Funny Photos

Until now, Cal has insisted on wearing tennis shoes in all casual occasions, including beach-time, during which he removes his shoes (and socks) only once we're settled firmly on a towel. Finally, tonight on our debut trip to Macon's Bass Pro Shops (you know you're really jealous somewhere deep down that we have one. don't deny.), he finally agreed to get some flip flops. I had to take his picture in order to prove to him that they looked good. And don't they look good!?!

And how's this pic for the perfect example of two worlds colliding? Ross and Margaret Anne were in town for a visit, and I snapped this shot. Mainly, of course, to make his big sis Becca (who has yet to meet my man and probably won't until the wedding day) jealous! Is it working??? Ha!

Changes

This week, I had to make my biggest career decision since I finished graduate school 4 years ago.

Monday morning, as I was walking down the hall of the school to check my mailbox, our headmaster stopped me and asked if I'd like to be considered for the 10th grade position that'll be opening up next year. I had told him when he hired me that I wanted to be teaching a higher level so to please let me know when something came available that I might be qualified for. That, however, was four years ago, and a lot can change in four years.

Unexpectedly, I liked 6th graders. It took a while to get used to their neediness, granted, but they grew on me. I liked that they got excited to see me outside of school. I liked that they drew me pictures to go on my wall. I liked that they thought I was funny even when I wasn't.

However, this past year has been a hard one. I've had several difficult students, and I've started to get burned out on the curriculum. At first I liked teaching easy stuff like Where the Red Fern Grows and Anne of Green Gables. It provided a much-needed respite from the gruels of graduate school and the difficulty of the literature I was force-fed there. It was a break, and a nice one. Lately, though, I've been feeling bored and unchallenged. I've gotten lazy with my work, as all I have to do is show up, teach the same thing I've been teaching for four years, and go home. There's no spark, no unknown, no spontaneity.

So when the headmaster made his suggestion, I began to think. Did I want to give up the comforts of the comfortable for the scariness of the mysterious high school? Was I ready to trade the silliness and neediness of the 6th graders for the apathy and boredom of the 10th? Could I teach the intricacies of World Literature without making a fool of myself after not delving an inch beneath plot since graduate school? Would my incredible 6th grade colleagues understand and still welcome me back on occasion as an honorary member of the team whenever I needed an encouraging word? And, most importantly, would my new husband support the added busy-ness of a new class schedule to my life during our first year of marriage?

After much prayer and discussion with those who matter, I decided last night that I would go for it. Cal has assured and reassured me that I'm making the right decision. If it's not right, he says, God will stop it. And he's right, and I'm grateful for his encouragement in spite of his awareness of what the change will mean for him. The high school principal, in an effort to sweeten the pot a bit, has given me his word that I will not be saddled with the mandatory prom duty for at least two more years. My 6th grade team has added their votes of confidence, and I feel an excitement about next year's job that I haven't felt in a while. Even with the element of nervousness (read: panic) that's mixed in, it's a nice change from the dread of the day's work that I've felt all year.

So ... until then, your prayers are appreciated. And if anyone has an uncanny knowledge of World Literature (other than Jewish; I think I've got that covered) or a suggested book to add to the curriculum, I'd LOVE to hear from you. This is the time for my fellow English majors and readers to speak up!

Consolidation

Let the yard sale begin!

My first Saturday free in a long time, and I woke up ready to go at an early (for me on a free Saturday, at least) 9:00. I immediately set to the task of the weekend, which was/is to purge all of my cabinets of all of my things that I don't want to move to Cal's beautiful house (built in 1921 and fully restored) after our wedding in June. I've done the easy stuff all along; you know, the clothes, the shoes, the bags, etc, that I'm sick of and don't want. Those are easy to stick in a trash bag and take home to Thomasville for my mom and sisters to go through. Today was the day for the junk.

Remember my "office"? If not, let me remind you. It's the little closet that, upon moving in two years ago, I decided would be a perfect place for my desktop computer. And it was... for the month that I used it. However, very soon after my move, I bought my laptop, and the makeshift office (along with the desktop) became obsolete. Did I do the practical thing and move the desk/diploma/computer out so that I'd have a fairly nice-sized closet for my things? No! I left it all in there where it's since been gathering not only dust, but also any sort of junk that came my way. Old bills? Throw them in "the office". Loose stationary cards? Throw them in "the office". Newspapers? "the office". Empty diet coke cans? ... nah, just kidding.

Anyway, you get the point. After a couple of hours of doing what I could on my own, Cal came over and helped with the heavy duty stuff. He got my kitchen table out to my carport where it will stay until someone wants to buy it. He (always the Journalist) went through my old 9/11 newspapers to decide which ones were worth keeping (apparently only the one from 9/12). Finally, he disassembled my old dusty desktop, pulled out my broken down computer desk, threw it in the back of his pickup truck and took it to the dumpster. Yes sir!

So finally, 1 month before my move, I have a wonderful walk-in closet. Who knew my tiny little apartment had so much storage all along?

By the way, would anyone like to buy a kitchen table, a desktop computer, a set of cute blue and yellow dishes, two George Foremans, two toasters, two sets of silverware, a recliner, a desk, some glasses, pots and pans, or a fat fluffy cat named Nicholas*? Let me know...

*Just kidding. Wanted to make sure y'all were paying attention. Nick, though he'll have to be fully outdoors, is staying with me.

The Twilight Criterium

I've been feeling very uninspired to blog lately, possibly due to the stress of the end-of-the-year school festivities (we finish in 4 weeks) combined with wedding events (we marry in 5 weeks), but will pictures suffice for now? Specifically pictures from my favorite weekend of the year in my favorite town in the world... the Twilight Criterium in Athens. Cal, Elizabeth, and I took a fun day trip up there last weekend and loved every minute of it.

Big City Bread! Thomas and Bryan! Elizabeth's adorable nephew!

The Grill! Milkshakes! Burgers! Fries with Feta!

Twilight! Cyclists! Wrecks! Beads!

Hurrah for Athens!

Is it here yet?

Even as nice and generous as folks have been, the ideas in this article are oh so VERY tempting at this point.

Plans are going well, for those of you who are curious. I've had one very nice shower here in Macon that Elizabeth successfully talked me through ("Start opening the gifts now, Miriam, while you don't have so much attention," or "Do you need a break? Feel free to walk around and take a breather," or -whispered in my ear- "So-and-so is leaving; they gave you the silver napkin dispenser."), and we've got a couples party in Thomasville Saturday night. Invitations have been sent; dresses have been bought (I found mine at the first place we looked; it took 3 sets of bridesmaids' ones, however, before we settled on the final decision for them); cakes, bands, and flowers have been booked. All left to do now is the program (which is such a scary thought I keep putting it off) and waiting. The waiting, I think, is the hardest.

I must give all credit to my mother, as this wedding stuff really, truly isn't my thing. She's been patient through all my whiny questions, the latest being, "Do I have to use a hokey wedding book to record all of my gifts?" and "Can't I just wear jeans to the shower like I normally do?" The answers: Yes and No, respectively. Sigh.

Elopement sounds WONDERFUL. But a wedding it'll be, and I know I'll be glad for it once the time comes. And what a wedding! You'll see!

If it'll ever just get here ...