an update...

life has been so good to us. so good that our excitement has prevented us to blog. even now we are getting ready to ride our bikes to the Freret street market, near my school, where the bananas foster granola that my students made during kitchen class last week is being sold. yes, my students get to go to a kitchen class where they get to cook in this amazingly remolded kitchen, probably with nicer, more top of the line equipment than anyone I know has in their kitchen. then we are going to the Andrew Bird concert; very excited about that. here is a picture of one of my students. he's a delight.

you should see this movie.

Watch the trailer for WAR DANCE!

I saw this movie last night and it was very moving. Makes you think about what you value in life when you see these precious kids. I hope you get a chance to see it and I hope it has an impact on you.

my favorite

king of pop

When Michael Jackson died, I was really sad. I have been realizing lately that I'm very soft, emotionally. I will get really sad for people who I don't even know. Like when I saw UP the other day, I was so sad for that sweet old man. Likewise with MJ. I think my first CD that I bought of his was this past October and it was his number ones. I would listen to it over and over again because that's what I do when I get a new CD. It's locale for the first couple months is in my car's CD player. So I sang to the man in the mirror, realized that it doesn't matter if you're black or white, learned that Diana was dirty, was reminded that I am not alone, and then I just beat it.

I would come home from work, for about a week and watch as many videos and interviews as I could find on youtube. For hours. I started to feel so sorry for him, again, like I knew him personally. The best was one night, as we were falling asleep, I say to Ken, "babe, I'm really sad about Michael Jackson." And Ken goes, "okay," and started to giggle. Thinking, is my wife for real right now? She didn't even listen to him until October.

All that to say, I thought he was great and I'm sad that he's gone. And I'm really trying to find this TIME magazine. I think it's a great photo of him. If you have it, send it to me. Thanks.

think

I think about a lot of things. Always. There are many stations going at once in my brain. Some people call this ADD, and maybe it is. Most of the time, I like it. But sometimes my brain can't take it anymore. I have to shout it out. Or write it out. Here goes:

I sometimes look at pictures to remind myself that I have a wonderful life when I'm feeling down. I wish I thought of the gospel instead. I am married to a wonderful man and I struggle to be a perfect wife, which again, I should look to the gospel to know that I will fail him (hubs) and that he will still love me because he always will. I wish the orphanage in Sri Lanka wasn't ecumenical. I would love to spend time there with the girls sharing God's love with them, and I wonder if I'll ever return. I want to go to Morocco with Ken and teach. Or anywhere in the world where he could help train church leaders and I could teach English to kids. I would love to go to Africa. I wonder when we'll have kids. It's for things like that where I want to ask God, "When and how many?" But, that's not how things work, and let's be honest, who would really want that? I love teaching and currently I'm very inspired by the guys who started KIPP. My new school is pretty intense and I half excited and half nervous to start there in the fall. I never knew I would be a teacher, and I must say, I enjoy it a lot. I'm constantly challenged on many levels. I really like living in New Orleans. I was telling Ken tonight that I feel like it's this secret that I want everyone to know, but not to the point where moving here becomes trendy. Like when you find a great band and you are hesitant pass on the goodness, but when they do become popular, you're the first one to claim to have liked them "way back when, like before you even knew!" I like how I know New Orleans. How sweet peole live to close. I think our pastor, Ray is one of the greatest people I know. We went to a wedding last weekend and I told Ken, "let's hang out with Ray at the wedding," even though I see him multiple times in a week. He's infectious. He married us almost a year ago and I want him to baptize our kids one day. Marriage. Ken and I will celebrate one year August 2. And I say, "heck yes!" Went by really fast. I love Ken. He calms me, encourages me, loves me unconditionally, and makes me feel like a woman. It's not always easy, but even when it's hard, I love it. I wish I spent more time reading and less time facebooking. This is what is on my brain tonight. Now I will join my bubby who's been sleeping to 2 hours.

rain

There is something about the rain that I love so much. I get excited, like a little kid when I hear the thunder "boom!" over and over. I have come to appreciate this since living in New Orleans because it doesn't storm like this in CA. My first August here, in '06, I was shocked at the storms and more shocked that no one else thought anything of it. My east coast and midwest friends found it old hat, just like I find breezy 75 degree weather, with the chance of earthquakes, the norm.

Right now, I'm in my adorable, cozy house, with no lights on, enjoying the sounds of trumpets from Sufjan and rain from heaven. And it's just that, heaven to me.

Somehow I think that when it rains, work should be excused, chores should be put on hold, and we should sit on our porches and enjoy. Slow down, and enjoy.

Sidenote: I should also mention that it's 94 degrees outside. Lately it's been real hot. At school today, when I arrived at 7:15, the air had been shut off over the weekend and wasn't working properly this morning. Oh sweet mother, inside felt like outside and it was nasty. Thankfully, I was reminded as sweat was dripping down my brow, back, and everywhere, of Sri Lanka. I taught English in Sri Lanka with no AC while it rained and I loved every minute of it. Perspective. As I check my dashboard to see the weather here, I still have Trincomalee on there and it's raining there too, only it's 95 degrees.

I hope you enjoy the rain.

water cycle

thanks to julie, i have another sweet reminder of why i love teaching.