How do I love cheese? Let me count the ways.
Co-written with Elizabeth Barrett Browning
How do I love cheese? Let me count the ways.
I love feta and gouda and fried mozzarella,
My soul can feel the gooey cheese with marinara
For this dairy product is what I chase.
I love cheese to the level of every day’s
Most urgent need, by breakfast grumbles and lunchtime hunger pangs.
I love cheese freely, as men love football;
I love cheese purely, as they turn from the stove.
I’ll love cheese with the passion put to use
In my old age, and with my childhood love of Kraft American slices.
I love cheese with a love I seemed to lose
As I down the last bite. I love all cheese—
The mild cheddar, sharp cheddar, all the cheddars of my life; and, if God choose,
I’ll have cheese in heaven after death.
One of my Sunday School teachers in high school pointed out that patience is a fruit of the spirit, and fruit takes time to grow… just like patience.
I have to keep reminding myself of that to keep from getting antsy about what I’m going to do next year. I have no idea where I’m going to end up or what kind of job I’ll have. I’ve applied for a lot of teaching jobs all over the place, but so far nothing has panned out yet. That’s nothing to stress out about either, though, because many school systems haven’t even figured out how many people (if any) they’re hiring for next year anyway. I keep reminding myself that God has a plan for me, and that whatever He has planned is what’s best for me and will happen at the right time. It can be hard to focus on the big picture, however, and not get caught up in the worries of everyday life.
Student teaching has been amazing. I am so blessed to be at the school I am, with my host teacher, and with my students. I have been exhausted these past three weeks– I’m just having a hard time getting into the swing of a 40-hour week work schedule (does anyone ever get used to it?)– but being tired is my only complaint. And that’s not even a complaint, because I savor my free time even more now. It should serve as a reminder that last year I was wishing and praying that I would go to another school in another city’s MAT program rather than staying where I’m at now, and thank God that that didn’t happen. I’m exactly where I need to be. To quote my main man Garth Brooks, “some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.”
On a lighter closing note, here are a few songs I’ve been obsessed with lately.
“Colder Weather” by Zac Brown Band
This song is so beautiful and haunting. I love the lines “well it’s a winding road when you’re in the lost and found, You’re a lover, I’m a runner, and we go round and round.”
“Don’t You Wanna Stay” by Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson
I have a huge crush on Jason Aldean, so any love song by him makes me weak in the knees anyway, but on top of that this song is one of the most passionate and powerful duets I’ve heard on the radio in a long time. I love Kelly Clarkson too, I really wish she’d do a country album.
“Somewhere With You” by Kenny Chesney
I haven’t liked anything Kenny Chesney has come out with in years, so I was shocked at how much I love this song. I love the rambling sound of it, it reminds me of a train. “If you see me out on the town and it looks like I’m burning it down, you won’t ask and I won’t say but in my heart I’m always somewhere with you.”
I haven’t been a very good blogger this semester. I’ve been so busy with student teaching and the rest of my life that this blog has fallen by the wayside. The only thing I feel like I can offer the blogosphere right now is random fragments from my life.
One of the things I love most about teaching high school is how hilarious my students are. A few excerpts…
“Do you read books? Like, real books?”
“Is Transformers a fairy tale?”
“In fairy tales, the popular guy stays popular. For example, I was born handsome and was popular in kindergarten. Now, I’m even better looking and I’m still popular.”
“Is Shakespeare kind of like Tyler Perry?”
“Why were there lions in Rome?”
“Is Rome still a country?”
“Have you ever seen a wild hog? What about a domestic hog? … I have a 200 pounder we can put you in a pen with and he’ll just walk up to you and sniff you.”
I started student teaching full-time Monday, and even though I am EXHAUSTED, I LOVE what I’m doing to the point of being obsessed. I am teaching 4 50-minute periods of 10th grade English and 1 50-minute period of 11th grade AP Language. It’s going to be a couple weeks before I take over and start teaching: right now I’m just helping with things like calling roll, checking homework, and I’m working on learning my students’ names and building relationships with them. My students are amazing! They are so funny and kind. I am so blessed to get to spend every day for the next 10 weeks (well, now 9 1/2 weeks) with students who are happy, funny, and respectful.
electric spiel 