Kontan’s Place

Djembe coaxed me out of bed at 6:38 and there was someone in our garage by 6:45. I go out to say good morning, not menioning that it is not yet 7 AM. I’m sure I looked real cheery in my khaki shorts and black “I’m out of bed and dressed, what more do you want?” t-shirt. These are hard-core yard salers people. Surprisingly there were a good number of visitors today. We didn’t get rid of everything, and not nearly as much as we would have if we lived in town, but all in all it was a good day. I’ll call to have the rest picked up Monday. It will be great to have my garage FINALLY cleaned out!

Celebrate with me now…my MA teaching license came in!!! Woohoo!!! I’ll be submitting it to central office Monday and getting my contract redone. This has been an issue of stress. I completed my master’s in December, which is past the cut-off for contract renegotiation. My current license was set to expire June ‘06, but that date was extended one-year to accommodate the many in southern MS rebuilding after Katrina…sooooo the expiration date was June ‘07. Shouldn’t matter, right? The first of May I submitted my transcripts for license renewal so that I could have AA license instead of A. Mid-June I call state dept, waiting on hold for 30 minutes before getting anyone, and was told that it would be sent within the week. After we returned from vacation, second week of JULY, I call again. Forty minutes on the phone, and one email later, I find out that it was mailed June 12th. WHAT! Then I’m told that maybe not, they had problems with those mailed that day. OK, well this is something that needed to be addressed, don’t you think? I was told it would be mailed the following day, no worries. Four days later I receive not one, but two in the mail. I thought I was coming out good in this deal, a copy, woohoo. Open first and it is for MA certification. Open second, they didn’t include the MA certification. OK, now I know why they sent two. I look closer at the MA license. “A” certification valid July 2001-June 2007. “AA” certification valid July 2007-June 2012. Whoa, back it up, what? NO no no no. Yes, they messed up the dates. Called them that Friday. After one hour, yes 60 solid minutes, on hold I hung up. I called central office but the person I needed wasn’t coming back until Monday, so I wait. Monday I call CO and was told state dept messed up and I would have to straighten it out with them over the phone. Oh joy. Fortunately hold time was only 15 minutes this time and it was easily straightened out, but an ordeal none the less. Just glad to have it settled.

School starts in 13 days. Wow. ew. Monday I’ll get my classroom together and then I plan on enjoying the rest of my summer. I need to complete the class website and lesson plans, but I’m putting things like that off until post school start weekend.

Thanks for stopping by…kontan jou (happy day).

It is HOT outside. Wish I had time to put off the grass until this afternoon. Had to stop b/c there was this creepy stalker watching.

stalker:
To follow or observe (a person) persistently, especially out of obsession or derangement.

OK. So maybe he wasn’t a stalker, but it was strange. I didn’t like it. I needed a break anyway. There are some strange people in this world.

lunch is over. ta-ta

I want to finish this post by 11…it’s now 10:53. In the background is one of the most annoying shows on PBS…Dragontales…I don’t LOOOOOOVE it! Bah. 10:54 I am having coffee and cookies for breakfast. Oh the nutrition. I don’t have time to blog hop today. I spent too much time on myspace reading a friends survey. Myspace has been neat to catch up with a few friends from highschool, but it is a young kid thing. I really prefer my blog. More of that journaling thing going on. There is a ton to do today. We are planning to have a garage sale tomorrow. I HAVE to get rid of stuff that we’ve been storing for about a year now. The thing about garage sales is that no matter how you do it, there is no getting it all done until the last minute. It is not like you can set up days before and just let it be until the day. Anyway, I hope it works. This is the first time we’ve done one where we are living out a bit. Had to do an ad this time. I hate that. Spending money for the hope of making a little. Anyway, if it doesn’t work then I will call salvation army to pick up everything left. I’ll just be glad to have my garage cleaned out. Grass needs to be cut too. Guess I need to do that before it hits 100 today. Wowsers July in the south is hot. I It is now 11 and I have to stop or else I will continue to ramble my time away….oh, one more thing. I lost my statcounter yesterday. Weird. It just disappeared. Hmmm. Oh well. It’s back now. ALSO, I’m loving the wordpress thing. You have some much control. You have all of your comments and blogroll everything right there to manage instead of going to various sites. You can even block an idiot from commenting on your site if they don’t have sense enough to realize they are not welcome to comment there. You can also easily change your layout/theme at the whim of your post. ooops. I’ve used two extra minutes. My point…if you’ve been considering wordpress then make the switch! Well worth it.

Wow, Thursday comes fast! Today I have for you thirteen people who have made an impact on my life…

1. First and foremost is my grandmother. I have posted memories of her several times. She was an amazing woman who made great sacrifices to raise me. She didn’t allow her lack of high school education slow her from learning. She would read anything she could get her hands on. She taught me to not give up and to not allow circumstances to get you down in life. She is also a big reason that I love butterflies and shells.

2. Matthew
My best friend growing up. We were neighbors and he was one of few people in the neighborhood that I could play with. We spent every possible moment together. He kept me sane. He was also key to my accepting Christ. I remember sitting in his backyard talking about God and Heaven. Eventually I just told him that it was what I wanted in my life. He took me to his dad and I prayed with him. Matthew’s family offered a little hope in my life.

3. Matt’s dad- Darryl
Darryl prayed with me to receive Christ. He was also a pastor so I spent many Sunday’s at his church. He was also my math tutor, which I desperately needed as well!

4. Matt’s mom- Debbie
Debbie was a guiding light for me. She included me in their family, gave advice occassionally. She was right next door as I grew up and I could ask her the girl questions sometimes.

5. Very important and right up their with Gran…my Aunt. Rita is another strong woman. She rose from her difficult life to become a wonderful teacher. She is my mother figure. It is an odd situation because we were raised by the same person, so in some aspects she seems like this much older sister, but she is also the person I can go to for the advice a mother would give. She really helped me deal with the college entrance requirements, teaching requirements, application issues and so forth. She is also someone I can talk to about my childhood and deal with personal situations. Most of all we many times see things the same way and think alike. She doesn’t understand me like Gran, but close.

6. My uncle, Rita’s husband, Larry. He is pretty gruff, but a softy underneath. He’s the guy that taught me swim and to drive. He even took me to take my driver’s test. He’s now my goto guy for computer problems. The daddy figure if you will.

7. Patrick. He’s my cousin that has his own issues to deal with these days. We grew up together. He was my protector and playmate. He is the cousin featured in muffin memories. He would make sure that I had enough covers on the snowy nights and wake me the next morning so we could be first to put our prints in the snow. He taught me how to play football and how to not throw like a girl.

8. Brad. Another cousin. He was my tormentor, lol. He would tease me without mercy. These days he is someone I can talk to about anything without fear of judgement. Usually there’s some good advice there. He would do anything for me and do it with a loving heart.

9. Mandy. Another cousin. Oh I so wanted to be like her. So funky, so cool. Hey, still! LOL. Sense of humor, but an understanding of the world. Another protector, but these days she is just an inspiration to not let anything hold you back. Her sense of adventure is inspiring.

10. JoAnne. She was another best friend’s mom. She makes the list b/c she could have easily persuaded her daughter to find a new friend. Afterall, I was not in the same socio-economic league. JoAnne didn’t do that though, she embraced me as one of hers making a way for me to participate in scouting events and trips with friends. She was a reassuring factor for my grandmother. She also put in a good word for me to get my first job. Many doors were opened for me because of her. She was also my private lesson coach.

11. My band director. I hated him when he first started. He was so arrogant. He didn’t like me much either. It was my eighth grade year and I swore there would not be a ninth grade year in band. A friend coerced me to go to band camp anyway. So I went. He was SHOCKED to see me there, but let me stay. By the end of band camp I thought he hung the moon. This man challenged me like no one else ever had. I rose to the challenge and always sought his approval in my playing. He was still arrogant, but if not for him I wouldn’t have become the top trumpet player in our district and in the top five of the state. I would not have gotten most of college paid for. Wow, I owe a lot to that guy.

12. Stephanie and Jennifer…they persuaded me to go to band camp that year.

13. You know Djembe has to make the list. He is my best friend, my rock, my husband. He is unbelievable. Patient, kind, forgiving, and the most amazing man I have ever met. Meeting him was the best thing that ever happened to me. He accepted me for who I was, baggage and all. He is my protector. The one who walks around the lake with me to feed the neighbors pets because he knows I don’t like the dark. He understands that the house will not always be perfect and he’s cool with that. He wants what is best for us and for me. It isn’t his way or nothing. He was there when I dealt with life, he was there when my Gran died, he was there as I struggled through classes, he is always there for me…even when I pushed him away. But he stays with open arms.

I started and ended with the two most important people in my life. Think of them as the book ends. Gran willingly handed me over to Djembe. Her acceptance of him was a pretty big deal for me, and he understands her amazing influence too. Wow, that book end concept hits me hard.

Thanks for reading…I tried not to be sappy. Happy Thursday!

I have a confession to make…as silly as it is I have been playing with myspace. As if I need ANOTHER way to waste time on the net. I signed on so I could check out my babysitters myspace page. It sort of steamrolled from there. I found a few people from high school on there and several of my favorite groups. Not too into it I guess, but it is a neat site to reconnect or to have…sort of like a frappr I guess. Here’s mine… kontansmile

A dew days ago srp said, “Sometimes in doing nothing we open our minds and hearts and ears to hear what God is trying to say. Good for you.”

Instead of a traditional VBS our church has a family version that takes place in the evening. The first hour is song and and scene. The theme this year was The Quest, an Indiana Jones type adventure where the main characters were searching for something missing in their life. After the first hour the children are dismissed to their areas and the adults have more song and then a speaker. The final theme was related to srp’s statement above…rest.

If you have read here before you may remember that I discussed being B.U.S.Y., using the acronym for Burdened Under Satan’s Yoke. We go and we go, taking little time to enjoy the beauty of life. Not only are we constantly on the move, but many of us feel guilty if we are not. We feel like it is a waste of time. Just now, I was typing and reached over to turn on the news while I finished this post. I wanted to multi-task. Type what I’m thinking, while keeping up with world events. Afterall, there is a lot going on right now and I want to be aware. I figured having the news in the background I would absorb the gist of the situation. When I realized what I had done I turned off the TV. It is at this time that I should be reflecting on this issue of rest. The issue of being still. We don’t take enough time to sit back and LISTEN to what God has to say. How many times do WE do all the talking? Would you do that at dinner with a friend? Would you monopolize the conversation, never stopping to see what is on your friend’s mind too? That’s what we do with God all the time. We tell him our burdens and how we want them fixed, rarely waiting for any response. I know there are some who don’t buy in to the whole God thing. As I have said before, that is your business. I don’t want to sit and monopolize the conversation any longer. It is time to step back…rest…relax…be still and know that God is in everything…EVEN when we don’t like or understand the situation. Taking the time to slow down in life is healthy. The stress level that a BUSY life breeds is unbelievable. I need to reduce it. Try a few minutes of silence. Try listening to God over coffee instead of talking to Him. But I never hear anything, some say. Then you are probably not listening. Listen with your eyes, ears, and heart.

Djembe showed me a picture that he took with his phone while driving to church Sunday. It was BEAUTIFUL. If I can figure out how to upload it to my computer I will share, but he said it was God’s slap in the face for him. I bet if we pay close attention God has one for us too. Maybe that is why we aren’t more reflective or more still. It is when we slow down that God is able to grab us by the shoulders and give us the good shaking we many times need.

De Colores and kontan jou.

* I ran across this post about being real…check out Touching Heaven and see what Suzy has to say. I think you will find it really hits home.

I’m visiting my Bham family again and sitting here wondering if I could handle what my aunt does every summer. I have a cousin who lives overseas.  She comes home every summer, bringing her husband for a month, and staying with her two children for an additional month when he returns home.  My Aunt opens her home.  Now this may not seem like a big deal, but in the summer we’re all here a good bit of the time.  There have been times where it has been my aunt, uncle, their four children and their spouses, me and my husband, and all of our children…10 total…and there’s another on the way.  First, how do you feed that many people, of which many will be staying the night?!?  It gets crazy.  In spite of this, my aunt takes it in stride.  I think she even thrives on her matriarchal position.  Currently it is not that crazy around here.  It is only my cousin, me, and our children staying the night.  I love being here, but I miss Djembe terribly much.  I guess I just want to share the insanity with him! LOL. Today was spent in the pool.  Despite the fact that I am well tanned, I think sunblock should have been in order.  I chose a different swimsuit than the one I wore the majority of the time at the beach.  My pervious tan lines are a nice shade of light pink!  Whoops.  Fortunately it will fade to tan by tomorrow and there is no pain.  Lesson learned.  OK, probably not…but it was nice to lounge by the pool all day.  Same for tomorrow’s agenda.  Hey, summer is finally here for me and I am going to enjoy every last remaining day!  EVEN the one’s where I have to tutor!

 Happy sunshine…if it is not in your part of the planet then make your own!  Here, I’ll share…

OK, why is the sidebar screwed up in most themes?  My coffee cup themes are messed up. I don’t like that.  No time to fix it either.  If anyone knows why, leave a comment.

*It’s apparently the computer I am currently using.  I’ve checked out a few blogs that use the same themes and they look a little screwy too.  Hmmm. odd.  Maybe it is b/c my uncle uses IE and I use Firefox.  Why does it matter?

Have you ever had memories revisited and you can’t believe that you forgot this or that?  Ever had those things that you would rather not remember or be reminded of?

Which do you think is stronger…nature?  or nurture?  Are there some who battle against all odds to defeat both nature and nurture?  I think so.  Sometimes the best of the not very promising win out in the gene pool and defy the odds of nature and nurture.  That’s the way I feel.  I defy the odds.  Thank God.

I just finished reading Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper. Anna is 13 years old and has endured countless medical procedures throughout her young life. It is not Anna that is sick. Kate, her older sister, has battled a rare form of leukemia since early childhood. Anna was a genetically selected baby, conceived for the purpose of being a marrow match for her sister Kate. The book details this stuggle from each family member’s point of view. Brian is the father that pains for the struggles his children face. Sara is the mother that is battling to save her oldest daughter, seemingly blind to the strain it puts on the younger. Jesse is the older brother who seeks his on attention through delinquent activity.

Increasingly frustrated with her life and the expectations placed on her Anna seeks medical emancipation from her parents. She secures the legal representation of Campbell Alexander, an attorney who refuses to face his on struggles in life.

There is little I can elaborate on here without giving away much of the book. The book is written in a past/present form that is sometimes difficult to keep up with. At times it was difficult to distinguish whether a passage was said, or merely thought. This does not take away from the captivating storyline. It is no wonder why My Sister’s Keeper author Jodi Picoult is a New York Times bestseller. My Sister’s Keeper touches on contemporary medical ethics, the struggles of parents and their children, as well as the irony of life.

If you need an addition to your summer reading, this is one I would recommend