Staying Connected - 2008

thank you Sappho for upholding the tradition.

2008 was one of the shortest years I remember (though it's technically one of the longer ones : 366 is a lot of days for a year).



Best moments


*teaching primary level and special needs. without a doubt - enjoyable. Special needs education is one of the most challenging things I've ever done.

• Emotionally challenging because these children (and any children really) are so vulnerable sometimes it hurts... you can't help but take that worry with you. And some of them - you know they understand just what's going on - but they can't communicate (how they feel or what they think). Lord, teach me how to listen when they do not know how to speak.


• Physically challenging because I met a little/big 5 year old (I dubbed him "sumo wrestler born on the wrong continent") he can bring almost anyone of any size to their knees with a well placed shove and a knack for finding your centre of gravity. Also stubborn children can be heavy (even when they weigh nextkin to nothin). note to self - next year - no lifting if possible - my back and my knees can't take it.


• Mentally challenging because I know they can learn and often even have a thirst to learn... but finding the way that they learn is a challenge. keeping them occupied and stimulated and out of trouble takes excessive amounts of mental energy. books, videos and traditional games are insufficient.

* learning how to live on my own and go grocery shopping and cook healthy food for my self..... I'm still learning - but I'm getting better at it. Even though I lived "on my own" for 4 years (i.e in the TO) living on my own here was like a totally new experience - complete with running out of food a couple times and eating cereal for dinner. Now I feel a sense of accomplishment with every trip to the market.

* beaching it on a regular basis. Thank you God for my sight - and allowing my to see clear blue skies and beautiful sunsets.

* entering my photos in a photo competition - sadly I didn't win anything but it was a great experience. I felt quite special.

Worst moments

Thankfully I've been healthy and safe this year and the only rough moments have been few and far between.

* my two best friends "breaking up". Now we're no longer the three musketeers. I'm still trying to find my way in this (does anyone have any suggestions?).

* not getting everything I want (I know it's part of life - we deal with it from the time we're 1 - but this year it's been hitting me hard). Lord, please help me to accept graciously and gracefully that whatever you withhold is for good reason.

Hopes and Dreams for 2009

* to spend more time with family - 2008 flew by and I only saw my aunts here a couple times. I live in Barbados for goodness sake! I should be seeing them on a regular basis. so I plan to make a concentrated effort.

* give myself enough time to write. it's not that there aren't ideas there - but I've been shortchanging myself in terms of time... so hopefully I can finagle a few more hours into my day. (If I figure out how I'll be sure to let you know how)

*be hope-free and faith-full. I know it sounds odd - I don't want to be hopeless, only hope-free... living in the real present, not the imagined (never going to happen) not too distant future. Faith is about trusting God for my future, not believing I know what's best for me (and living in a dream if/when I can't obtain it).

HAPPY NEW YEAR LOVELY LADIES

take care

love, tulip

Summer Camp

Happy Canada Day!!!!
(yesterday)

I'm currently helping out with summer camp at the school I teach at. I'm working with 5 and 6 year olds instead of the regular 7/8. I wanted to see if they were just as cute.
They generally are, and today I learned some useful lessons.

5/6 year olds are very happy playing tunnel (a game where you arrange a set of desks in a line and tell them to crawl under in a line). They love it - they love crawling on the ground. They did it for almost half an hour. Who knew it could be so much fun?
Had I suggested that game to the 7/8 year olds in my class they would have been thoroughly offended, as though I'd insulted their intelligence: Crawl on the floor?? The floor is dirty! (well, maybe not all of them would have thought this up - but you better believe if one person said it, the others would soon follow suite)

5/6 year olds play Blue-bird-blue-bird through my window until their little arms and feet are too tired to play any more.... so cute!!

5/6 year olds have difficulty playing games that involve going through the alphabet - some of them just don't remember that b comes before c.

The game "When I grow up I want to be a statue" - can provide minutes of wonderful quiet entertainment that does not involve running around. CUTE!!


So long as I can keep up my energy levels I think I'll be able to survive camp.
wish me luck!

A few random thoughts

thought while on the bus (May 9th)

• I just saw a woman with big curlers in her hair - and perfect posture.
• I wish I has the sort of posture that made a stroll up the driveway with yellow curlers in my hair look like a walk on the catwalk...

thought on June 4th (new moon)

• Today I feel decidedly under the circumstances, under the weather and under the moon. I'm blaming it on the New moon (which was yesterday) and lower than usual blood sugar (haven't eaten in hours). I'm going to go make dinner! (I can't change the moon).
• One of my students wrote a whole composition on potato wedges. Even I'd be hard pressed to write a composition about raisins (though I do recall writing a poem). And as much as I love them I flat out couldn't do marshmallows.

Two Tom thoughts

• I just opened and emptied a can of tuna - unharassed.
• I accidentally taught my class to give stink eye (it's so cute when 8 year olds do it!)
• Mid convo one student stopped and pointed out the window - cat!! (I love children)
• (ok, that was more than two)

Nuances

• The things - the - something that happens between men and women. The tiny little *things (zings) that pass between brief touches - even across the space between them. Do they exist? and to what extent?
• L, I'm in love with the language you speak. Like I'm in love with French men -ooh la la! sigh* I wish I knew all that you say. You understand me so much better than I understand you (thought to my deaf sign language instructor).

Seseme Street

• "Yeah, well, I'm a grouch - I'm not pleased to meet anyone. So SCRAM!" (oscar The grouch)

Dirty Dancing

When I watch a good movie - especially one where the guy and gal have an apparently happy ending - or better yet - beginning; I wonder what really happens next (you know - after the credits role). Like tonight, I watched Dirty Dancing - which has some HOTTTT!! dance scenes and must have really steamed up the screens when it first came out (sizzle sizzle Patrick Swayze!! ;)). And I wondered what happened with Patrick's character and 'Baby' (Jennifer Grey) afterwards...
Did they get their happy ever after? if so - for how long? for ever?
what happened when she went to University? did they do the long distance thing? Did it work? Did he get used to having one stellar woman or did the temptations of his former life prevail once he gained his confidence?
Did they do great things?
Did they do great things together?
*sigh*
I guess I'm always curious now - when things get off to a great beginning - how do they continue? and how exactly do they end?
I liked When Harry Met Sally for that, because they had (not quite) false starts - real starts - that even continued - but also finished (a couple times) and gave a glimpse of the ending (CUTE!!)

Here's to happy ever afters.

A Miny Ode to Spart

time to see a new post more reflective of my mood

current mood: slightly hungry/excited
(Kiddies are so cute!!!!!)

A Miny Ode to Spart

Spart - I miss you.

I miss being able to talk to you at the end of the day and deconstruct and analyze (and reanalyze) everything.....

I miss the way you comment about people and I know it's not just me going crazy - someone else noticed that that guy or gal was acting a bit *funny*.
Or like last week I played monopoly at my aunt's and she was in such a funny mood - oh spart - we would have had a good laugh at the end of the day. She almost told me off for serving a guy his lunch - it was great!

I miss your futon.

I miss being able to moan and groan and rant about life, the universe and everything.

I even miss your cat. the other day I was able to open a can of tuna completely un-harassed: where is Tom????

I miss telling you about my crushes and pre-crushes (the amorphous appreciation- the tingles one gets before you know you have a crush) and having you egg me on.

speaking of eggs - I miss cooking darn good meals on a whim!

I miss before dinner snacks sigh. (umm toasted pita bread and peanut butter)

I miss eating darn good meals - too good to be allowed meals (don't get me wrong - I'm eating well here - but I haven't had roast beast or baked salmon or candy squash since last year!)

I miss dessert. (chocolate chunk cookies!!!!!)

I miss in-between snacks - can we say smores???!!!!!!!????????

I miss you.

how are you?

oh - and I didn't even talk about all our shows - I miss all our shows. I miss Burke.

sigh - smile.
hope you are well.

heart, tulip