10.28.09
Renaissance Festival
Today my class took a field trip to the Renaissance Festival! “School Days” at the Renaissance Festival are fun and non-sketchy. It was a lot of fun and now I am exhausted.
Don’t tell anyone that I posted school photos on my blog. I don’t want to go to special ed jail. Okay, thanks.
We saw a hip-hop version of Romeo and Juliet.
We met beautiful Renaissance ladies.
We learned about birds of prey.
We ate Polish food!
We ate turkey legs – every last bite!
We watched this guy play in (and EAT) mud. My boys loved it!
We cheered for the jousting competition.
We watched this lady spin wool into yarn.
We saw men minting coins.
And despite the looks of this abysmal attempt at a class picture, we did have fun!
10.23.09
Mehndi day 2
So last night Payal “painted” that design onto my hand using henna. It looks like cake icing inside a plastic bag, you cut a tiny hole in the corner, and squeeze out a little at a time to draw the designs. Last night it was raised, like she used brown puff paint. Then she covered it with lemon juice and sugar, and I had to sleep with it like that over night. This morning when I woke up, I washed it all off, and the stain from the henna remains. Do you want to see what it looks like now?
I feel so pretty! It will stay like this for about 3 days, and then it will fade away. And I will be so sad.
Payal’s husband is an international student. Since they are not citizens and she is not a student, she can’t get a real job, so she does some small odd jobs to make a little extra income while they are here. Besides doing mehndi, she makes and sells chapati and traditional Indian paintings.
She has asked me to help her advertise, so seriously, if you want mehndi please let me know. For a cheap price, we can go together, have fun, feel pretty, and help out this sweet friend. I think it is more than worthwhile!
10.22.09
Mehndi!!!
My friend Payal gave me a menhdi tattoo tonight! (Don’t worry parents and grandparents – it is not permanent.)
Payal is frok India where she got a degree in textile design and is super artsy and has a precious daughter.
Look how awesome this is!
right back:
right palm:
I feel so pretty!
If you live in CS and want one, let me know, and I can hook you up!
10.19.09
Survivor Audition Video
Aren’t my kids precious???
My wonderful friend Amy finished editing my video, so as soon as this season ends, I will submit my application!
10.15.09
DONE
I just submitted a 24 page paper.
5,087 words. That is a lot.
And it is done!
I have a week-long break before my next class starts.
Therefore this weekend will include the following:
- sleeping late
- Where the Wild Things Are
- game night!
- champagne
Who’s excited?!
10.12.09
I’m an aunt!
Isn’t it exciting?
I have a great aunt. She is fun and hilarious, and I enjoy spending time with her. She came in town to visit this weekend, and I just really love her!
I have been reading Beezus and Ramona to my fifth graders at school, and in the story Beezus just loves her aunt Beatrice. And aunt Beatrice really is a special lady. She is so good at making her nieces feel special, she gives them advice when they can’t talk to their mom, and she just loves them to pieces.
These are my aunt role models. I am so excited!
You can call me Ciocia Rachel! Ciocia is Polish for “aunty”, and it is pronounced “cho-cha”, and it is super sweet. I like it a lot. I already love being an aunt!
Pray for my sister and her morning sickness. Thanks!
10.06.09
she’s shouting
Proverbs 9 has been heavy on my mind and heart since the weekend.
It tells a story of Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly.
You can read it here.
Both ladies are inviting people in for a meal.
Lady Wisdom has made many preparations – built the house, prepared the meat, mixed the wine, set the table.
Lady Folly only has stolen food to offer.
Lady Wisdom has sent her representatives with invitations into the town.
Lady Folly lurks in her doorway calling out to those who pass by.
Lady Wisdom has insight, knowledge, and long life to offer.
Lady Folly only offers stolen water and death.
Lady Wisdom considers the needs of others.
Lady Folly is seductive and manipulative.
I tend to imagine wisdom as a lofty thing that cannot be grasped, but I have discovered that is a lie I am believing. James tells us that anyone who lacks wisdom should ask God for it and He will give it generously. Proverbs 8 tells us that those who seek wisdom will find it.
And where is Wisdom? She is standing along the sidewalks, at the crossroads, at the entryways, at the highest places, at the city gates, at all of the places where you are bound to bump into her with only the smallest effort. And she isn’t just sitting there waiting for you to approach and ask for her. She is shouting! Wisdom is not hidden. She is out in the open begging to be found.
And where is Folly? She is lurking in her doorway, inviting in those who happen to pass by. SHE is the one who should be easy to avoid. But somehow I keep finding myself sitting in Folly’s house, drinking her stolen water, eating her bread in secret alongside those who are perishing.
It is now clear to me that I have been ignoring Wisdom and searching after Folly. I let Wisdom’s shouts pass in one ear and out the other and allow myself to be seduced by Folly’s deceptive charm.
This weekend as I sat in Folly’s house eating her lame contraband, I heard Wisdom shouting far in the distance. Suddenly I saw my surroundings for what they really were. But instead of leaving and searching for Wisdom, I invited over my good friend Self-Condemnation. We had a pity party, feeling guilty and ashamed and too proud to leave for what I knew was better.
I felt like Paul when he said, “I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do is what I keep on doing.”
Then Grace stepped in and led me to hear what Wisdom was shouting:
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
“You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers… with the precious blood of Christ.”
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart He will not despise.”
“Though your soul clings to the dust; He gives you life according to His word!”
“Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD.”
“The Lord will not restrain His mercy from you; His steadfast love and his faithfulness will ever preserve you!”
Wisdom is shouting. Can you hear her?
10.03.09
fried chicken!
I like meat, but it is so expensive and such a hassle to prepare that I always joke that I am becoming an accidental vegetarian. But for some strange reason, I have just been craving protein this week!
I didn’t want to spend any more money this week on food, so that nixed buying some from Popeyes or buying proper ingredients.
So last night, I decided to attempt homemade fried chicken without making a trip to Kroger.
I have never made fried chicken before. I don’t think my mom has ever made it (well, at least not that I can remember). I didn’t have a recipe. I knew that any recipes I found online would include ingredients that I didn’t have. I just decided to start with what I had and see what happened…
I thawed some chicken tenderloins that have been hiding in my freezer.
I mixed together some flour, salt, pepper, and paprika.
I didn’t have any eggs, so I decided to use Italian salad dressing.
I heated up some oil.
So…after dipping the chicken in the salad dressing, then the flour mixture, and putting it in the frying pan, I had some fried chicken! And it was actually tasty! I liked the subtle Italian taste, so if I ever do this again, I will use Italian dressing even if I do have eggs. I ate my chicken with a side of snap peas to appease my guilty conscience, which actually complimented the meal well. Best of all, I didn’t have to buy anything to make this meal.
I would say that this cooking adventure was a success!
10.01.09
funny things kids say
In desperation to make me angry enough to kick him out of class, a student yelled, “I’m not doing this!” as he tore an assignment in half and threw it in the trashcan. I just ignored him.
10 minutes later, “How’s your paper coming?”
“Nothing!”
“Oh, well, get busy please!”
“I threw it in the trashcan.”
“Oh, okay, can I see it?”
He got it out of the trashcan and brought it over, “See?? I tore it up!”
“Oh, I have some tape.” I fixed it. “Okay, great. Now go finish it.”
He works on it, finishes it, class ends, and I ask to speak with him privately.
“When you tore up your assignment and threw it in the trashcan, was that a respectful thing to do?”
“No.”
“So I am going to call your mom and let her know.”
“But you can’t call her, the phone’s cut off.” (Untrue.)
“That’s okay, I’ll call her anyway.”
“Oh, no I can just tell her.”
“Okay, great, we can both tell her then.”
“But I’m gonna get in trouble!”
“Well, maybe it will help you remember next time not to throw your assignments in the trashcan.”
“But I didn’t know!”
“Didn’t know what?”
“That you didn’t want me to throw it away!”
“What?”
“But I thought you wanted me to throw it away!”
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Someone else, after completing an assignment:
“I am done! D-u-…whatever…”
