The Stairways of My Mind

Sometimes, it is really hard for me to focus in my classes.

And no, I don't have ADD. :)

You see, I like to think. And by thinking, I mean dreaming, planning, organizing, imagining. Like today in Economics. Originally, I thought I was going to have to pay extra attention in that class because Economics went right over my head in high school. But it turns out that I have a really great professor (he goes by "Tommy") who explains things very, very well. And now I understand! Understanding supply and demand is great, but it causes a problem. Since I think I get everything now, I allow my mind to wander. And where does it go? EVERYWHERE.

Today I was thinking about stairs.

I've never had stairs. Never, ever. My house was originally a gas station, built in 1933. We don't have an upstairs or a downstairs. So I've always wanted stairs, ever since I was a little girl. I found a collection of papers from when I was in 4th grade, and one paper was titled "Me in the Future." I described my life- I was married with 4 kids, I had a dog and a cat, and I described my house: a farmhouse out in the country WITH STAIRS. I was laughing so hard; I couldn't believe I actually wrote that. But it's true! My desires haven't changed, even though it's been a decade since I wrote that. I still want to get married and have 4 kids (anywhere from 2-5, actually), and I want some pets (as long as they're outside!) and I would love, love, love to live in the country. In a farmhouse. With stairs!

So today I was thinking about stairs, specifically what I would do with them. What kind of rug would go on the stairs? I would definitely wrap garland around the railing at Christmas time! Maybe even strings of popcorn or something fun like that. I could see my kids (and even maybe me!) sliding down the stairs on our rear ends. :)

When I sat down to write a new blog post, I had no idea that I was going to elaborate so much on something as simple as stairs. I am actually laughing now. Oh man.

But it's true. It's just a little sampling of what goes on in my mind, along with supply and demand curves and the like. Maybe next time I'll talk about all the planning/organizing I do in my brain. Hmm...that would take some time to write out. Watch out! Be prepared for a long post. :)

A journey to the past

So. I thought I was not going to blog nearly as often as I was summer, since school is in session and from it are so many new demands. But this seems not to be the case...yet. We'll see how long it will be until I'm absolutely crazy with schoolwork. Lately, it seems as if I come up with something new to write about almost every day. I've had so many ideas in my head for the past who-knows-when, and so I'm just going to pick one to write about today. Today's topic is.........songs that will forever remind me of my freshman year of college.

Every so often, when I'm riding in the car with my mom, she'll hear a song on the radio that evokes a strong or reminiscent emotion. She will say to me "this song reminds me of the summer of 1977..." or something along those lines. These songs (all on 99.9, the "old people station"), mostly remind her of her college days. "Well," I thought to myself the other day, "do I have any songs that remind me of my college days?" Of course they've just started, but I do have a whole year under my belt. :)

The songs that remind me of my freshman year of college are:

1. One Step at a Time, by Jordin Sparks

We did this song in our lip sync competition during Homecoming...in fact, it is on youtube here: Lip Sync

2. Africa, by Karl Wolf

This song was played at least once at every dance I went to, from the Stout stoplight dance to the Honors dance in Martin Hall. It is just great.

3. Bowl of Oranges, by Bright Eyes

Jesse gave me this song sometime last fall, and I liked it a lot- it is such a happy song. I would listen to it every time I drove to the Northridge Retirement Center, where I spent time doing my service learning. Just hearing that song makes me want fall so bad...

4. Poker Face, by Lady GaGa

Every time I would go into the bathroom on our floor, the radio was playing this song. No joke. And although I don't like a lot of songs in this genre, this one was super catchy. Plus Johnny Weir skated to it. :)

5. The Revelation Song, by Hillsong United

This song was sang pretty frequently whenever I went to church at Kearney E-Free. I had never heard it until I did at that church, and the girl leading the singing had such a pretty voice. I immediately was like "I love it. I need to buy this song." I listen to it all the time now and I always think of that church when I do.

I absolutely love how music has the ability to take you back to a certain time in your past. I could probably say something about any song I have ever heard...like where I've heard it...when I first listened to it...who it reminds me of. Songs are not only special because of their lyrics, but also because of the powerful feelings that are connected with it. Those feelings can awaken wonderful memories, ones full of joy and excitement. Music, though, can also bring back heartache and grief- like maybe a song that was special to you and a loved one who has died, or a song that belonged to you and an old lover. I hope that most of these feelings are good, but I know that the bad ones are certainly going to be there, too- this is life, after all, complete with its imperfections and insanities. Some of these songs go down so deep that I know I will never, ever forget them- or the feelings connected with them. Even if, someday when I'm old, I get dementia, I know that music will always bring back my past and those few memories will not die. Because of music, my emotions will be remembered.

Now, the important question. Are there any songs that remind you of the past? Good...or bad- I want to hear about 'em!

The Reason Why I Blog

So...occasionally, I like to write down some of the thoughts in my head and post them on this-here weblog. Why do I do it???

Obviously it's because of the substantial amount of comments I recieve.

Right?

Hm. Looking back, I see a grand total of...zero! Zero comments for Kimberly...woo hoo, go me.

But really. If accumulating feel-good comments was the reason for this determined blogging, I would be done, completely done. I think I have 16 profile views, at max. As you can tell (if you are reading this, you are one of the few people who are!), I do not blog for the enjoyment of others. I simply use this blog as a journal. I love it- once I hit that little orange "publish post" button, my blog post is created. I don't have to worry about losing it or ruining it, having the ink smear or the pages torn. Yes, I love my little online journal.

I would love to be a part of a "mom circle of bloggers." (I kind of just made that term up right now.) I have seen different blogs where moms post advice about cooking, cleaning, raising kids, dealing with husbands...I absolutely love that idea, and I hope to have a little circle of friends who someday will do that. So, I am starting this blog now, in hopes that someday I will find a circle of friends who will be willing to read my blog (and maybe comment?!), and whose blogs I will more than willingly visit each day. Of course, right now I can't blog about any of the topics I just mentioned, so for now it is just a journal for everyday life. And then someday, once I find my "mom circle", they can read back over the entries from all the years and laugh at how I've changed...how I was upset that I had no comments...how my outlook on life has evolved...etc.

Yes, I know this blog is not a waste of brain and finger strength at all. It provides me with an outlet for creative writing (something other than the countless papers I write for school), and it is a place where I can document my life, my memories, my precious photos. I can capture little tidbits of me without losing them! I have to admit, somedays I do get discouraged and think "This is such a waste of time. No one ever comments on what I post, let alone looks at it." But I know that it doesn't really matter- who cares? It's my own little corner of the big ol' web, and I will write what I will write. If you would like to read what I wrote, go ahead! But if not, don't think I would waste my time crying. :)

Anyhoo...I think I got my point across.

I love my blog.

School Days.

I am scared. I am not afraid of the person, but of the situations that will happen and how I will handle them. I am afraid I will not show equity and not give my best. It's the fear of the unknown that strikes, and it can be paralyzing. I hope this is not true for me.

In all of that, I was referring to teaching. Today I started my TE 204 class- Typical/Atypical Child Growth & Development.

I have heard that this class is often the turning point for those who think they want to become educators; this class weeds out all of the people who aren't up to the everyday challenge of teaching. It separates the capable from the incapable. I sure hope I'm among the capable.

It's not that I will be completely dreading teaching after this class, but I know it will definitely open up my eyes to every type of student out there. We were assigned topics for our PowerPoint presentations today- everyone drew a different topic, each one about a different disability. I drew "osteogenesis imperfecta." What in the world is that?! It made me realize that there are soooo many kinds of disabilities, whether they are physical, cognitive, social, or emotional. And as a teacher, I have to be prepared to handle them all. ALL. Granted I will have a special ed. teacher to help me along the way, but I will still have to find a way to teach every student in their own learning style so that they will all have the equal opportunity of learning. It will be hard to be patient with the slower learners, as well as making sure that the quick learners have enough to keep them challenged. Instead of in the past, where teachers just assigned the same work to each student and they either passed or failed, I am going to have to learn to differentiate. I completely agree with Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences- I know that each child possesses every one of the intelligences, but not each child has a high level of skill in each one. Like the typical stereotype, that football players do poorly in school. This may be true of many people, that they excel greatly in the intelligence of kinesthetics (sports, etc.), but they lack a lot of the intelligence in another area, such as logic or linguistics. As a teacher, I will have to strive to reach over and above the old style of "easy teaching," and discover ways to help each unique child.

A wrap-up of summer '09.

This summer was extremely satisfying. I can say without a doubt that I enjoyed it thoroughly. Although, at times, it was crazy, I did so many things that I really can't think of anything I wish I could have done or had the time for. As I sit here in my dorm room in Kearney, all ready for the school year, thoughts of all my activities and completed projects are flooding my mind. I can't type nearly fast enough! So, I will try to list them as best I can.

In no particular order (only just as I think of them):

1. I completed 2 online classes, received 6 credits, and got an A and an A-. Not too shabby.
2. I went to Colorado twice; once in June, and once in July.
3. My sister and I put together a garage sale and made $250!
4. I made supper for my family quite a few times. This included salmon and couscous and also seafood fettucine alfredo. YUM.
5. I worked 20-22 hours a week at the Love Shack...er...the golf shack. :)
6. I went to both the Lincoln Children's Zoo and the Omaha Henry Doorley Zoo.
7. The Saunders County Fair. I got the chance to eat food, see 4H projects, go to the Figure 8 race, and ride rides with my cousins!
8. I spent time with friends I don't often see.
9. I played piano at Swedeburg Covenant Church several times each month. I love doing that so much!
10. A friend and I put on a BBQ together for our old (oops...I mean "former"...he's not OLD yet!) band teacher. It was successful, but I think I over-stressed. It was definitely a learning experience.
11. I went to a movie with my cousin Kate! It has been a tradition to do that for the last 5 years or so, and with the things that happened this past year in her family, I wasn't sure if we were going to get the chance. But things worked out, and it was good!
12. I studied the entire book of Daniel over 12 weeks (the Beth Moore study...I definitely recommend it) with my grandma Norma and my sister. Daniel has since then become one of my favorite books, and I know that I learned much!
13. Stir-Up Days- I enjoyed an entire day with Jesse and my friends/family walking around downtown Ashland. I started the day with the Kiddie parade, and ended it with the Rootbeer Kegger in the park. In between activities were such things as eating cotton candy and snowcones, participating in the cake walk, eating BBQ pork sandwiches, entering artwork into the Art Show, and much more I can't really think of right now.
14. I started blogging more frequently- at least more than once every 3 months!
15. I read 14 books!

While I'm on a roll with lists, I might as well list all these books I read. I am so thankful for a job that lets me read!!

• The Shack by William Young
• The Great Eight: How to Be Happy (Even When You Have Every Reason to be Miserable) by Scott Hamilton
• Danny Gospel by David Athey
• Demon: A Memoir by Tosca Lee
• My Sergei by Ekaterina Gordeeva
• Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
• Atonement by Ian McEwan
• One Minute After You Die by Erwin Lutzer
• Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
• The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers
• The Pact by Jodi Picoult
• Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
• Web of Darkness by Sean Sellers
• The Dead Whisper On by T.L. Hines

I can tell you that my least favorite was Danny Gospel. Dumbest book I've ever read. My favorites were definitely Redeeming Love and Atonement.

Now all I have to look forward to are textbooks. :/

I thought I would be sad to have to leave, to have to accept that summer is coming to a close. But I've been in Kearney for 6 days, and the time has FLOWN. I guess that means I'm having fun. :)

It is so good to be back in a routine, back with friends, back with normal life. Summer is amazing, but if it were summer all year round, it wouldn't be the same type of summer. It wouldn't be as satisfying, because we wouldn't have anything to contrast it with. And as much as I love summer, I don't even come close to disliking school. It's a challenge; it takes perseverance like no other to take 18 credits and do so many activities, but I wouldn't change it. I love Kearney, I love my friends, and I love learning (even if it does take a lot of work). Trying to slow down time or speed things up is just silly. I love being where I am, right now, wherever it may be. I just want to enjoy my time when I'm young so that I will not look back when I'm 70 and wish I would've enjoyed it more. I've always been one to enjoy life, and I am very thankful I possess that trait. :)

Colorado!

Jesse’s family has some cabins in Colorado near Gunnison National Forest, near the tiny mountain town of Pitkin. Steve (Jesse’s dad) took a bunch of us from the Youth Center up to the cabins for a retreat in 2007. It was incredibly fun. 2 years ago, I hadn’t been to Colorado since I was 3. We usually go to the not-as-grand Black Hills (don’t get me wrong- the Black Hills are my favorite vacation spot ever, but let’s face it. There’s a reason they are called “hills”, not mountains.) So 2 years ago, when we set off for the cabi

ns, I was amazed by the Rocky Mountains. They are so majestic. And vast. And they display God’s handiwork like nothing else I’ve ever seen. So going to Colorado in 2007 was special because I had never experienced true mountains like that before, and I had never been to the cabins. It was all new and exciting for me, not to mention I discovered I still had a crush on Jesse Herman. :)

2 years later, it is 2009. I have graduated, as have all of the people who went on that trip in 2007. When I heard that Steve was thinking of taking us back up there, I was thrilled! “Of course I’m going,” I said. This time, there were only 7 people instead of 12. It had a different feel because of that- it was more personal and we did things as a whole group, instead of breaking off into little ones. Steve pointed out something to us, and it definitely applied to this trip. He remarked that “Nothing is ever the same, and you can’t expect it to be; if you do, you will end up disappointed.” I know from experiencing things more than once that this is true, and I am glad, otherwise I may have been disappointed.

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Melo got to come on this trip! She was the only one of us who had never been there before, and the only one who was still in high school. She had a blast chopping wood (for THREE hours!), and being our trail blazer up the mountain.

Here is a picture of Jesse and me on the first trip, in 2007.

This is us on our last trip, in 2009. Have we changed? :)

Making bracelets is always a fun activity- I made both of these.

Us girls at The Point (from left to right): Katie, Amanda, Me, Melody

A hummingbird kept getting into the cabin. I did not realize they chirp (or squeak, rather).

Of course we had to go down the Rock Slide, and my jeans are STILL dirty from it.

We climbed all the way to the top of Green Mountain. It took about 2 ½ hours, but we made it!

All in all, we had a super fun trip and I can't wait to go back again!

Summery Fun

I love summer. I absolutely do. I never thought it was my favorite season before, but now I am beginning to re-think that.

The last few day have been close to the epitome of summer, the #1 reason being the Saunders County Fair. It's something I have gone to every year for the last decade. I used to be in 4-H-not hardcore-but I always entered a few projects. One thing I dominated (always with my cousin Emily) was the ice cream rolling contest. We always came up with really awesome flavors- Banana Split, Snickers, Blueberry Cheesecake, and more. It was so fun.

Taylor and Nathan made Chocolate Reese's peanut butter cup- delicious.

We went to the Children's Barnyard and there were some cute animals, including this baby chick. I miss my chickens!

Last year was the first time I had ever gone to the Figure 8 Race. I thought it would be something boring or completely uninteresting to me. But it wasn't. I even like getting hit by dirt clods. :)

I took Melo to the Lincoln Zoo for her birthday on Saturday. It's not a big zoo, but it is a lot of fun.

We saw some animals, like this camel, whose name was Cleo. Unfortunately it just reminded me of cigarettes.

And we saw my favorite animal ever- the river otter!

This time of year is when our Rose of Sharon tree blooms. I think they are so pretty, but you really can't pick a bouquet of the flowers because they stems are not long enough. Sometimes I just pick the blossom and let it float in water- that works, too.

I made Melo a birthday cake. It was a pineapple coconut cake. She actually liked it, which is a result often hard to acheive!

These last couple of days were most definitely summer because I took the time to notice all the little summery things that will soon be gone, as fall comes. Melo and I rode our bikes to the grocery store, instead of driving (we're going green! hahaha) and it was SO nice. The temperature was perfect, there was a slight breeze, and riding through the side streets of Ashland was just...summer. I could smell people grilling in their backyards, and there was also the scent of newly mown grass. Kids were walking back home in their towels and flip flops from spending a day at the pool, and people were out walking everywhere- whether it be with their dog, husband or wife, or baby in a stroller. It was just so summer. And I made myself drink it in because I know it will be ending soon- I will be going back to school, and although the season is technically still summer for almost another month and a half, it just isn't the same once school starts. There is a new smell in the air; maybe it is just the new crayons and pencils (which I still buy myself sometimes!) or maybe it is the leaves thinking about changing colors-I don't know-but whatever it may be, once school begins again, summer is not the same. I am so glad I am able to enjoy it until then!