It's Tuesday already. Time for the Hodgepodge questions and my answers. It's all about endings...good, bad, or ugly. Here we go!
1. It's hard to believe, but next week's Hodgepodge will find us in the month of September. What's one thing you want, need, or hope to do still before summer officially ends?
My hubby and I have yet to take the boat down to the barrier islands off of McClellanville to enjoy the beauty there. We need to go on a day when we have plenty of time and the weather forecast is good. We don't want any pop up storms! It's a great ride and a great place to find beautiful conch shells.
2. When were you last at 'your wit's end'?
Thankfully, I can't think of a time - at least in my recent memory! (As we age we forget, especially the bad stuff. lol) I try to live my life in a way to stay out of those scenerios. Plus, I think I get to a point in my brain to just stop thinking about issues or problems beyond my control and turn them over to God.
3. Describe a time when you were figuratively thrown into the deep end?
Ditto on my answer from #2. I try to live my life so I'm not thrown into situations that are beyond my control or too challenging to handle. I have learned to say "no" and therefore I live a happy life and stay away from deep ends and deep doo-doo!!
4. Does the end always, ever, or never justify the means. Explain.
Ok.... well, this is a toughie! I think my opinion is that there is rarely ever a time when the end justifies the means. I am a believer of treating each other as you would like to be treated. I'm a believer in following rules and laws. I believe in peaceful co-existence. Saying that, I know that there are times when there is a need for what's best for humanity to do something painful and sad. I would not personally want to be the one to make that decision or to do it.
SO, I can't see 'never'... and I certainly disagree with 'always.'
5. What makes your hair stand on end?
Hair goo! I think Joyce is really asking what makes me scared... or frightened. Is that what the expression means? If so, lots of things make my hair stand on end! Amusement rides, road rage, close-minded people, stupid political games, animal abuse, child abuse!, lack of respect (see my post before this one), musical instruments out of tune, gun "accidents", and snakes to name a few.
6. Joyce read an article on the website Eat This! Health, that listed 11 foods we can eat to help end bad moods. Basically it's to feed your brain so you are less anxious, grouchy, and lethargic. The foods are - mussels, swiss chard, blue potatoes, grass fed beef, dark chocolate, greek yogurt, asparagus, honey, cherry tomatoes, eggs, and coconut.
Which of these do you think would help end your bad mood? Which do you fear, if forced to eat, would put you in a bad mood?
First, I have to ask...blue potatoes? Never heard of them. Second, I see why my hubby is usually in such a good mood because he eats a lot of the food listed above! For me, eggs have always made me feel better. If I'm sick I scramble up some eggs. If I feel lethargic - it gives me energy. Perhaps a bit "hungover" (which rarely happens - really!), then an egg McMuffin does the trick!
I am allergic to foods that come out of the sea, so mussels would definitely put me in a bad mood. And to tell you the truth, I can't really even look at them! They are a weird food!
7. What project around your home, office, or life in general feels like there is 'no end' in sight?
Gardening and yard work - but I enjoy it....so I'm glad it is something to do all the time.
In general, I do not like going grocery shopping.... and there is definitely no end in sight! It's a boring, routine part of life. I am not a "foodie" so I do not like to explore new recipes, or try new food items, etc. I go into the supermarket and pick up the same stuff every time. Boring.
8. My random thought.
If you have the time, take a look at my blog post before this one. I wrote it last night after talking on the phone with my daughter who just started her second year of teaching. I know a few of you Hodgepodgers are experienced teachers... and perhaps you can give me some advice to pass on. I know the state of education in this country is a big subject to tackle so don't go there... but I would love to pass on to my daughter some glimmers of hope, and some tricks of the trade. Got any?
Have a great day and week!!!
It's been a couple of decades since I worked in a public high school, but I think in tougher communities there have always been challenges. It's worse now I believe because of how distracted kids are when they're both in and out of school. Also, more parents demand less, expect less and we live in a culture of blame where everything is someone else's fault, never the child's or the parent. I hope your daughter can hang in there, and know she is reaching someone. Maybe not all her students, but I'm certain she is touching and encouraging some. My daughter teaches third grade, challenging in different ways, but one thing I do is pray each day she has a merry heart. That might sound silly, but I feel like it is important in countering all the negative, critical, discouraging things teachers face on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteOddly enough, I love to go grocery shopping. What I don't like is putting them away. I'll read your post and if I have any suggestions, I'll post, again.
ReplyDeleteI can so relate to what your daughter is going through, Marla. My daughter, Brittany, is a recreational therapist at a residential facility for kids (5-18 yrs.) who have behavioral and emotional issues.They, for whatever reasons, can't attend public schools. She tells me all the time how those kids behave and the kinds of things they say. Many come from broken homes. She was cussed out by a little 7 year old girl yesterday and nearly attacked by another one. A lot of their issues stem from lack of parental involvement. So, she sees a lot of the same kinds of behaviors your daughter is dealing with and it's so hard. She gets very little support from administrators and I really don't know how long she'll be able to survive that environment. Kids these days seem to be taking a nosedive in middle school. That's when I saw kids forming cliques and disrespecting authority. Parents today have this mentality where it's "not MY child"! There is no accountability, which results in lack of respect for authority figures. I feel for your daughter. Teaching high school is like going into a war-zone. I'll say a prayer for her that she continues on this path and goes where her heart leads her. Teachers can make such a positive impact on the lives of their students, but it's a tough world out there.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could live my life so I wouldn't be thrown into situations that made me feel as if I landed in the deep end!! That is so true about grocery shopping.....like the laundry...just keeps needing done! I like yard work too. I hope your week is good!
ReplyDeleteScrambled eggs will always work for me as well. Teaching is perhaps the most difficult profession these days. My granddaughter stepped into a Kindergarten classroom with 26 students for her very first day of teaching this past Monday. She may be rethinking her career choice already. I don't envy these young adults being thrown into situations they have before faced and cannot be prepared to handle. It's truly a new day! Blessings to her though, Marla.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry about your daughter's experience. (I read your previous post.) My daughter lasted two years in teaching public school--and that was FIRST GRADE! Talk, talk, talk, little respect, little encouragement from parents, gossip, testing and documenting all the time to the neglect of actual teaching time . It was such a huge illusion, she discovered, of a lifelong dream of hers I would say be the listening ear, the encourager, the prayer warrior, the one who sends her appreciation gifts (as the older kids get the less their parents give to teachers). Our daughter took a long time to accept that we really were not angry with her for "wasting" her college education by abandoning ship after just two years. But really, is there any job worth her failing health, chronic stress, migraines, crying, no social life? She has been so happy with her decision to leave. Sorry if that's not what you were hoping to hear, but another friend of ours who was a high school teacher in a private school quit at Christmas . She was deteriorating as well and was being asked to pad the grades of students--by admins to appease parents!
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry about your daughter's experience. (I read your previous post.) My daughter lasted two years in teaching public school--and that was FIRST GRADE! Talk, talk, talk, little respect, little encouragement from parents, gossip, testing and documenting all the time to the neglect of actual teaching time . It was such a huge illusion, she discovered, of a lifelong dream of hers I would say be the listening ear, the encourager, the prayer warrior, the one who sends her appreciation gifts (as the older kids get the less their parents give to teachers). Our daughter took a long time to accept that we really were not angry with her for "wasting" her college education by abandoning ship after just two years. But really, is there any job worth her failing health, chronic stress, migraines, crying, no social life? She has been so happy with her decision to leave. Sorry if that's not what you were hoping to hear, but another friend of ours who was a high school teacher in a private school quit at Christmas . She was deteriorating as well and was being asked to pad the grades of students--by admins to appease parents!
ReplyDelete