Beautiful Language

Language is wine upon the lips.

~Virginia Woolf

British Author

1882-1941

I'm not sure I would have appreciated this quote a month ago. I understand it now though... all because I read a book with language entwined throughout that was so beautiful. The subject of the book was anything but beautiful, but the author's gift of description captivated me. I was more attached to her style of writing than I was the characters of the story. What is the book, you say? White Oleander by Janet Fitch. I encourage you to read it, for many reasons.

Birkie Fever

What an exciting weekend! It was that time of year when the American Birkebeiner comes to town. Suddenly, our little town is thriving with tourists from all over the world to hit the trails... ski trails, that is. I love hearing the different languages spoken, the cowbells ringing in the tired skiers that come in all ages, shapes, and sizes, and the cheers of the skiers celebrating their own victory, no matter what their placement was. At this race you see, it is all about finishing the race for most of us, not winning the race. 51K of hill, after hill, after hill.... It's about volunteers in mass numbers handing out bananas, water, smiles, and encouragement. It's about the personal satisfaction of pushing yourself beyond what you thought you could do. It's about Birkie Fever!

I got to watch my son ski the Kortelopet, 1/2 of the Birkie, for the first time! He was almost twice as fast as we had predicted. WOW! Was it ever fun cheering him on!! He loved it, and has caught the fever, just like my brother, Steve. Steve finished the race despite lingering effects from an illness that almost took his life last year; needless to say, he was an inspiration to us all.

So here's to all of the Birkie skiers out there... CONGRATULATIONS!!! You are all amazing!

A Seat in the Dare Chair

I got to sit in the Dare Chair yesterday.

It was mighty

uncomfortable.

You might say I was thrown out... way out... of my comfort zone, that is.

Let me tell you the story...

At 8:15 I was called to substitute teach. Turned out that I was to be a sub for the sub. Yep, the substitute teacher was sick, and needed the calvary.

"Sure, I can come in. I can be in in an hour."

"Great!," was the reply.

"Which class is it?"

"High School History."

"Okay... I'll see you soon."

High school history??!! Aahh! I've never taught high schoolers before. I make it a point to be taller than the children in my care; it gives me a false sense of control. High school??!! Well, I like history. I can do this. I've been rock climbing before, which in my mind means I can do anything! (Can you hear my roar?) As long as it's not Civics---anything but Civics. I truly do not remember a thing about my high school government class. Did I even have one?

One hour. Sixty short minutes. Great. I needed to shower, get ready, get the little ones to preschool, cancel an appointment, make an appointment, get my son's skis to the Middle School, and get to the High School in one itty-bitty hour.

I was shaking the principal's hand an hour later, trying not to show my shortness of breath from running from my car to the school. He kindly gave me my assignment... Civics Class. I hope he did not sense the wave of sheer panic that rushed through me like a tidal wave. I remained calm with the sense that surely the kids would be in the middle of a project.. some sort of project, any project!

Now remember... I was already out of my comfort zone. Well, I was now catapulted into an entirely different state, let alone zone! Yep, you guessed it... I was to give a lecture on Congress!!! A lecture?! I am sure my face lost color at this point.

I was talking myself into the fact that I could do this. I had to do this. I had no choice. My saving grace was a prep hour. Thank God for prep hours! I took out their Civics book, read chapter 6, took many notes, and read the teacher's notes time and time again.

I am very happy to say that I was able to give a heck of a lecture about Congress! I can tell you about the House of Representatives, districts, how many people make up a district, Speaker of the House, the Senate, who the jury is during an impeachment trial, their salaries, and many more facts. I actually had a lot of fun!

It's funny how we sometimes kick and scream as we are being pulled out of our comfort zones. Heavy doubt clouds our vision so at times it is impossible to even see the idea of success. I know the Dare Chair is hard and uncomfortable, but I can pretty much guarantee you that you will never regret having a seat in it. Okay, in all honesty, you will probably be mad at yourself for getting into it in the first place; you may even try to get out of it! But after all of you hard work, when you are staring at success in it's beautiful face, you will never regret your decision to push yourself past the obstacles and self doubt. Truly.

Go ahead.

Have a seat.

I dare you.

Our Crazy English Language

Here's something to get your brain going today. You may want a cup of java first, though!
I received this via email from my cousin, Chrissy. Once again, I do not know who the author is.

For all of you teachers out there....

Ode to Plurals

We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.
If the plural of man is always called men,
Why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?
If I speak of my foot and show you my feet,
And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?
Then one may be that, and three would be those,
Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren.
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his a nd him,
But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim! Let's face it - English is a crazy language.
There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
English muffins weren't invented in England.
We take English for granted, but if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?
Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend.
If you have a bunch of odds and endsand get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?
If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking English should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.
In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?
We ship by truck but send cargo by ship.
We have noses that run and feet that smell.
We park in a driveway and drive in a parkway.
And how can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?
You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out, and in which an alarm goes off by going on. And, in closing, if Father is Pop, how come Mother's not Mop?

Women

I received this e-mail from my mom today, and immediately knew it needed to be shared among women. I have no idea who the author is, but something tells me it was written by a husband who adores his wife. Enjoy...

The One Flaw In Women

By the time the Lord made woman, He was into his sixth day of working overtime.

An angel appeared and said, "Why are you spending so much time on this one?"

And the Lord answered, "Have you seen my spec sheet on her?"

"She has to be completely washable, but not plastic, have over 200

movable parts, all replaceable, and able to run on diet coke and

leftovers, have a lap that can hold four children at one time, have a

kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart-and

she will do everything."

The angel was astounded at the requirements.

"Only two hands!? No way!

And that's just on the standard model?

That's too much work for one day.

Wait until tomorrow to finish."

" But I won't," the Lord protested.

"I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own

heart. She already heals herself when she is sick AND can work 18 hour days."

The angel moved closer and touched the woman.

"But you have made her so soft, Lord."

"She is soft," the Lord agreed, "but I have also made her tough. You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish."

"Will she be able to think?", asked the angel.

The Lord replied, "Not only will she be able to think, she will be able to reason and negotiate." The angel then noticed something, and reaching out, touched the woman's cheek.

"Oops, it looks like you have a leak in this model. I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one."

"That's not a leak," the Lord corrected, "that's a tear!"

"What's the tear for?" the angel asked.

The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, her pain,

her disappointment, her love, her loneliness, her grief and her pride."

The angel was impressed."You are a genius, Lord. You thought of everything!

Woman is truly amazing."

And she is!

Women have strengths that amaze men.

They bear hardships and they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love and joy.

They smile when they want to scream.

They sing when they want to cry.

They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous.

They fight for what they believe in.

They stand up to injustice.

They don't take "no" for an answer when they believe there is a better solution.

They go without so their family can have.

They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.

They love unconditionally.

They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding.

Their hearts break when a friend dies.

They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.

They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you.

The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning.

They bring joy, hope and love.

They have compassion and ideals.

They give moral support to their family and friends.

Women have vital things to say and everything to give.

HOWEVER,

IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,

IT IS THAT

THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

Battle Hymn

Good day to you...

Please take time to listen to this; it is beautiful.

Unheard Music

Don't you hear it? she

asked & I shook my head

no & then she started to

dance & suddenly there

was music everywhere &

it went on for a very long

time & when I finally

found words all I could

say was thank you.

~Brian Andreas

Story People

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So, what kind of music are you dancing to these days? Maybe you feel like no one else hears the same music that you do. If that is so, no worries! It takes all kinds of music to make the world beautiful. You were created with your own notes, your own melodies, your own groove. Celebrate the wonderful creation that you are!!

Have you been too shy to dance to your own music? Afraid of what others will think? Dance, anyway! Chances are, you will inspire others to get out of their lifeless boxes, hear their own symphonies, and remember what if feels like to be free. Free of self-doubt and insecurities. Free to dance, free to play, free to dream, free to LIVE!

Go ahead... DANCE... even if no one else can hear your music!

Quote of the Day

There is something I feel I need to tell you. It has to do with today's Quote of the Day. I love that quote; in many ways I believe it is true. I believe Jesus is with the refugees, widows, and orphans, but I also believe he is in the trenches with our brave soldiers. He is holding them, comforting them, and giving them strength.

I just wanted you to know that.

Enjoy your freedom today.

2/4/08:

Here is the Quote of the Day for the day I wrote this post:

In times of war, you often hear leaders---Christian,
Jewish, and Muslim---saying, "God is on our side." But that isn't
true. In war, God is on the side of the refugees, widows, and
orphans.

~Greg Mortenson, director of Central Asia Institute, former montaineer, military veteran, and a hero of mine.

The quote was taken from Three Cups of Tea---One Man's Mission to Promote Peace One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Relin Olin.