Fettuccine and s'mores

I will never lose weight if I keep eating like this.



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Back pain

I have MAJOR lower back pain. How? I have no idea. It's not work out injury because I haven't been working out. I'm guessing bending down to help kids all day. Please give me ideas on what to do. Dying here.


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Brunch of the Munch: Overhang or Overhung?



HU girls brunch: L to R  Lindsey Holbert, me, Jillian Hicks, Valerie Hendrix, Amanda Burroughs, Carrie Scott, Lana Summit, and Callie Lillard. Oh and we can't forget Marie Antoinette.

My weekend. I'm going to skip Friday because it stunk. Saturday. I liked Saturday. It was our monthly (although we haven't had one in several months) Harding girls brunch. It was so great to see everyone and catch up. We heard all about skiing accidents and overhangs. It. Was. Amazing. And the food was superb. We had hashbrown casserole, french toast casserole, breakfast casserole, sweet, yummy, sticky bread, sausage balls, and nothing healthy. Julie was supposed to bring our one healthy dish, and she was a loser and got sick. Such a loserface, but we still love her. I made a new recipe, Blueberry Scones with Melted Peaches, and I was quite pleased with it. The melted peaches part gets everyone. How do you melt a peach? What is a melted peach? I think that Rachael Ray wanted to be really creative. That's my guess.

Then I went to Oaklawn for my friend, Carla's birthday. Did I ever see Carla that day to wish her a happy birthday? No, I did not. I hope she had a splendid day. It was my first Oaklawn experience, and it wasn't too shabby. I'd much rather be riding the horses then watching them run, but oh well. And it would have been even cooler had Mary Poppins come out on a carousel horse and wowed the crowd. I probably would have peed.



My heroine: Mary Poppins

My family from Memphis was visiting so I got to spend the majority of the day with them. It was great to see my Aunt Tricia and celebrate the good report she got last week. No more cancer. I've still not written a song, but I am feeling inspiration. It's coming, and it's gonna be good. Possibly a rap.

Have a great Monday everyone! And just to prepare you, I found this under my bed:

This is my diary from junior year of college. I will be sharing entries. This was the only time in my life when I kept a diary. I can't wait to share my deepest, darkest secrets with you :).

Major headache

Mali wouldn't start this morning. Of course I worried ALL day about if I was going to have to ride the big yellow school bus with my students tomorrow. They are still working. :(.


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Home - Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros Acoustic Cover (Jorge & Alex...

How talented is she? To have an ear that early is amazing.

ALL CLEAR!!

Aunt Tricia's scan was clear. No more cancer. This is one of those moments when even the best superlatives won't suffice. PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!!!!


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Why do we have to grow up?

Why can't we just stay little? I remember when the only worries I had were if I would get to play with Tela and if I was going to get another spanking when Daddy got home. Boy could we get into stuff! There was this one time when Tela and I found baby rabbits. We took them back to Tela's house, and low and behold they start foaming at the mouth and acting all crazy. Aunt Jacque told Ace to shoot them because they were rabid. Rabid Rabbits. That was tragic. I just thought they were excited to have a new home.  

Or take the time when I rode my bicycle to the mailbox to get the mail (yes, my bicycle had a basket) and the bull in the pasture started making really loud noises. I thought it was going to attack me, so I sat under the mailbox and cried for 45 minutes until Uncle Danny drove by and got me. Now I know it was only talking to the female cows saying, "Hey snazzy lady. Want me to by your baby's daddy?"  I would love to go back for one day and just live. Live without thinking about cancer and death and bills and ALL THIS STUFF that we think about. Wouldn't you just love to roll around and get dirty and only have to think about the chlorine bath that will come later to get all the sea ticks off? I sure would.


Me with my cousins Tela, Wesley, and Seth. Another glorious day of looking like hobos. Notice how much taller I was at three years old. I'm the second oldest behind Wesley.

--

The backsides. I won't put the bathtub picture up, but let's just say a bathtub with four filthy children=the blackest of water. So gross yet so awesome. 

 My Aunt Tricia's cat scan is tomorrow at 11:15, and I'm nervous. The weird thing is, I'm probably more nervous than she is. She's one of the strongest women I know, and she's such an example to me. If she can get through cancer three times, I surely can do anything. Did I pray enough? There's always room for improvement there. So many thoughts run through my head about how things used to be when I was younger. Trips to Branson, taking old timey photos, the Branson trip where Callie got pink eye, I got the stomach virus and got asthma (rough one), and the many foster babies my aunt and uncle have nurtured over the past several years. And who could forget Moe Bandy? We were groupies. Americana all the way, baby! But, the time we will remember most was when I peed my pants while playing hide and seek and then choked on cheese pizza and almost DIED.

All I ask is that tomorrow, you pray. A simple, honest prayer asking for a clear scan for my aunt that she may have peace of mind and a rested body. I will keep you posted.

Have you ever had to tap your leg for your words to come out?

I have. I stuttered so badly in the 2nd grade. That's when it was caught anyway--in Mrs. Alford's Christmas play. Yep. I was the Christmas fairy angel thing, and I had to tap my wand on my leg to make my words come out. Do you know how humilified I was? I mean, come on. I had to endure 2 or 3 (help me mom) years of speech therapy with a woman who would open up a package of Smarties at the end of the week and say, "Pick one."  She ate the rest of them right in front of me. What brought on these wonderful memories was my wonderful students making fun of a sweet girl in my class that was stuttering. You better believe I went off.

I told them when it all started. Let's see, there was "train track face" in kindergarten from the eight stitches between my eyes from my "running into a parked car" accident. In 3rd grade it was "four eyes bug eyes" for wearing my lovely purple floral spectacles. I hated that bus ride for so long with nasty Tina Pumila. yuck. 4th grade was "fat load" by two certain boys that I had the pleasure of hearing my mother chew out. A few years past, so the boys whipped out the big guns. 9th-12th grade the names were "Smoshly the blue whale", "the beast" (and they would growl as if the name wasn't painful enough), "dinosaur", and "wooly mammoth".  As they kindly reminded me then, I will remind you know. Those are the four largest mammals that ever roamed the earth and sea.

After I told my wonderful students these stories, they asked me "Were you fat or something?" I said, "I'll let you be the judge. I have the same pink polo (child size 16) that I wore in the 6th grade."  All of their mouths dropped because they realized I have been the same size since 6th grade and I'm not a gargantuan by any means. I love seeing the realization hit them...the truth that kids can be so brutal.

It took me years, years, years, to even have an ounce of confidence about my appearance. Luckily I had wonderful parents that always told me how beautiful I was inside and out and wonderful friends. But still, it's like I needed that confirmation from my peers. I have been there, and it isn't pretty. Did I hold a grudge? Absolutely. Those boys that called me those names made me feel skeptical towards all boys. After my freshman year of college, I came back to Nashville for the summer and one of those boys who called me names asked me out on a date. I LOVED the fact that I told him, "Absolutely not" as I smiled and walked away. I secretly relished in his being rejected by "the beast, the dinosaur, wooly mammoth, and smoshly the blue whale."

Do I still feel insecure at times? Yes, but I am believing more in myself. I have precious students whom I love dearly. I truly do. But I see in them things that they will learn the hard way unfortunately. As much as I reach out to them, you know they will go down paths more commonly walked. It's weird being a bystander. For all those boys that made fun of me, this is what I think of you:



Who could possibly make fun of this chunky, blond-headed angel?



By the way, new favorite band is the Avett Brothers. Download immediately.

The Avett Brothers

I am an Outsider

Yes, I am. It's official. We had our first book club meeting last night. Right now, it has only three members: Valerie, Annie Marie, and me. We decided on the name The Outsiders for our book club we are all outsiders in some part of our life--not necessarily in a bad way but an outsider all the same. We discussed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo last night, and we ate wonderful delicacies for a reward. Maybe we should actually read The Outsiders as one of our selections...

I'm stuck like glue to LOST. I began season 2 last night and am intrigued by this creature named Desmund. Who is he? Don't tell me. Don't give me the slightest hint. This show does scare me a bit, especially when I watch it at night. The music is scary, the PEOPLE are scary. I need a Jack to keep me company while I watch. He's such a Hottie McScottie! And then there's Sawyer, who I believe I will grow to love. Don't correct me on that either. I just HOPE TO GOODNESS Jack and Kate hook up because this has gone on long enough.  

If Ethan didn't creep you out, you have major problems. Major. Poor Claire. All she wants to do is spit her baby out.

And then there's the Amazon woman Danielle. She's nuts. I'm sure she means well (although she did take Claire's baby), but her hair is so sad. I have compassion for her just because of her hair. I want to reach through the screen and brush it so badly.

Season 2 here I come. The hatch is open!

Ghoulish

I was having my students describe themselves today for their penpal letters. One particular student, we'll call him Sam, is quite peculiar. I'm peculiar, so I have free reign to call others peculiar as well. Sam is different in many ways. Sometimes he says random things. When I ask him what it means, he says that only he and one other person know the secret language. I always say, "So cool. Maybe you can teach me." And then I get the stare...not a scary stare. A stare that says, "Maybe one day I will let her in on my secret language." He's contemplating. Well, today he asked me how to say "ghoulish" in Spanish. I'm usually not surprised by the strange things he says, but today I was caught off guard. I said, "You think you are ghoulish?" He said, "Yes, and dark." I had no earthly how to say ghoulish in Spanish. When would I use that? I looked it up and went on my merry way. He's a sweet kid. Peculiar? Yes, but aren't we all?

The Queen of Awkward...let everyone down

Ya'll. What is going on with me? While in Houston, nothing embarrassing, humilifying, or weird happened. Ok take that back. Maybe one slight thing. I knew things were going to be normal when I asked my friend Valorie the following question, "So maybe I should go around talking with an accent? Ya know, so I can liven things up a bit?" She said, "Uh no." She gave me a "I live in Houston now, and I'm too good for accents" look. I got you, Val. Saved by the bell.

I had a great weekend with my friends! I ate horribly, but I was on vacay so it's okaykay. I shopped til I dropped. Geez, there are muchas tiendas (a lot of stores) in that town. I don't know if anyone has told ya'll this, but Houston is BIG. Ok, so Val and I were at Nordstrom Rack in the dressing rooms. I come out to check out my bad self in the 3 way mirrow and OOPS...the door locks behind me. I'm really scared of the girl who worked the dressing room counter. She looked like she could eat me for dinner. So to avoid the giant girl (I can call her giant girl because people have called me that...and I call myself that), I have to crawl under the stall. I somehow get a gigantic bruise on my thigh. How I don't know because my thigh just touched carpet. I also got a terrible awful carpet burn on my elbow. What I do to avoid the giant girl. Oh and then giant girl walked by as Valorie was asking me if I liked the top she had on. I told her she looked like she had a disease. Giant girl did NOT like that comment. I'm thinking, "What giant girl...did you design that blouse? If you did, it should be banished and burned at the stake."

I drove in Houston. That's right...I, Ashley, drove in the big city. After leaving the hyperventilation station, I drove the 2.7 miles to church on Sunday. I didn't have to go on any freeways (thank you good Lord) because I might have died. But look at it this way. If I did die, I would have been going to church so maybe God would smile down upon me.

I also finished The Help while in Houston. You know you have a bosom friend when you can go on a vacay and read with your friend. I arrived Friday night; Valorie and I read until 2:30 in the morning. We read aloud to each other, with our southern voices. Why they didn't choose us for the parts, I have no earthly. If you haven't read The Help, YOU MUST. It's a work of art, the way Kathryn Stockett writes in the voices of black women in the 1960s. Amazing in every way.

Have a blessed Tuesday everyone. Peace and blessings!

A Humble Reminder

I have officially arrived at the Coulter Bed and Breakfast! I am now safely in Houston, TX to begin my luxuriously long weekend with my wonderful friend Valorie. I'm so pumped; I've never been to Houston. Be ready for many awkward moments!

I have to tell you about a conversation I had with one of my students. So I won't violate FERPA, I will call her Alice. First of all, let me preface this story by telling you what happened on November 16. I went to a workshop (teachers, I know what you are thinking...yuck) that changed my life. It changed the way I will teach forever. It was called Teach Like a Rockstar, and Hal (the rockstar man) caused me to laugh and cry. But most importantly he allowed me the opportunity to think about why I actually teach. Of course, I wrote down the obvious: to help students succeed, because I love Spanish, because I love kids. Hal said that wasn't good enough. I needed to search my soul to find the real meaning. And then it hit me. I teach for those moments when I see the light bulb go on, the student gets the information, and produces. I get chills and sometimes misty eyed. THAT is why I teach. I also teach because I know I am the hope some of those kids have.

The next day, I go into my classroom, and I tell them why I'm here. I said, "Thank you so much for coming today. This is going to be your best day ever, and I love you." And one girl said, "You don't love us." And I said, "Yes, I do. Let me tell you why. I come here every day to see the light bulb come on, to see you trying something that is difficult, and it makes me proud." Then another girl said, "Say it again." I wasn't sure what she was wanting me to say again, so I told her my reason again. Then she said, "Say IT again." Then I realized she was wanting me to tell the class I loved them again. I told them, and she said, "I love you too." I knew she meant it, and it felt good. She smiled from ear to ear. From that moment, each student was more motivated...every day. The results were amazing! I told them I love them every single day. I still do.

That was my preface to this. Alice came into my little office one day during lunch "asking about an assignment." I knew she wasn't there for that assignment, but I wasn't exactly sure why she was there. She's super smart, but she's not very talkative. The flood gates opened, and she said she wants to go to college. I told her she can. She said she wants to learn Spanish so that she can talk to Hispanics when she's a doctor. I told her she can. And that's when the tears came. She said, "But I live in the projects." It was a humble reminder of the weight these kids carry around. They think they can't ever get out of the conditions they currently live in, that there will never be opportunities for them. My thoughts melted. I wanted to cry with her, but I said, "Alice, I grew up in the country on a farm. You can't get more country than that. And look at me? I teach Spanish." She then proceeds to tell me about her sister that has been living on the streets for seven years, since her father's death from a drug overdose. And her longing to just talk to her.


These moments haunt me. I can't let them go. They are a constant reminder that no matter how frustrated I get at my students, they are my students. I am their Spanish momma, and I love them. Sometimes I just need reminders.

Another One Bites the Dust

The "other one" I'm referring to would be yours truly...me. Oh ya'll. Sometimes I feel like my life is out of a movie. I'm just so darn awkward. One of my students told me today after I tripped on the extension cord that I was a catastrophe magnet. Well thank you! I love being told that I'm so very catastrophic. Let me tell you about last night...

So my friend, Jill, scored me a ticket to Govenor Beebe's Inaugural ball last night. It was very last minute; she called me at 4:36. I had to be ready and at her house by 7:30. More than plenty of time for me (I don't require much), but I still have to say it was last minute to make me sound important. I mean, come on, I was going to the ball. Luckily, I had a very long and very fancy maxi dress I had purchased to wear on New Years. And luckily I didn't wear it New Years. This dress, however, was so long (the longest maxi dress known to man) that I had to wear my tallest heels which put me at a whopping 6'1". The dress still touched the ground.

We get to the ball, and I check my Forever 21 coat. I felt sorry for it sitting amongst all the non-fabricated wool and mink coats. Poor thing. We go in and Jill wants to know where all of her friends were. She asked me, the gargantuan, to find them. Don't worry--I did. After the Gov. and his wife had their first dance, two other girls and I took to the dance floor. Why should a perfectly good dance floor go to waste with such fine music playing?  We start dancing and the singer of the band comes down from the stage, grabs my hand, and pulls me back onto the stage. OF COURSE I eat it up! He introduces me to the crowd of a few thousand people. I do the beauty pageant wave (I was in the midst of political royalty), and then he said, "When the music starts, dance how you feel."  Say what??? That's right. He was entrusting me to dance. Has he ever seen me?  So I start. I do the sprinkler first, then whatever else comes to mind. THEN they start singing "Apple Bottom Jeans." Whoa. I had to go low in a ball gown AND five inch heels. But I did it, and I did it like a lady. He helped me down from the stage after the tons of applause, and then they went right into the "Cupid Shuffle." 

I was totally a groupie now. They loved me! I stood at the very front of the dance floor, pointing and making faces at the singers. We were in a love relationship. I felt so famous that I danced in my own row. Please keep in mind that I am the tallest girl out there. Ok? So, I'm dancing away and there's this part in the dance where you kick. Well, I kicked just a bit too hard. My legs (oh yes--both of them) fly up into the air. I land on my right cheek/hip and also hit my shoulder. I am dazed out of my mind. Did I really just fall in front of thousands of people at the inaugural ball while posing as a Democrat? Why yes, I believe I did. I get up and keep dancing, despite the pain. I. Am. A. Trooper.

I felt the stares, the whispers, as I hobble off the stage. I smile. At least my hair looked fabulous!

Four Years Ago on this day and at this very moment in time...

I was due in court for a traffic violation (had wreck), but luckily the judge was a patient at the eye clinic where I was working at the time. I used my charm and wittiness to con my way out of actually going to court and missing work. The judge allowed me to do a court conference call by phone. And do you know what I had to do for him? I had to give him a big ol' hug. Sweeth thing! Ya'll thought it was going to be worse didn't you...dirty minded people you are.

I've had to make a few changes thanks to the comments from some of you. And also from my abstract thoughts...thoughts that I had once had but that were stuffed in the back of my brain somewhere. They've resurfaced.

1. snow ski (I'm terrifed of dying)
2. Go to Hawaii
3. ride in a helicopter
4. go to a nude beach
5. parasail in the ocean
6. run a 5K
7. serve in a food kitchen
8. do a Bible study in a prison
9. Buy a tahoe
10. pay off student loans
11. backpack through Europe
12. lose three inches off entire body
13. play a song on the guitar (at least one but no wishful thinking)
14. fly fish
15. shoot and clean a deer
16. dive off a diving board without holding my nose
17. watch the mini series Pillars of the Earth and The Tudors
18. Date outside of type (someone with a tattoo or piercing)
19. Get a Macbook
20. Drive a really expensive car (one that turns heads) Note I didn't say own. I will probably have to rent it.
21. Study at a language school in Spain
22. body wrap
23. see Dave Barnes, Matt Nathanson, Ingrid Michaelson, Joshua Radin, Amos Lee, and/or Ben Harper live in concert
24. stay in a hostel
25. ride in a hotair balloon
26. play tennis (on the most basic level--that means having contact between racquet and ball which might be impossible for me)
27. go to California
28. go to Jackson Hole, WY
29. go to a dude ranch
30. rock climb 

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Whew! What a book! Talk about keeping me on the edge of my seat. If you have not read this, you must. I will say it is a bit graphic, but it is so worth it. This has been on my reading list for quite some time, and I needed to read it for book club. Here's the synopsis http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Dragon-Tattoo-Stieg-Larsson/dp/0307454541/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1294681267&sr=1-1  I got a little queasy in some parts. My stomach obviously can't handle as much as it used to. I also watched the movie yesterday. I had heard a certain scene from the book was very graphic in the movie. I can't tell you what scene, but it's true. I cringed. However, the movie was pretty true to the book...as well as a movie can be. I highly suggest both! Now on to read The Help.




Main characters Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander.  She makes me want to get tattoos and piercings...and smoke.

 

This is so hard but here goes...

I thought it would be so easy to complete this 30 by 30. I was so WRONG! Here are the twelve things I've come up with so far (please note that these are in no particular order):

1. snow ski (I'm terrifed of dying)
2. go to Hawaii
3. ride in a helicopter
4. go to a nude beach
5. parasail in the ocean
6. run a 5K
7. serve in a food kitchen
8. do a Bible study in a prison
9. Buy a tahoe
10. pay off student loans
11. travel to 5 different European countries
12. lose three inches off entire body
13. play a song on the guitar (at least one but no wishful thinking)
14. fly fish
15. shoot and clean a deer
16. dive off a diving board without holding my nose
17. watch the mini series Pillars of the Earth and The Tudors
18. Buy a Clarisonic from Sephora
19. Get a Macbook
20. Get an airbrush tan
21. Study at a language school in Spain
22. body wrap
23. see Dave Barnes, Matt Nathanson, Ingrid Michaelson, Joshua Radin, Amos Lee, and/or Ben Harper live in concert
24. stay in a hostel
25. ride in a hotair balloon
26. play tennis (on the most basic level)
27. go to California
28. go to Jackson Hole, WY
29. go to a dude ranch
30. rock climb

Woohoo! Yes, it was late. I'm still waiting to see everyone's so get busy!!

30 by 30

Have you done your list yet? Post time is tomorrow!

LOST is driving me nuts

I can't stop watching. I'm still in season 1. Claire and her baby daddy are fighting. He just dumped her. And you know what? That's bad and all, but all I can think about is whether Kate and Jack are going to hook up, get together, love on each other, etc. PLEASE can someone tell me! I'm going nuts. I just wish they'd get on with it.

Have you ever noticed how the iPhone autocorrects and sometimes it comes out ALL wrong?

My friend, Jill introduced me to a website that loads texts that have been messed up due to autocorrect. http://damnyouautocorrect.com/page/4/. There are some very crude words in there, so Grandmother and Mom, don't be offended. Some of these caused me to double over with laughter...like the one below. Take a look. I promise you will laugh.

Oh Happy Day! (Oh Happy Day) Oh Happy Day! (Oh Happy Day)

...when the counselor's washed (ooh), when the counselor's washed (ooh), when the counselor's WASHED (high note) eighteen students away. Lalalalalalala (Lalalalalalala) Lalalalala (Lalalalala) THEY TAUGHT ME HOW (oh they taught me how) TO SCREAM (to scream) TO SCREAM AND YELL (to scream and yell) SCREAM AND YELL AND THEY TAUGHT ME HOW TO GROW TOUGH SKIN!


That was the day I had today. It was like Christmas on January 5! I found out that 18, yes EIGHTEEN, of my students from the bad campus dropped my class. I got a little misty eyed. You have NO IDEA (maybe some of you do) how difficult it is to teach a class with students constantly disrupting because they don't want to be in there. Well Merry Christmas to you too because I think we both got what we wanted. Trust me...I LOVE many of the students at that campus but some will be better off without my class. I wish them the best of luck in their ventures!

Now on to the second happy of the day...my new bookshelf! I bought it from World Market, and I'm in love with it. My friends Jill and Kirstin helped me assemble it tonight. So much fun!

And to the last happy of the day...I got three new students in my 3rd block class today (I was at the good campus). They transferred from within the school. I asked the male student at the end of class, "How are you feeling about this class so far? You look a little worried."

"I feel extremely overwhelmed." I told him to give it another day or two. Then, as I was walking away, I heard the boy sitting next to him whisper to him, "Welcome to the hardest Spanish class of your life. You will die." I turned around quickly, and said, "Why, thank you!"

I prepare my kids for college, that's for sure. Happy Wednesday everyone! Peace and blessings!

GO HOGS GO!

WHO'S EXCITED! I am so pumped. Intently watching the game tonight with my home girls Jill and Caroline. You better be calling the Hogs!

Back to school, back to school

Everytime I return to school from a break, whether it's summer, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, I think of Billy Madison singing "Back to School". Weird, I know, but I'm weird. We had a teacher work day today. I was so glad not to have students, but I KNOW that on Wednesday when the little toots return, I will look like the picture below.

Where did the holidays go? It makes me want to burst out in song, "Where are you Christmas? Why can't I find you? Why have you gone away?" Wish me luck everyone...I'm ready to pop, drop and lock it. And REMEMBER to work on your 30 by 30. I forgot to add in yesterday, but your 30 things must be things you can control. For instance, I can't put on there that I want to be married by 30. I can't control that. But can I control what I eat? Heck yes. Control.

30 by 30

Ok, so here's what is going down. New Years Eve, while my friends and I were enjoying dinner, we shared the highs and lows of 2010. Then we shared our expectations for 2011...things like getting a rug for the sitting room (Caroline), going to the beach (Jill H.) and getting back on the exercise bandwagon (me and I think everyone on the planet).

Tonight, Sarah, Jill H. and I were discussing our thoughts over dinner. By the way, we are officially calling our meetings the "Nights at the Roundtable" (get it??). I know...so clever. Jill said she was going to make a list of 30 things she wants to accomplish by the time she's 30. Sarah and I loved the idea, and we are also going to do it. We all feel more zealous about 2011 and feel that it is going to be a year of production and "firsts". I'm so excited to see what's going to happen, and I want you all to join in with us. I think this is such a fun idea. I mean really, I do. I don't know about you, but I need someone to hold me accountable. I ate Mexican tonight, and I only had five chips (I know...so strong). The girls held me accountable.

If you are past 30, no fear! That just means that you get to do more. 40 by 40, 50 by 50 and so on. Yes, you will have time to do all these things. Welcome to the EXPECTATION STATION (I don't know what my deal is with stations...I've always had stations. Just go with it.)!!!!!

The deadline for your 30 is next Sunday, January 9. You can comment here or email them to me at ashleypjamison@yahoo.com. Can I get a whoop whoop AND an Amen??

Midwives

This was my latest read. I finished it a few days ago, and I must say it was awesome. Not expecting the end which made me really excited. The twists are my favorite. It was also very informative about midwives and their practices. I knew what a midwife was, but I had never ventured to find out more about what exactly they can and cannot do. If you have any spare time or just love to read, pick this up. It was featured in Oprah's Book Club if you go by Oprah's word and don't trust mine. You may check it out from the Jamison library free of charge :). Read the synopsis here http://http://www.amazon.com/Midwives-Oprahs-Book-Chris-Bohjalian/dp/0375706771.

Let me know what you think!