Do you have a boo thang?

Y'all. My students speak an entirely different language; some days I need an interpreter. Today I learned the following:

1) a person who sings really quickly to a beat, throws their hands around in a punching fashion, sags their pants, and wears bling is NOT a rapster. It's rapper. I guess I've been hearing incorrectly all these years.
2) One of my students asked if I had a "boo thang". I said, "No." She asked, "Why not?" I said, "Because I don't need any butane." Then did she begin to speak more clearly so that I could understand. A "boo thang" is a boyfriend, in case you were wondering. I could have swore on homemade macaroni and cheese that she said butane.

And who says learning stops after college? Pish posh!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

A little Valentine's Day trivia for ya

• About 3 percent of pet owners will give Valentine’s Day gifts to their pets. (This is why I don’t have pets. I thought this percentage would be higher.)
• Some people used to believe if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine’s Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a gold finch, she would marry a millionaire. (Seeing that I have no idea what kinds of birds those are, I guess I’ll just be surprised.)
• The Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare’s lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet every Valentine’s Day. (I can say with confidence that I have NOT sent one of those.)
• The first televised tour of the White House aired on February 14, 1962. First Lady Jackie Kennedy hosted. (Two words: elegantly appropriate.)
• Hallmark has over 1,330 different cards specifically for Valentine’s Day. (Again, I can say with a crazy amount of confidence that I have NOT sent one of those.)
• Valentine’s Day has a higher percentage of male buyers than any other seasonal occasion. Fifteen percent of all valentines are purchased by males, compared to most other holidays, in which 90 percent of cards are purchased by women. (so overrated…I’m not bitter. I promise.)
• The oldest known Valentine was sent in 1415 A.D. by the Duke of Orleans to his French wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. It is still on display in a museum in England. (Bless his heart…don’t you wonder what it said. I just can’t imagine what romance you can fancy while being in chains. I would want clean clothes, pizza, a cheeseburger with grilled onions, and crystal lite. Love? Hhhhmmmmm)

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! And if you don't have a Valentine and love being single and sassy, come join the fun at our "It's so awesome being single" party. I'm cooking deer steak and mashed potatoes with gravy. Don't want to miss it!

House Rules

My latest read was a book about a boy with Asbergers being tried for murder. Jodi Picoult (I found out it was pronounced pico as in pico de gallo) writes about very controversial topics. I love reading her books because I become more knowledgeable about certain issues like Asbergers or leukemia. She'a always a good read, so yes, I recommend this book. Fo sho! Now I am on to read The Splendor of Silence by Indu Sundaresan. Please don't ask me to pronounce that name.

By the way, did you know that dogs are mentioned 14 times in the Bible? I know. Me either.

Roots

I love art, and I especially love teaching art. That's why I love spring semester so much. I tie in more culture, and although I love music, it's hard to do higher order thinking (something the state pushes) with songs. SO...I do art. I wanted to really draw the students in and get them interested in such a vital part of a culture, so naturally I began with Frida Kahlo. She is by far my favorite. Yes, I know, she was a bisexual. But I think that makes her work so much more awesome. I believe we would have been friends...though I would've had to make my views very clear to her.

Roots by Frida Kahlo

I only showed five paintings, but this one is one of my favorites. It's called Roots, and it really speaks to me. My students loved it because they can relate to being connected to something. To being grounded to something even they may wish otherwise. I could read it on their faces...some were wishing they weren't born and raised in the projects or to have parents that deal drugs. I saw it in their faces because I know their backgrounds. And it makes me think of my background, my roots. Being raised on a farm in Nashville...I have no words to describe the feeling it brings to me when I think about it. Every wonderful word you can think of describes how I feel about my roots.

My roots--Solid Rock Farm



My biological roots. Mom and Dad in high school. Weren't they lovely? Dad + Mom = ME

Have you thought about your roots lately? (and I'm not talking about your hair)





When life gives you snow, make food!

My neighbors that live directly across the road asked us to come over and eat lunch with them today, so of course I make a bee-line for the food. I was a little reluctant to go because I hate being out in the cold and hate the snow. But food always brings out the best in me, so I went. There were six guys and then Caroline and me. Word got round that I make a mean chocolate chess pie, so I told the boys that if they could round me up 2/3 cup Crisco, I would whip them up a pie.

Low and behold, 20 minutes later I get a knock on my front door. I get the Crisco and the baking begins. Ever since my momma taught me how to make my own pie crusts back in the day, I have never, ever used a pre-made one. Homemade crusts taste so much better (in my lowly opinion).  I remember when I first began making pie crusts, I would ruin them. I would tear the crust or add too much water. But now I've got it down to an art. It's quite therapeutic. I put on Lisa Hannigan and The Format and work away.

I made the pie. With the extra crusts, I smeared butter on top and then sprinkled it with sugar and cinnamon. I baked that and took that over there as well. I think that treat might be one of the finest tasting foods that's ever melted in my mouth. It truly does melt if you eat it right out of the oven. When I say right out of the oven, I don't mean right out. Let it cool just a smidge or it'll melt your taste buds :). 

We all ate soup then chowed down on pie and crust. We played Apples to Apples then some other random game that was super fun. I love me a good game! We spent a good five hours over there. I'm sure we will be seeing more of them tomorrow since we are snowed in...again.  

All of this snow makes me want Jeremiah Johnson to knock on my door and tell me that I make really good biscuits. Ooohhheeee! He. Is. Fine.

September 22, 2004

This is my first journal entry in my first diary ever! Yay! Audra and I ate at Mi Pueblito before Hart church. We asked the nice Backyard Burger man, Phil, to church.  He didn't come but gave us his number so we could call him next week. But we won't. Clay Kiihnl said he exposed himself to some girls (supposedly) so I'll just not ask him. 

After church, Audra and I went for a walk. Right in front of Harding Academy, we saw a naked man, penis and all, standing by a tree.  He was just standing there silent, not even moving.  We couldn't see his face because it was in the shadows.  Audra and I ran to the nearest apartments and yelled for help.  I yelled, "There's a naked man in the trees! There's a naked man in the trees!"  I think that was the first and only time I will ever outrun Audra. The man streaked across the street, got in an unlicensed silver car and peeled out. 

We reported it to Harding Security, Dead Huckeba and the Searcy police who literally laughed in our faces. Now isn't that the weirdest story ever?!?

From the diary of Ashley Jamison, junior year of college

Say HEY for my BIRTHDAY! Hey!

 

My 3rd birthday with the cake my mother made and the dress my mother made. She's pretty awesome!

 So yes, it's been a while since I"ve last posted. Which means, yes, I have so much to tell you. First of all, I had a FABULOUS birthday. It was just a normal day...I know. How can normal be fabulous? I was at the good campus first of all. They are such little blessings to me. I love them so much. Even the ones that can be stinky sometimes. Not as in their actual smell but their behavior.

Side note: listening to Rogue Waves cover of "Every Day", the James Taylor song. I just needed to tell you. And it's ssssooooo good.

Back to the birfday (that's how my students' say it), I was also observed for the first time by my UCA professor. It went stupendously. I couldn't have asked for a better lesson or better students. She said she was very impressed, and then in her email to me later that day she said, "Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your classroom earlier today." I might have given myself a pat on the back. I get observed all the time but coming from my college supervisor, I was impressed with myself. Maybe I just had the big head because it was the day I came into the world. Who knows but I spanked it.

At lunch, my colleagues surprised me with a cookie cake. I was so like, "OH MYLANTA!". So shocked. I loved it. It took me back to college when one of my best friends, Erin, would get a cookie cake for her birthday every year. We loved it when her birthdays came around :). 

It wouldn't be a birthday without my heroicness.  My friend, Libby, called and said she was stuck around the corner. Her car was smoking...literally.  I went to save the day. Bless her heart...she was just trying to bring me my birthday present.


The smoking gun.

For dinner Caroline, Julie, and I went to eat at 1620. Since we are having my big celebration on Friday, we didn't want everyone to pay for two expensive meals. It was just the three of us. It was yummy! I'd never eaten there, and C and I had a groupon. Yeah we did. Just call the bargain hunting virtuoso.

Then the snow came. No school on Friday, so I went to my babysitting job early. I sat for a family with two wonderful kids from Friday until Sunday night. It was nice money for my travels this summer. Look out Europe! I'm coming to see ya!

No school tomorrow. Look out for posts from the past--the journal is coming out. Beware.