enough by watching the intermittent entertainment provided by a trio of young, local dancers. The girls were there as time filler, I presume, as the contestants were changing clothes between segments. Though they were admittedly very, very skilled performers and dancers, the suggestive moves that were part of their performance were completely inappropriate for the seven year olds, and were uncomfortable to watch.) We also watched some pretty great talent from the girls themselves--singing, dancing, and even a clarinet solo. I don't think I'm being too biased to say that although all of the girls were very good, Emma's charm and voice made her singing performance by far the best offering. Likewise, during the interview portion of the program Emma's response to the judge's question was the most articulate and the most endearing, as she infused her response with a little bit of humor and personality.
At the end of the evening, of course, the prizes and scholarships were announced. We were thrilled for Emma when she won Miss Congeniality, and award voted on by fellow contestants. Then, with all the pageantry and spectacle and suspense that one envisions as part of a Miss America-affiliated contest, the winner was announced--Emma DenBesten will wear the crown for the next year as Fresno County's Miss Teen 2013! We are absolutely thrilled that this beautiful, poised, and charming young lady won, and couldn't have been happier to share in celebrating with her on her special day.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Reel Life
March 13, 2013
Doug and I watched Freakonomics tonight--a movie I have been interested in since I read the book a few years ago. Fascinating stuff. I will say, however, that if you've read the book, you could probably go ahead and pass on the movie, since it's not so much beautifully or artfully telling a story as it is stringing together vignettes and anecdotes that question societal assumptions. These vignettes, which use statistics and social constructs to illuminate flaws in cause/effect thinking in our world, are engagingly presented in the book--enough so that the visual representation in the film doesn't particularly further illuminate the ideas presented there. (That being said, if you haven't read the book, and don't intend to do so, by all means, watch the movie. It's really interesting to think about 'truth' is spun, either purposefully or inadvertently.)
Watching the movie, however, did get me thinking about some of the other documentaries that I've watched over the years that I've really enjoyed. I went through a period of time when I sought out all kinds of documentaries. I'm sure during that time there were many I don't remember right now off the top of my head, so my list here is not by any means comprehensive. I'm sure I'll leave some fantastic ones off the list that I've seen, and of course there are several more that are on my To-Watch list that I simply haven't found the time for yet--but I will.
1 Murderball--a moving and riveting look at a man whose tragic car accident leaves him a paraplegic. Sound weepy and sad? Not in the least. Zupan, the central figure, is an imposing and charismatic man who is part of a highly competitive wheelchair rugby team.
2. Spellbound--Many of my friends hear that my husband and I watch the Scripps Spelling Bee each year, glued to the three days of coverage, and they attribute the draw to the fact that I'm an English teacher. Who else could possibly be interested in a spelling bee, after all? I defy you to watch the documentary Spellbound, which follows contestants and their families during one season of the Scripps Bee, and not tune in the following year. The kids, quirky and funny and unique, have wonderful personalities that really have you rooting for the finalists at the end.
3. The Seven Up Series--a social documentary that follows fourteen children of varying classes and backgrounds and then revisits them each seven years in a new installment of the documentary series. We see these children grow through elementary, secondary, college, career and family. The series explores the way in which social class and family background determine one's path in life. The latest installment, which I have not yet watched, is 56 Up. Thus far, only one of the subjects has dropped out of the project.
4. March of the Penguins--I don't care too much for birds, and cold weather--especially arctic weather--is even more unappealing. Despite this, March of the Penguins was a wonderful film to share with my daughter. We see the lives of these penguins, who are social, communal creatures in a way that makes us feel connected to them and empathetic to their difficult existence.
5. Super Size Me--Morgan Spurlock takes on thirty days of a McDonald's exclusive diet to illustrate the negative health effects on the body. His physician keeps close tabs on him throughout, because the assumption is that this kind of a diet is bound to be potentially dangerous. And it is. Suffice it to say that after watching the movie, my husband quit McDonald's cold turkey, and hasn't been back in the several years since.
6. Sicko--Love him or hate him, Michael Moore has a way of bringing attention to his subject matter. In this one, he takes on the way we mete out health care in the United States, in contrast to the cost and access available in other countries. Illuminating.
7. Bowling for Columbine--Another Michael Moore film that takes on our relationship with guns and assumptions about the culture of violence in the United States.
8. Searching for Sugarman--an Oscar winner this year about the search for a musician presumed dead, according to the mythology surrounding him. Although he languished in relative obscurity here in the United States, his music became the anthem of a generation a world away.
9. The That's Entertainment Series--There are three of these, and truth be told, the best one is the first, while the two follow-up installments appear to merely try to carry on the feel-good atmosphere of the first. That's Entertainment is a love song to MGM studios to celebrate their 50th anniversary, and it brings together clips from the heyday of the MGM big production numbers and Hollywood sweetheart stars from the early years. As a movie lover, it was a must-see for me.
10. That's Dancing--The 80's saw a companion to That's Entertainment that focused on dancing in the movies from the early days to contemporary films. From Astaire to Michael Jackson, fancy footwork abounds.
11. King of Kong--It's Spellbound for the arcade video game world. You can't look away.
Doug and I watched Freakonomics tonight--a movie I have been interested in since I read the book a few years ago. Fascinating stuff. I will say, however, that if you've read the book, you could probably go ahead and pass on the movie, since it's not so much beautifully or artfully telling a story as it is stringing together vignettes and anecdotes that question societal assumptions. These vignettes, which use statistics and social constructs to illuminate flaws in cause/effect thinking in our world, are engagingly presented in the book--enough so that the visual representation in the film doesn't particularly further illuminate the ideas presented there. (That being said, if you haven't read the book, and don't intend to do so, by all means, watch the movie. It's really interesting to think about 'truth' is spun, either purposefully or inadvertently.)
Watching the movie, however, did get me thinking about some of the other documentaries that I've watched over the years that I've really enjoyed. I went through a period of time when I sought out all kinds of documentaries. I'm sure during that time there were many I don't remember right now off the top of my head, so my list here is not by any means comprehensive. I'm sure I'll leave some fantastic ones off the list that I've seen, and of course there are several more that are on my To-Watch list that I simply haven't found the time for yet--but I will.
1 Murderball--a moving and riveting look at a man whose tragic car accident leaves him a paraplegic. Sound weepy and sad? Not in the least. Zupan, the central figure, is an imposing and charismatic man who is part of a highly competitive wheelchair rugby team.
2. Spellbound--Many of my friends hear that my husband and I watch the Scripps Spelling Bee each year, glued to the three days of coverage, and they attribute the draw to the fact that I'm an English teacher. Who else could possibly be interested in a spelling bee, after all? I defy you to watch the documentary Spellbound, which follows contestants and their families during one season of the Scripps Bee, and not tune in the following year. The kids, quirky and funny and unique, have wonderful personalities that really have you rooting for the finalists at the end.
3. The Seven Up Series--a social documentary that follows fourteen children of varying classes and backgrounds and then revisits them each seven years in a new installment of the documentary series. We see these children grow through elementary, secondary, college, career and family. The series explores the way in which social class and family background determine one's path in life. The latest installment, which I have not yet watched, is 56 Up. Thus far, only one of the subjects has dropped out of the project.
4. March of the Penguins--I don't care too much for birds, and cold weather--especially arctic weather--is even more unappealing. Despite this, March of the Penguins was a wonderful film to share with my daughter. We see the lives of these penguins, who are social, communal creatures in a way that makes us feel connected to them and empathetic to their difficult existence.
5. Super Size Me--Morgan Spurlock takes on thirty days of a McDonald's exclusive diet to illustrate the negative health effects on the body. His physician keeps close tabs on him throughout, because the assumption is that this kind of a diet is bound to be potentially dangerous. And it is. Suffice it to say that after watching the movie, my husband quit McDonald's cold turkey, and hasn't been back in the several years since.
6. Sicko--Love him or hate him, Michael Moore has a way of bringing attention to his subject matter. In this one, he takes on the way we mete out health care in the United States, in contrast to the cost and access available in other countries. Illuminating.
7. Bowling for Columbine--Another Michael Moore film that takes on our relationship with guns and assumptions about the culture of violence in the United States.
8. Searching for Sugarman--an Oscar winner this year about the search for a musician presumed dead, according to the mythology surrounding him. Although he languished in relative obscurity here in the United States, his music became the anthem of a generation a world away.
9. The That's Entertainment Series--There are three of these, and truth be told, the best one is the first, while the two follow-up installments appear to merely try to carry on the feel-good atmosphere of the first. That's Entertainment is a love song to MGM studios to celebrate their 50th anniversary, and it brings together clips from the heyday of the MGM big production numbers and Hollywood sweetheart stars from the early years. As a movie lover, it was a must-see for me.
10. That's Dancing--The 80's saw a companion to That's Entertainment that focused on dancing in the movies from the early days to contemporary films. From Astaire to Michael Jackson, fancy footwork abounds.
11. King of Kong--It's Spellbound for the arcade video game world. You can't look away.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Monday, March 4, 2013
Feeling Stressed
March 4, 2013
Most of the time, I'm pretty willing and able to find the silver lining--I'm a real optimist at heart. I'm not naive; I know there's bad in the world, and there are mean people and even evil people. There are bad circumstances and unfortunate situations. Believe me, I'm no stranger to any of those things. It's just that in general, I choose to focus on the more positive things in life. It makes my life far more meaningful and fulfilled. It makes me grateful for the people in my life and the things (and situations) that make my life a really good one in the grand scheme of things. It's like I'm walking out in the ocean, appreciating the warmth of the sun on my shoulders and face, and taking in the smell of the fresh ocean air, and the beauty and wonder of the world that surrounds me, something like this:
(Okay, in the interest of full disclosure, I don't really look like this in a bikini. But still, you get the picture.)
But despite the beauty and the grandeur all around me, I'm not completely oblivious to the potential dangers lurking under the surface--dangers that have the ability to pull me under if I'm not careful. And every once in awhile, they sneak up too close and become impossible to ignore. Then my beautiful metaphorical soak-up-the-sun day goes from this:
To this:
I'm having one of those weeks....
Most of the time, I'm pretty willing and able to find the silver lining--I'm a real optimist at heart. I'm not naive; I know there's bad in the world, and there are mean people and even evil people. There are bad circumstances and unfortunate situations. Believe me, I'm no stranger to any of those things. It's just that in general, I choose to focus on the more positive things in life. It makes my life far more meaningful and fulfilled. It makes me grateful for the people in my life and the things (and situations) that make my life a really good one in the grand scheme of things. It's like I'm walking out in the ocean, appreciating the warmth of the sun on my shoulders and face, and taking in the smell of the fresh ocean air, and the beauty and wonder of the world that surrounds me, something like this:
But despite the beauty and the grandeur all around me, I'm not completely oblivious to the potential dangers lurking under the surface--dangers that have the ability to pull me under if I'm not careful. And every once in awhile, they sneak up too close and become impossible to ignore. Then my beautiful metaphorical soak-up-the-sun day goes from this:
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Central Valley Regional Robotics Tournament
March 3, 2013
Nicholas spent this past weekend with his robotics team in Madera. Most of his work for his team's robot was in fabrication during build season, so he decided to be a field set volunteer during the tournament. By the end of the weekend, his team's robot had finished 8th overall in a field of Team 1671 won the Engineering Inspiration Award! They won an invite to Nationals in St. Louis and a $5000 grant from NASA. Great job Bird Brains!
Nicholas spent this past weekend with his robotics team in Madera. Most of his work for his team's robot was in fabrication during build season, so he decided to be a field set volunteer during the tournament. By the end of the weekend, his team's robot had finished 8th overall in a field of Team 1671 won the Engineering Inspiration Award! They won an invite to Nationals in St. Louis and a $5000 grant from NASA. Great job Bird Brains!
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Saturday Night Poker
March 2, 2013
We had a quiet night at home with friends on Saturday night. Jim brought over his poker chips and proceeded to teach the less familiar among us (me, specifically) how to play. This is me when my newbie hunch paid off. "Is it a thing if they're all the same?" Yup--I got a flush.
We had a quiet night at home with friends on Saturday night. Jim brought over his poker chips and proceeded to teach the less familiar among us (me, specifically) how to play. This is me when my newbie hunch paid off. "Is it a thing if they're all the same?" Yup--I got a flush.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Hart of Dixie
February 28, 2013
You know how everyone's always saying that kids grow up too fast? Well, my lovely niece Devin is a great example. She's in 8th grade, but she got to play a part on the television show "Hart of Dixie". She's a sophomore at the prom in the episode. A sophomore?? I can't handle her being a sophomore already--even for a day!
You know how everyone's always saying that kids grow up too fast? Well, my lovely niece Devin is a great example. She's in 8th grade, but she got to play a part on the television show "Hart of Dixie". She's a sophomore at the prom in the episode. A sophomore?? I can't handle her being a sophomore already--even for a day!
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