Saturday, December 11, 2010

Funny Story

So, I have a lot to tell you about (like a trip to Aggieland!) But first, to kick off a Saturday, a funny story.

Last week at school, we read the book The Polar Express in Spanish (El Expreso Polar, if you will). Once we finished, I had the kids watch the movie, which prompted this conversation:

Kid: Mrs. Woodley, how did they get to Russia from the United States?
Me: Well, I'm not sure they're in the United States, and it doesn't say anything about Russia, does it? (This is me genuinely asking, wondering where the misunderstanding is.)
Kid: Well, that's where the North Pole is.
Me: (Explain where North Pole is).
Kid: Okay, but that still doesn't make sense. How does the train get there?
Me: (Giving up.) It's magic!
Kid: (Sighing.) This class is hard. (Throws head down dramatically on table)

On Thursday this past week, I had a substitute. (Our school was hosting a junior high One-Act Play competition, and I was one of the helping hands.)

On Friday morning, I walk in to complete and utter chaos. The desks were turned all different ways, the projector was pointed towards the opposite wall from the screen, and there were empty Coke cans everywhere. It looked like the aftermath of a frat party. I was livid.

Fast forward to fourth period. (My first three classes are, honest to goodness, sweet little angels. My last three, not so much. I knew they were my little culprits.) This is the conversation that took place.

Me: So, how did yesterday go?
Kids: Fine.
Me: How was the sub?
Kids: Fine.
Me: Were you good?
Kids: No ma'am.
Me: Anything you want to say about that?
Kids: (Silence.)
Me: Maybe... you're sorry, you won't do it again?
One kid at the very back: We're a little sorry NOW, but I don't think it would be smart of us to make any promises!

I guess I'm glad they're honest! Happy weekend!

Friday, August 6, 2010

Home, sweet home.

Adam and I have been in California for the last three weeks! We stayed with his parents in Burbank, and their internet connection wasn't the best. I wrote a lengthy 'California Story' post, but when it deleted right before I posted, I said to heck with it and decided I would write again when I got home! We really had a ball, and so I will write out the story in little pieces over the next several days.

To start off, we DROVE to Los Angeles. On the way out there, we split the trip into three parts. Our first stop was in Amarillo, Texas. We ate at The Big Texan Steak Ranch (DELICIOUS. Absolutely DELICIOUS.) and the next morning we hit the Cadillac Ranch on the way out of town.
The Cadillac Ranch is a piece of installation art right outside of Amarillo. You can read more about it here.



It was by far one of the weirdest things I have ever seen.

On another note, I have cleaned the entire house today from top to bottom and done roughly six loads of laundry. We've been back for a week now. Adam has yet to unpack :)

Silly husband.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Sunday smiles...

... because we had a ton of fun at the lake with good friends....

... because we had delicious food and fun with family at the Woodley Fourth of July Fish Fry....

... because playing games with friends before everyone splits up for vacation is a great idea....

... because this land was made for you and me...

... because Jesus loves me!


Tuesday, June 29, 2010

"Or, oh Lord, maybe it's a dead ferret."

I recently finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. This is, by far, one of the best books I've read in a long time.



The book is written as a series of letters, telegrams, notes slipped under doors, and other forms of correspondence between about 15 people.

The story takes place on the island of Guernsey soon after the Nazi occupation. The book discusses different things that happened during the war, some I knew about. Others were more examples of the Nazis' ability to inflict unthinkable cruelty on other human beings.

However, this is not the majority of the book. It is really a story of unlikely friendships, and so it is very touching and also absolutely hysterical in parts.

I highly recommend this book and think it would be enjoyable for almost anyone. In fact, it's so good that if you don't like it, it's your fault. The only thing that may be difficult for some is following the different letters. However, I feel like this is what gives the book it's charm. Happy reading!

Fun days...

are the best days! Today we are going to the lake! Woo hoo! I love the lake! So the fun thing I want to do today?

Search for and find the Loch Ness Monster!

and I shall ride my wild stallion as I search! Nessie better watch her back....




Monday, June 28, 2010

Sunday smiles...

... because the sun is shining...

... because I got to spend Saturday with my sisters...

... because I had black-eyed peas and cornbread for supper...

... because Game Night with church friends is so much fun...

... because we stayed up until midnight laughing and eating cake...

... because Jesus loves me!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

My Magic House...

Yesterday, I was sitting outside on my big porch when it started to rain. It was one of those soft, cool summer rains that makes everything smell fresh and clean. The steam was coming up from the wet grass, and the breeze whipped across the porch. I had a glass of lemonade and finished my book. Isn't that lovely?

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Put a penny in your pocket...

When I was a little girl, my mom would take us all to the General Store every day after school. The man that owned the store had three sons, all older than me. The two oldest boys worked in the store and would always call me 'Miss Katilyn.'
When I was 7 or 8, the oldest boy (who was maybe a sophomore or junior in high school at the time) was ringing up my purchases and wanted to know if he could keep the change from my ten-dollar bill 'as a tip.' I, being a precocious child, handed him a penny.
Every day from then until I was a senior in high school, I always brought him a penny. He didn't always work at the store, but even after he left for college he would come back and work in the summers. Every time I went to the store, I made sure I had a penny in my pocket JUST IN CASE he was working that day.
He kept track, too. Right after I started driving, he informed me that we were getting close to the dollar mark, and I promised to bring him a framed one-dollar bill once we hit a hundred pennies. And I did.
I moved away to go to school and only went to the store if I absolutely had to if I happened to be home. As it happened, I didn't see him for roughly four years.

The other day, I rolled up to the little General Store to buy gas. The oldest boy now owns it. I walked in to pay for gas, and though it wasn't the first time I'd seen him since we moved back, he smiled at me when I walked in and said, "Hey do you remember when you used to always tip me a penny?" I started laughing because I hadn't thought about it in so long. His response? "I really depended on that..."

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Worry about your craziness only.

This week, I finished the book Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India, and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert.



This book is an autobiographical story about Liz Gilbert's divorce, spiral into depression, and subsequent soul-searching. She decides to journey to three places over the course of the year in order to learn about life. She learns about the pursuit of pleasure in Italy (Eat), the pursuit of God in India (Pray), and the balance of both in Indonesia (Love).

In Italy, she eats wonderful food (obviously), but one of the major things she talks about is the joy of learning to speak Italian. She is more passionate about Italian than I am about Spanish, but there is a sort of 'high' that comes with learning a foreign language. There is something about the tast of unfamiliar words in your mouth and realizing that you are speaking fluently that is really exhilarating.

This book also talks extensively about the practice of Yoga. Yoga is not just a twisting, torturous form of exercise, but actually includes 4 types: Hatha (yoga of the body), Jnana (yoga of knowledge), Bhakti (yoga of the heart- prayer and devotion), and Karma (yoga in the path of selfless service).

I was in a cross-cultural play in college where the majority of the cast was Indian. I became fascinated with the culture and with yoga in particular. I may sound hippie-ish, but I think the concept of yoga is beautiful.

In this book, Liz says that yoga, in it's true form, is not a religion in and of itself nor is it strictly related to Hinduism. Rather, it's a tool to use with ANY religion. Many of the people she meets at the Ashram are Christian.

On her travels to Indonesia, she meets the funniest old medicine man who is her spiritual guide and who is somewhere between the age of "65 and 112." He really makes the last third of the book. In one of their conversations, Liz asks him what she should do about the craziness of this world. He replies, "Worry about your craziness only." Wouldn't that genuinely make everyone's life easier?

I highly recommend reading this book. However, it begs saying that you should take everything she writes and experiences with a grain of salt. This is the story of her personal spiritual journey and is not meant to be a guide for how others should live. Happy reading!

Monday, June 21, 2010

Fun days...

...are the best days! Today my mom, baby sis, and little brother came over. We hung out and ate fruit roll-ups and cookies and played some board games. After they left, I hung out in the pool until it started to rain one of those nice, soft, summer-y rains. We went down to the in-laws for supper, jumped on the new (and now wet and slick) trampoline with little-sister-in-law. I came home and took a bath with my favorite shampoo, and now I'm drinking lemonade and watching "Last Comic Standing" with my husband. I adore summer.

Today, my fun thing I want to do is travel to India and study yoga with someone who looks like this guy.



Oh, yeah. That's definitely my second husband.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Sunday smiles...

... because I rode my new bike this morning while the sun was coming up....


... because I had delicious dewberry cobbler for lunch....


... because I'm reading a good book (Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert)....


... because Husband and I are eating popcorn and watching movies...


... and because Jesus loves me!

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Call me Ishmael.

My name is not actually Ishmael, but I wasn't sure how to open, so I thought I'd plagiarize. I am a Dr. Frankenstein of the blog world. I create a blog, post around 8 times, forget why I'm even blogging, and then I leave the poor little guys out in cyberspace without food or water. Sad, I know. Hopefully though, this one will stick.

My husband and I live in The Little House. Built in the early 80's, the little fella is sort of falling down, but I think it's beautiful. I like to pretend my tiny jewel-box of a house and my sprawling yard in the forest is magical, and fairies fly around the yard at night. (I'm pretty sure they don't, but you can never know for sure!)

This is the story of our life in The Little House, written for those we love but who live far away and cannot come visit us in this splendor on a regular basis. This is what we do!