Christmas is my favorite time of year.  There is a sense of love and family in the house ad the smell of cookies and scrumptious goodies wafting through the air.  In Florida you get used to not having a white Christmas, in fact, you get used to having an 80 degree Christmas in shorts and a t-shirt, but it’s still Christmas,  Family is together and love is abundant.  It almost seems as for the day at least, time slows down and we become like children again.  We find joy in each other and the simple things.  We listen to carols and eat cinnamon twists and mini sausages with orange juice.  The cookies that we spent hours decorating are arranged in baskets or plates to be distributed as gifts to extended family and friends and all is well.  This year has been a little different.

Due to work, I only helped with a couple batters for cookies and they were out of the house before Christmas came.  Gifts are still under the tree, but no one is there as we are all spread around the nation this year.  Amazingly I got a white Christmas this year, snow fell in Denver, CO this morning leaving a beautiful fresh powder for us to trample through, making snow angels.  I love it and its been a beautiful and wonderful day with my future in-laws, but it doesn’t feel like Christmas.

Christmas is celebrating the birth of Christ and all that he has done for us through that humble beginning and humble death on the cross.  It also is about family, coming together and celebrating together in a special way (though different for each family) and remembering that birth together.  I return tomorrow and I have begun to realize that Christmas is not something that must be done a certain way or on a specific day.  It’s a feeling of love and remembrance of the birth and life of Jesus.

So, while I cherish and love the traditions that are very much a part of my Christmas, there is so much more that I love above all of it.

Merry Christmas everyone, and God bless you all.

Today was my first day at work (and the rest of my life flashes before my eyes…sigh).  No, I’m just kidding.  As a vibrant young 21-year-old I cling to the hopes of the new and exciting, the unexplored terrain and uncharted territories- in this case, the branch office of Enterprise Rent-a-car at 905 US 1 Vero Beach, FL.

Truthfully, I am excited about my new job.  It is my first salaried job and even now, tired after not sleeping well last night, getting up early to make sure I got up, and leaving home at 7 to make sure I beat traffic since I am not familiar with the flow of it at those hours, then working until 5.  I am anxious and a little frustrated because today (and tomorrow) I can’t do anything but observe interactively.

Basically, I am going to work but because I don’t have training until next week I can not do 3/4 of my job so, I stand around, feel in the way and useless and some-what bored.  I try to pay attention as they verbally and visually explain things to me (which everyone there is great, thank God for that).  And some things I get (I can do the first step for checking in the car, by that I mean check it and write down the mileage) then I know what to do if someone needs their car checked out for Geico (I can do that!).  I’m hesitant to answer phones because it is one of three things: 1. reserve a rental (can not do yet) 2. ask a question (I typically do not have an answer that would be adequate or appropriate at this time) or 3. have a diver pick them up (I could do that, but with odds of 1 in 3 I figure it’s not a good bet).

In all, it makes for a hard day for me (not hard as in difficult, hard as in frustrating).  I am excited and thrilled to start (kind of, I mean, now that I’ve begun who knows when it will ever end!) but, there are some kinks and yes, yes, I know I have only been there one day, but I want to do well.  I want to succeed and get promoted and not sit around waiting for people to do things for me, which basically makes this, as I said difficult.  But now, I am tired and I need to try and go to sleep again (I got up to write this because I couldn’t get to sleep before).  So probably until next week after training, I say goodnight.

I have always been very vocal in support for my country and for its leaders (even when I don’t always agree with them) but when the 2008 presidential campaign began I felt discouraged and about as apathetic about the whole thing as I have ever been.  To be blunt, I didn’t like any (not a single one) of the candidates, republican or democratic.  As soon as I thought one might be hopeful, I read more and discovered some irregularities in their patterns (voting versus promised, outlandish campaign promises, all around crummy, dirty politics for some).  It broke my heart that I did not feel that I could back a single candidate, that America could have so many “poli-tics” running for office (Kyle says the definition of politics is “many blood sucking insects” and in this case I agreed with him).  Then I found my hope.

His name is Mike Huckabee, past governor of Arkansas and someone who hasn’t said one thing to one activist group and then the exact opposite to another opposing group the following day (a rare find on the campaign trail).  He is republican and conservative but has some views that would upset a lot of the GOP and bring a smile to the face of a Democrat.  He is a good guy who wants to bring a little civility back to the Capital (which is long over due).

He isn’t a front runner but he should be and has my vote.  If nothing else, I don’t care if you agree with my or not, please look at the issues of the candidate you are thinking of supporting.  Please don’t base your vote off of their campaign speeches; check them out.  Find out where they stand on the issues that make a difference to you and your family.  If you don’t know what those issues are, start there, making a list of some things you want changed or some things you want to stay the same.  I promise all of those will or should be on the candidates websites with their stance (and some with their voting record which always needs to be checked).  The most important thing in elections is to be informed on all of the issues, not the ones the media or the candidates decide you need to know.  You decide, educate yourself and make the vote worthwhile (especially the primaries which count more than most people realize).

I found this on a website that offers WONDERFUL ideas and links for kindergarten teachers and just had to share   Enjoy!

I’m fed up with teachers and their hefty salary schedules.  What we need here is a little perspective.

~Anonymous

So the community college in this area (the Treasure Coast) is Indian River Community College.  When I began looking for the education classes to take to prepare myself for teaching I found that IRCC has a program called the Education Preparatory Institute (EPI).  It looks like a fantastic program!  Basically they offer the 7 basic classes (classroom management, diversity, instructional studies, ect.) and in those classes they help you develop a portfolio of your projects and assignments, prepare for your tests (of which you take your last certification–> the professional certification, at the finish of the program).  It takes people with non-education degrees and prepares them to be teachers.

I hope to take the classes this fall at the St. Lucie West campus (at the recommendation of my teacher sister who said those were the best classes to start out with).  Anyone familiar with the program?  I would love to hear comments  on what  you think!

I’m spending the weekend back in Gainesville (ahh, so beautiful) because a friend of mine will be moving to Austin and this is his last weekend in Florida.  We ate at Satchels (the best pizza ever…and definitely a local Gainesville joint and eclectic to every extent, awesome) and then we went to a friends place and played games (yes, that is the best kind of party there is btw).  Today we had a cookout at the trouse and played wuffle (sp?) ball (for anyone who doesn’t know, it’s, how I described it, extreme baseball (you can throw the ball and hit people to tag them out, for example).  After cleaning up, went to church and went to a movie.  Not sure what’s on the agenda for tomorrow (besides sleeping in) but it’s been fun (minus a couple mishaps–> K may have RE-TORN his RIGHT knee (supposedly the one that was his good knee, operated on 3 years ago with no further problems…till today, and then Meggles sprained her ankle after being struck out and somewhat diving over a cone on the field…we play kinda rough in this group sometimes though not at all on purpose).

Now like I said this was a weekend for Drew, a friend who graduated with his masters and will be moving back home to Texas to his perfect job (literally, it is the essentially the job that he wanted to do for a company he’s interned for previously..it worked out beautifully).  So to Drew I wish the best of luck when you leave on Thursday and I know you will be noting but successful.  May God bless your life and your dreams.  Until you visit

Would you believe it–I passed the subject area exam.  I have another legitimate option in front of me that is now a reality.  I’ve volunteered in a classroom but I’ve never been in charge of a classroom.  I have volunteered in numerous, but I know that there is a great difference in volunteering and managing.  So I call out to all teachers on here–> I need help and I am not afraid to ask for it   For the best of the kids I am looking into being a sub through December while I earn more classroom experience and begin my teacher prep classes (as taking my prof. knowledge exam).  So, if you have advice for me (either classroom or management or encouragement or anything else) I would love to hear it!  Thank you!

I’ve signed up for the subject area teacher’s test so that I can apply for my temporary teaching certificate. It will be on July 10th at 8 in the blessed AM. I also downloaded the practice test and began reading through it and, wow! Some of this stuff I don’t remember going over until I was well into high school! Oh well, I suppose we shall see. The idea is to get this and possibly look into Kindergarten teaching positions. It would be a lot of fun and I believe I would be very good at it (thats where my volunteering experience lies). Lets see what God has in store.

My sister and I were driving back to the house the other day after picking up groceries and we happened to pass a state trooper (not an uncommon experience when driving on highway 60 now-a-days).  He had someone pulled over (another common experience) but I just nonchalantly reminded my sister to slow down since she couldn’t get over into the other lane.  She knew that of course, but it started the converstation that it is actually law to either move into the other lane or to slow 20 mph when passing an officer pulled off on the side of the road (which I think is a greatly needed safety for them, especially with the speeds that some people fly by).  What the conversation centered on was not whether or not the law was legit (by all means we both agree that it is) but in the manner in which the states deems appropriate in announcing new laws, especially ones that apply to wide spread audiences such as Florida drivers.

The thought had crossed my mind that you should slow down when you can’t get into the other lane but I never knew it was actually a law until about a year ago when K was in Texas for his knee surgery (surgery #3) and was pulled over because he didn’t slow down quite enough and that same law had just been passed in Texas.  Needless to say, he told the officer he was sorry and he had no idea, that he had been in Florida for the past 5 years for school and the officer let him off with a warning.  After that episode however, he asked me if it was a law in Florida as well.  It made complete sense but I was unaware of any actual law that existed.  My mom was in her Criminal Justice class at the time so I went ahead and asked her and she was able to inform me that there was in fact such a law and that the way that our system sees fit to advertise the new laws (and claims that it is enough) is by posting it on their website!  I don’t know about you, but I don’t think that I have ever even thought to look at the website of the Florida State Troopers.  It’s not on my weekly to do list.  I mean, how many people honestly say to themselves, “you know, there may have been a new law posted so I need to check myflorida.com and the state troopers site to be sure that I don’t violate anything that may have just passed through the state congress.”  I don’t think so.  People I know don’t work that way.  If something is passed that pertains to us then we expect that we will be informed in a resonable manner.  Let’s suggest, I don’t know, run an add campaign for a week on the new acts that pertain to the general public.  If the pertain to a specific audience then that audience is then a little more responsible for obtaining that information (maybe they get in contact with some state head of their organization who then determines the best means of distribution).  I’m just saying that no one I know checks the state websites on a regular basis unless they are employed or looking for work or doing research.  I have my routine when I get on-line.  It includes my homepage, which is my e-mail, then perhaps a little pooch cafe (i like to have my comic amusement), if I have something to say, I get onto my blog here, I keep in touch with a couple friends through the myspace and facebook stuff, but if I don’t have to I won’t do more than check those, and then I look up whatever I got on-line to look up in the first place (which right now is jobs or volunteering with YoungLife), I don’t normally stray far from that.  Am I the only one who thinks that if it pertains to the general public there needs to be more initiative to get word out than simply posting it on a homepage?

ok, side note…can anyone tell me how to get the CORRECT time for eastern standard time?  It’s driving me crazy to see the post show up as 10 something p.m and and it’s only 2 in the afternoon (I know, I’m just being quirky)  but I couldn’t get it right initially and I was so happy when I finally got it on the right day that I’ve left it until now.  I’d appreciate it!  Thanks