"Tears of Rage"

I am currently reading John Walsh's book "Tears of rage," written back in 1998. This is the kind of book that should come in a package with a box of tissue. I didn't even make it through the 3 page prologue without shedding a tear... I managed to read the following 200 something pages, but boy was that challenging. ..... There's more left to read so I will return soon to give a full impression review. But I can tell you that my admiration for that man has only gotten higher for the past 2 days.

One month, at least a post a day.

When September came around, I promised myself I could keep up with my blog. Scratch that... I told myself I HAD to keep up with my blog. So I silently vowed that I would write at least one post a day. Yes, I cheated and scheduled some of them, but regardless, I was on my blod every day, and it turns out that, with this post here, there is at least one post a day for the entire month of September. Don't expect the exact same thing for October, but I am going to do my best to stay on it. Now I know I can...

So thanks for reading. And come back for more pieces of my life as they come about.

xoxo

Excerpt from Melanis's blog

I was remembering something Melanis wrote on her blog about me around my last birthday, so I dug it up, and here's what it said:

"She is a wonderful Preschool teacher that cares so much for her kids that she would do the impossible for them... She believes in them like no other teachers would do..."

You'd better believe it... Because she is so right...
Not too many people know here like she knows me, I can tell you that much.

To see the original post she wrote, go there

I love you BFF Melanis! (I find the whole "BFF" thing very corny, but this is a special treat...)

"Angels and Demons"

On May 15 the movie "Angels and Demons" came out in theatres... I never went to see it, and I could kick myself in the rear for that. BUT, I am waiting patiently for it to come out on DVD on November 24th. I will not forget to buy it. I really, really enjoyed the book, so my hope is that the movie is just as ass kicking as the book was. You can expect to hear from me again some time after November 24th.

DREAM IT, EARN IT, LIVE IT

That's the Tagline from the movie "Fame," which Melanis and I saw last night. I must say that I was a little worried about what the movie would be like. It is the modern version of the 1980 movie (yep, almost 30 years...) and, I must say it was good adaptation. I need to warn anybody who is not remotely interested in performing arts to stay away from that movie, the same way you probably stayed away from the first "Fame," from "Flashdance," and the likes.

So all in all it was a good movie. It will probably not have the impact the first "Fame" had, but it is good to just sit down and watch something well done. I am a great admirer of singers and dancers and actors, and of the hard work they put in doing what they do so well... Just for that I'll say "Bravo!"

Plus, I mean, going to see a movie with only Melanis was like the super duper thing to do. I couldn't have found a better person to go with, for many many reasons of course, but a big reason is also that, like me, she appreciates art in all its shapes and forms, so I couldn't have found a better person to go with. I knew back in July when I saw the first previews of "Fame" that I would have to go with Mel and nobody else.

Thanks Melanis for making that movie experience even more special. And on another level, sorry again for "dragging" you to DressBarn. lol... ;)

The Teacher’s 10 Commandments

1) I will treat every student the way I would want my own child to be treated.

* Reflect: Do you praise and punish every child in your class as if he or she was your own?
* Action: Pretend that everything you do or don’t do for a student will be done or not done for your child.


2) I will focus on “who” I teach, not just “what” I teach.

* Reflect: Do you care more about your students succeeding in school or succeeding in life?
* Action: Impress your students by how much you care, not by how much you know.

3) I will only teach that which I truly believe in.

* Reflect: Have you bought into what you’re selling your students?
* Action: Show your students personal evidence of your message in action.


4) I will treat every student as if he/she is already the person he/she is capable of becoming.

* Reflect: Do you believe more in the potential or the problem of every student?
* Action: Label each of your students a “10”, and watch them live up to their greatness.


5) I will raise my standards of teaching by never lowering my expectations of students.

* Reflect: Are you teaching to please or prepare your students?
* Action: Expect more from your students until they reflect what you expect.


6) I will always give my students a little more than what they need to succeed.

* Reflect: Are you giving your students ALL you’ve got…and then some?
* Action: Be courageous and go the extra mile for your students.


7) I will teach as if every day was my last.

* Reflect: How would you teach today if you knew you were going to die tomorrow?
* Action: PLAN your lessons as if you’re going to teach forever, but TEACH your lessons as if you’re going to die tomorrow (with passion and conviction).


8) I will practice what I teach.

* Reflect: Are you teaching by example or excuses?
* Action: Model the kind of character you would like to see in your students.


9) I will be the kind of teacher my favorite teacher would be proud of.

* Reflect: Would the greatest teacher in your past be proud of the teacher you are today?
* Action: Remind yourself daily of the debt you owe those who’ve gone before you.


10) I will strive to be an unforgettable teacher.

* Reflect: Are you leaving footprints on the hearts of your students.
* Action: Do something positive this year that will leave a lifetime impression on your students.

"With a little help from my friends:" a teacher's moment.

Now that I have the first 3 weeks of this preschool year under my belt, it is time to write about it. As I was sitting here thinking about not only the past 3 weeks but also the past few years, I realized one thing: I love what I do for a living. OK, that's not new news! I know... What I mean is: I love what I have now, I love how far I've come... I want to let everybody know how pleased I am with the way things are going. You'd better believe that I am going to take most of the credit for the way things are now. BUT, the forever selfless me is kicking and screaming, and I also want to take this opportunity to thank anyone and everyone who, each in their own way, have helped me, supported me, advised me, encouraged me, listened to me gripe and moan and bitch, and yes, cry too, and so on. With that, you all have made me a better preschool teacher. I do believe in that little phrase "with a little help from my friends." Hadn't it been for some of you, I certainly would not have achieved what I have now. And I hope by now you all know who you are and hopefully know how much I appreciate your help, support, encouragement, constructive criticism, listening ears, and so on.

I believe there's always room for improvement. Always. I am my worst critic, I've always said that. But as I am starting to plan for the next few weeks, I am taking the time to just sit here and think about and ENJOY this teacher's moment which, for now anyway, is pretty darn close to perfection, at least as far as I am concerned. And then I'll think about more improvement. But this is MY, I mean, OUR moment, and at least this very minute, nobody is taking it away.

Motivation Tips from the Masters

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt have crept in; forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." ~Confucius

“Every day is a new life to a wise man.” ~Anonymous

“Success begins with a fellow’s will.
It’s all in the state of mind.
If you think you are outclassed, you are,
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger of faster man.
But soon or late the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.”
~C.W. Longenecker, “The Victor”

“Courage is highly esteemed as the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all others.” ~Winston Churchill

“Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action.” ~Benjamin Disraeli

“The secret of being miserable is to have the leisure to bother about whether you are happy or not.” ~George Bernard Shaw

“It is not how much we have but how much we enjoy that makes happiness.” ~Charles H. Spurgeon

“The secret of happiness is not in doing what one likes, but in liking what one has to do.” ~James M. Barrie

“To improve the golden moment of opportunity and catch the good that is within our reach is the great art of life.” ~Samuel Johnson

“The principle of happiness should be like the principle of virtue: it should not be dependent on things, but be a part of personality.” ~William Lyon Phelps

“They can conquer who believe they can. He has not learned the first lesson of life who does not every day surmount a fear.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The road to failure is paved with negativity. If you think you can’t do something, chances are you won’t be able to. Conversely, the power of positive thinking can turn an adverse situation into a prime opportunity for heroism.” ~Tiger Woods

“I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. That’s why I succeed.” ~Michael Jordan

"The happiness of a man is to do the true work of a man." ~Marcus Aurelius

"The chiefest point of happiness is that a man should be willing to be what he is." ~Erasmus

"It is neither wealth, nor splendor, but tranquility and occupation, which give happiness." ~Thomas Jefferson

“A good life is one that is characterized by complete absorption in what one does.” ~Professor Jeanne Nakamura

Lyric quote

"Aucun regret ne vaut le coup pour qu'on le garde en nous." ~ Pascal Obispo, "Lucie"

rough translation: "No regret is worth enough to be keeping it in."

House Season Premiere

So I watched the 2-hour season premiere of House last night. And this line stood out of the whole 2-hour show:

"You're not God, House. You're just another screwed up human being who needs to move on."

Food for thoughts...

Don't worry, be happy...

As I was typing the quotes taken form the Montel Williams book (see earlier post), I realized some of those quotes are very important to me... I am bringing them up again here...

"The key to achieving happiness for yourself is to achieve it for others." (page 152)

(quoting Professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi) "Relationships are highly creative: you have to make them grow, just like a story." (page 105)

“You alone are the person who owns the definition of who you are.” (page 57)

A Teacher's Moment

"Many kids have no opportunity to reflect on anything but the here and now, and we should help them take time every day to think about something larger than themselves." ~Montel Williams

As a teacher I like to think that I broaden children's views and open their mind to what's out there. Luckily enough, I get to deal with the tender preschool age kind, so it's apparently quite easy to keep it, well, easy and simple. I realize however how impressionable they are at that age and believe me when I say that it is a challenge every day to know the limits of what I, the teacher, not their parent, can bring up. I often question how well I have accomplished that daily goal. When I saw that line in Montel Willaim's book, I could totally relate, and believe we all should make the content of that line our daily mission. I know I do. Or at the very least I try my hardest.

Quotes from "Living Well Emotionally" by Montel Williams

"Suddenly, in 2008, the idea of electing a young black man as president of the United States became a flesh-and-blood reality. It is an idea so revolutionary to America and the world that we haven't absorbed it yet. It is huge. It is spectacular. It is history-changing and it is psyche-changing. I think it will transform our national emotional well-being in ways we don't yet understand." (page 40)

"Aren't personal crises, loss, sadness, and periods of emotional darkness just part of human nature? Absolutely! They can help us grow, and become stronger, and change ourselves for the better. (...) Critical thinking, fear, and skepticism can all be healthy and normal, and critical to our survival in the face of danger and uncertainty." (pages 42-43)

"Negative experiences can lead to change, and therefore eventually to happiness. As a Chinese proverb explains, "Without scaling mountains no one can know the height of heaven; without descending valleys, no one can know the depth of earth." A the Dalai Lama put it, "The person who has had more experience of hardships can stand more firmly in the face of problems than the person who has never experienced suffering." (page 43)

"The times when you have great turmoil in your life can turn out to be exactly the moments that trigger positive turning points and open you up to new horizons of potential." (Page 44)

“Happiness is actually part of the often-hard work of life, and it involves integrating periods of sadness into our lives. When you think about it, without sadness the idea of happiness has little meaning.” (page 44)

“You alone are the person who owns the definition of who you are.” (page 57)

“Don’t let anyone tell you what you can or can’t be. If you think it, believe it, and live it, I guarantee that you’ll start down a path to transform your life and live better every single day.
This is especially true when it comes to your happiness and your emotional life.
Don’t let anybody tell you how you should feel and what your emotions should be. You have the right to be as happy or as sad as you want to be, and you alone have the responsibility, and the power, to create your own happiness, nobody else.” (page 57)

(quoting Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius) “The whole universe is change and life itself is but what you deem it.” (page 59)

“It’s important to understand that happiness is something you do, not something you find.” (page 59)

“In Julius Caesar William Shakespeare wrote, “There is a tide in the affairs of men, / Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; / Omitted, all the voyage of their life / Is bound in shallows and in miseries.” I believe that tide occurs every morning when you wake up and look at yourself in the mirror, and every hour, every second of your life. Every moment is a new opportunity to create happiness for yourself.” (page 59)

(quoting Dr. Richard Rosenthal) If you summon the courage to really look at yourself, the payoff is better awareness of yourself and a more truthful and more honest capacity to see who you really are in the real world.” (page 77-78)

"I believe that people have a right to feel sad and even a right to be depressed on occasion. We should absorb it as a part of who we are. But it doesn't have to define who we are, and we shouldn't suffer needlessly." (page 79-80)

(quoting Stanford University psychologist Albert Bandura) "People need to learn how to manage failure so it's informational and not demoralizing." (page 89)

(quoting Professor Christopher Peterson) "There are five strengths in particular that are big predictors of how happy or satisfied somebody is. If you do any of those things well, then you should do more of them. The five strengths are:
*optimism
*curiosity
*gratitude
*zest/enthusiasm
*love and strong relationships with family, friends, and colleagues." (page 94-95)



(quoting Professor Christopher Peterson) "Another thing that's affected my own life as a result of our research is I now try to much kinder to other people by being curious about their well-being. I take the time to ask how they're doing, to actually mean it, and really listen to what they say. It's not just for the sake of the other person, it's also for my own sake. It absolutely makes me feel better. I am happier in that moment and over the long term as I do it over and over." (page 95)

"Top 3 proven happiness-building strategies
*being grateful
*doing acts of kindness
*learning to savor things" (page 95)

(quoting Professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi) "Relationships are highly creative: you have to make them grow, just like a story." (page 105)

"I have great respect for people who find organized religion to be a meaningful, rewarding, and glorious part of their lives. It can be one of the ultimate powerful forces for good in this world." (page 145)

"I've never read anything in any religious text that says we need a go-between between God and us, a layer of people to interpret the message or take our money.
So I don't get up every Sunday morning and go to church." (page 146)

"Many kids have no opportunity to reflect on anything but the here and now, and we should help them take time every day to think about something larger than themselves." (page 148)

"The key to achieving happiness for yourself is to achieve it for others." (page 152)

"You and I deserve a life of love and joy, a life in which we grow, prosper, and thrive emotionally, spiritually, and physically, in which happiness is a constant companion, not an impossible dream.
There is a doorway to happiness that is available to us any day, anywhere, anytime." (page 162)

New Moon, in theatres November 20th

Take a peek!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q58iQSHhZGg

I had been slightly disappointed by the first one, so hopefully this one is as good as the trailer is letting me think.

Scrap/Stamping Wish List

So there it is, I had promised a while back to come up with some kind of wish list... I will update regularly...I know it's not a big list but it is hard to come up with"stuff" when I usually buy what i need when i need it. But at least when i think of or see something and think "I've got to have it," it will be posted on here.

Stamping/Scrapbooking:
*Die Cuts (I have the Cuttle bug embossing/die cut machine, so whatever can fit in there)

*CuttleBug Die Cut Alphabet (any of them, I don't have any yet)
*Embossing Folders
*A new pair of Fiskars cutting scissors (not small ones though)

Others:
list coming soon.

Quote

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters when compared to what lies within us.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

R.I.P. Patrick Swayze

“There's just something about dance, ... It's like a primal thing in all of us.”

“I found that dance was key to keeping depression out of my life. When you dance, things just go away, things don't seem so bad. There's no better way to take care of health than through something as joyous and beautiful as dance.”

~Patrick Swayze

RIP Mr. Swayze. You are one of the most beautiful souls out there. The movie industry is losing yet another great icon. May your talent and your fight against this cruel disease be an inspiration to us all.

Puppy Album

Mitsy had several litters of puppies over the years, until we got her spayed last January. I have grown to love those little fur balls, and consequently to miss them too... There is something so so sweet about a puppy. The way they move, the way they look at you, even their scent is special... Yes I know, it is the dog lover in me talking!!!
Anyway, Melanis made an album just for pics of the pups and gave it to me for Christmas; we had already made the decision of spaying Mitsy, and so that was her way of marking the somehow a little emotionally painful (for me) event. Of course, the procrastinator in me woke up and I didn't get around to sorting the hundreds of pics of the pups I had until late May!!!! Needless to say that narrowing it down to just a few pics was TOUGH!!! I had to add pages to the album, but in the end, I like he way it looks. Hope you'll enjoy looking at it too... Sorry it took me so long to post the album... I hope you like what you see.

And thanks again Melanis for such a great idea!

Once upon a time, there was an ice cream cake...

Let me tell you what happened last night. Paul and I were invited to Melanis and Jeff’s house for dinner. I had promised Mel to bring an ice cream cake. Living in Union Mills, we are lucky enough to have a Dairy Queen store close by in Westville, so we decided to leave our house earlier and stop by DQ in Westville before heading back to LaPorte. Little did we know what kind of drama we were going to deal with to be able to get an ice cream cake.
At the Westville store all they had on display were “Happy Birthday” ice cream cakes. So, waiting for 10 minutes and seeing an old couple ungraciously cut in front of us and the gentleman who was in front if us, we finally ask the lady at the counter if they have “blank” cakes. The answer being no, they ask us if we want to wait for 10 minutes and they will “make” a blank one. That right there was a red light flashing in my head. What kind of ice cream place does not have a blank cake? So we said, no thank you, and decided to stop at the DQ in LaPorte. Oh my, mistake #2. Once we get there, we ask for a plain ice cream cake. The gentleman at the window says, "No problem, it will be right up." We wait for 10 mns (so much for the “right up” part) and asks us again if we want a plain cake. Oh my... Yes, we say. So he goes in the back, comes back a few minutes later and asks us if we would take a Happy Birthday Cake instead. WHAT??? I tell the gentleman, "No, we’ve just been through that same crap at the store in Westville, we want a plain cake..." So he goes back in the back of the store, where he probably intended to “make” a plain one I’m sure... After about 10 seconds of thinking about it, we finally decide we’ll take the damn Birthday cake. At this point, Paul and I are getting a little aggravated (and by “little” I do mean “a lot”) and we just want to get the hell out of there with an ice cream cake. So he comes up to the window with the ugliest cake I’ve ever seen... That cake is the perfect embodiment of cake decorating class going wrong. It’s green and blue, missing some parts the frosting in some areas. And it gets worse: you know what it says on it.... “HAPPY BIRTHDA!!!!” Someone tried to scrape off the writing, realized it didn’t look that good, and the Y is gone... Holly Crap! So we diligently pay for our cake (full price, mind you...). And as if that whole adventure wasn’t bad enough, as we’re leaving DQ, ice cream “cake” in hand, the customer lady behind us exclaims “That’s the ugliest birthday cake I’ve ever seen.” That’s when I knew that this was a story to tell... I laughed so hard on the way to Melanis’s house that I was crying big hot tears when we got there.
But I tell you one thing though: the cake was still good... And it was a very interesting table conversation topic. Yes, we do have cool friends who can take a joke as well as we do and eat the ugliest birthday cake ever!

But DQ is going to hear about it! I mean, who in their right mind would serve such a thing? Yes, I know, I’m the idiot who bought it. But my mission consisted of bringing an ice cream cake and the mission was accomplished.

I have learned a lesson though: next time, I will call DQ in advance and order a “plain” cake... What the hell, right?

And I know what you’re thinking, it can’t be that bad... Now scroll down and tell me... What do you think?

ARE YOU LAUGHING YET?????

9/11 poem, written the week of the attacks 8 years ago.

On Monday we emailed jokes.
On Tuesday we did not.

On Monday we thought that we were secure.
On Tuesday we learned better.

On Monday we were talking about heroes as being athletes.
On Tuesday we relearned who our heroes are.

On Monday we were irritated that our rebate checks had not arrived.
On Tuesday we gave money away to people we had never met.

On Monday there were people fighting against praying in schools.
On Tuesday you would have been hard pressed to find a school where someone was not praying.

On Monday people argued with their kids about picking up their room.
On Tuesday the same people could not get home fast enough to hug their kids.

On Monday people were upset that they had to wait 6 minutes in a fast food drive through line.
On Tuesday people didn't care about waiting up to 6 hours to give blood for the dying.

On Monday we waved our flags signifying our cultural diversity.
On Tuesday we waved only the American flag.

On Monday there were people trying to separate each other by race, sex, color and creed.
On Tuesday they were all holding hands.

On Monday we were men or women, black or white, old or young, rich or poor, gay or straight, Christian or non-Christian.
On Tuesday we were Americans.

On Monday politicians argued about budget surpluses.
On Tuesday grief stricken they sang 'God Bless America'.

On Monday the President was going to Florida to read to children.
On Tuesday he returned to Washington to protect our children.

On Monday we had families.
On Tuesday we had orphans.

On Monday people went to work as usual,
On Tuesday they died.

On Monday people were fighting the 10 commandments on government property.
On Tuesday the same people all said 'God help us all' while thinking 'Thou shall not kill'.

It is sadly ironic how it takes horrific events to place things into perspective, but it has. The lessons learned this week, the things we have taken for granted, the things that have been forgotten or overlooked, hopefully will never be forgotten again.



A note from the author (who was simply an "unknown" at first)
Yes, I did write the poem. I wrote it three days after the attack in response to my daughter's question regarding what, if any, value was derived from the death of all those people. I have had some folks with degrees in English, published writers and others write back with compliments and editorial suggestions. All are welcome and appreciated. I didn't write it for any reason other than to express my own personal feelings and I posted it in hopes that children (especially those most directly effected) would get some sense that ALL life has value and ALL life contributes to the continuation of the good. Anyway, the version you have is as I wrote it and I hope that you like it. God Bless.
Paul Spreadbury