Blessings

Ever since Murad and I started dating, we've been surprised by how many blessings we receive each day. We constantly say, "we're so blessed." We have the opportunity for both of us to go back to school. We have two beautiful dogs. Yesterday was Murad's daughter's birthday ( oh yeah, for those of you who don't know, I'll be a step-mom when we get married) and he got to talk to her. This was wonderful because he hasn't been able to for a while due to circumstances that aren't his fault. Abby was so happy to talk to her daddy and it made his day too. We're hoping to see her again this Christmas when we go to Wichita.

Yesterday we started talking about things and we decided to look into buying a house this spring. We just feel we're wasting our money renting and if we do it right, we could find something we could afford. Originally we wanted to buy a nice, big home and stay in it forever, but I think we're going to try a starter home. I've already started looking and I found "the home." Of course, we'll have to see it in person, but it's great. Great location, high fences, three bedrooms and two baths and lots of great features. The master has double vanity sinks with a shower and jacuzzi tub. The kitchen has all stainless steel appliances. Of course we'll see if this home is still on the market when we are ready to buy. I sure do hope so! I really hope we are blessed enough to buy a home. However, I do love our apartment and if it's not God's will to have a home of our own, I'll be happy here too!!!!!

Hatred

So last night the documentary Fall From Grace aired on Showtime. I admit that I don't usually watch Showtime, but one of my good friends wrote, directed and edited it. He's a Southeast and KU grad like myself and now he's working for Showtime and living it up in NYC!

Watching the documentary made me realize how much hatred there really is in the world. I know Fred Phelps is extreme, but it just made me realize how much people hate. Even today, I hear my students say, "I hate you," or "I hate that," and it makes me sick. Someone has to put a lot of energy into hating something. We all know that Fred Phelps puts a lot of energy into hating homosexuals. Whatever one's position is on the issue, no one should hate gays or anyone for that matter.

I guess I'm just very intolerant of intolerance. So many things have happened in the past few months, but intolerance is one theme that I keep seeing, even in my own family. One of my uncles expressed not only his concern, but his hatred of Muslims. This was very disheartening to me, because not only is my fiance a Muslim, but it just shows me how far we have to go in America. I'm still not sure how I'm going to be able to see one side of my family at Christmas because of the intolerance I've witnessed him display. I really wish people would just make an effort to get to know someone before judging them. I think people need to take a moment and think of what Jesus would do. Jesus accepts us despite our sins. Jesus loves us and wants us to be in His Kingdom. He wants us to share his word, not abuse it.

We're back and with a new pup

We made it back to Dallas Monday evening! New Jersey and Philly were awesome! I had my very first cheese steak! Most importantly, I got to meet my future family and I love them! I had so much fun with the Hassons and Campbells and I can't wait to go back this summer or next Thanksgiving!

When we went to pick up Sampson from the breeders, they were so impressed with his behavior that they offered us his sister for free! We couldn't say no and I'm so glad we got her! She was in a bad situation. Sampson and Maya's dog-dad was really abusive towards Maya (our new pup) and so the family was going to have to make her an indoor dog. They really didn't have the energy to do it, so they gave her to us!

Maya is so different from Sampson. She is calm and likes to snuggle lots. She doesn't chew everything in sight and she's a quick learner. Sampson is a great model too. He's showed her where to go do her business outside and she's caught on quickly. They love to play and Sampson even gave her his treat yesterday morning. So cute! So we are officially a two dog household now and I love it!

He's okay

Sampson is okay! Just a little diarrhea! Got him some meds and he is better already. I'm packing up his stuff. Tomorrow he goes to his old family's home and we're off the New Jersey on Wednesday for Thanksgiving with my future in-laws!

Awesome Photographer

So I'm up at 4:40am because my doggy is still sick! We're taking him to the vet Monday. Poor guy. He really tries to let us know when he's going to be sick, but he just can't always make it.

So Murad and I are getting an early start on our wedding by taking engagement pictures. One of my best friends, and bridesmaids, is starting her own photography business. She agreed to take our engagement photos for free. FREE!!! She took a ton of us this past weekend and I've received two of them already. If the others turn out as good as the first two, then she is in business.

We are the first couple that she's done. She usually does babies and senior pictures. She's awesome. My mom has already spread the word around her office about her. So, if you're in Kansas and looking for an awesome photographer you should check her out. If you look at my other friends on blogger, her name is Glittering Quicksilver. Some of her work is on her blog as well!

Zea and my doggy is sick

So last night my LAD girls and I went out to Thanksgiving dinner. We went to Zea Woodfire Grill in Plano. My friend's husband's uncle owns it and it is so good. It's like Southern food mixed with Thai food. Lots of good, yummy food. I had the Herb 'n Garlic Rotisserie chicken with Thai green beans. It was so good. I topped it off with a glass of wine and an apple crisp!! http://www.zeawoodfiregrill.com/

So today I woke up to doggy diarrhea. Yes, Sampson is sick. I spent my morning cleaning up doggy diarrhea and then I turn around and there was more doggy diarrhea. Murad came home to it too. Gross. He's spit up a few times today too. At first I thought it was because we changed his food to canned food, but then I remember yesterday he picked up what I thought was a stick. As I reached down to take it out of his mouth I realized it was a piece of petrified dog poop. Ooh gross! So that may be the cause of it. Who knows!

It was not how I wanted to start my day. After that we had a lock down at school. Very scary. There was a shooting outside of our school, so we all had to remain hidden in our classrooms. The gunman wasn't on school property and it wasn't a school related incidence, but it was nearby. I spent an hour huddled with seventeen thirteen year olds in the corner of my room. Not fun at all, but at least we're all safe. I have that for which to be thankful.

Still a good day though. I had an awesome tutoring session with some of my low students after school. They really seemed to get the material this time.

Retiring for tonight and preparing for another day!

Mi perro lobo sabe espanol!

My dog knows Spanish!!! I'm so excited. I totally did not put two and two together that the Peruvian family from which we adopted Sampson spoke Spanish and thus, would speak it to their dogs! So when Murad told me the Hispanic gardeners said, "vamos" to him and Sampson went, I got really excited. I looked up some other common Spanish phrases and he's responded so well. He understands "sit," "let's go," "get up" and "come here." I'm so proud of my little puppy or as his old owners call him "puppito."

My Wedding

Okay, so I was afraid of becoming a girl who is obsessed with her wedding, but I am. All my life I have dreamed of my wedding. I can't help it. I'm a girlie girl. I used to be so obsessed with every detail being perfect. I just knew that I would get married in my home church and have my wedding reception at the country club nearest to my church. That's what almost everyone does, and not that there is anything wrong with that, but it's not me. I used to want a very traditional dress and a huge sit-down dinner for 300 of my closest friends. I wanted everything to be top of the line and over the top.

Then I met Murad and my vision of a wedding changed. Instead of inviting 300 distant friends, we decided on a smaller number and are hoping to include more friends and family in the planning process as well as the wedding. My friends and family are all involved. One of my best friend's is taking my engagement photos, and another (hopefully) will help with invitations. My mom is sewing almost everything imaginable and making jewelry for the bridal party (whom I have not picked). Even though the wedding isn't until March '09, I'm still excited to start planning my dream wedding. I'm even more excited to bring our friends and family to Dallas. They will not only experience a wonderful city, but they will get a glimpse into the birthplace of our love!

I'm just so excited to be marrying Murad. He has pushed me outside of my boundaries and even now he's such a part of the planning process and has forced me to think outside the box. He does that with me everyday in life as well. I never thought I could feel this way about anyone. Now that we're engaged I feel our love growing stronger everyday. I'm so blessed!

My Job

I don't think I can accurately sum up what I do on a daily basis to anyone. It's not just part teaching and part paperwork; it's part everything...
This week was Red Ribbon Week. It was my first year as the coordinator and while I made tons of mistakes it went very well. However, I was exhausted everyday after school. Everyday I immediately came home and changed into comfortable clothes, which is ironic because this was the only week we could wear jeans to work! So by comfortable clothes, I mean pajamas.
Red Ribbon was a lot of fun for the kids and a big headache for the teachers, I'll admit. One of the greatest things it did bring though was healing.
This week we showed a slideshow about the Student Assistance Team (which I lead). We just wanted to let students know we're out there and we care. We help students with all kind of problems. While we've had the Student Assistance Team in our school, this is the first year we've been this visible. After we showed the slideshow we had some students who were visibly upset, remembering what happened last year. However, one of them said, "if only we had this last year."
We had three referrals just in this week. And while it means more paperwork for me and my team, it also means more help for our kids. It was good for me today just to sit and talk to a student. We just talked for about 20 minutes and it was great. Don't know if it made a difference in her life, but it did in mine. I think we need to take more time just to talk to our students. We need to get to know them.
I love my job. Even with all the paperwork, annoying parents, immature kids, and my low paycheck, I still love teaching!

8 weeks

My little Sampson is growing up so fast. He's already 8 weeks old. I'm excited for him to get big, but I still like having a little puppy. I hope he doesn't grow too fast. Time for shots this week and then time to make sure he doesn't become a daddy! Murad and i aren't ready for a granddoggies.

Well, next week is Red Ribbon Week at school. A little nervous, but I hope everything will go exactly how we planned. I have a great team, but you just never know.

Let's see what else. Wedding plans...hmmm...even though the wedding isn't for a while we have two potential wedding dates, a potential ceremony site, a potential reception site, and a definite photographer. We definitely want a small wedding (around 100 people or less) and we want a classy, fun Dallasy ( I know it's not a word) wedding for our close friends and family. Luckily, Murad and I have the same vision as far as colors, style and food. We definitely want good food for our guests and selves. However, we disagree on a lot of other things. I guess this is preparing us for marriage! My mom has been great. She has basically agreed to everything I want to do and she's come up with so many ideas to make it unique. After the first of the year, I plan to really start planning and setting things up, but for now I'll just read my bridal magazines and dream!

Motherhood

Well, I'm in my first week of puppy motherhood. I absolutely love it. Murad and I keep marveling on how much we love Sampson. Oh did I mention that Murad and Sampson share the same birthday? How awesome is that?

We get so many compliments when we walk him in our neighborhood. He loves to play, but he chews on everything, even me!

Motherhood is hard. I feel like I know instinctively what Sampson needs and wants, having grown up with a dog. However, it is hard work. The 3am restroom breaks are killing me. And our apartment is a mess. The list could go on. It's just hard enough being a puppy-mommy and I can't imagine being a real mommy.

I just worry that in a few years when Murad and I have kids that I won't be a good mom. My mom was such a good mom. She worked full time, volunteered for PTA, made our lunches each day, sewed our clothes and Halloween costumes, and our home was always clean. Not only did she work full time, but she worked as one of the most challenging professions, a nurse. I just don't know how I will do it! I admire my mother and all the mothers around me so much. It's hard work! I'm so devoted to teaching and I know when I have children I will continue to work full-time in education. I just hope I can balance everything. I hope I can still have a somewhat clean house, be a great mom to my kids, excel at my job and last, but not least, have a wonderful marriage. These are all the things I want. Let's just hope I can get them. We may have to set aside money for a house cleaner, but aside from that, I'm positive I can do everything else, right?

My New Favorite Picture

This is my new favorite picture! I absolutely love it! I love him so much. He is the most perfect dog ever. Yesterday we had another couple over for dinner and they brought their Pekingnese. At first Sampson shyed away, but when Gizmo (the Pekingnese) went after his bone, I saw a flash of anger come through. So precious!

Sampson Campbell

Well, Murad and I decided to start early on our family. Even though we're not yet married (a year and five months to go), we decided to get a puppy. We adopted Sampson, a Siberian Husky, last night. One of my students' dogs ended up having puppies back in September and we snatched one up. We are very excited to have him in our home. He fits so perfectly with us. He's a cuddler and he's very playful. He likes to chew, but surprisingly he hasn't chewed on too many important things. He also likes to pee indoors, but that's expected. I've posted some of my favorite pictures of Sampson, Mama and Daddy!

Engaged

So, I should be doing school-related activities, but I'd rather write about my engagement. Murad and I were engaged today. While, I knew it was coming I was shocked by the proposal! He came to my classroom while I was planning and he pretended to have lost his keys. He then revealed that he didn't lose his keys as he got down on one knee. He asked me to be his wife and of course I was surprised. I wanted to start crying, but then I realized I had to tutor!!! It was so beautiful. Words cannot even describe it.

We had been talking about getting engaged for a while. I knew I wanted to marry him immediately, and when he brought it up this summer I was ecstatic! We kind of picked out the ring together, which some people may find non-traditional, but we are, so who cares. I knew I wanted an oval diamond by itself. I think the oval is so special and different. I wanted a simple setting...no diamonds and he wanted something in platinum, so we settled on a tiffany style platinum band. I think the ring perfectly symbolizes our love and how well we work together. It's so perfect and I'm so honored that he wants me to wear it. I can not wait to be his wife.

I will have to wait though. No date is set, but we're planning a Dallas wedding for spring '09. We really want to have it in Dallas because we met here. We both love spring and spring colors, and since spring '08 is too soon, we figure spring '09 will be perfect. We want to contribute to the wedding and my mother wants to make my dress, so this will give us lots of time to do both. I'm sure after today this blog will turn into a wedding planning blog, but who cares...it's my party!

Well, Murad and I plan to celebrate tomorrow night. Tonight I just want to let it all soak in!

Dinner

Just want to say how much I love this meal. I really don't enjoy breakfast. In fact, most days I down a Slim Fast on my way to work. I enjoy lunch, but it's more of a necessity. It gets me through the rest of the day. Dinner is something truly special I get to sit down and enjoy it.

Last night a few girls from work and one of my best friends from KU came over for dinner. We had some pita pizzas, salad and of course wine. It was just fun to sit, eat and have some girl talk.

Today while Murad and I were at Sam's Club, he invested in a reversible grill and griddle. This thing is awesome. For fifty bucks, we get to enjoy wonderful meals. As I'm typing, my boyfriend is cooking up some tasty kabobs!!! I can't wait for a nice relaxing dinner that we'll have tonight. I may even have a glass of wine....don't tell, it's a school night!

My Best Friend's Wedding

Wow! It finally happened. The friends I've known the longest finally got married! I've known Jason since Kindergarten and Amber since second grade, and I could not be more happy for them. Having witnessed every aspect of their relationship, I feel as though no couple could be more perfect for each other than these two.

I also would like to brag about their wedding. Hands down the best wedding I've been to in a while. As a career bridesmaid, I've attended a ton of weddings. I see the same aisle decorations and hear the same organ and trumpet processionals. I yawn over the same centerpieces, as well. Not Amber's wedding. Every detail of her wedding reflected the personal style in Amber I've come to know. The aisle was lined with pails of flowers. Instead of carrying a traditional bouquet, she collected flowers from audience members as she walked down the aisle. The music was fun and performed by a variety of friends which made the wedding extra special. No organs here, just guitars and soaring voices. The reception was a blast. Instead of hearing cheesy songs from the 70's we danced the night away to hip-hop favorites of today and the 90's. The food was a wonderful assortment of fancy hor d'ourves. Salmon with raspberry barbeque vinagerette (can't spell)....can anyone else say yummy?

What I loved best about her wedding was that I really felt a part of it. I loved every minute of it. I also enjoyed seeing old friends from Wichita and KU. I wish we could do it all over again.

I love that it was my best friend's wedding...or should I say my best friends' wedding!

Back to School

Well, I've finally made it through almost my first two weeks of my third year of teaching. With all the mishaps that have happened, it's amazing I'm still alive to blog about it. Between not receiving my copies and taking on added responsibilities, I am a chicken with it's head cut off. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

My kids are amazing. I'm learning so much about them through their writing and personal portfolios. Some of them have the strangest sense of humor. Some of the things that come out of their mouths are so mature. Some of the things that come out of their mouths are a little too mature.

I also love my classroom this year. I feel like I finally have an organized system. I'm sure this will all be shot in a few weeks though! My room finally reflects my personality and I think it is a safe environment in which my children can learn.

On top of that I am really excited about my new responsibilities although I am not excited about the amount of work I will be doing outside of the office. I'm excited to take over as the Student Assistance Team leader. However, I do not know what this title entails. I'm ecstatic to continue working with the National Junior Honor Society and still working at the Writing Lab after school. In addition to that, I start Saturday School in two weeks. Although I'm not excited about waking up for work on a Saturday, it's only 4 weeks and I get paid $400. Plus, I think I'll learn a lot from the lessons that we teach and I can take that back to my kids at my school.

All in all, it will be a good year with good times. Oh did I mention I'm going back to school. AAAAHHHH!!!

It's kind of like a Welcome Back Cake

The beginning of another school year is upon us. This week I've been bombarded with meetings, new policies, new teachers and new responsibilities. It's inevitable that I sign up for more responsibilities than I can possibly handle. I love it though. I love being busy.....until I get totally stressed out! Fortunately more responsibilities means more money...in most cases!

I love the begining of staff development week when you get to do the stupid ice breakers. I love seeing the new teachers who are equally as frightened by the possiblity of kids in their classroom as they are by some teachers and administrators.

I think my favorite part of returning to school is the abundance of food. Most of the time it's provided by our assistant principal. He made an announcement on Tuesday about cake in the lounge by saying, "We've got some cake in the lounge. It's kind of like a welcome back cake." You could just see the excitement written all over his face. He wanted to downplay the cake by saying it was only "kind of like" a welcome back cake. However, it was definitely a welcome back cake. Mr. Bill definitely encouraged, if not bullied me into eating a piece of welcome back cake. I guess this is it.

Welcome back!

New Jersey

We're going to New Jersey; It's official! We just bought our tickets for Thanksgiving! I'm super excited because I've never been to the east coast. New Jersey is so close to Pennsylvania and New York, so I get to visit three states in one trip!

Of course the biggest bonus is visiting Murad's family. This will be my first official visit with them. Murad has been around my family tons of times, as we live so close to Kansas, but I have never met his...only talked on the phone.

I hope I can contain myself and not act like a tourist! Well, if you know of some fun places to go in NJ, let me know!!!

Exactly one week!!!

Well, in exactly one week I will return to work. I can honestly say I'm looking forward to returning to work and I'm dreading it. I do like the feeling of busy. I enjoyed this summer, but after the writing project and summer school were over, I sort of lived in my pajamas. Now I'll be super busy and it will be super fun. I'm still the NJHS co-sponsor and now I'm the Student Assistance Team committee chair. In addition to that, I may return to school for another master's in administration.

Yeah, so about the master's in school administration. I think I'm going to do it! I still need to attend the informational meeting. Hopefully, they'll give me some course credit for my other master's degree. It just sucks because I really wanted to save some money, but I figure this is a great investment in the long run. I should do it now when I don't have kids. While I never saw myself as a principal, I do have a genuine interest in educational policy, especially the political issues of curriculum. I think this degree will help me secure a position at the central office in the future.

Okay, so why I'm dreading school. I'm dreading it because it means I won't have a choice of how to use my ridiculous amounts of free time that summer awards. I've gotten used to going to the gym when nobody is there, reading books all day, writing ridiculously long emails, blogging, and spending tons of quality time with my bookie! I think that is what I'll miss the most. Yesterday we just sat in our pajamas all day and watched movies. It was so great! I made a nice dinner for us, too. Today we're taking a little trip to Denton, so that I can see his school. Our last big quality time date will be this weekend when we hit up Reunion Tower for his birthday dinner. Aaah, bliss!

What can I say. I have a good life.

Good-bye to summer '07

Life Choices

So my life is going very well. I have a wonderful boyfriend and I'm finally in a place where I'm financially comfortable and can pay back my parents for buying me a car and pay off my credit card debt. Then Richardson springs this wonderful opportunity on me. They are doing a partnership with Lamar University in which teachers can get their master's degree in curriculum&instruction or school administration. I already have a master's degree in curriculum & instruction, but the school administration degree might be beneficial. I've never really thought about being a principal, but it would be a great thing.
Plus, the degree is only $5000 for Richardson teachers. So cheap. Richardson would front the money, but I'd have to pay back the money through payroll deductions. I really wouldn't be able to be debt free if I did the program, but it would set me up to make more $$ in the future. Decisions, decisions....
Any thoughts?

Amber's Shower

This weekend, my friend Allison and I (along with our mothers) hosted a bridal shower for our friend Amber in Wichita. The shower was a success. We had a wonderful assortment of casseroles, fruit and appetizers. We also had a wonderful buttercream frosted cake courtesy of Sam's Club (see picture above)

It was great to see old friends (see picture above). I'm very excited for the wedding, which is about six weeks away. We will all reunite to see Amber and Jason marry in Kansas City...we'll also see if Wilbur makes it down the aisle in his tux.

I couldn't be happier for Amber and Jason!!! Congratulations and best wishes!!

Not that it matters....

but we're recognized again!!! Go Apollo!!!
http://www.risd.org/SchoolTimesNOW/080107/index.htm

After School

As a teacher, I can not stress the value of after school programs. They keep our students off the streets and keep them learning. They also ease the burden of many working parents across the nation. I urge you to support after school programs. I grew up with two working parents who instilled a strong sense of pride in education. However, they couldn't be home everyday after school. When my family's financial situation no longer afforded the luxury of private childcare, we relied on after school programs. During those after school programs, I participated in all sorts of character-building activities. I'd like to point out that I turned out pretty well....okay, I don't have too many weird quirks!

Here are some key points from Mom's Rising:

School hasn't started yet, but... it's already time to start getting our collective ducks in a row about afterschool programs. Did you know that each school day 40,000 kindergartners are home alone after school, and a total of more than 14 million children don't have any place to go after the final school bell rings?TAKE ACTION FOR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS: For the first time in years, Congress is considering a needed increase in federal funding for the afterschool programs that keep kids safe, help working families, and inspire students to learn.
*Click here to email a letter in support of these programs to your Congressperson today: http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=390681531&url_num=3&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.democracyinaction.org%2Fdia%2ForganizationsORG%2Fmomsrising%2Fcampaign.jsp%3Fcampaign_KEY%3D12204

THE LOWDOWN: The majority of modern families have both parents in the labor force, and three-quarters of mothers are in the labor force these days. Yet afterschool care and programs haven't caught up with the modern reality of working families. High quality afterschool programs are critical for thriving kids, and for our economic future.
Providing afterschool care not only benefits kids, but also the community coffers. A study of the effects of the After School Education and Safety Program Act of 2002 found that every $1.00 spent on an at-risk youth in an afterschool program brings a return of up to $13.00, mainly due to the amount saved by channeling the at-risk youth away from a life of crime (the juvenile crime rate is highest in the hours after school). Providing afterschool programs to non-risk youth also brings a hefty return (up to $4.00 for every $1.00 spent) due to, in part, improved school performance and graduation rates.
HELP SUPPORT AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS NOW: Your emailed letter to Congress will help support the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative which provides grants to communities to run quality afterschool programs. The program, which serves 1 million children nationwide, has suffered funding freezes and small cuts over the past six years. The House and Senate need to hear from us that greater investment is needed in these afterschool programs. Showing strong support for increasing afterschool funding will be critical if we are to realize any increase this year. CONTACT CONGRESS TODAY: Ask your leaders to support increased funding for the 21st CCLC program in the fiscal year 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education appropriations bill.
*To take action, just go to: http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=390681531&url_num=5&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.democracyinaction.org%2Fdia%2ForganizationsORG%2Fmomsrising%2Fcampaign.jsp%3Fcampaign_KEY%3D12204
Please forward this email to your friends and family so they can take action as well.
Hope you are enjoying the summer! - The MomsRising Team
p.s. A special thank you to the Afterschool Alliance for their excellent work on behalf of these issues, and for working with us to pull together this message.

Whatever Oprah wants....

she gets.

Even though it's been over a year since the whole James Frey and Oprah feud began, it still bothers me.

Interestingly enough, some Oprah-business happened here in the great state of Texas. This past weekend the Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Writers Conference of the Southwest took place in Grapevine, Texas. In attendance were Joyce Carol Oates and Nan Talese of Doubleday Publishing. Doubleday publishes the works of many well-known authors, including James Frey. During the conference, Talese commented on the situation that occured with Frey and Oprah, saying that Ms. Winfrey ambushed the author when inviting him on her show for the second time. The show was originally going to be about telling the truth and would include a panel of guests, but before the show began Talese and Frey learned that it would be "The James Frey Controversy."

Now we can't go assuming that Oprah ambushed him because we haven't heard her side of the story. But, frankly, who cares? Not me! Even if she is innocent of ambushing Frey, her treatment of him was less than god-like, and in this country we treat her as if she were a god.

I'm not excusing what Frey did, but I think we're all guilty of "publishing" lies. It could be at work when telling a funny story to co-workers. While the anecdote you're telling may have happened to a friend, you cast your self as the main character. Think about it. You probably just did that before reading this. It's the same with writing. Let's face it, a memoir of your life, even if you are an addict, may not be that exciting. Joyce Carol Oates even says, "the tradition of personal memoir has always been highly 'fictionalized' — colored with an individual's own 'emotional truth' "

Oprah could've approached the whole situation differently. She needs compassion. She preaches it, but she rarely practices it. Memoirs help readers to deal with problems. It helps us to know that someone else may be in our situation or that maybe our situation isn't that bad after all. If we keep fact-checking, we may not have writers willing to reveal their struggles to society. In fact, Oates writes fiction for that reason. "She says that she has never read Frey's book and that she chooses to write fiction because memoirs today 'strain credulity.'"

I wouldn't be a good teacher if I didn't cite my sources. http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1648140,00.html?cnn=yes

Keep Literature Alive!

For My Dad

My dad, in his excitement over my new blog, suggested I post the picture of our debut in the Dallas Morning News. I'm sure many of you have already seen the article, or maybe you just don't care. Here is a copy of the newspaper I scanned. We appeared in the paper on July 8th, 2007, over a year after we met.

I'm very lucky to have Murad in my life. While we have many obstacles, our relationship is one of great ease. I never feel as though the work we do is work! I hope our relationship can be half as good as my parents' marriage!!!

Maybe we'll be in the Dallas Morning News in fifty years for another true romance story!

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/lifetravel/stories/DN-NSL_romance_0708liv.ART.State.Edition1.15fb754.html

Katie's Visit

One of my good friends came to visit this weekend from Wichita. Our weekend revolved around one of our favorite passtimes, FOOD! Okay, maybe it didn't revolve around food, but it was a big part of our weekend. The first day Katie was here we hit up our favorite little cafe and bakery called Sweet Temptations. Sweet Temptations is in the Lake Highlands area of Dallas and is a favorite among teachers in Richardson. We both dined on Angel Hair Pasta with Pecan-Crusted Chicken.

That evening we ate some Pizza Hut a favorite of both of us. Katie's husband is not a big fan of Pizza Hut, so Katie used her vacation time wisely by suggesting we order a pizza!

The next day we bypassed lunch for Baskin-Robbins ice cream. Katie's parents used to own Baskin-Robbins in Wichita, and both of us worked there during high school. I ate three kid's scoops of Baseball Nut, World Class Chocolate and Peanut Butter & Chocolate. Katie had Strawberry Cheesecake, Peanut Butter & Chocolate and Pralines N' Cream. Yummy!

For the conclusion of our world tour of Dallas eateries, we dined at Central Market today. We both had the chicken tacos and loved it!!! I love going to Central Market and picking out food from their wonderful selection!

Besides the food, Katie and I had a blast!! We did tons of shopping and we saw the new Simpsons movie!!!! I suggest seeing this movie, especially if you love the show. It's hilarious. I'll try not to give away the details, but remember, "you can't kill a pig in people clothes!"

Sweet Temptations http://www.stcafe.com/index.html

Central Market http://www.centralmarket.com/cm/index.jsp

Baskin-Robbins http://www.baskinrobbins.com/

Katie's Blog http://www.glitteringquicksilver.blogspot.com/

Dallas World Aquarium

I just wanted to include some of my thoughts on the Dallas World Aquarium. I've been there twice now and I love it! It's a little overpriced, but it's a great day for the family. The Dallas World Aquarium has wildlife from all over the world. While the majority of their exhibits are underwater, they have some great animals such as a sloth and a beautiful, ebony panther.

Murad and I also had the pleasure of seeing the mating process of two turtles. We couldn't get a good photo of this because the stingray provided a shield from our camera!

Anyways, if you're in Dallas, the Dallas World Aquarium is a great way to spend the afternoon.

A Pale September is upon us....

Hello

Well, I decided to take my Oprah ramblings and life updates and turn them into a blog. No more mass email updates! Besides being an annoying, impersonal way to update friends and family, they made me feel self-absorbed. Now, if you want to know about my life, you can read my blog and if not, you don't have to read it!! I will no longer force you to learn about my wonderful life through mass emails!

The explanation for my blog title.

As many of you know my favorite singer is Fiona Apple. So it would only be fitting to have one of her songs as my title. Pale September is from her first album, Tidal. I feel like the song effectively conveys my experience with love. I also feel as though, it works well because being a teacher my year pretty much starts in September. Although that year is anything but pale, I still think the name works. I've enclosed the lyrics:

Pale september, I wore the time like a dress that year

The autumn days swung soft around me, like cotton on my skin

But as the embers of the summer lost their breath and disappeared

My heart went cold and only hollow rhythms resounded from within

But then he rose, brilliant as the moon in fullAnd sank in the burrows of my keep

And all my armour falling down, in a pile at my feet

And my winter giving way to warm, as Im singing him to sleep

He goes along just as a water lily

Gentle on the surface of his thoughts his body floats

Unweighted down by passion or intensity

Yet unaware of the depth upon which he coasts

And he finds a home in me

For what misfortune sows, he knows my touch will reap

And all my armour failing down, in a pile at my feet

And my winter giving way to warm, as Im singing him to sleep

All my armour falling down, in a pile at my feet

And my winter giving way to warm, as Im singing him to sleep