.Appalachian Studies Conference.

This weekend Scott and I traveled to Richmond, Kentucky for the 34th Annual Appalachian Studies Association Conference at Eastern Kentucky University!  I have to say my favorite part was being around "folks" from the mountains, hearing the familiar accent, and meeting people from our neck of the woods in Southwest Virginia.  Some of the sessions I attended were:

• Appalachian Women's Work - Perceptions of Breastfeeding Among First-Time Mothers in Appalachia; Eastern Kentucky Women Artists Working for Social Change; Appalachian Women Take It on the Road.
• Service Learning: Action, Reflection, and Renewal in the Academy through Student Engagement in the Community - Shepherd University, West Virginia (this one was extremely helpful in what I'm currently interested in with high-risk college students)
• Readings by Southern Appalachian Writers' Cooperative 
• Sexing Up Statistics With Song and Story (Serendipitously I got to help out with this one since it was being presented by my theater director from my undergrad and he was talking about a play I performed with him)
• Appalachian, Ethnicity, and Gender: An Exploratory Look at Higher Education Learning

In addition to the sessions we attended there were booths set up in the library with piles of Appalachian Studies books and materials.  We brought home a stack of newspapers and information about activism in the area.  They also had a silent auction of eclectic items from handmade jewelry to cds and tickets to bluegrass shows.  I bid several times on a t-shirt that said "Treehugger," but didn't end up winning it - I was hoping I could get it to wear home in front of my dad and brother who have already given my that distinguished title!

One particular item Scott and I are both quite excited about is a poster we bought from the Beehive Design Collective, a "swarm" of artists and activists working to translate the stories of environmental destruction from "word-to-image." We plan to get it framed and hang it over our couch. Here are some examples of their art and you can see more at their website!

This past week was both challenging and eye-opening.  Challenging, because it had come time to begin the final book for our Feminist Memoir class, and it dealt with transgender issues.  I'll admit I was close-minded about beginning my reading, and most of this can be blamed on my ignorance of the issue.  I read Jennifer (formerly James) Finney Boylan's She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders and quite literally, couldn't put it down.  I slowly learned what it means to be transgender, and for her specifically, it meant not ever truly feeling like she belonged in her own skin.  She would watch her mother iron her father's shirts, becoming frustrated when her mother would point out that she would wear shirts like these one day.  She was a young girl, trapped in a male body for much of her life, and remembers feeling this way at the early age of three.

This week was eye-opening because I learned so much about transgender issues through the story of one person.  I got to meet her on Thursday, sharing pizza and discussion, and then listening to her lecture later that day.  What amazes me the most about her story is that she lived most her life as a man haunted by the wish to be a woman. She married and had two boys before, at the age of 40, beginning the process of transitioning into a female body...and her heterosexual wife is still with her today. Her wife (named "Grace" in her book) is with her through every step of the process, and although there are times of utter frustration and heartache, they share a life together, raising two boys who equally love their "Maddie" (a term they coined as young boys, combining "mommy" and "daddy").  If their family is not a prime example of love, I'm not sure what is.  And what touched me the most about her lecture was when she pointed out that many people may feel that their relationship is "weird," but how many other relationships/marriages are filled with abuse and neglect, etc.? Yet Jennifer and Grace's love is unconditional, which is more than a lot of people can say for their own relationships (I wish I could remember exactly how she said it, because it was much more eloquent than that).

So, I wanted to share this experience with you - my own "transition," if you will - and suggest that when you go into something close-minded, you may very well come out on the other side changed, with wide eyes open, as I have this week.  It's extremely easy to judge because of ignorance and misunderstanding, but as Jennifer's Christian mother (who she says is her #1 fan) pointed out, "You can't hate someone when you've heard their story."

.the shape of water.

Yet another documentary trailer I'm sharing with you is one that I had the privilege of watching at the 10th annual "Race, Class, Gender and Sexuality Symposium" at Miami University in Oxford, Oh.   Directed by Kum Kum Bhavnani, The Shape of Water follows the lives of five different women in the nations of Israel, Senegal, India, and Brazil, tracing their activism and passion for change in their communities.

Bhavnani screened her documentary and discussed the film afterwards.  It took three years for her to raise money and complete the project and it she started considering the project to show her own students at the University of California, Santa Barbara, that though many active feminists from "developed" countries feel it is their job to go into "Third World" communities and help women, there are women within these communities who are passionate about their voices and are making changes on their own.

It was an exciting film to watch because you see women in Senegal openly talking about the problem of female genital mutilation (FGM) and its relation to both sexuality and health.  The generations of women are discussing their views, in one specific scene of the documentary, but when a man enters the room and gives his views that women should still be cut because of the African traditions, they unite as one voice telling him he's not part of the discussion; how could he possibly have an opinion when he is not a woman? In India, women are forming co-operative programs like SEVA to help them learn how to manage money and are even provided loans to start small businesses.  These were the two women communities that most interested me, but you can read more about the other women in the film here.

You can watch a trailer and clips from The Shape of Water here.

.traces of the trade.

Last night in my Feminist Memoir class, we ventured through the underground tunnels of Wright State to the Student Center and watched a documentary called, "Traces of the Trade: A Story From the Deep North."  It was a moving film about a family's journey from Rhode Island to the West Indies, Cuba, and then back to Rhode Island, tracing the journey of their slave-trading ancestors and the slave ships themselves.  The prominent DeWolf family of Rhode Island trafficked Africans from 1769 to 1820, and even owned plantations in Cuba years after the Civil War.  Katrina Browne, the producer and director of the film, was a direct decedent of the DeWolf family and since undertaking the 9-year project of making the documentary, she has been an activist and speaker, sharing the film with groups across the U.S. and critiquing the Yankee "white privilege" from which she comes.  I've included the trailer below from when it aired on PBS.  You can also visit the website here.

When we finished watching the film, Katrina Browne had us think of one word to describe our feelings after the film, and mine was "grief."  What grieved me the most was that, in the documentary, she pointed out that not only the DeWolf family could be blamed, but that the entire town profited and lived as consumers of the slave-trading family.  Even those who may not have known about the family's business as slave traders, helped and were, in turn, responsible because of their roles as citizens of the town.

Katrina also pointed out that there are more people enslaved today than ever before and that it's a problem we have to live with everyday, though most of us are not directly affected by it.  It's something that our own descendants will uncover and be grief-stricken about us.  Even though she discussed several ways to start making a small difference - buying "fair trade" goods, raising awareness about these kinds of issues, etc. - it leaves me baffled and wondering where to start.  And perhaps that's where most of us are right now, wondering where to begin "making a difference..."  Either way, it's something that we all need to be seriously considering as citizens of the world and as living parts of God's creation.

"Lord, make [us] instrument[s] of your peace. Where there is hatred, let [us] sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. Divine Master, grant that [we] may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life."  (Prayer of St. Francis)

.Sex, Drugs, and...

The new MTV show, Skins, has been on my mind a lot this past week (and a topic of conversation in our household).  Because Scott and I both teach freshmen in college, and because the blatant and problematic over-sexualization of college-aged teens (and younger) is important to us, we both try to discuss these issues with our students (although Scott gets to talk to them more about how this contradicts with virtues as Christians).


We were both intrigued by this article on the Huffington Post, written by Cathleen Falsani, called "MTV's Skins: Suffer the Children."  She details the controversy of the show's premise and content which, in addition to the abuse of drugs and alcohol, includes "child pornographic" scenes with "no literary or artistic value other than to stimulate sexual desire."  We watched the pilot episode together to get a better understanding of the show and gained a clear understanding of the problems from the opening scene: there's a young girl (probably 14-16 years old) who looks literally like a street-walker - torn clothes, running mascara, glazed look and all.  She's barefoot and alone, walking down a suburban middle-class street in the early hours of the morning, motioning to her brother to create a diversion so she can sneak into her house.  Her brother sees her out of the corner of his eye though his attention is lost to the fully naked middle-aged woman across the street, standing in her window - they share mischievous grins before he blasts his stereo so his sister can sneak in unnoticed.  The entirety of the episode deals with the group of friends trying to help one teen lose his virginity on the verge of his 17th birthday.  His best friend even considers letting him have his own girlfriend for the night so he won't be such a weirdo anymore.


I could go into more detail about why all this is problematic for the self-image of teens, but if you can't tell from my description from this opening scene then I suggest watching the show for yourself, if only to fully understand what today's youth is seeing as "normal behavior."  Defenders of the show argue that the same themes reside in such shows as ABC Family's The Secret Life of the American Teenager and That 70s Show*, but Skins just portrays it "as is" - more raw and realistic.  I hope the "realism" part isn't true, but I have a feeling it is.  


While, from my own students, I've heard harsh judgements of the present generation and their over-sexed identity and culture as seen through the shows I've already mentioned, as well as Teen Mom, I also hear things like, "I know I shouldn't watch it, but I do anyway..."or "It's stupid, but I think it's funny..." And when told they need to choose a TV show to evaluate and half choose Jersey Shore, I'm not sure exactly what this says about them.  Are they able to discern and make educated decisions about what is acceptable and what is unhealthy for them?  Are they able to see that though these situations are glamorized on TV, they're not the way to live? Can they see the unintentional message presented, at least as far as Skins goes, that these kids have some serious issues? I guess I'll have to wait and see what they say in their papers.


So what does this all mean?  What does it mean for those of us who are teachers and parents or future-parents?  Are these shows similar to those we used to watch as teens or has it gotten worse?  All I know is, I'm having a hard time thinking about the culture I'm going to bring a child into one day, and, like Falsani, I'm deeply concerned for the teens in today's society.  Though I don't want to sound like those people who say, "well when I was a kid..." I don't want to turn a blind eye to these issues either.


Any thoughts?
__
*I've never actually had a problem with That 70s Show, but Falsani's article made me consider it a little more.  Scott's class discussed this at length and came up some pretty good arguments as to why it could be problematic as well.  Either way, I still believe it's not as harmful as some more recent shows.

.spring must be coming soon.

I just know that spring must be coming in the near future despite the bitter cold mornings and nights we've been having (2 degrees??).  I don't mind bundling up and wearing my warm, furry boots and collection of scarves, but when you're wearing gloves and still can't feel your fingers it's just too cold.

Thinking of spring I've been checking the TOMS website and contemplating a new pair, but was sad to find out they no longer have my size in the color/style I wanted.  I love the navy classics I have now -  they're such a "spring-y" shoe, and I'm loving the new Cordones.  Here's the pair I wanted, but I suppose I'll just have to wait...

In grad school news I register for spring quarter classes soon (which is another hint that spring is right around the corner) and I'm ecstatic about my classes - although I can't believe we're presently in week 6 of 10 right now.   This quarter has flown by!  Next quarter I'll be taking "The Brontes" and "Writing as Social Activism."  I'm excited about both of them but, after falling in love with C. Bronte's Villette and Jane Eyre, I'm particularly looking forward to "The Brontes."  A fellow TA and I have already made plans to go see the new Jane Eyre movie when it comes to theaters in March! 

.four babies..four cultures.

I get in movie-watching phases and if you can't tell from my recent posts, I'm currently in one.  It can probably be blamed on the weather and the amount of required reading/other school stuff I have to do right now, which makes me guilty if I read for "pleasure" - so instead, I watch movies.  Last night's NBC comedy was a dud sadly - all of them...Community, The Office, and yes, my beloved Parks & Recreation.  Luckily, Scott and I popped into the library yesterday before I went to work and got a few movies, Babies being one of them. I've been wanting to see it since I saw the trailer, and though I thought it was just "okay," it was worth some analysis.

To let you know ahead of time there is absolutely no dialogue (except for what you hear from the "hippy" American parents - I'll explain later why this is in quotes).  The film begins with the births of each baby - one in Namibia, Mongolia, Tokyo, and San Francisco.  Although the actual birth of the Namibia baby is not shown, it leads us to believe it was all-natural.  The mother covers her belly in red clay and we hear the distant sounds of a newborn crying from the inside of a small hut.  The Mongolian baby is born in a clinic in the middle of, well, nowhere.  You watch the mother swaddle it tightly in a blanket, carry it outside, and get on the back of a motorcycle with her husband and toddler.  I'm pretty sure their tent-like house is being carted on the back of a tractor in front of them.  The Tokyo birth is extremely mysterious, but we do get a glimpse into the life of the baby later when you could swear it's being strolled through the majestic aisles of an all-American Babies R' Us.  Finally, a close shot of wires and medical equipment expands to reveal a small blond baby, which I'm kind of guessing could be in the NICU because it was absolutely covered in wires.

The reason I had "hippy" American parents in quotes is because when the American child is a little older, she accompanies her parents to a class where other parents are seated in a circle singing something to the effect of: "Our Mother Earth takes care of us..." It's quite ironic considering the birth in comparison to the others, and as you might have suspected, she's the cleanest of all the babies. Similar to the Tokyo baby she's always seen in a fresh set of clothes or in the bathtub. The Namibia baby, however, is never seen wearing diapers; instead, his mother wipes him with her knee and then cleans herself with a corncob. Needless to say, the San Francisco baby is the farthest away from "Mother Earth."

Also, as you might have suspected, the Namibia and Mongolia babies are the most independent.  From his first days lying on a small bed in their one-room tent, the Mongolian baby is visited by a rooster, and the cat is often seen lying with him.  Later when he is bathing in a small tub, a cow comes over to the doorway and starts drinking from it. What tickled me was, it didn't phase him one bit.  When he finally starts crawling, he's found wearing only a shirt and shoes, sitting with goats and cows, not a bit afraid - and they seem quite content with his company as well.  The Namibia baby is similar because he is surrounded by dogs and plays with their mouths and paws; it's so interesting how gentle the animals are even though the babies roughly pet them and.  The Tokyo baby encounters nature when she is taken to a zoo. Eyeing the tigers and monkeys she screams and cries.  Because the Mongolian and Namibian babies were so independent, they seemed mostly content with their surroundings (although I'm sure there was some scene-cutting; all babies cry and wine) while the Tokyo baby throws an all-out fit because she's frustrated with her toys.  When the Mongolian baby is stepped on by a friendly goat, he simply sits up and pats it on the back.  The San Francisco baby, on the other hand, takes a spill in the park and her mother coos over her.

It was fascinating to watch, and even though a full-length film documenting four babies' first year in different parts of the world might sound like a good nap movie, you can't help but laugh and adore their little personalties.  While some mothers might disagree with the way the four babies are portrayed - and I'm sure the documentary writers have taken liberties with the scenes they've included - they serve as small symbols of the cultures from which they were born while presenting the effects of living close to or detached from nature.

.movie "must-see-soon" list.

In my last post I expressed my (tearful) love for Mother and Child, a heart-wrenching film about three women touched by adoption.  I also suggest The King's Speech;  Scott and I went to see it this past weekend at an adorable little theater downtown.  They served Boston Stoker coffee, mixed drinks, and of course popcorn, and we felt like we had been to the old historic theater in Staunton, VA when we were dating.  Here are some other films I have on my "must-see-soon" list:

{Bridesmaids - Scott just showed this to me today...I love Kristen Wiig and Mya Rudolph...enough said}

{Made in Dagenham - women striking about sexual discrimination and unequal pay in the 60s}

{Blue Valentine - I will always have a soft spot for Ryan Gosling. This is the second film playing at the little theater downtown right now.  We might just have to go see it too...}

{Poetry - I know I'm going to love this movie for the adorable woman alone.  She reminds me of my English advisor in my undergrad}

{The Other Woman}

{Rabbit Hole}

{Africa Cats}

{I know I will be seeing these next two with my husband because these are on his list: Even the Rain and Of Gods and Men}

And finally, my 8-year-old self would have been so excited to see this next one, Tornado Alley.  Yes, I was a huge dork and my life dream was to be a tornado chaser...

.mother and child.

It's almost 3:00 am and I'm lying on my couch with ear-buds in so as not to wake my sweet husband who has to get up early tomorrow.  It's just me and the cats and my swollen, red eyes.  Yes, I've been crying like a baby because I've been watching Mother and Child.  I had heard an NPR interview with the director, Rodrigo Garcia, over the summer and made a mental note to watch it.  I'm sorry it's taken me this long.  The ice storm is heading our way so I stopped at the library after work and found it.  Needless to say, though I'll not enjoy the headache and baggy eyes tomorrow, it was by far one of the best films I've seen in quite a while.  If you get the chance and see it in the movie store, or like me, chance upon it at the library, take it home and watch it with a box of Kleenex's close by.

.embrace the winter weather.

So Scott and I managed to stay away from all fast-food restaurants until today - which I guess we can say is the new week - when we tried out a Popeye's.  But we did make it a whole week eating our farmer's market food, so maybe we could just say that we were just awarding our good behavior with some guilty-pleasure fried chicken.

While I've been reading lots of negative comments on Facebook about the snowy, icy, and frigid weather, I have to say that I've not been one to complain about it just yet.  I might not like having to trek in the snow to catch my shuttle for school or having to wear snow boots and then change into flats or heels for teaching, I don't mind getting to come home to our warm apartment, curl up on the couch with blankets, and read or watch TV - which by the way, if no one has noticed, Parks & Recreation has returned for its second season on NBC after being bumped in the Fall thanks to Outsourced - boo!  So Thursday nights allow for a wonderful night of TV viewing in the McDaniel household with Community, The Office, and P and R, and I don't even feel guilty for sitting in front of the TV that long because it is snowy and icy out.

But today was perhaps the first day I realized I'm, in fact, secretly looking forward to spring's arrival and I'm hoping to try out some new things on our small balcony.  Jenna Woginrich is a farm writer/blogger from New York who has written books about the pleasure of the homemade and beginning farming.  Scott and I hope to have a farm sometime in the future so we perked up when we heard her story on NPR's The Splendid Table today.  She was explaining the surprisingly easy lifestyle of raising hens in urban areas - I couldn't believe that people actually have hen coops outside their New York apartments!  Now while I'm not planning on going out and purchasing a small hen and pre-made hen coop as a project this summer (I think our balcony is too small unfortunately) I love the idea of having one soon - so it will just have to wait for now. You can see some of the pre-made coops here.  I do, however, want to start an herb garden and perhaps a couple of tomato plants.  My only concern is that our balcony gets too hot, because it was difficult keeping the plants we had last year watered enough.  So I suppose I will have to do some research before tackling this little project.  And I know that some herbs can be grown inside but we have no more room!

So to those of you have begun complaining about the winter weather, embrace the coziness of the indoors and join me in making spring plans - it'll be here before you know it!

.what's in a name?.

This week in my Feminist Memoir class, we devoted most of our time to writing with prompts and examples from other memoirs.  It was comforting therapy for the week I was having so far (which turned out fine in the end), and I really enjoyed having to sit down and write, getting to share and hear others' stories.

One of the prompts made us first list all the verifiable facts about our name - how it's spelled, what it means, who else shares it, how we get it, etc. - and the second part required us to take the "creative leap" and make connections, writing about our names from the "inside out."  I enjoyed it so much I had my own Eng 101 students do in class yesterday and I can't wait to read them when I get their midterm portfolios on Monday.  Here's what I came up with! (Try it - it's fun!)

My name is Jade. J-A-D-E.  Most often when I tell people they call me Jane or Jada.  But it's Jade like the color, the stone, the Chinese buffet down the street.  Mom got it from an 80's movie she adored when her and Dad were dating, but I can never think of the title*.  The theme song was "Endless Love" - and that's their song too.  For the longest time our car tags said JDE-ISRL for my name and brother, Israel's and people thought we were Jewish. I'll never forget being stopped in a drive-thru when we were on vacation and having someone ask if it stood for Judea-Israel.  But it's just Jade. J-A-D-E.
*I've since figured out (by asking Mom) that the movie is in fact called, "Endless Love" also...

I love my name, 
but I hate having to introduce myself. 
I've almost come to the conclusion 
that a green-colored name badge would be a good hint.  


"Hi, my name is Jade."  
"Hello Jane" - 
it always goes the same way.  


I'm left wondering whether I should rudely interrupt 
and spell it out - J-A-D-E, not J-A-N-E! 
Other times I make the mistake 
of putting the emphasis on the "duh" sound 
and people mistake it for Jada.  


Most times I let it slide, 
hoping they'll eventually figure it out, 
but other times I do interrupt with a proud correction 
of the name given to me by two love-struck parents-to-be, 
who heard the name in their favorite 80's movie.

.no more nuggets.

So as bad as I feel admitting this, over the course of the holiday season (both Thanksgiving and Christmas) Scott and I consumed (at least) two of the new 50 piece McNugget meals by ourselves.  Yes, as I said, I'm not too proud to admit this.  For some reason we were both craving the crunchy, guilty pleasure meat that is the McNugget.  It was also quite enticing knowing that we could feed ourselves (for both lunch and a snack later) on less than $12 which included the 50 pieces, two large fries (oh yes, the delicious steaming, salty fries of McD's) and two large drinks.  Now, before everyone starts thinking horrible thoughts about us, we were mostly snacking on them en route from Ohio to Virginia during the holidays, but there was also one day we ventured to the McDonald's down the street from our apartment (in the cold and snow) and stood in line to get the lovely 50-piece box (and I swear to you, a couple beside us were in disbelief that we could be waiting for the meal-deal.  I could just about bet that they were hoping we had friends somewhere waiting to share them.  But just for spite, we sat down right in the "restaurant" and dug into the box together).

Now, we had both already heard the many criticisms of the "all white meat" promises from commercials and so on, but nothing had stopped us in our eating tracks until we read this article from The Huffington Post.  The article claims that McNuggets, along with other food items from McDonald's, contain only half of the "all white meat" they claim.  The rest can pretty much be summed up in 13-plus letter words that you've probably never heard of, but can be better understood by saying "non-food ingredients."

Needless to say, Scott and I have taken a vow to never consume (if at all humanly possible) the oh-so-delicious-but-quite-hazardous Chicken McNuggets.  Since reading this article we've not dawned the doors of a McD's (not even for a Frappe), and have made an attempt to stop eating at fast food chains altogether.  I'm sure it will be hard considering our busy schedules (and love for fast food), but we're in this together and we're taking it one day at a time.  Today, we went to the Farmer's Market and purchased some fruit, veggies, and trail mixes for snacking in the hopes that we can deter our appetites from dollar menus and super-sized thoughts, and I'm going to work hard to stay away from the snack machines at school (even though  they call my name during my night classes).

So wish us luck and happy eating!

.a litany to honor women.

Last night, after dinner with friends, they showed us a copy of their Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals.  Scott and I both thumbed through the book, and as I was browsing the contents one of the prayers caught my eye; it was a litany to honor women.  Since we don't have a copy of our own (yet), I came home and Googled it, and found it on "being ryan byrd"'s blog.  This prayer really touched and spoke to me, and so I wanted to share it with you today.   

A Litany to Honor Women

We walk in the company of the women who have gone before, mothers of the faith both named and unnamed,
testifying with ferocity and faith to the spirit of wisdom and healing.
they are the judges, the prophets, the martyrs, the warriors, poets, lovers and saints who are near to us in the shadow of awareness, in the crevices of memory, in the landscape of our dreams.

We walk in the company of Deborah,
who judged the israelites with authority and strength.

We walk in the company of Esther,
who used here position as queen to ensure the welfare of her people.

We walk in the company of your whose names have been lost and silenced,
who kept and cradled the wisdom of the ages.

We walk in the company of the woman with the flow of blood,
who audaciously sought her healing and release.

We walk in the company of Mary Magdalene,
who wept at the empty tomb until the risen christ appeared.

We walk in the company of Phoebe,
who led an early church in the empire of rome.

We walk in the company of Perpetua of Carthage,
who witness in the third century led to her martyrdom.

We walk in the company of St. Christian the astonishing,
who resisted death with persistence and wonder.

We walk in the company of Julian of Norwich,
who wed imagination and theology, proclaiming "all shall be well".

We walk in the company of Sojourner Truth,
who stood against oppression, righteously declaring in 1852, "ain't i a woman!"

We walk in the company of the Argentine mothers of the Plaza de Mayo,
who turned their grief to strength, standing together to remember "the disappeared" children of war with a holy indignation.

We walk in the company of Alice Walker,
who named the lavender hue of womanly strength.

We walk in the company of you mothers of the faith,
who teach us to resist evil with boldness, to lead with wisdom, and to heal.

Amen.

I spy...a bumper sticker

I saw this delightful bumper sticker last night and it made me very happy:



"Too bad all the people fit to run the world are too busy teaching school."

An Update...Finally!

I was reminded by a friend that I needed to update my blog.  The truth is, it's been on my mind, but I've been extremely busy with classes starting back, teaching English and guitar lessons, and lazying about the apartment with Scott after all the busy Christmas festivities (and yes, this was a priority!).

Since my last post, Scott and I celebrated our one-year anniversary together, and I have to say, I can't believe it's been a year already!  "2010" seems to have flown by, and our first year of marriage was 12 months of laughing, learning to live in the same space, traveling, and growing as a couple!  We've had so much fun together and I love knowing that at the end of the day I get to come home to him (and our two cats of course).

We had a little scare with our sweet Sammy - who has now become quite a diva, I'm afraid.  He started squatting different places in the apartment and acting irritated when he urinated.  As we had suspected, when we took him to the Emergency Vet Hospital they said he had a serious urinary tract blockage.  Nearly 6 overnight stays at the vet and $800 later, we had him back in our apartment with a new, strict diet and a newly-acquired sensitive disposition.  His blockage had been our fault, (apparently!) for making him suffer long rides in the car traveling from OH to VA.  Needless to say, we won't be taking them home with us anymore and all our traveling will be less stressful for us and the cats.  So no real complaints here, except that he now pouts and meows if we're not paying him enough attention (especially Scott!)

The new quarter of classes started a couple weeks ago and I'm taking "Feminist Memoir" and "Virginia Woolf/Elizabeth Bowen." For the memoir class we will get to meet and have lunch with one of the authors and we'll be writing our own feminist memoirs - which I've been so excited about I already started!  Right now I'm having fun writing with no inhibitions, but I know when it comes time to turn it in, some of it will change and be deleted.  It's interesting to think about as we are reading other women's memoirs - they're so courageous in revealing all their personal secrets with complete strangers.  Our class discussions have been both analytic and therapeutic as we discuss the different literary elements of the memoirs, as well as our own differences and similarities with the narrators.

It's equally interesting to be reading these feminist memoirs for class, in addition to the collection of stories Scott got me for Christmas called, Jesus Girls: True Stories of Growing Up Female and Evangelical.   The book had been recommended to me sometime ago by a friend here in Ohio.  There are so many complexities and issues that arise when you grow up "female and evangelical," and it's been interesting to be able to hear echoes of my childhood in the voices of these women - nights spent at prayer meetings, AWANA, church politics, etc.  And it's not necessarily a glorification of that kind of childhood, either - it's very much a critique and critical reflection, which I love!  Similar to the feminist memoirs we're reading in class, the authors push you to reflect and ponder your own personal experiences.

I'm equally excited about the Woolf/Bowen class, but we've only had one meeting because of snow.   I'd never previously heard about Elizabeth Bowen in any of my Lit. classes, but I've enjoyed reading her novels based in London during WWII.

Along with my literary studies, I am a part of a small team of grad students researching developmental reading and writing students and trying to develop a new curriculum that would help them to be better prepared for success in college.  It has been an eye-opening experience as I'm learning so many pedagogical theories - it can be quite overwhelming at times wondering what kind of teacher you want to be.  Just when you have it figured out in a neat purposeful statement, you read something else that leaves you stumped! But I'm thankful for this opportunity to learn so much about developmental students and classes.  It would quite a challenge to be able to teach one someday and I'm hoping I get the chance.

Well that's what's been going in my life lately!  I'm afraid I won't be as faithful about updating as I was this time last year, but hopefully I can update every now and then.

.winter weather brings winter reading.

[love this pic (kotaku)]

If you're like me, a snow day is a perfect day for cuddling up under a warm blanket with coffee or hot chocolate and a nice stack of books.  I'm hoping for many snow days this year to do just that!  In an older post I dreamed of a pleasure-reading spree over Christmas break, but alas (!) it has not come to pass because of reading for a research class and trying to get ahead for my two winter quarter classes; although, reading Elizabeth Bowen, Virginia Woolf, and feminist memoirs is pretty much pleasure-reading material anyway!

But for those of you who suspect a bad winter with lots of snow days in your near future, what better way to prepare than by taking suggestions from all the compiled best-books-of-2010 lists on NPRBooks? The complete list (from cookbooks to teen reads) can be found here, and my favorite list (Indie booksellers picks) is here (which includes a book that I'm suggesting to everyone who asks - The Tower, The Zoo, and the Tortoise).

Stay warm and happy reading!

.our first Christmas as mr. & mrs.

Well I've not been very good about posting lately but I thought I would post some pictures of our Christmas decorations!

 {our tree topper from Target - the "M" is from our wedding cake topper - so glad we could incorporate something to remember our wedding day!}

 {"Merry Christmas" garlands I made out of old Christmas cards}

 {the advent wreath we made at church}

 {our "mantel"}

.little worries.

Some recent events have had me a little worried about becoming a parent - and no the recent events do NOT include finding out that we're pregnant.  Mostly, it's been my growing agitation with young people and their lack of disrespect and creativity (and yes, I realize how old and "crotchety" I sound).

It all started when we were discussing in our TA meeting this week how we're all going to be those "mean" parents that don't let our kids have cell phones (or texting abilities at least) until they're much older.  It blows my mind to see children younger than 10 years old, staring into a cell phone screen and not looking up to see others around them.  How are they going to develop their imagination and creativity if they don't allow themselves to get bored every now and then?  Creativity is born in moments of pure boredom.  When you're left to find some way of occupying yourself, you dream, imagine, explore.  When there's always some way of occupying yourself, however, creativity does not grow and thrive.  Now, I know a lot of people will argue that technology allows children to grow and explore in new ways, but sometimes I think the best time can be spent doing something "hands on" and technology-free.

Another growing problem is with children not talking out loud.  It's as if they've become so accustomed to texting and replying with non-verbal answers, that they no longer possess the ability to vocalize their thoughts, opinions, or appreciation for that matter.

I have to say that I've felt pretty lucky so far with the class I was given this quarter.  For the most part my students are conscientious, polite, and respectful to me, but I've had a growing problem trying to get them to discuss and converse with each other.  Scott has expressed similar complaints about his freshmen, and it's caused me to wonder whether they're just nervous or scared, or whether they are becoming less prone to verbalizing their ideas.  They're growing up in a world where vocalizing is not the first means of communication; but rather, a type of written word has become the dominating form (I say type because it's definitely not the written word in its traditional sense).

I guess as an English teacher I should find this a hopeful development, but as I have seen in emails that my students send me, there is a total disregard for complete sentences, complete words (which probably blows my mind the most), and no longer do they capitalize "i."  I know it comes from the practice of texting, but I just wish they would learn to "code-switch;" different settings call for different types of communication.

This all comes back to my worries of becoming a parent - I promise.  It was hard enough growing up and being able to partake in most of the things my friends had.  Back then, though, it was Tamagotchi pets and "Hello Kitty" notebooks.  I can't imagine trying to raise a child and not allowing them to take part in something that has become such a large part of our culture.  I have a feeling that telling them it's for their own good won't really convince them - it didn't convince me.  Maybe it's up to our generation - those who are and will soon be having children - to restore sanity and the importance of vocalized communication together.  I'm all for the written word, but when our children no longer possess the abilities to verbalize their thoughts and feel comfortable doing so, there's something very wrong...

SplendidMarbles

.taking a "Technology Sabbath."

Some of my recent posts have discussed my concern with our growing reliance on technology as a generation, so I've been a little frustrated that so much of my time right now is spent on the computer.  I feel that I'm alway staring at a computer screen in order to grade/comment on papers, check and read emails, write papers and lesson plans, search for articles (and then read them because I'm too cheap to print them out).  So in order to escape this madness, I'm setting a little goal for myself as soon as my fall/winter break begins - I'm not going to get on a computer for a whole week.  Now, as I said, I'm setting a goal so I'm not promising it will be fulfilled, but I'm going to try my hardest to stay away from my Macbook (as enticing and helpful as it can be) for a whole week.

I wrote a post a while back about William Powers' book on technology and how his whole family takes a "Technology Sabbath" - a weekend away from any technological device.  So, in my current state of frustration, I vow to take a "Technology Sabbath" week as soon as my break begins, and though I'm sure it will be difficult, I think it will be good for my overall well-being and a relaxing start to my winter vacation.

.a new installment of my guilty pleasure reads.

Confession...I have read every single book of the Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella.  They've become one of my guilty pleasure reads and I'm not afraid to admit it (except maybe in my Lit. classes, but even then I'm not sure I'd be that hesitant).  They are hilariously delightful and super fast to read, perfect for a day away from writing papers or working.  For those of you who are not familiar with the books, they are exceedingly better than the recent movie and I guarantee you will laugh out loud (so maybe stay away from public places when reading them).  For someone like myself who understands the joys - and limits - to shopping, Rebecca Bloomwood is the perfect, spunky book companion.  With her crazy excuses for buying something as impractical as a decorative loofa, for example, I can't help but love her as a character!  And I can't wait to meet her little one (hence the name of her newest book!)

I'm eagerly awaiting fall/winter break (which starts in less than three weeks!!) when I can sink down in our recliner with a stack of books, Mini Shopaholic included.  So readers, what are you planning to read over break?

isbnlib

.my influential authors.

Okay, so I'm sort of cheating in this post because one of my friends tagged me in a note on Facebook asking me to name 15 influential authors that will always stay with me.  But I thought I would share it here too, and hopefully hear some of your favorite authors! 

Jane Austen

Charlotte Bronte

Eavan Boland

Margaret Atwood

Julian of Norwich

Fanny Fern (Sara Willis Parton)

Amy Tan

Murial Rukeyser

Billy Collins

Virginia Woolf

Lewis Carroll

Sue Monk Kidd

Sylvia Plath

Kate Chopin

Gwendolyn Brooks

.new fall traditions.

Since Scott and I are no longer in Virginia we've missed some of the traditions we've made, both together and with our families.  But this also means that as a new couple in a new place, we've been making lots of new traditions.  Usually for fall I would always attend the "Fall Fling" downtown since my house was within walking distance.  It's your typical small-town fall festival with lots of crafts & demonstrations, food vendors, and bluegrass music.  This was the first year (of my existence) that I was not in attendance, and while it was sort of sad that I did not get to continue this yearly tradition, Scott and I discovered a new fall tradition this weekend at the Waynesville Sauerkraut Festival.

Besides being extremely crowded (and hot), it was such a delightful experience and we did a lot of fall shopping for the apartment, purchasing a wreath made from tree branches that is now hanging on our balcony, a beautiful handmade clay plate to hang on the wall that says "Peace," and some adorable dried oranges that we are going to hang on our first Christmas tree.  We both love browsing old antique shops for eccentric items so this quant little town was a perfect way to spend a lovely fall day.

After our trip to the festival we stopped at a pumpkin patch/country market on the side of the road, walking through the rows of pumpkins, and choosing two (very large) specimens for carving.  There were lots of families trying to choose a pumpkin, the children pulling little red wagons around in the grass.  I thought it would be such a wonderful tradition to have as a family.  Inside the little market were large jugs of apple cider, pumpkin pies, and you could even purchase a "slushied" version of apple cider (which we did and it was delicious!).  

Needless to say, I think that going to the festival and visiting the adorable pumpkin patch has become a fall tradition for us - at least as long as we are living in Ohio!

Enjoy photos of our fat carved pumpkins and the fall decorations on our balcony!

{Our delicious toasted pumpkin seeds}

{Our balcony all decorated for fall}

.i heart Fall: part 2.

In a recent post, I shared a few of my favorite decorating ideas and I've found even more I'd like to share!

I've always wanted to attend an Edgar Allan Poe reading night for Halloween (like that Gilmore Girls episode) and I've found a bookstore here that will be hosting one! Needless to say, I will be there!  I would love to make a literary tree like this one adorned with old book pages and black ravens.  A smaller version would be perfect for an English classroom!

Sticking with the tree theme, here is a "tree-of-treat"idea from Home Made Simple.  Visit the site for other creative ways to revamp traditional trick-or-treat traditions.  Enjoy the rest of the photos and the beautiful fall weather we're having!

From Country Living

All the following inspiring ideas came from Martha Stewart Living - visit her site for more ideas and instructions!

{These yarn-spun pumpkins are adorable!}