Lychee martinis

Erich and I just returned from a fabulous business conference in Chicago. My new-found drink of the weekend was Lychee martinis... a not too sweet drink with an icy toothpick through 2 soft lychee balls. Think grapefruit mixed with pear...

We returned home with sad news of the death of Erich's grandma. Thankfully, It was not a shock to anyone, as she lived a full 97 years of life. We will have her funeral this Wed. I remembered her words to Erich and myself the last time we visited her, "love is the best thing. Just love one another." This is a great memory to carry of a woman I hardly knew.

My school just celebrated a literacy night in which I am featured on the school district's website. Check out
http://www.bryanisd.org to see the picture of me with 2 of my cuties.

Fall

What a great beginning to one of my favorite seasons! Kellie came into town. We had not seen each other in 7 years!! We had so much fun at the Big State Festival listening to Willie Nelson and Lyle Lovett (amongst some other great bands). Yesterday I finished a 50 page project to complete a 3 hour course that has been hanging over me for the past 10 months. Erich preached today and he did a super job. I am about to make batches of homeade salsa and caldo de res...
And on top of all these wonderful things, Erich and I are going to Chicago together this weekend on a business trip.
The weather has been beautiful. Perhaps not the typical orange-leaved fall, but crisp and sunny with just enough cool to make you want to make soup. Nancy, my super running buddy and I are about to do our 8 mile run. We are preparing for a 1/2 marathon in Austin. I just love running, especially in the morning with the (still) starry night sky and the crisp fog from my breath with good music flowing in between my head. Lately its running to Misty Edwards.

A bummer... my camera is broken and I cannot take any creatively inspired pictures. I hope to get a new one for Christmas....

Tidbits from the past few days

This Sunday morning I was searching the web to find out more about healthy poo.
From what I can gather, texturally the poo should resemble that of a ripe banana. color: think cardboard, form: S or C will doo
float or not: there is controversy, but it seems there is more talk on sinking poo's, how often: at least once a day.

Other creative inspirations....
I have written and "composed" 3 new children's songs in Spanish. I was inspired after observing some student's with special needs in another classroom go through some simple songs (in English) that connect vocabulary or simple actions corresponding with pictures of the specific vocabulary/actions. Because I have several non verbal students, I was excited at the notion of combining music and real object pictures to reinforce vocabulary and increase communication. We did a trial run this week with two of my students that have autism (thankfully, they both respond very well to music). Our trial run was such a success! This has given me bursts of inspiration and I wrote 4 more simple songs in English. I want to introduce the 3 songs that are in Spanish to my students very soon. One is about vehicles, one about animals, and one about food. Erich was my producer and put my songs on a cd.... vamos a ver!

Other exciting news: for the first time in an ARD (the formal meeting that is held for families of children with special needs) I was addressed as both the instructional teacher and the special educator. For this I was able to sign in two boxes on the official documents. Although the officiality and structure of the ARD meetings are enough to make one gag, my two signatures signified the district, my school, and the diagnostician officially recognizing me as the qualified sped and gen ed teacher.

With the most student's with special needs of any classroom in my entire school, I am a bit overwhelmed with paperwork, meeting IEP goals, and all the other things that come with working in the public schools.... Thankfully, my principal recognizes the need for another intsructional teacher. Since there are no (other than my student teacher who is moving to Del Rio) students graduating from texas a&m with both a degree in bilingual and special education, we will have to hire a bilingual teacher who I will team teach with in the spring. I look forward to this and pray for a young, loving, active teacher.

One more thing...
Erich and I are on a hunt for delicious coffee. Lisa supplied directly from Costa Rica the last 20 bags we have already consumed. Now, we only drink a cup a day.... but we want that one to be a delicious one. So... if anyone has any recommendations?

Today is jueves (not hueves)

(this is a blurry car... this is used as a part of my picture communication system with my students with special needs... pretend its on a highway)


Blessed bliss in between bites of herbed basmati rice and organic beer to the tunes of waterdeep and words of rilke....
I dance in the kitchen (no one is here) and do some poses in front of the mirror (momentary self-portriats since I can't paint like Frida). I love the sunset shining on one piece of the sea green wall to the smell of cilantro-sage incense (or whatever combo it is...). Yesterday was postmodern curriculum, the day before that transitions from high school on and in between those days chasing children with autism who threaten to escape the school building. Such is life, now in the 5-9:30 days... a runner, a teacher, a student, a creative being, a singer, and mover, a reader, a thinker, a cleaner, a cooker, a 5 minute morning reflector, a coffee drinker, a friend, a lover, a businesswoman, and homemade salad dressing maker.... need I say more?
Life has been pretty great- it's not every season in life one is able to experience such a mosaic of facets in a day.... I really cherish the days (or at least realize the potency in the moments of pause that occur not too often). I don't feel mechanical in my daily coming and goings (thank God!) but rather a bit like a complicated intersection of multiple highways... each a faculty for fast moving vehicles and useful for acheiving a destination, yet overlapping at times, and a bit stressful at the transitions... There is thrill and adventure and new thoughts with each crossover, yet the ability to absorb conversations from the passerbyers is quite difficult....Thankfully, I am surrounded by pleasant people on my left and on my right, I have the hope and joy before me, and confirmation of destination behind me.

One more food for thought:
I have discovered the delight of feta. Feta makes everything better. Although Erich may argue cheddar, I say feta.

Eternity

He who bends to himself a joy
Does the winged life destroy
But he who kisses the joy as it flies
Lives in eternity's sunrise
-William Blake