tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86740612011-04-21T14:09:27.362-04:00occasional musings of a southern girl when she has a chance to think and ...lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comBlogger351100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1121463538305605732005-07-15T17:38:00.000-04:002005-07-15T17:38:58.340-04:00

I can't believe I've been away from blogging for so long. I have been reading blogs, but just not writing for mine--a mistake. So, to catch up, here's the Cliff's Notes of the last few months:I am changing schools and jobs. I have accepted a position as the instructional lead teacher at another high school in my district. This takes me out of the classroom and puts me squarely in front of

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1112998546333224742005-04-08T18:15:00.000-04:002005-04-08T18:15:46.473-04:00

Flower Originally uploaded by Rosaholic. Tomorrow, weather permitting, I will plant pink and white petunias in my front yard, beneath the weeping cherry that is now barren of blossoms. My husband will make new homes for pink azaleas and hostas in the backyard next to the fountain. Life is good.

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1112879995428817812005-04-07T09:19:00.000-04:002005-04-07T09:19:55.426-04:00

2004-04-08_13-08-56 Originally uploaded by miyana2m. Today it is gray and dark, gloomy in fact. I have only 35 more essays to grade in this marathon, and yet, it feels like a hundred still to go. My usually cheery office feels cold and dungeonlike.But yesterday, I walked under trees like the ones in the picture, and the wind blew, and petals cascaded through the air like snowflakes,

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1112637543858806282005-04-04T14:19:00.000-04:002005-04-07T09:25:27.350-04:00

Finally, it's here!

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1112606927455255652005-04-04T05:28:00.000-04:002005-04-04T17:58:41.723-04:00

It's official. According to Tickle.com, despite all my anecdotal evidence to the contrary, I am not a slacker.Hey -- you're no slacker. You're just fronting. Lucky for you, you're not too uptight either. You've struck that wonderful balance between slacking off and keeping busy. It's not an easy task, so congratulations. Your efficiency and determination let you work in a timely manner. And that

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1111935820412825492005-03-27T10:03:00.000-05:002005-03-27T10:03:40.423-05:00

Friday I went with my mother to the doctor. It was an important appointment. Mom had a CT scan last week, and it's been almost a month since her last chemo treatment. We were all worried--the physician's assistant had freaked us out more than just a little at her last appointment, as he stated matter-of-factly, "Well, of course, you know you've got bone cancer." Uh, NO. In fact, the

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1111412338195037812005-03-21T08:37:00.000-05:002005-03-21T08:38:58.196-05:00

I should have known better. As soon as I make a post about how I'm writing so much more, work sidelines me and I am unable to post to any of my blogs for over a week. And it looks like I've got another crazy week ahead. I'll be back...eventually.

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1110722687634394422005-03-13T09:04:00.000-05:002005-03-13T09:04:47.633-05:00

I realized this morning that I am writing more. Now it's not that this is a startling revelation--clearly my decision to maintain not one but three blogs, in addition to the one I keep for my classes, necessitates a good deal of writing. It makes sense that I am indeed spending more time getting the words down. But that's not exactly what I mean.It's not just that I am writing more often. I am

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1109686486322722622005-03-01T09:04:00.000-05:002005-03-01T09:14:46.326-05:00

As I have noted before, my 12 year old stepson is having more than a few problems at school. He's never done well in school, but this year he has hit an all time low. While the responsibility for his poor performance rests squarely on his own narrow little shoulders, I want to take this opportunity to vent about some teachers.Before I vent, let me state for the record that I believe that most

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1109636543034538512005-02-28T19:22:00.000-05:002005-02-28T19:22:23.033-05:00

Just yesterday I swore I wouldn't say anything negative about my ex-in-law in front of the children. I've already broken my promise.It happened like this:This afternoon we had a family meeting to determine whether we should hire an attorney to represent my stepdaughter in court. My husband proposed that we take our chances without one, since the wicked ex-in-law is refusing to contribute to the

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1109528246209973442005-02-27T13:17:00.000-05:002005-02-27T18:29:49.150-05:00

Even though I've been married before, I've never really had to deal with an ex-in-law. It's been a rather nasty addition to my otherwise nice life.In the beginning, I defended my ex-in-law from my husband, and from their children. I didn't think it was possible for her to be the demon they portrayed. I have since discovered I was wrong.Quite simply, my ex-in-law is poisonous. Our family counselor

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1109205243919212652005-02-23T19:34:00.000-05:002005-02-27T18:36:44.320-05:00

My mom had her last scheduled chemo today. The doctors say everything is looking good. They want to do another CAT scan in the next few weeks to see what's happening with the tumor on her spine. They're thinking the tumor might be gone, that after this last treatment, she might actually be in remission.Mom says she's afraid to get too excited, afraid to hope. I tell her not to hold back--what's

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1108916344880746252005-02-20T11:19:00.000-05:002005-02-20T11:27:02.376-05:00

I've been thinking a lot about control lately--mostly my lack of it when it comes to my own life. Years ago, when my 35 year old fiance died in a freak accident, I thought I had realized the futility of attempting to control and order my life and the lives of those around me, that I had learned that none of us has any real control over the things that happen, that our only control is over our

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1108598698615398892005-02-16T19:04:00.000-05:002005-02-16T19:04:58.616-05:00

Check out my new blog just for writers--The Writing Room. This one will boast a new writing prompt daily (almost). Prompts should be appropriate for just about anyone--from teen writer to fledgling author to frustrated, blocked blogger. Please post comments, suggestions--I'd love to make this a source of inspiration for other writers out there.

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1108394409844653062005-02-14T10:11:00.000-05:002005-02-14T10:20:09.846-05:00

For some reason, this weekend felt very sad, even though I spent most of it with my lovely hubby. We had a great time Saturday afternoon, just walking around Cartersville and popping into the little shops along the way. We found a dark little Irish pub to have lunch in, and listened to this cool southern-rock, blues guy playing guitar, singing, and pumping a cymbal with his left foot.But then we

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1107647094997296802005-02-05T18:44:00.000-05:002005-02-05T18:44:54.996-05:00

I spent the afternoon with my mom today. She had her third chemo treatment on Wed., and usually the ten days that follow are so rough on her. She generally would spend this weekend vomiting incessantly, followed by a Mon. doctor visit during which they give her fluids to help with the nausea and the dehydration. But they've given her different meds to combat the nausea this time, and today was

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1107378791417420902005-02-02T16:08:00.000-05:002005-02-02T19:44:19.640-05:00

Thanks, Richa! Don't you just love my blog's new outfit? You too can have this and other oh-so-stylish designs by visiting Richa's free template page (you might also want to check out Richa's blog while you're at it). I had to do just a tiny bit of tinkering to add in the extras I had on my previous template, but it was worth it. I also uploaded all the images to my own server to help out the

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1106838078386926692005-01-27T10:00:00.000-05:002005-01-27T10:16:02.160-05:00

Warning: this post is shameless in its lack of literary and intellectual value. Suddenly, I'm beginning to really love TV again. There are several new shows that I actually look forward to, that keep me riveted the entire time, either from suspense or from my anticipation of the next big laugh. Some of these shows are so compelling that I stay up past my bedtime to see them (even though I have

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1106618851212038872005-01-24T21:07:00.000-05:002005-01-24T21:07:31.213-05:00

We had Open House tonight. It was generally painless--as one teacher observed, "like a cocktail party, without the cocktails." Okay, maybe not so painless.Here's the funny thing: I had this kid last semester, Slacker-boy, whose father decided he (the father) would take my course via email correspondence with me. It got to the point that the dad was emailing me 2-3 times A DAY, asking for

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1106618311338129882005-01-24T20:58:00.000-05:002005-01-24T20:58:31.336-05:00

Lately I find myself feeling that I have to create something worthwhile if I'm going to write here. I've noticed since I started posting more regularly (and then, just as quickly, stopped) that my posts on this blog are far different than posts I have made on previous online journals. Maybe the very terminology has heralded the difference. Blogging is different than journaling. There is

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1105397156227131702005-01-10T17:45:00.000-05:002005-01-13T15:09:32.466-05:00

Christmas Day was not typical this year. With my mom just beginning to experience the wrenching side effects of her first chemo-treatment, nothing was right. She was stubborn, determined to proceed as though nothing had changed. But of course, everything had. She spent most of the day traveling from house to house, with my father pulling over frequently to allow her to be sick. Finally, she

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1103948524239110382004-12-24T23:22:00.000-05:002004-12-24T23:22:04.240-05:00

For the few, the proud, the mac lovers out there, let me heartily recommend Dan Schimpf's remarkable freeware, MacJournal. (The software is only free for a short time, though, since smart Dan has just made a deal with Mariner Software to begin marketing his brainchild.) Those with blogs on Blogger will find it exceptional. The program is a nifty little journal program all on its own--no super

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1103790743073612362004-12-23T03:32:00.000-05:002004-12-23T03:32:23.073-05:00

My mom had her first chemo treatment today. The day before my mother said to me, "They're going to put poison in my body tomorrow." Her small, trembling voice shook me. I replied, "I know, mom. But there's already poison there, and they have to kill it."She sighed. "I know."The day started at 8 AM for her and my dad. I arrived around 9:30 and they still had not started the actual chemo, were

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1102942706424311332004-12-13T07:58:00.000-05:002004-12-13T07:58:26.423-05:00

Yesterday I went to church for the first time in many years. I am not a religious person. I have many reservations about the way that organized religion functions and the true motives of those who "organize" it. But I went, for my mom. Her pastor had called a few days before, and he wanted to perform a "healing" service on her and have the congregation pray. She didn't ask me to go. She

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1102257716701165572004-12-05T09:41:00.000-05:002004-12-05T09:41:56.700-05:00

I need to be positive. I need to practice positive thinking. My mom will get well. She will fight this and she will win. I have to believe that. The maudlin part of me, the part that's scared, terrified in fact, wants to dispute these claims but I can't listen. I have to focus on the good. I have to believe that my mom has a fighting chance.Tomorrow we go to the oncologist. My sister is

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1102111349707593212004-12-03T17:02:00.000-05:002004-12-03T17:02:29.706-05:00

It's lymphoma. And a spinal tumor. I've cried so much that I now have a dull headache. I''m drinking my second cup of coffee with Bailey's, so I guess I'll let the caffeine and the alcohol battle it out. I don't know what to write, but I'm trying to make some sense of this, keep myself busy, etc., etc. I keep thinking of all the times over the last six months that I wondered how bad my mom

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1102070820193047962004-12-03T05:42:00.000-05:002004-12-03T05:47:00.193-05:00

My mom is sick. She has been for the last six months and no one seems to know quite what is wrong with her. She's lost 20 pounds, which is at least 10 pounds too many, and she's in pain much of the time. At first they thought it was fibromyalgia, but now they think it must be something else. Yesterday she had an MRI, which revealed the same oddity that an x-ray earlier in the week revealed:

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1102033287541566402004-12-02T19:16:00.001-05:002004-12-03T05:42:37.420-05:00

We're reading Romeo and Juliet and occasionally watching parts of the Zefferelli film version in my ninth grade lit classes. So I'm explaining the differences between the movie and the play and one of my students raises his hand to ask: "So which one is right, the movie or the play?" I stop, manage not to laugh, and respond, "Well, which one do you think came first?" Horror of horrors, he

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1101858482986480662004-11-30T17:43:00.000-05:002004-12-01T09:43:10.236-05:00

Fair warning: I'm about to rant. For the last week or so, my favorite radio morning show, "The Bert Show" on Q100, has been chatting with people regarding the new hit show, "Desperate Housewives". Seems some people are having a hard time understanding the decidedly dark humor of the series that is sooo clearly tongue-in-cheek you'd have to be a freakin' idiot not to see it. But, that doesn't stop

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1101677527646538782004-11-28T15:56:00.000-05:002004-11-28T21:28:58.193-05:00

I don't know exactly what's going on with me lately. Seems I've become increasingly sentimental and much more prone to tears than ever before. I've just read two very worthwhile books, both of which had me tearing up and sometimes spilling over. Now I don't generally do that too often with books. I can only remember a few that have so affected me, the most recent being The Kite Runner by

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1101568610322035942004-11-27T10:16:00.000-05:002004-11-27T10:16:50.323-05:00

Now that we have eaten the turkey and the ham and the dressing with gravy, is it too late to give thanks and acknowledge that which makes us oh so lucky? I think not, so here goes: I am thankful for my husband and our life together. Our first year of marriage was difficult, but this second one seems to be making up for all those hard times. I am thankful for my parents. I feel so lucky that

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1101313682426663152004-11-24T11:17:00.000-05:002005-02-05T02:06:40.713-05:00

Okay, here goes. I'm getting old. OLD. I don't like it. It's not pretty. In fact, it pretty much sucks. I've known it was coming--after all, I turned 40 in September. But I now have photographic evidence and it's not good. Lately I'd been trying to have fun with it--buying a new wardrobe, enjoying all the shopping, all the sophisticated "What Not to Wear"-approved attire, avoiding the

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1101310888671899832004-11-24T10:35:00.000-05:002004-11-26T16:02:22.573-05:00

"I thought the rain would never stop." I used to give that stem as a story starter to my seniors, and now I seem to be living it. On the plus side, I am home, happily tapping away at my keyboard, and not at school, breathing in chalkdust while I not so happily tap away at my keyboard. On the downside, J is out on the road, pulled over to the side at the moment, because the rain is too dense to

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1100358135798015532004-11-13T10:01:00.000-05:002004-11-26T16:04:54.990-05:00

What is there to write? I'm not sure, and not sure why I insisted on using this slow and annoying laptop of all things, but here I am. I just want to feel something resembling writing coming off the tips of my fingers. I think of the weekend, all laid out before me with no real work that must be completed, and suddenly I realize, I could be writing. The thing that concerns me is my lack of

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674061.post-1097576242737474092004-10-12T06:11:00.000-04:002004-11-26T16:00:27.800-05:00

New blog, new habits? I've never really tried to keep up with multiple blogs (have a hard enough time keeping current with one), but I'm going to give this a shot. I'm kind of enjoying keeping the blog focused on my teaching, so I thought I'd try having one that focused on my personal life too. And maybe just a place to record the random thoughts that aren't completely explainable or the

lit loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05655721435559160806noreply@blogger.com