October 31

I had an amazing time with friends - so many stories, so much laughter, so much fun - and in costume to boot.

The Grengers, Chatty, and Me

October 30


So...


...on a beautiful day...




...I ventured out of my little city...







...with these two lovelies...




...to the Wild Animal Park! 



 The End.











October 29th

It's Friday which means Panera time with the bestie, and if that wasn't reason enough to stay positive, today was thank you letter day.

Every year, the psychology classes have an assignment to write a thank you letter to one teacher.  I have the letters from previous years in my anti-Burger King file*, and this year I am able to add a few more.  All of them warm my heart, but one in particular set up shop.  She thanked me for helping her last year with the subject matter, then proceeded to thank me for helping her this year with her self-worth.  My life is truly blessed.

*Anti-BurgerKing file: When I was hired on, a friend of mine handed my a green hanging folder with "anti-BurgerKing" written on the tab.  I first I thought she was commenting on my physique, but then she explained.  There will be days, perhaps weeks, as a teacher where you feel that you done, you are not doing any good and you might as well be a manager at a Burger King for all the good you do here.  This is when you take out the folder, the folder that contains all the positive little things that remind you why you are a teacher. Things that remind you of the effect you have.  Things that make you want to continue to be better.

October 28

Today, I was productive: I finally created this blog, yes, this very blog you're reading.  I have been wanting to do this for a while, and I did. 

Hello, thanks for coming!

I am grateful for the fact that this exists.

This site is dedicated to my high/low game (without the nefarious low portion).  It will normally consist of a small blurb about a singular event that made my heart smile for the day.  I do, however, feel that I should begin with an overview of the weighty gratitude that I possess.



A small piece of my awesome family.



First and foremost, I am grateful for/to my Jesus, for eternity and for the present.  Please understand, I do not say this as a mere Christian platitude but as the basis for all my gratitude (and, you know, that whole salvation thingy). 

I could write for days on how blessed I am for my family, through blood, blending, and every other way they have been made a part of my life.  My parents are incredible, my brothers are inspirational, my sisters in law are beautiful (in spirit and physicality), my step-sister – well words wouldn't really suffice.  The list of cousins and aunts and uncles and how much they’ve added to my life could fill the virtual space provided me.



One of those amazing friends I was mentioning :)



My friends, oh goodness, I don’t think I could begin to do justice to how truly amazed I am at how loving, inspiring, dedicated, talented, and flat out amazing they all are.  Talk about blessings: my cup runneth over.

Then there is my job, apartment, car, etc… All those "big" things that I don’t want you, my astute reader, to think I take for granted (although, honestly, sometimes I do). 

But because I am pretty good at all these “big picture” things, I want to focus on the “I was witness to the most amazing sunrise on my way to work” type of moments that I let slip through my fingers.  After all, it is the collection of little moments that create the sum of a lifetime, or something like that…