Break is so much more fun when you don't have things hanging over you. Grad school. Student teaching. I have a more professional wardrobe now, though. Shopping is fun, but I don't have the shop all day and still feel fresh stamina. I wear out, especially if I can't find anything. I think I get sensory overload with all the different colors and patterns and choices.

Christmas was good. I forgot my camera cord, so if I decide to post pictures, they'll have to wait. My cousins are cute. I get to see them once a year, and it was especially fun to see my 2 year old cousin. Two is probably my favorite age to play with/watch. Most people say the terrible twos, but I think it's such a fun age.

I find that my posts are mundane.

My high school English teacher offered to let me teach any lesson I want to, and I think I've found an O. Henry story that will be really good. It's about different people telling the Jack in the Bean Stalk story in completely different ways. It's good and entertaining. I really like O. Henry's stories. I like American authors. Many people don't think that American authors are very good, especially compared to English authors. Part of that is because America is a young country. If I was going to write a thesis, I would write it about the search for a national literature in America. I wrote a paper on this topic for Jacksonian America, and I think it was my favorite paper. I found that my favorite topic is literary history. For me, the two can't be separated. You can't truly understand literature if you don't understand what culture and time period it was written in was like. If you don't know what Romanticism was, Romantic literature won't make as much sense. Candide won't make much sense if you don't know the optimism of the time that it was written. If you don't know what the Russian Revolution and comunism in Russia was like, then Animal Farm won't be real clear. I love literature. I really like words and using words. Language is an amazing and powerful tool. Too often we are careless. Very careless with it. There is a reason why the Bible warns against the tongue. It is small, but powerful.

Christmas Wrapping

My brother uses zip ties when he wraps his presents. How else can you keep the gift bags closed?

Home

I am home, and I do enjoy watching the Marx brothers. Those two statements are not necessarily connected. I plan on watching more Marx brothers while I'm home, though. I'm going to the local college library today to interview the reference librarian for my grad school application and get some movies and books to read over break. I really like the library. It is big and has lots of resources, and it was recently redone, so it is very nice. And, they give community cards out free. Yay!

Not much else new. Going to work on the grad school application and read Julius Caesar by Shakespeare, as that's what I'll be teaching the sophomores. I haven't read it before, so that would be a good idea.

Christmas is a-comin'. I love Christmas carols.

Done

I am done with regular classes at college. And, I found out that the school I'm student teaching at starts at 7:45 AM! I hope the information is wrong, but it's probably not. Those who know me can simply imagine what that will be like, especially because I also have a 20 minute commute. Ugh. Not a fan. Oh well. Looks like I'll have to become a morning person. Hopefully they do not have another snow day, as I really need to go and observe and get more information before I start next semester.

This semester of classes has been pretty brutal, but it's over. Now I'm sad for the classes I don't get to take next semester. It figures, of course.

Well, I'm going to watch a movie and then go to bed. I've never seen the Marx brothers, so I'm going to watch A Night at the Opera. We'll see.

The final days are upon us.
The finality of finals.
This is my last finals week. My last semester of classes. It's so weird, and I caught senioritis early because it is my last. Student teaching will be different. Hopefully a good kind of different.

I don't normally post song lyrics or poems, but those who are undergoing finals or just plain stress might appreciate this narrative I wrote.

Hello, who are you?
Have we met before?
You look somewhat familiar—
and blurry.
With your fuzzy pink rabbit slippers
and wave of fine, white blonde hair—
so fine it floats, like you’ve rubbed it with a balloon.
What did you say your name was?
You whisper so softly, speak up, you know it annoys me.
I’m awaiting a visitor, you know, and I’m just a bit irritable.
He’s long over-due. Or she. I really can’t remember anymore.
It’s been such a long time.
Such a very long time.
Have you seen him (or her)? His name (or her, yes, I know!)
is Sleep.
What?
Oh, that’s you is it?
Well you’re jolly well over-due.
Where have you been? I’ve missed you terribly.
Sporting with the neighbors, I assume,
Enjoying their big screen TV, I know,
While I’m over here black-eyed and droopy, longing
sighing, dying.
I know I said I wanted to learn to sleep with my eyes open, but you didn’t have to
take me up on it. You could have used some discernment, you know.
Well what are you waiting for? Can’t you see
I’m so
very
very
hm?
Oh yes,
you know
very……