#13 FRIENDS

"I'll be there for you..."

And they were, every Thursday night for 10 years...

Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Ross, Chandler & Joey

to fill my world with laughter! This is still probably my all-time favorite show and I do miss getting to watch "new" stuff, but thanks to the wonderful world of technology-DVD's can bring them back to me at any time.

"when the rain starts to pour..."

This show & these "friends" have been part of some of my most fun memories (I'm thinking as a prelude to 'Thirsty Thursday' evenings in college! :)

This show has been part of some of my most not-so-fun memories (Scott & I purchased one of the season's on DVD to distract ourselves when we were down in Georgia after Luke had been born & things looked like they might not be turning out so well for us at that point. I give thanks every day that that didn't happen!)

"I'll be there for you..."

until one day they weren't going to be anymore because the show was ending...

"Like I've been there before..."

and then a DVD collection was purchased, so that they could be once more ;)

"I'll be there for you..."

because of all of the laughter you have brought into my little world & I still laugh each & everytime to this day.

"cause you're there for me too."

*kudos to the Rembrandts for such a catchy theme song & for parts of my blog post today :)

#12 "You People"

I use this phrase all of the time & I know that it can be used/meant in a hateful way towards certain groups of people, but I guarantee you that I have never used this phrase in a derogatory way.

I use it with my family members, especially Scott & Luke....I use it with groups of students...I use it when talking with friends...I use it when talking in/with groups...I just plain use it all of the time...

I hear myself say it sometimes & think "hmmm...that could've come across a bit harsh sounding if my tone would've been different" but I have noticed that I'm not usually using it in a harsh way-so hopefully it never has.

I swear that if I ever "you people just need to..." you, please don't take offense to it because I don't when my grandma & her son (my dad) "you people" ME! :)

Now, all of "you people" just keep on checking back here from time to time ;)

3-0!!!

It just sounds sooo "grown-up"!

I'm not usually too bothered by age & I don't really 'feel' any different than I did yesterday, but I can say that this birthday was just a bit different because...

it just sounds so grown-up!

Of course, I have had to be an adult/grownup for quite awhile now so that shouldn't really matter, but now that there is officially a 3 in front of my age...well you get the jist!

To cope/celebrate, [now channel your inner Prince & "Party like its 1999" voice] "last night I partied because I was still 29!" :)

Drinking beer from a bucket (literally)-keep in mind we were at an Okctoberfest like festivity & hanging out with some of my cousins followed by being serenaded at midnight as I became 30 was all very fun, but today because I am a 30 year old "grown-up" (who frankly can't do that 2 nights in a row anymore like I might have once upon a time during my college days), well today, I celebrated like a grown-up with cake & my families-both were good days & will be fondly remembered!

And now, I'm off to be a grown-up, I guess ;)

#11 Soap Operas

I love them or to rephrase that I loved my soap opera & none could replace it. Unfortunately, it disappeared last year:(

I had spent a good portion of the first 29 years of my life with the families/characters of "Guiding Light" until they cancelled it last year after 72 seasons-that's like almost 4 generations folks!

I can say that I was very sad about its disappearance from the airwaves last fall, yes my DVR experienced much relief, but my heart felt quite the opposite.

Yes, Scott would refer to it as "that dumb show" but I do believe that he was secretly impressed too by the family/individual histories that I could give on the characters from having watched it over the years. (He will also never admit it, but he may even have enjoyed watching it too from time to time ;)

The characters were like members of my make-believe far away family-only I never had to worry about a long lost evil twin showing up, people never completely being dead & gone (they always made it back somehow), or having a child that I had forgotten/never knew existed. I could just revel in their chaos, which always made life seem that much better.

I reflect on it here now, partly, because I didn't at this time last year & partly, because I have been reminded of it yet again as another long time soap that I have watched on & off again through the year was cancelled this week. "As The World Turns" aired for the last time today after 54 seasons. I am the first to admit that my interest in this one has had its highs & lows through the years & I don't feel quite as connected to it, but since hearing of its impending cancellation about 6 months ago-I started watching it again just because. It makes me sad to hear of another long time show biting the dust, but this one won't be quite so traumatic for me (although I do know 1 or 2 people for whom it will be!) I haven't watched the last few episodes yet, but I'm sure they will leave me wishing that I could have my "Guiding Light" back! Alas, that will never happen...

So, to the Cooper's, Bauer's, Lewis's, & Spaulding's-thanks for all of the enjoyment that you brought to my life during the first 29 of my 30 years-you'll be missed over the next 30 I'm sure!

#10 Books/Reading

I love books & I love reading them!

I love the feel of a new book in my hands & the anticipation of getting to read it.

I can remember lazy summer days spent reading books, as well as, too many late nights spent staying up waaaay too late to read just one more chapter.

I remember having challenged myself to read many books last year & then doing so even with a toddler in tow, yet falling way behind on that very same challenge for this year (unless you want to count a couple of resource books about teaching reading!)

I have learned NOT to read the book before watching the movie, if I want to continue to like the movie after they've "messed" it all up! :) I try to read them after the fact nowadays.

I love the many characters & places that have entered my little world in the last 30 years from having read about them/taught about them & can't wait to "meet" & "visit" many more over the next 30 years!

#9 Chocolate

Chocolate...

*with peanut butter

*covered peanuts

*brownies

*chip cookies

*milk

*ice cream

*syrup

*fudge

*candy

and last but not least...

Milk Chocolate all by itself!

What can I say-it has made my first 30 years so "delicious" on so many occasions. I'm so glad it was discovered :) but my butt may not say the same ;) hehe

#8 September!

It's the most wonderful month of the year & as I like to say, the most wonderful people are born during it too ;)

A little bit of summer,
a little bit of fall,
schedules (school's & our family's) start falling into place,
harvesting begins,
leaves start to show hints of what is to come,
my first weeks of motherhood began here,
wiener roasts & s'mores,
& my birthday too, of course,
All of these reasons & more
Are why September is the month I most adore! :)

#7 Teaching

Teaching is not only what I do, but it is what I love!

I love the kids, I love the work & I love that this is what I get to do with my life each day (& with summers off too, except for summer school! ;)

I may not have my own classroom full of my "own" students, but I do have the opportunity to call several different classrooms that I visit each day "mine." I know that I have not made a difference in every student's life that I have come into contact with, but as for the few that I know I have...it is an amazing feeling & one that can't really be explained.
It makes my job worth it!

I've always known that I wanted to help people in some way-for awhile in my early college days, I thought that meant the health field, but it just never felt completely "right." It was & still is something that I just couldn't quite explain, but something that I just "knew" even if it did take me a couple of years to figure that out for certain. Initially, I thought maybe I had just "settled" upon teaching when I decided to pursue it, but once I started classes-I knew I had found the path I was supposed to be on all along.

I have had my fair share of bumps & dashed hopes along the way, but in the end I know that I will have made a difference (at least to a few) & that those students have forever touched my heart as well & that hopefully, the world is just a little bit better place because of it too! :)