Yikes!

You're still here and I haven't forgotten - I promise! I've just been a tiny bit busy.

So, to re-cap funny/interesting things that have happened in the past few days while I was a way ...

• I introduced my kids to New Kids on the Block. Yes, I averted a minor pop culture travesty. 
• I got some new followers on twitter - strangers are following me now! And golfers! And journalists! I feel special. And even better? I'm getting favorited and re-tweeted ... Exciting stuff, y'all. Come follow me @BrookeJM79
• I have subbed now 4 days with another day on the books for later this week. I have now concluded that I prefer high school students on their worst day(s) to any other grades. But I especially dislike the "middle grades" - what horrible, horrible years. 
• My Boy told me: 

"Mama, I know how the platypus came to be! Someone breeded (yes, that's the word he used!!) a duck and a beaver!"

Never have I been happier to say, "um, no. God made a platypus. The end."

Too much Turtle Man? Me thinks yes."

Additionally ...

• We've had company this week (Hi, Lindsay!)
• I got to go to the beach twice this week (once for an hour or so with Heather & once again with the kids and Lindsay)
• We ate a lot guacamole this week. I mean, A LOT. Like 8 avacdaoes worth.
• Craft night got postponed (Again. We are officially the worst crafters. Ever. )
• The New Girl and The Mindy Project premiered this week ... Now I'm just waiting on Grey's Anatomy, The Parenthood, The Walking Dead ...
• And now it's Saturday night and I'm gearing up to watch Bridesmaids so I can laugh til I cry. 

Oh ... And I'm subbing Every. Single. Day. Next. Week ... So if you don't hear from me, that might be why. And my friend, Tarah, and her family are popping in for the weekend. Maybe something funny, touching or entertaining will happen and here in this forum I will have a chance to share it with you ... Fingers crossed!

Twelve Years

Here it is ... a few minutes after 11 p.m. ... Not even an hour left of this 12th Anniversary of 9-11-01.

It's not that I am just now sitting down to write because I've forgotten what day it is - I won't ever forget.

In fact, like many of you reading this right now, I will remember exactly where I was when I heard.

I was in college - The University of South Carolina-Upstate - and was heading toward a 9:20 a.m. class in the Humanities and Performing Arts Center. At the top of the stairs is a an open loft-style area and there was a television mounted in the corner. The news was playing and as I walked past, I saw the replay of the first plane hitting the North Tower.

As I stopped to watch - certain that I was seeing a preview for a new, awful movie - the broadcast cut to live coverage of the second plane flying into the South Tower.

I don't remember any of the people - fellow students, instructors - who were standing there, watching with me. I remember having an absolutely lost feeling.

And over the next few hours - as a third plane hit the Pentagon and as we heard the first reports of the fourth plane crashing into a field in Pennsylvania - I continued to be afraid.

If these things could happen in New York or Pennsylvania or The Pentagon, for crying out loud, it could happen anywhere. 

But today it's not forgetfulness that finds me saving my thoughts until the end of the day.

It was life.

On September 11, 2001, it felt like the world stopped turning, for just a moment.

And then the people mobilized.

First responders ran into the fire. 

Everyday, ordinary citizens hugged on the street, gave blood, gave money, packed up and went to Ground Zero to serve in any way they were able.

And today, twelve years later, I have remembered all day.

I've talked to my own children about the horror of that day. And of the beauty that grew from such hatred and horror. 

I've talked with my husband about how our fellow journalists, both television and print, stepped up to share information with the rest of us. Even though they had to be shaken. Even though they had to want nothing more than to be home with their own families.

I have remembered. 

And in honor of those whose lives were taken, of those who gave their lives, I choose to live. 

I choose to be a good neighbor who watches out for those who live around me.

I choose to raise my children to love and respect people of all races, all colors and all creeds.

Thank you, writers of The West Wing, for these words ...

"You want to get these people? I mean, you really want to reach in and kill them where they live? Keep accepting more than one idea. It makes them absolutely crazy."

- Joshua Lyman, Isaac & Ishmael

I will never forget. 

In another, younger life I was a Nanny.

I did a lot of things for and with this fabulous family and knowing them has enriched my life in ways I could never begin to express.

Watching the children that I adored grow up and find their way in the world has been a tremendous blessing.

All that to say ... My "kids" (they were 4th, 6th & 9th graders when we first met) are getting a lot of press these days and I couldn't be prouder!

So, here are links where you can read about some amazing, talented, smart, funny and beautiful 20-somethings who are doing all that they can to leave their world with a little more beauty.

Will In The Park

Sisal & Tow

And if that isn't enough, they've got a baby brother who is soon to join them out in the real world, and he's going to be magic, too.

So if you're in Manhattan, NY or Charleston, SC, look up these talents - your life will be better for having met them!

Neighbors

So ... I went and had myself a little rant this evening.

Ranting is something I typically reserve for the Hubs, but tonight ... Well, just too much has been said.

I enjoy politics and I love the spirit of debating ideas and thoughts. I love these debates when they are done in the spirit of growth and cooperation and an intent for the greater good.

But I don't enjoy when your political or personal views give way to hate.

There are things that I don't understand about this world. 

I don't understand how it is that I can live next door to a someone who practices different religious beliefs (or no beliefs at all) than mine; and while I might disagree with you - my neighbor - I don't harbor in my heart an intent to do you harm.

On the global scale, I don't understand building political success on the backs of hate-speech and fear-mongering. I don't understand going to war with neighbors over religious beliefs.

I am the first to admit that many of the issues of today's world are beyond my pay-grade. Syria is one of those issues. Israel and Palestine are one of those issues. And so many other issues that in my mind simply require people to sit down together and act like, well, human beings.

So, you see, I don't understand why I have read, over and over, in my FaceBook newsfeed over the past few days, rants that filled with hate for the Syrian people - as if their lives are not worth our concern. Worth our care.

As I said, I don't believe that this a simple "issue"  (gosh, what a little word to encompass the troubles of the world, no?) ... And I will be the first to admit, again, that I don't begin to understand the nuances and implications politically and strategically (it is, I'm told, a world-wide playing field) if the U.S. should enter Syria. So to be clear, I'm not even offering an opinion on this issue.

But I am offering an opinion on the things I see from some of my friends (people I love, people I like, people I respect ... For the most part).

So in fairness, here's how my little rant went:

Friends ... The following comments, made by me, do not require a response from you. None of you. But I'm going to say it because I'm about to explode, and let's be honest - the world is a better place without me vomiting my thoughts upon it. So lest I explode ...

On Syria: I don't even know what I think about this issue of U.S. intervention or no intervention ... But what I do know is that one life or 1,500 lives or 50,000 lives - it doesn't matter:

One life is not worth more than another.

An American life is not worth more by virtue of our citizenship.
A life is not worth more because of skin color - light, dark, freckled, fair or any shade in between.
A life is not worth more because of who you love (or don't love).
A life is not worth more because you believe in one God or many gods or no god.

What I do know is that life is a gift and the golden rule (as I was taught) is "to love your neighbor as yourself " ... There aren't any exceptions for loving your neighbor any more or less based on their location, race or beliefs.

I'm not cleaning out my Facebook friends because I love y'all and I care about your families and your jobs and your ridiculous rants about football teams of which you are not a member ... But don't think to involve me your hate-talk.

And I won't limit or censor what people may (or may not) have to say in response to this ... But I won't engage in hatefulness.

There are too many beautiful things about the people of this world to be bogged down and sucked into hatefulness.

Go meet a stranger and be a helper.

See y'all later. 

Saturday Stuff That Doesn't Involve Football

 So today around Noon (right as the Clemson - S.C. State football game came on, coincidentally), I had this text exchange with my friend N (in case you're curious, I'm the broke one):

 So about 30 minutes later, N rolled up and we went and picked up P and instead of IHOP (I don't eat at IHOP), we rolled down to Cracker Barrel so N could buy us both brunch (really it was lunch, since it was 1 pm, but we all ordered breakfast stuffs, so ...)

The first thing that happened, just after our food came, was that an older gentleman stood up and broke into a lovely rendition of "God Bless America" and paused long enough to invite the entire restaurant (filled with mostly retirees and the three of us ... Hey, the Cracker Barrel's parking lot literally attaches to Sun City - an over-55 retirement community!).
N continued eating.
P watched the man with a big smile on her face.
I, of course, sang right along.
 The song ended and there was applause.
We were part of a moment.
It was nice.


The second interesting part of was that we travel with our own jelly, made by N and her husband in their jelly sweatshop.
And no, you can't have any.
P took the last jar home with her.

 And here's where P captured me and N in our social networking responses this morning:

 

 (We are definitely looking our finest here ... I'm tweeting and N is FaceBooking)

There was something else I was going to tell y'all ... Hmmm ...

Oh yeah! 

So, I was looking at a local university's job openings and stumbled across this gem (which I have edited in the event that I ever apply/be considered for a job there; any thing noted in parenthesis are my personal thoughts):

Volunteer Opportunities

 This program is organized and planned by its curriculum committees and everyone is encouraged to contribute in some way. You may teach or facilitate a course (for free), be a class assistant (for free), serve on the curriculum committee (for free), help in the office (for free) or perform other tasks (for free). Working together maintains a high-quality program at a reasonable cost. A good way to first become involved is to serve as a class assistant. These valuable members hand out materials (for free), make announcements (for free), set up equipment (for free), and assist instructors in many important ways (for free).  For more information please contact …

I'm just saying that this school is a state school (receiving state AND federal tax dollars, as well as lots and lots of $$ from local businesses). 

 And while I'm all about some volunteer opportunities, it seems to me that the school could be putting some students to work in their "Work Study" program (you know - handing out the material that instructors are clearly unable to hand out, making announcements for the obviously voiceless instructors, setting up equipment for these helpless instructors ... FYI: Currently there are exactly no student employment opportunities posted by the school)

Student Employment Opportunities

None

 A note about this "Volunteer Opportunities" posting: I attended a state school that has about 700 students in its current freshman class and:

The average class size is 25-30 students with freshman classes averaging 30-35 students. The student-to-faculty ratio is 18 to 1. Smaller class sizes and frequent one-on-one conversation with faculty are consistently noted by students as contributors to their academic success.

Not one of my professors needed a volunteer to hand out materials, make announcements (unless they were vomiting and running to the loo - I think that happened once with an expectant mum instructor) or set up their equipment. From time-to-time, outside of scheduled instructional time, we were blessed with community leaders/members who gave of their time to speak on their chosen careers (politicians, reporters/anchors, advertising execs, etc.) - but these folks were certainly not taking the place of instructors/professors, rather they were adding to an already rich educational experience being provided at a fair cost by well-educated, intentional teachers.

Now I'm off my little soap box.

So. Those are the things that happened today ... None of which had anything to do with football, which IMO makes today awesome.

Also, I got to sing "God Bless America".
In public.
Kind of loudly.
Yay!

See y'all later!

Laundry! Cleaning! Ugh!

Ugh.

I hate cleaning. Absolutely detest cleaning.

And gosh, there's so much cleaning to be done!

I steam-cleaned the carpet just last week and already it looks horrible again.

My kids wear uniforms to school, and yet I have at least 10 loads of laundry that are not uniforms!

I need to paint the walls heading up the stairs. And the hand-rail. And ...

I need a job.

Yes, you heard me right.

I'm more productive and active when I have a job. I'm just not one of those people who can stay on task without structure ... and dropping the kids off at 8:15 and picking them up at 3:30? That's not as much "structure" as you might think.

Alright ... pity party over. Laundry is going, beds are made, kitchen is still a disaster ...

Better run!

The Walking Dead

Y'all, I'm so tickled.

The University of California at Irvine, in conjunction with AMC, announced today that it will be offering a FREE online course titled "Society, Science and Survival: Lessons from AMC's The Walking Dead"

That's all.

I can't write right now because I've got to go register for class ... Chat more later?

Yay!

Ohhh! Here's the link, just in case you're interested!

It Really, Really Is

Governor Nikki Haley was right ... It is a great day in South Carolina.

Welcome, September.

Post-Labor Day ... Post

I didn't forget I had a blog! I didn't forget! (YAY!!)

It was one of those long, didn't-really-do-anything-but-stayed-busy-just-the-same kind of weekends, so excuse me for not being around this weekend.

My parents and niece and nephew came down for the weekend, so we spent a lot of time just hanging out. We spent Saturday at the beach - which was exhausting for me and my Dad and super relaxing for my Mom. My Mom is the "doer" of things related to the kids during the normal week and Dad is the "doer" of outdoor chores. But at the beach, all bets are off because Mom doesn't like to get in the water. So, Dad and I spent the day in the water with four kids (3, 5, 9 & 10) while they jumped waves, plunged into the surf, got bashed by waves, got yanked by the current and generally just enjoyed being in the water.

And then we came home to conk out.

When we go to the beach (which is at least once a week during the summer, more if I can swing it), I am militant.

I love the beach, but I don't believe it's necessary to be coated in sand to enjoy yourself. We take toys, but only as much as the kids can carry to and from the beach, so usually that means each kid carries a boogie board and a bucket/shovel. I take a cooler (on wheels!) full of waters and a few Coca-Colas (because I have a problem - I know!) and usually sandwiches, chips, cookies and maybe granola bars.

*Note: When I go to the beach with kids, I plan to stay for the day. Barring a turn in the weather, we usually are on the beach for anywhere from 4-8 hours. Taking more waters than you expect to need is crucial to being able to leave without succumbing to heat/sun stroke. We also take lots of sunscreen!

I have the coolest chair ever - it has a deep pocket on the back that is big enough for a book, towel, sunscreen and the car keys. Best of all, the chair itself has backpack straps, leaving my hands free. Sometimes (but not always) I take a beach umbrella. I usually take one towel onto the beach (for wiping faces/bodies when it's time to reapply the sunscreen or if someone gets a face full of salt-water).

But the best thing that I do when we go to the beach, is take shampoo and leave-in conditioner and pajamas. Yep. Shampoo and conditioner, folks.

 When we're finished with our day at the beach, I have the kids shower off, I lather up their heads with shampoo and rinse them off, then I slather on some leave-in conditioner and hand them each their dry clothes to change into.

By the time we get home from the beach the kids are usually absolutely exhausted, so they get to go on into the house and have supper (I usually leave something going in the crock-pot or I run in ahead of them and give them something easy - cheese, turkey, Triscuits and fruit is a favorite light and easy meal at our house) ... and I clean out the car. Since we pack lightly for our beach days, I usually only need to grab wet suits, hang up towels (we will use them again and the kids were clean when they used them - it's our small way of being earth-friendly) and empty out the cooler.

The cooler is maybe the biggest deal ... We have super high-humidity here in coastal South Carolina, so after every beach trip we have to drain, rinse and then leave the cooler out in the sun to dry completely, lest we end up with a cooler full of mold and mildew. Yuck.

What do y'all do to make your beach - or mountain? camping? - day trips go more smoothly?

Dad, Mom, The Boy & The Nephew at Driessen Beach, Labor Day Weekend 2013

Oh ... We also watched Clemson beat the University of Georgia on Saturday night (between doing on couches) .. and we worked on the kids' "book nook" - when that project is finished, I'll share some pictures.

Thanks for coming by!