Old Friends....

It's become a tradition to get together with my high school friends some time during the holidays. The group make-up changes every year depending on who happens to be "home for the holidays." As the years have passed we've come to include husbands, kids, random friends. It's.....tradition.

This year it was just three of us, Jen, Trina & I. Trina kindly offered to make dinner. It was yummy potato, ham and cheese soup. Jen brought the sourdough and I made rice krispy treats. It was fun, simple, and it worked for Trina's kids as well. It was a good evening.

Christmas!

It's a frantic time of year filled with family, friends, food...festivities. There! I finished the alliteration. :)

Anyway, back to the Christmas. Mom, Dad and I spent Christmas Eve afternoon baking pies and putting together other yummy stuff. We headed to my sister's for Christmas Eve where we ate, played games and opened the one present we allow ourselves. My youngest niece and I tracked Santa on NORAD. Each new destination was carefully sounded out by her third grade reading skills. It was fun.

Christmas morning dawned somewhat early. The prime rib had to go into the oven by 7:30, and who can sleep through the smell of delicious roasting meat. More presents were opened. Kitter spent the morning attacking the piles of wrapping paper and playing with a new catnip mouse. Family started to arrive around 12:30. More presents were followed by the arrival of more family. Dinner went on the table at 2:00 or so. We stuffed ourselves to the gills on prime rib, mashed potatoes, veggies, bread, and salad. Many of us napped wherever we collapsed, to be roused later by the sound of Mom's beaters frothing whipping cream for pies. We ate some more. All sorts of things were covered in conversation. Family member trickled out much the way they had arrived hours earlier until it was only Mom, Dad, me and the Kitter. Clean up was done and it was pretty early to bed for all of us. It was a very good day.

Christmas Sweets

My mother made twenty-six of these candy plates this year. Each had six different kinds of homemade candy. She's very industrious.

It's a Boy!

It's official. My sister is expecting a boy, or so the ultrasound tech assures them. It must be true since the parents-to-be can't agree on a boy's name. (They had a girl's name all picked out) Needless to say, everyone's pretty excited to see the little guy in a few months.

End of a Community

For the past year and a half (since moving back) I've spent many hours (and much money) at Scrapbook Fever. It's been a most awesome store, full of all sorts of scrapping treasures. The incredible staff know my name and always have smiles and greetings when I walk in the door. The community of fellow scrappers has been so supportive, and undemanding; something that my work community cannot always be. It's been a little oasis of peace in an often chaotic world.

That being said, I'm in mourning. Scrapbook Fever will be closing on December 24. There will be no more crops, classes, advice. I may never see some of those familiar faces again. Last Friday I attended what was my last Friday Night Crop. I was not inspired to work on any project. I was not ready to say good bye. I found a few minor tasks to take on, but mostly I worked to absorb the feelings I have when I'm in the store and the prescense of those wonderfully talented ladies. When the time came for me to leave for the evening I wished everyone Happy Holidays, and packed up my things like so many Friday nights before, and I walked out the door for what may be the last time. I can't see myself drawing out the goodbyes. It's too hard.

Jen's Birthday in Portland

My friend Jen has moved back to Oregon. I'm so excited she's here because I missed her when she lived elsewhere.Today was Jen's birthday, so we spent the day exploring Portland.

It's not just me...

So, I'm watching the Civil War game (Oregon St v. University of Oregon, for those not in the know) and during halftime, there was a Q&A segment with Lou Holtz, one of the most successful college football coaches of all time, and now a commentator/analyst for ESPN. So, one of the questions (asked by former NBA player Magic Johnson) was "What are the biggest differences between players today than those thirty years ago?" Mr. Holtz named two things: the idea of entitlement as opposed to obligation, and respect. He went onto explain that players today feel they are entitled to what they want over their obligation to the team. His second comment was in regards to how they don't respect other people, because they don't respect themselves.

Amen! I agree completely. I have some very challenging individuals in my classroom this year. I struggle with these two issues a lot. It's interesting how my students are quick to demand they should be able to say/do/act however they wish because for me to tell them not to say/do/act in some way interferes with their freedom of speech/religion/culture/etc. None of them ever stand up and tell those who are disturbing the learning environment, that they are infringing on the rights of those wishing for an education. At the same time my students are mean. They don't seem to comprehend the value of kindness. And that, to me, boils down to respect.

I struggle with this because I don't know where we've gone wrong in accepting so little from people. I never, ever would have imagined telling my parents or teachers or anyone in a position of authority to "f#@k off" or called them an "asshole" or a "bitch". (Yes, I've heard all these and more from my students). So I'm left to wonder, what do we do now?