Motivation

Some teachers from my school got together and did a remake of Beyonce's Formation video and it is EVERYTHING!  The idea was to motivate the kids to work hard and do well on their EOGs (End of Grade tests).

I'm feeling pretty motivated by this, how 'bout you?

My New Planner

You might not know it, but there is an entire subculture of Type A, planner people out there. They have instagrams, youtube videos, blogs, even entire websites dedicated to talking about their planners, how they use them, which planners are best, how to color code and catalog their lives and their kids lives.  These people use craft tape, stickers, and multi-colored expensive pens to somehow cajole themselves into having more organized, focused, and subsequently peaceful lives. Well, I am of the opinion that most Type A people enjoy their Type-A-ness to the point that they probably don't actually need expensive planners. Maybe they just really get off on going all Type-A on their planning. The people who really need the planners are those of us on the other side of the spectrum. Those of us who buy planners and then let them sit on the table for a year. Those of us who set goals and forget about them. Those of us who might even pride ourselves on our non-planny-ness. We need a little Type-A in our lives.

So, for this reason I decided to purchase a Day Designer. Google it. They are all the rage with the Type-A planner people; so much that they sell out in a few hours after their release each season. They do two releases each year: December and May. Personally, I like the idea of a May release because by May most New Year's resolutions and plans and have been forgotten and people need a new planner to get them back on track.  What I love about the Day Designer is that it breaks down goal setting to a specific process that makes one feel accountable. The Day Designer also has a place for To-Do Lists, Meal Planning, and Daily Gratitudes!   I have vowed to actually use my Day Designer to track my goals for the next year, write stuff down, track our budget, and bring a little of that Type-A focus to my life.

Alton Brown

I had no idea who he was (until I googled him) and I'm sure many of the kids at Fayetteville Street didn't either, but Alton Brown came to our school!

This is him.

He did a cool science/culinary experiment that involved popcorn, exploding balloons and dried crickets. 

Needless to say, the kids loved it and now we all know who Alton Brown is.

Popping popcorn with an extra hot lamp

Making culinary science jokes.
 I didn't know it but he has his own show AND was on Iron Chef!

He's doing 2 shows at DPAC tonight and we got front row seats at Fayetteville Street Elementary.

Trying to emulate the chemical reaction that occurs when popcorn is popped. Inside the balloon is kale (for fiber), packing peanuts (for cellulose), and dried crickets (for protein).

This was right after he made that lady eat a dried cricket!

Heating up the "kernal"...this poor woman!

And...POP!

The best part was that Alton Brown stayed after the show and gave each child (over 300) and teacher a personalized autograph!

Thanks, Alton Brown!

Carolina on my Mind

Our most recent NC trip was totally awesome. A wedding, family, friends, coffee, beer, sun, warmth, the best food, Carolina Beach, Durham, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough, Raleigh, Lexington, the lake, disc golf, so many serendipitous run-ins, and just the fullest heart that I ever did have.

I realized it was a great trip and that we're supposed to be there when I didn't even feel the need to touch my phone for a majority of the trip. I didn't want to Facebook, Instagram, Snap Chat, obsessively check my email, or any of the other addictive phone behaviors that I've cultivated. 

Here's a few key shots from our adventures (though I didn't even take that many pictures while I was there because I was just that present most of the time):

Me and Mama downtown Durham style

Jason and his Dad, lake style (ps- unfortunately, I did not get a picture with Jason's mom...sorry, Cathy!)

Driving the boat with Doodle, the not dog

Lil' sister, me, beer, sun

My hottie hubby rocking the NC short shorts!

Making good burgers runs in the Roberts family

A new addition since our last visit: Kegerator!
Complete with one of my favorite beers of all time, Yuengling!

Relaxing on a porch by water, my "happy place"

Best Donuts of All Time: Britt's Donuts, Carolina Beach, NC

Wedding swag

Pre-wedding beer where we serendipitously got to watch the heartfelt first dance from another wedding

Siblings all grown up and friends now

Kat and Adam's first dance...love these two

And a special fox napkin gift.
Thanks, Peggy!
I love foxes.

Sometimes I get sad that I left this place, but then I remember that it took leaving it to realize just how special it is. The lifeblood and soul here are palpable. Now that we have left it for a bit, it will making coming back that much sweeter.

Blogging about my blog, learning about life

A nice reminder of what an awesome ESL teacher I was

It's the calm before the storm, I feel. Starting March 31st I will be insanely busy for a 10 week stint. Between teaching a course at UO, supervising student teachers, working part time as an assistant researcher, and teaching yoga who knows when I will have time to even think about how much time I don't have. Aye!

But for now, I'm feeling a brief calm and instead of using my time wisely to prepare for my class, I'm finding myself re-reading old blog entires which in it's own way is very useful for reflection and self-growth. That's the cool thing about having been blogging (relatively) consistently since January 2010.  That's 5 years! A lot has happened in the past five years and it's kinda neat to relive it all through my blog. Some things I read are embarrassing, some hilarious, and some even heart-breaking. 

 I think the greatest lesson to be learned from reading old blog posts is, ironically, contentment (santosha). This idea of contentment is something that I have wrestled with for a long time, hence me naming my blog Santosha. I don't suppose this to be the end of my wrestling, but maybe now I've just been ushered into a new class of wrestling. I've got some insight based on my experiences and how I can now reflect upon what I wrote.

Most importantly, I am amazed at the shift in my happiness or contentment during my time as an ESL Teacher. I started out bright-eyed and bushy tailed, excited about my job and life and somewhere down the line I became disillusioned. I let a desire for more (more money, more education, more degrees, more life experiences, more places to say that I lived in) cloud my vision of just how truly good my situation was. If I remove those desires from the equation, all of which are materialistic or ego-driven (aside from the desire for more life experiences, of course) I can reach the conclusion that I always had everything that I ever needed. Unfortunately, it took giving up those things to realize how truly perfect they were. So, in this sense, I believe it to be impossible for a human to understand contentment unless they have once abused their own understanding of it.  Or like Joni Mitchell said "You don't know what you got till it's gone".  

But, hey, at least now I'm cured of my grass is always greener syndrome.   

Art Game

I believe it is true what they say...whoever they is...that art imitates life.

Or is it life that imitates art?

Most likely it is both. Particularly in the case of these portraits that were drawn last weekend by a bunch of yoga teachers with margaritas. 

We decided to play a game and the game was this:

1) Get a piece of paper and a writing utensil.

2) Set a timer for 30 seconds

3) Sit across from a buddy and make eye contact with them 

4) Draw the buddy while continuously making eye contact, no looking up or down or anywhere except into their eyes.

Maybe it's just because we are yoga teachers and we are gifted at truly being able to "see" others, but I think these portraits are spot on. We somehow found a way to capture certain things about the person in a very Picasso-esk way. These renderings felt deep and insightful to me. Who knew a game could so meaningfully capture and depict people in such a carefree way?

I highly recommend trying this at your next gathering. You may not transcend the universe, but you will at least get a good laugh and maybe learn something about yourself in the process.

My portrait

A collection of portraits or Truth with crayon and 8.5x11 white paper

What I did today

1. Started Packing for Hawaii

Yes, we are going to Hawaii this Friday for a week. The cat is out of the bag. Well, there wasn't really a bag, but a few days ago Jason and I realized that we were going and we hadn't told anyone about it. Our short list of United States that we have not visited is about to go from five to four.

2. Chose a text book for the class I am teaching at U of O in the spring

I'm teaching a class on Multicultural Literacy at University of Oregon this spring term. It's secretly stressing me out because, like...now I'm teaching a college class??? Mostly, it's reminding me of how much I want to be back in a real ESL classroom, with real ESL students. And, why didn't I appreciate it when I had it?

Never the Same Rock: A Guide to 2015

On our New Years Day stroll along the McKenzie River, I couldn't help but be reminded of a saying/story/idea/whatever you want to call it that I've heard a lot. I especially remember being told this ad nauseam at Bikram Yoga Teacher Training.

 It goes something like this:

A rock is never the same rock because every drop of water that passes over it changes it

I think there might be a story that goes along with this idea, something from the Gita, but I can't remember right now. 

Anyway, on our snowy walk I kept thinking about how I'd been on this trail many times and maybe even seen these same river, rocks, trees, etc... but that it was all different every time I'd seen it. 

In this way, we are just like the river rocks or even the river itself, changing and being changing by the things around us. In 2015, I want to remember this. I want to hold it close. Because if we are never the same rock or river or whatever, then every moment is different. Every moment is the first and last of its kind, and therefore should be noticed, even revered.

This is my guide to 2015, and 16 and however many 20-whatevers I get to have after that.

A Reel Musical Treat

Jason and I cover Mason Jennings' Memphis Tennessee on ukulele

Ukulele Goddess

Jason and I are learning to play the ukulele. I find it much easier than playing the guitar, which I briefly started playing when I was 9 and then again at age 20. Both times resulted in my quitting because my fingers were too small. The ukulele is way more manageable. Additionally, it is cute and slightly hip, which supplies the "cool factor".

Learning how to do something new with a loved one is very gratifying. We play. We sing. We drink beer.  It's a great indoor activity for the rainy, Oregon winer ahead.