Gooooooal!

This was the summer of the World Cup in Soccer, and even though I am not a soccer fan, I did get sucked in. So this was literally the summer of goals. My first goal was to drop a few unwanted pounds. Goooooal! I did it, and I feel great. My second goal was to get a handle on this mess I call my house. Goooooal! I feel good enough about my home that I have volunteered to host the back to school party for my peers. My third goal was a purely selfish one, and that was to read 20 books this summer. Well guess what? Gooooal!

I have had the most diverse reading experience this summer. I started off the summer with a pile of young adult literature from the school library. Even though I will not be teaching a reading for pleasure class this year, I still wanted to read some of the more popular books that my students enjoy. Then I moved on to some modern fiction, and I sprinkled fiction through out the entire summer. While laying on the beach in Mexico, I devoured 7 books on my most beloved Kindle. Traveling is totally different with the Kindle. Of course, I had to load up my selections before we left the country, but that was fun trying map out my reading. One of the selections from the beach was Sh*t My Dad Says. This short, quick read was laugh-out-loud funny, and I can't wait to see the ABC TV series based on it (starring William Shatner!). My husband even read this book, and I believe it was the first book he read in its entirety in the 16 years of our marriage.

While in Mexico, some of the other ladies were passing around Kathy Griffin's new book. Well as soon as I got home I hit the Edmond library and read it in one day. She is my favorite, and her book sounded like she was sitting next to me telling me these funny, sweet, and sad stories. Griffin inspired me to read some other biographies/memoirs of comedians so I read about Lisa Lampinelli and the late George Carlin. If you hear me listening to a lot of Judy Garland songs, it is because I read her biography Get Happy, and it made me want to watch all her old movies and sing all her songs.

Because of goal #1 (weight loss), I read several books about superfoods. I have found them very helpful and confirmed my instincts about what is "good and whole" foods. So don't be surprised to see me carrying around my Greek yogurt and fresh fruit.

So I unofficially officially start back to work tomorrow, and my three goals have been met by my own set deadline. It feels good to accomplish goals. What goals did you accomplish this summer?

Anglo Girl Not Techno Girl

Technology, smechology! Pardon me for being so disgusted, but really, I'm tired of fighting it on a daily basis. In case you don't know, I'm middle-aged, and I am not a digital native. So it is a concerted effort on my part to embrace technology. And I will toot my own horn for just a minute. I do better than most my age or older. I mean, I get "it" most of the time. But here is where I get all cranky: "they" tell me to use technology, "they" tell me it will make me more interesting, "they" tell me it is a requirement, and then "they" can't supply me with the technology I need! Does this seem wrong at some level?

Here's the scenario: I'm standing in front of my class with my lesson plans firmly clutched in my sweaty hands. I have planned the most awesome, fantastical, and totally wicked lesson that is technology based. I test it all out the night before. Everything worked! It is the most beautiful lesson I have ever seen. Just to be on the safe side, I check it again before class and my results are even more impressive than I remembered. I am totally the best teacher in the entire universe! My students begin to filter in. I am giddy with anticipation of how they will be blown away by some old chick that can totally rock like a youngster on the tech. I begin...I try to begin...the Smartboard won't turn on...oh wait, my fault, let me fix it (it is just nerves)...there, it's on now...it won't respond to touch! What?! (mind reeling out of control now)...run back to desk and use a mouse...it's not perfect but it works. It is definately not awesome, fantastical and wicked anymore. I look old, foolish, inept, and really, quite sad.

The next day: I have researched my little heart out. I have found the best websites on a subject that is so cool and cutting edge that my students are going to be inspired to be the best readers in the world! All of sudden, it occurs to me: will my students have access to these sites? OMG, OMG! After all that work will I hit a technological brickwall? The answer is, YES. My students do not have access to any sites that sell items. This includes book retailers, yes, you know which online book retailers I mean. Oh well, start over again.

Oh, and by the way, I don't text either.

Anglo Girl

Here We Go Again!

Wow! I'm starting year seven of my second career, teaching. Today I gave my first writing assignment to my senior class, and I just can't believe how much I still like teaching English. I showed the students how to use online resources for their textbooks, and then we quickly reviewed the actual textbook. I actually got excited about my lecture over Anglo-Saxon England that I will be giving tomorrow. I truly am the biggest nerd I know when it comes to English history. I know some of my students are really passionate about history, and some are really interested in literature and writing. But I think the rest of them just think I'm crazy.

Will my students ever understand the importance of social literacy? Will they have to be in their 30's before they can appreciate it? Are they going to learn anything in this class? Will I be fired? In the future, I plan on pointing out when I notice references to literature in the media and in life. This blog might just be my perfect forum for my obsession for all things old and British. And even though I am a fan of all things old and British, Queen Elizabeth II is not included on that list. I know, I know...she's old and she's British, but come on! How can she even compare to the Renaissance Elizabeth I?



I'm off to conclude my mission to convert non-reading teenagers into teenagers and adults that read for entertainment. If I just win over one, my work here is done.

Your superheroine of literacy,
Anglo-Girl

Trash or Treasure?

You never know what you are going to find when your cleaning out someone else's house. Over the last few months I have been pleasantly surprised, dumbfounded, confused, outraged, humored, shocked, disgusted, baffled, and yes, sometimes horrified. I have thrown away thousands of dollars worth of food and countless "free gifts" from sweepstakes companies. I have researched countless pieces of china and glassware on the Internet that, quite frankly, I find tacky and wonder why anyone would ever collect such awful items. I have found dead mice in unexpected places. I have laughed my butt off when I have found circa 1970's pictures of loved ones. I have found a few treasures--nothing of monetary value--but treasures all the same: a hand-painted wedding invitation from the 1950's, dusty old books (my first love), a Frankoma bee hive honeypot, dog tags from the family pet that died in 1969, baby shoes, a huge conch shell (that is now sitting beside my pool), kitschy bar ware, funky prints of Paris, and cast iron skillets.

I would like to strangle the sweepstakes people for leading the elderly down a primrose path of promised fortunes. And who told my mother-in-law that she should could retire one day on the proceeds of her Beanie Baby collection?! That person ought to be shot. What am I going to do with 5,678 Beanie Babies? Also, what makes a person want to hoard items? Now, I'm not talking about "collecting" items, but hoarding items. What would compel a person to save all the detergent scoops that they ever got? I mean I understand that you could buy a box of Tide and by some cosmic mistake, the company could have not put a scoop in the box. For this reason alone, I think that everyone should keep one extra scoop above the washing machine. But really, do you need 157? What is with old people and marbles?! My mother-in-law really "lost her marbles". I filled a coffee can with marbles I found in the kitchen and downstairs bathroom, and I found these marbles ONE AT A TIME!!! Why did she need the marbles in the kitchen and bathroom? I also found $687.32 in change in the kitchen, and you guessed it, I found it one coin at a time.

One person's trash is another person's treasure. Who am I to judge?

Anglo Girl