On Imperfect Love and Dancing

Returning from a ward "So-you-think-you-can-Cha-Cha" activity last night I drove past this little old couple of the side of the road. Now we all like to valorize cute little old couples walking down the road hand-in-hand after all those years, but really, is that what love is? I was justed warmed over to the brim at the sight of this adorable couple--a true old, in love looking married couple. What did they look like? Well, he was probably 20 paces in front of her, body bent half over with a cane, leaving his wife who was moving very slowly with a walker, in the dust, but atleast he was carrying her purse! :) You would just have to have seen it. She was struggling up the on-ramp of the sidewalk and probably could have used his help with that awkward walker, but he was far ahead of her no doubt anxious to get home and thinking his wife was a little slow. Why is this cute to me? Probably because I can kind of imagine my parents being like that in another 35 years. They just had their 35th wedding anniversary a couple of days ago and they are just funny. I think real-in love married couples are a little impatient with each other at times, but they still go everywhere together and love eachother and the husband carries the wife's purse.

Okay, I am officially rambling now. But it brought to mind the new church radio commerical of a super old couple who are arguing about how neither of them really liked to dance anyway, so why were they doing it after all these years, and he admits he likes to hold her hand, and she admits she danced anyway because she liked to be in his arms. *Sigh* so cute. But I guess that is what love is when you see couples successfully married for years, (I know I have never been married and am therefore no authority), but I think real love is imperfect, but you do things with and for each other because you would rather do things with and for them, imperfect as they are, than anyone else on the entire earth.

So here's to being a bent over old married couple a few decades down the road!

Pond Excursion, Anyone?

So, spring has sprung (again) and apparently I'm (still) a late-bloomer. Everyone seems to be calling and telling me they are engaged, almost-engaged, engaged-in deep like, engaged-in-good dating and blind dates, and having babies and love-love-love. I am excited for you all! I truly am! I'm just wondering what I need to do getting-blooming-in-love myself!

Is it time to do what Michael Scott did on last week's Office and force-conscript people to get me dates? Or do I need to follow the adivce from a student's research paper. Apparently I can find my husband, or at least see what he looks like by either looking backwards in a mirror at midnight (I think this is how it goes) or else go and look at my reflection in a pond at midnight, and apparently the image of my true love will appear next to mine. Hmmm, that would save the trouble of wondering whether or not we would look good together--. Might be a good idea, huh? Heck, while I am there I might as well collect a few frog-samples and start kissing a few of those too.

My students said today, "We need to find you a husband." Yes we do.

Anyone want to come?

Things Fall Apart

Despite the fact that things fall apart when I am not around, I do not regret leaving my kids and going to Italy! I know I am not their mom, but sometimes I feel like one--a mom of 150 kids who say Ms. E, Ms. E, Ms. E, ALL DAY LONG. I think that anyone who takes care of kids, or anyone for that matter needs to get away sometimes from their life, take a vacation and remind themselves that they have an identity that is separate ,or in addition to, their work identity!

I was greeted this morning at 7:30 a.m. with "The week you were gone was the worst week of my life!" from one of my favorite male students. Well, I got a pretty good idea from the substitute that it was one of the worst weeks of her life too! :) Of course the honors class was perfect, and the others were---not.

I slipped into my classroom a few days ago to view the destruction. I was at first mad, and then was like who cares! Don't cry over over spilled milk! The kids will recover--because although teaching is a large part of my life--my particular class is only a small part of their life. And you know, today wasn't too bad.

It sadly, actually kind of stokes up your ego a bit to hear kids soooo glad you are back, and they just can't work without you! So even though they were bad, lazy, and unproductive while I was gone, what can you do? Their grades will go down a little because of it, but I am going to be nice and give them some time in class to get a few things done in the name of "damage control."

GO on vacation. It's worth it. Your life can wait.

A Mini-Tour of Italy!

I will post a folder on my facebook account with more pics if anyone wants to see more pics, but here is a highlight or two. Enjoy!




A beautiful man, I'm not going to lie.


Venice; view from Rialto Bridge




Me somewhere in Vatican City.


A view of Assissi.


Venice, obviously.


Cheese and Wine Tasting, Minus the Wine Tasting. :)



Everyone rides bikes in Ferraro.

So there is a small sample! I took 8 rolls of film and 450 digital pictures, not counting what my mom and sister took on their digital camera. LOL.

Tell Me I'm Beautiful and I just Might Fall into your Arms.

It's true--what they say about Italian men. They are forward, and it's refreshing. I had heard it would happen, and it did: I have been starred at all day long, and told I am beautiful on an almost more than twice daily basis for the last 10 days in Italy.

I only felt sexually harrassed on two occasions. All of the rest of the time I just felt admired. I'm not saying I wish American men were like that, and if I lived in Italy, I would be ticked if my husband were checking out every woman on the street! But it made me feel like a woman--. It made me feel beautiful. One of the women I was travelling with was one of my former young women's leaders and she said it was fun to watch me walk down the streets, there was just something about me those men liked! Probably the red hair because I was the only natural red head I saw in my entire stay. I'm not saying it to proclaim that I think I am beautfiul, because I really don't think there is anything particualrly special about me, I am just saying it because it made me think.

One of the people I was travelling with has been to Italy on several occasions and on one occassion she met a man who told her that he didn't like American women. He said Italian women (who I might add are ridiculsouly beautiful) even if they are 50 lbs. overweight walk around like they own the place, confident. He said he doesn't like American women because they beleive if they are not the most beautiful woman in teh room they have nothing to offer. He doesn't understand that about Americans, he said every woman has something beautiful to offer, and Italian women believe that--and that is partially what makes them attractive.

And to the men-folk , I would just like to say--try it. Not every woman would admit it, but we all like to be told we are beautiful. There is some truth in the saying that "women love with their ears," because in a sense we do. There are lots of languages of love, but we are inclined to buckle when a man lets us know in no uncertain terms that he finds us attractive. And American women are trained to beleive is she doesn't currently have a significant other, it just might mean no man finds her attracitve--which I beleive has to be grossly untrue. So women, let's act beautiful, because we are, and men, tell us we are beautiful, and we just might wind up in your arms! :)

And I'm Off!

I write you all in a couple of weeks! I'm off to Italy!!!!!