old and new neighborhoods

I was spending time at home tonight and decided to turn into my old pal of a radio show...Prairie Home Companion...and what do you know, the January 13th episode was done in San Francisco!!! Go figure, I wasn't there to see it...but it's nice to know it was there, and none other then the Stairwell Sisters were musical guests - this is the band that I saw in many a small coffee house and they're also the ones who would call the square dances! Ya'll can hear the show too by clicking here --> Prairie Home Companion Jan 13th show

Closer to the homefront...I've had some interesting connections in my neighborhood this week!

**I met with a health teacher at Belmont High School...which is just a few blocks from my house. Over 4000 students go to this school, it's the largest in California! The teacher said the students are well behaved, but have no motivation - he fails about half of them :( He also said there's not really any programs going on within this school to speak of.
**On Sunday I ventured out and went to a new church - I loved it. But more importantly, I had arranged to have lunch afterwards with a woman who does works with pimps and prostitutes. It was really exciting to meet up and it sounds like she'll be a terriffic connection for me!
**I get to be part of an artgroup! My artistic brain has been shut-up and dwindling as of late, letting out small outbursts of protest every now and then. But, last Friday I got to go to an art group meeting of some various folks in my neighborhood...I'm excited about what we may do together and encourage each other towards.
**Neighborhood Fun Fact: My fabulous roomate Kim (pictured here in leiu of the many random pictures I post of myself) is doing a neighborhood study for one of her classes this semester...so of course she's studying ours. Some of the year 2000 census figure for my hood are... Population in 1 square mile: 6739. Property renters 99.999%...only 6 people out of 6739 owned the house they lived in. Percentage of people who don't speak English: about 25%. Percentage of people who speak English very well: <10%.

Grapenuts are delicious

really...they are, even for dinner. I'm sitting and eating some right now. I don't *usually* eat cereal for dinner - but sometimes it's so good! Last night I made Thai food for dinner. I was delighted how well a new tool I got works for shredding the vegetables that go in Papaya Salad. I also made a new dish that has rice powder in it. Interesting...it was a little funny tasting on the first couple bites...but ended up being quite enjoyable.

Today I had my long day of teaching class. This is my third week with them and the first week in which we were really talking about explicitly sexual topics...i.e., the male reproductive system. Which...fun sound byte of the day...during sixth period I said that sperm were "incredible." The kids found THIS to be incredible! The wonder just sets in on me when I start talking about biology and the way we're made I guess! Hehe. But let me just say here...."I love teaching!" I absolutely LOVE these 9th graders! Now, on Thursday, when I have the class of 46 7th and 8th graders...I don't know that I've established a love for them yet - but there's always room to grow, right! This is actually my last week in which I have "office days." Starting next Monday I'll be in schools teaching Monday thru Thursday thru the end of school...I might get a little crazy, but I'm looking forward to it all!

two hour tour and call to pray!

So two of my ol' Campbell Street Girls (roomates) from SF (Amy and Krista) and one of my old Mission Year roomates from Canada (Jen) came down to LA to visit a couple days. Yesterday we decided to hike to the Hollywood sign. Directions were a little ambiguous, as there's many different ways to get up there and trails aren't exactly marked...but it looked like we were headed for a 5 mile hike. Well...it was a great hike...but we left around 2pm and didn't get back to our car until about 8pm...I don't know how many miles we hiked! We ended up getting a ride back from a nice stranger after waiting for buses and taxis that never came...then we had to wait for the park ranger to unlock the gate...as the park closes at sunset! Good times! We did however, get to the Hollywood sign...technically, you're not allowed to go right up to the sign, but we kinda sneeked under the gate...I was the first to reach the sign - and when I was about 10 feet away from the "H", a beeping started going off! I guess they knew we were there, then we noticed a camara up at the top of the "O"...so we didn't think we should linger there too long...but it was a great view, and a cool hike, even with the lost-ness happening at the end!

I got an email yesterday from Western University, one of my top 2 choices for PA school. It was an update saying they'll be making final decisions for who they'll be asking for interviews - and that they'll be making invitational phone calls by the end of the week. So! Both with Western and with USC, this is basically coming down to the time that they're really making decisions as to who will continue in the application/interview process...so basically I'm asking ya'll to be praying for this! I'll keep you updated!

musings of the day...

So I was researching at work today and came across the little nugget that "in the United States in 1918, Margaret Sanger was arrested for distribuiting the first form of female-controlled contraception - a diaphragm of balvanized rubber." Crazy?! Looking further into who this person was, I came to find out she was a head figure for the birth control movement and she founded Planned Parenthood clinics. I also found out that it wasn't until 1965 that the last state lifted it's law which probhibited even married couples to use contraception!

Not 90 years ago (which depending how you look at it could be a really long time or merely a blink of the eye) the notion of birth control was completely subversive. It's just so interesting to me! On one hand I'm confused that our society at large had such a view of contraception...and on the other hand I'm confused of how we've ended up where we are today. I can't help but wonder what the real thought processes going on back then were. Was it purely because of the church that people thought sex was only for procreation? Something in me guesses it wasn't. How were people truly thinking? What are the influences that were going into their ideas about sex, sexuality, and women's roles in it? Hmmmm....my mind is abuzz...I'll be adding to my library list this week!

If anyone's interested...LIFE included Margaret Sanger as on of this centuries 100 most important people. It can be found here: http://www.time.com/time/time100/leaders/profile/sanger.html Albert Einstein was rated the MOST important person of our century. On one hand, people are still trying to wrap their minds around his findings and on the other it seems like he must have lived centuries ago...but he didn't...he died in 1955 at the age of 76. It's amazing how much a public figure he became and how compassionate he was in his thinking towards humanity (somewhat opposing the stereotypical detached scientist.) I read that his son taught at Berkeley...gee, how's that for being inadequate...can you imagine being the son of Albert Einstein???

On a more personal front...I got to go up to SF this past weekend. It was awesome! I got to catch up with the Campbell Street Girls, Jason, Scotty, Debbie....my good people. Even more then when I was there in September...I know I don't belong there anymore - as much as I love it and am familiar with it. It's an odd feeling. It was fantastic to stay with the Sojourners...I feel so lucky to be connected with them. They're truely a people seeking after God, actively pursuing Him. I felt very lucky to have all my SF peeps in my life - particularly the CG girls, Debbie, and Jason....I love you guys!

my first *REAL* week of work

Oh my goodness..this week has been fantastic! Tuesday I spent the entire schoolday teaching my first classes! They went so well. I didn't really know how to expect the kids to be. They were really cool! Although you could tell most were at least a little embarrassed, I think some of the things we talked about really got them thinking - and there was even some really thoughtful discussion! We discussed what some words meant,such as: "sex," "sexuality," "abstinence," and "contraception."

And it felt so good being out and about and intereacting with people. I'm so excited! We have an anonymous question box, and I had all the kids fill out a "question," even if they didn't have one they had to write something down...I got a couple of really cute notes (you can tell they're girls handwriting) that said that I seem like a "cool" and "nice" person! It was so cute...my own little private affirmations! And it was really fun reading the students questions...like I get a secret snapshot into their heads.

Then today I had a meeting with some parents at a junior high school which I'll be starting to teach in next week. It was so cool to be able to talk with parents. Particularly since I'm really passionate about finding ways to involve parents in educating and talking to their children more about sexuality issues. Research shows time and time again that even though media and friends are huge influences, parents are the biggest influence on their kids sexual decisions. And teens really want to hear from their parents about it. So it was just a great opportunity to talk with them and get some feedback with them and hear their questions.

It felt so great finally having an active work week. No more sitting in my office alone all the hours of the day! Yeah good work!

I'm off tomorrow to San Francisco for a 3-day weekend...very excited about that! I'll actually have Monday off work too, it's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day...I would suggest finding A Letter From a Birmingham Jail and reading it...a powerful peice of writing and a wonderful reminder of our responsibility towards justice.

Peace to all!

snow, snow, snow, SNOW

This past weekend I was lucky enough to make it up to Montana with my parents to visit my Grandparents and Aunt and Uncle. It was so great!

I got stopped by the special security in the airport - which nearly cause me to miss my plane...I had to run to my gate and jump on the plane at just the last minute. Seriously...one more minute and I would've missed it. And then on top of all that, my body decided it wanted to be sick...but Montana was a great place for some down time.

My favorite events were:
* playing cards with my Nan
*creating things with Aunt Pam
*eating (I tried my very first caviar and also visited, twice, my favorite bakery in downtown Hamilton)
*spending hours nestled up watching snow falling outside the window
*walking in the snow and hearing it crunch(okay...so I had to taste some too, I don't get to the snow very often.)

There's just something so peaceful about snow. Plus all noises seemed so muffled in the snow landscape....a vast difference from my very noisy neighborhood!

okay...so it's not that different

...................here's the new hair,
i guess it doesn't look that much different....but it is to me

change of hair...

It's been years. I didn't touch my hair color all through highschool. Then I very carefully waded into the pool of hair coloring until I was eventually submerged. At which point I was free to go and just jump in any other color. So I grew increasingly non-natural, then black, then red...which I've kept around faithfully now for 3 or 4 years!
My changable nature peeps its head every so often, but I usually rationalize myself away. Well...I've finally done it...I changed my hair color. And to a more 'normal' color at that. It was just time - I think. I'm still not sure about not being red, red anymore.
<----Me with the red hair one last time... About to find out....--->
...And I'm putting my hair in curlers this evening...so you'll have to wait a couple more days to see the results! I'm flying out to Montana in the morning for a family visit...yippee!

happy new year!

I have to say, this years New Years celebration was the best ever! My neighbors had mentioned that they all get together in the courtyard for new years eve. Round about 7 o'clock, REALLY loud music began to play - a neighbor had set up a huge sound system outside. Well, the music continued followed by LOTS of dancing! It was really fun! At midnight everyone gave everyone a hug accompanied with a "Feliz Ano Nuevo!" Kim and I stayed outside dancing until about 1:30 when we escaped inside, with the party still going! And, I must fit in here that I did receive compliments on my dancing skills - I was good, "especially for a white girl!" Everyone was out - it was a great feeling of community. I love my apartments!

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Below are some pictures from Christmas at home. My nephews are growing so fast!







Mom and Ty







Trey






Shayla giving Christmas treats to the dogs

Matt and Blaise


working on my little Stude'
...I sure like this car!