Why You Should Worry Less

Please visit this young, Christian blogger and leave a comment for her.  Giver her some encouragement!
Worry Less - Pray More!

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Brought to You by the Letter L

You can join in the fun or read for ABC Wednesday here!

L is for Language

Dictionary..com has 7 definitions for language, but I like this one best:
any system of formalized symbols, signs, sounds, gestures, or the like used or conceived as a means of communicating thought, emotion,etc.

Language is the way we communicate with each other.  It is one of my favorite things in the world.

It is speaking, reading, writing, and even gestures.  I would be lost without language!  I enjoy communicating my thoughts.  I could read for hours on end, and obviously I like to write.  I love language so much that I use language to make my living - I teach it.

There are so many types of language:  jargon, dialect, slang, colloquialism, body language, love language, animal language,  second language, sign language.  My daughter is a whiz at American Sign Language.

Colloquial language, one of my favorite topics, is usually specific to a region.  For example, what do you call your fizzy, bubbly, carbonated drinks?  Soda? Pop?  Soda Pop?  The BFG calls is Frobscottle.  Here in Texas, we call them all Coke!  What kind of coke is your favorite?

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What do you say when you are preparing to do something or when you intend to do something?  "I'm going to...?" Here in the South, we say, "fixing to" or more accurately, "fixin' to."  I'm fixin' to go to bed.  Is it proper grammar?  I say yes, because it is a colloquialism specific to a region, perhaps better called dialect.  I love to tease people from other regions by saying it because it probably bugs them.  It's all in good fun.  And it has nothing to do with dinner!

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Another example is y'all.  It's a contraction of "You all," and is a typically Southern thing to say.  I cannot even imagine saying, "You guys."  Or "all of you."  

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Language is a lot of fun!  I love to communicate with people, read, and write, and I love learning about new things.  I'd love to hear you have to say!  Here's my parting thought:

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Random Tuesday

So, here it is... another random Tuesday.  Link up with Stacy Uncorked if you'd like to join in.

Have you ever taken a shower and forgotten to wash your hair?  And when you got out of the shower and started to comb your hair, you realized it wasn't clean, so you had to wash your hair in the sink?  No?  *Ahem!*  Me, neither!

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I've anxiously been waiting for the start of the new season of Once Upon a Time.  I waited until it recorded Sunday night, then I watched it, so I could fast-forward through the commercials.  I was also working on lesson plans while it was one.  Well, Monday, I couldn't remember one thing that happened in the episode!  Nothing!  I had to watch it again.  But it was worth it!

I had another Dr. appointment yesterday.  Not good news.  My shoulder may have a Superior Labrum Anterior-to-Posterior (SLAP) tear.  Just over three months ago, I had my bicep tendon reattached, scar tissue cleaned up, a bone spur removed, and an impingement released.  Two months later, I had a car accident.  At first, we thought my only injury was a muscle sprain.  Well, after the MRI and continuing pain, there is definitely a muscle sprain, but likely a SLAP tear as well.  That means another surgery.  The thought is depressing.  The thought of continued pain is also depressing.  I don't know which is worse.

So, that's my random.  But, as you leave here, please stop over to a post titled Throne Thursday #blessed and leave an encouraging comment for the young, Christian woman who writes at A New Paige is Here.  She could use it!

Have a good week!

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Great Blog Post

Check out this blog post by a young, Christian woman.  Throne Thursday #blessed Click over and leave her a sweet comment.  Give her some encouragement!

In Honor of my 50th

Fifty.  A half a century.  I'm coming to terms with it, but I'm not there yet.  In honor of this milestone, I present some quotes.

Wisdom is the reward for surviving our own stupidity.”

— Brian Rathbone, Regent

I’ve got a sizeable retirement nest egg. It’s an ostrich egg and it’s going to make an omelet so big that it’ll produce enough leftovers for decades.
”

— Jarod Kintz, The Days of Yay are Here! Wake Me Up When They’re Over.

Turning 50 means it's only a matter of time before you're regaling your grandkids with tales of your first colonoscopy.
- Greg Tamblyn

Fifty is a weird age. I can clearly remember my childhood, but I can’t remember where I put my keys.
- Melanie White

We could certainly slow the aging process down if it had to work its way through Congress.
- Will Rogers

Looking fifty is great - if you're sixty.
- Joan Rivers

You know you’re 50 when a kid you once babysat is now your lawyer” Anon

Old age is like underwear... it creeps up on you” Anon

Just remember, once you’re over the hill you begin to pick up speed” Charles Schulz

You know you’re 50 when you’re in an elevator when your favorite song comes on” Anon

Quotes available at...

Next Avenue

IZ Quotes

Joke/Quote

Quotesgram

Homemade Gifts Made Easy

I'm linking up with Thursday Thirteen.

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ABC Wednesday

Link up at ABC Wednesday if you'd like to join!

This week's letter is K.

K is for  koalas!  They're technically not bears.  They're actually  marsupials related to kangaroos, and their main common factor with bears is that they are both warm-blooded mammals. Don't they look so cute and cuddly!  Noooo.  They actually have sharp teeth and claws.

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More Quick Facts:
Nicknamed Native Bear
Give birth to live young.
Babies are called cubs.
They are blind when they're born.
Babies nurse their mother's milk.
Mothers have a pouch.
Babies live in the mother's pouch for five months.
Their gray fur is very thick.
Their underbellies are white.
They live and sleep in Eucalyptus trees.

I wish we had them in the wild in the US!

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Random Tuesday and Coffee Chat

I'm joining Stacy Uncorked for some randomness.

So... I have my 27th Fall Open House under my belt.  Yes, 27, and that's just every fall for every year I've taught.  We also sometimes have one in the spring.  It's so much more unnerving to stand up in front of parents than children.  Of the 125 I teach every day, at least 85 of their parents showed up, maybe more.  It was a good turnout.  And it's always exhausting!

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And speaking of school, I have a lot of teacher's kids this year.  Some of them are teachers in my school, but others are teachers at other schools, and one is my son's college professor's son.  I don't think she knows he's my son as his last name is different from mine, but I know. :-) Not only that, but I have the Deputy Superintendent's son in one of my classes.  The Deputy Superintendent is my boss's boss.  Imagine if he had come to open house!  He sent his wife instead.  Whew!

And speaking of open house, I am so sore and tired.  It was a 12 hour day.  I just had a massage yesterday, and I need another one.  I am really sore from this massage, and I thought I had drunk enough water, but now my shoulder hurts even worse than usual..  It's a combination of pain from the surgery and pain from the sprain I got in the car accident.  Healing seems to take longer the older you get.

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And speaking of getting older.  Tomorrow I am OFFICIALLY over the hill!  What hill?  Where?  But seriously, the big 5-0.  Out of all of my "milestone" birthdays, none of them has really bothered me in the least, until now.  I don't know why.  Maybe because it's half a century?  Well, I guess getting older is better than the alternative.

And it's also time for Coffee Chat with Ink Interrupted.

Back To School:  What Would you like to learn Now?

If I were going to go back to school for another degree, more training, or just to learn something new, there are a few things I would be interested in.

If we're talking "school,"  I would either take classes toward a Doctorate in Education or a Master's in Business Administration.  If I had to choose, I would probably choose to get a second Master's so I could market my skills in the "real" world

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I would also like to get training in becoming an event planner and/or professional organizer.  I have actually looked into this online.  The Professional Organizer Academy seems like a reputable place.  They have been in business 20 years.  Or I could become a Certified Special Events Planner.  Sounds like it's up my alley!

If I were just going to take some class in areas of interest, it would be fun to learn to play the piano.  I would also love to improve my photography skills by taking a class at the local community college.  Maybe one day, I will!

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Friday Confessional

Friday Confessional is sponsored by High-Heeled Love.  Won't you join us?

I confess...
One  of my groups of students is causing me exhaustion every day!  Don't get me wrong, I love this group of kids, but the boys outnumber the girls 5 to 1.  Yes, for every 1 girl in that class, I have 5 boys!

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I had forgotten how PHYSICAL boys this age (11-12) can be when you get big groups of them together without enough femininity to offset their budding masculinity.  They're always pushing, shoving, tackling, chasing, jumping, or falling on the floor.  And not because they're being bad.  They're just so physical!  And today, one of the little buggers got me good.  He hid in a doorway as I was coming down the hall, and he jumped out and scared me, just like my son used to do, actually still does sometimes.  They're great fun, but I am exhausted when they leave my room after an hour and a half each day.

I confess...
I'm still feeling somewhat depressed.  It started when I was confined to my recliner for 5 1/2 weeks this summer after shoulder surgery.  Then I had a car accident.  And my body is going through changes I am sure are related to turning 50 very soon.  Not to mention the stress at work over added job duties and a complete change in curriculum and methodology that is requiring me to work harder and longer than I have in years.

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Have you ever heard of Project Semi-colon?  Our counselors at school sent us a link this week to read some inspiring stories in order to help students who suffer with mental illness or addiction.  According to the website, Project Semicolon is a faith-based non-profit that encourages and supports people with depression, addiction, and thoughts of self-injury or suicide.  If I were ever going to get a tattoo, and I'm too scared to ever do it, but if I were, it would be a semi-colon, and not just because I'm a grammar nerd!   "Writing [a] semicolon is used when an author could’ve chosen to end their sentence, but chose not to. The author is you and the sentence is your life.” Doesn't that just say it all?

I confess...
That's all for now!  Have a great weekend!

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ABC Wednesday

I just discovered this great meme called ABC Wednesday, and I can't wait to jump in!  I know it's been around a while, but I wasn't aware of it until recently.

Click ABC Wednesday to see a list of other participants.  

J is for

Jaded Rockband Logo

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Dictionary.com defines it this way:

worn out or wearied, as by overwork or overuse

and

exhausted or dissipated

while the Urban Dictionary defines it this way:

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Although not a glamorous feeling, jaded is something we feel when we are
 constantly bombarded with negativity and disappointment.  It's actually the first word that popped into my head, and while some of this is in jest, in other areas of life, it's accurate.

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Remembering 9/11

September 11, 2001. I remember it well.

 On the way to school that morning, the silence was deafening. Planes usually flew over our area at very regular intervals, but absolutely nothing was in the sky. It wasn't until later that I found out why. I was working in my classroom preparing for the school day when the teacher next door came to get me to show me what was happening on TV. I didn't understand it. Was it a movie stunt? A joke? What? It took a while for it to really sink in what had happened... terrorists changed the face of America in a matter of minutes.

Too Much of a Good Thing?

There are  certain things I really love, or just can't live without, and certain things that are really nice to have.  Here are 13 things of which I (me, not everyone) can never have too much or too many - in no particular order.

1.  Laughter - Whether it's a sit-com, a funny movie, jokes , or my son's crazy voices, I love to laugh.
2.  Flowers - I received beautiful flowers from my daughter over the summer.  It was such a surprise, and fresh flowers just make the house more homey.
3.  Friends - I don't feel like I have a lot of friends, but I know a lot of people.  I'm always happy to make a new friend.

clip art - http://sweetclipart.com/bubble-bath-rubber-ducky-1853

4.  Bath Time - I'm usually in a hurry, and a quick shower is all I have time for, but when I have the luxury of taking a long, hot soak in the tub, it's divine.
5.  Dental Floss - I wore braces a few years ago, yes, as an adult, and now I just can't stand not to floss after every meal.  I have dental floss in every bathroom cabinet, my bag, a drawer at work, even the bathroom at work.
6.  Shoes - Men don't understand that women need shoes for different occasions, different outfits, in different colors for different clothing.   I know many women who have at least double the shoes I have!
7.  Love - Can't live without it.

clip art - http://www.inshape-clinic.com/chocolate/

8.  Chocolate - Enough said.
9.  Money - I suppose I have enough, but I wouldn't mind having more.
10. Photographs - I love taking pictures.  I like them on the walls of my house, in my wallet, at work, and in my scrapbooks.

clip art - http://www.clipartbest.com/book-free-clip-art

11.  Books - I love to read.  I've got so many titles on my "want-to-read" list!  If I ever get through all of them, I will be lost.  I'm currently reading books by an author I found on Goodreads, Mark Gimenez.
12.  Fragrance - I love things that smell good whether it's perfume, body spray, lotion, bath gel, candles, room spray, Scentsy.http://scentsy.com/.. you get the picture.
13.  Time - There is never enough time for everything I want to see and do!

Would any of these make your "can't have too much" list?
I'm linking up for Thursday Thirteen.  Want to join me?

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Wordless (almost) Wednesday

My third grade picture.  I loved that green dress!  I need to remember that girl is still inside me and her needs should be met just like the needs of the 49 year old woman I am now.

Wordless Wednesday

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My First Musical Monday

I am just a big ball of stress!  Don't want to be a second-class citizen.  Don't want to be insulted, hurt, or mistreated, crying all the time.  About to be the big  5-0, and I think I'm in the first stages of menopause.  Yippee!  NOT!  Unhappy and depressed. Feeling unloved and rather useless.  The littlest things make me cry.  Relationships often suck. A man may think he wants an independent woman, but he doesn't.  He may not have a chivalrous bone in his body, although he hails from sturdy British stock whose ancestors fought for the honor of maidens.  Too much irony.  Maybe it's time to throw in the towel. There's no such thing as fairy tales, but there are survivor stories, and maybe I will be one.
Link up at My So-Called Chaos for Musical Mondays.

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Friday Confessions

I confess...

Cars have not been good to me!

Fifteen years ago, I had an accident, not my fault, that eventually led to the surgery I had two months ago.  Two weeks ago, I had an accident, technically my fault, but the other driver was unlicensed and was driving a company truck.  Then, driving my husband's truck to work yesterday, I was less than a mile from work, and it overheated.  It just stopped in the middle of the road.

I have to go car shopping this weekend, and it is not something I am looking forward to!  My husband and I disagree about what type of car we want to get, and it looks like we may need two new cars, if not now, soon.

I confess...

I have a new responsibility at work.  I've been waiting to hear from my boss about it since April or May.  I finally heard today that I was chosen, but I am not sure there is anything to be excited about since the previous person who held the job couldn't handle it.   Oh well, we'll see.

I confess...
I miss my sweet daughter since she decided to go to college a day's drive away, and her twin brother will be gone this weekend.  Maybe I can clean out some closets!  And maybe do something fun over this long weekend.

I confess...
This year has been so hectic  Have a great weekend everyone!

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A Thirteen Line Free Verse

Thirteen lines of free verse in memory of my "late" automobile.  Call it "An Ode to an Accident."

Running late to work,

Crash!

Unlicensed, undocumented driver,

Plumbing truck,

Physical and emotional pain,

X-rays! Doctors!  MRI!

Neck sprain, bruises, swelling,

Two days off from work,

Unending visits to physical therapy,

Insurance irritations,

Ball of nerves when driving,

Car is no more,

But I am still here.

.

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Thursday Thirteen