Change

You know how you can say a word so many times that it begins to seem like it's not really a word at all?  Without fail, the word "change" brings to mind the song "Chain chain chaaaaiiinnnn, chain of fools," and once that got stuck in my head just now, I began to sing "chain chain chaaannnggeee," and now the word "change" doesn't even feel like a real word anymore.  and that song doesn't even make sense for this post.  OH WELL!

what er ya gonna do???  =]

January brought some really big changes.  *typical of you, january....*

One of my new FAVORITE people moved back to the states to get mawwiieeeed.  I'm SUPER excited for her, but I already miss her!  I was BLESSED to get to know Leneigh Brackney and am thrilled to get to see her again in Texas! It's so great when you can meet someone and just *click.*  How divine that she ended up becoming my teacher assistant in the 2nd grade classroom.  Leneigh played many roles on my Thailand adventure.  

I especially knew 2nd grade would live happily ever after when I found out her favorite movie is Baby Mama (insert Amy Poehler's pre-natal yoga "what what" sound) and one of her fave tv shows is NEW GIRL (disclaimer: I may not agree with everything on it, but you know what, that show is HYSTERICAL).  #schmidtzie #schmidtism #schmidtbaby 

#hashtagsoutsideoftwitter
#yeahso

Aside from being tons of fun, Leneigh is diligent, mature, disciplined and motivated.  I learned so much from her initiative and discipline.  Having her in my classroom everyday ushered in an awareness&accountability of my daily decisions within the classroom, my responses to discipline opportunities, how my character shone (or shadowed), and the thing is, she didn't say anything about any of those.  I think it was Christ in her, as well as an unexpected but useful self-conciousness that grew me and shaped me further than I would've on my own.  I am grateful to have had a "buddy" in the classroom who got my jokes and recognized the times that I needed help or encouragement.  I'm so, so thankful for someone to change up the dynamic when we traveled, to make things feel at-home when we shared dinners or watched movies.  She is a lovely, new lifelong friend who once again, when I met her in the staff room before school began, I had no idea how she would be used in my life.  
Maybe someday we'll serve together again.  :)  

iloveit that Anthony came to visit Chiang Rai for two months before they both headed back to the states.  Blessed by them, indeed!  

New Year's Eve

First trip to Chiang Mai, first tuk-tuk ride

2nd graders and Mustache Day

CRICS Christmas Program

With Leneigh's departure came some rearranging. Here we go with some oldies again:  "When it's time to change, you've got to re-arraaange!"  

Leneigh had been teaching the three K-6 Elementary Music classes, so I took them on.  Music Education is something I've considered studying, and particularly I've had some interest in Music Therapy.  I'm looking forward to exploring a) music ed.  b) different grade levels  c) teaching outside of regular core content.  Today was my first music class....grades 4-6...quite different from my 1st and 2nd grade babes.  ;)  

Any advice on how to get 6th grade boys thinking that Beethoven and Schubert are cool is gladly welcomed.  =]  

Some elementary supervisors at school helped me spend some hours getting my schedule worked out, but we have a plan that seems to be working so far... and guess what, Leneigh, it's actually better than it was before.  

Like I said way back in my very first Thailand post, change is good.  
Growth
Learning
Exploration
Discovery
Understanding
FUN
APPRECIATION. 

I'm expecting all-of-the-above with these new changes.  I think these are reasonable, likely and attainable expectations.  

Leneigh Brackney (and any of my former music teacher readers), I'll do my best to make ya proud!  

Our first music class today began with the following apropos: 

Psalm 95 
1 Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. 
2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. 
3 For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. 
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. 
5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. 
6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; 
7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.  Today, if you hear his voice, 
8 do not harden your hearts....






And just one more thing for the road - Bananagrams and John Denver at Charlie's Resort

October 2012

Julie & Julia

*Wrote this blog on December 21st.  It's one of those I mentioned in my 12/31 post titled "2012," that I wrote but never published for the public.  Letting go... published.  :) 

Good Morning, Christmas Break.   

I awoke with a smile on my face, probably not for any reason that you'd guess.  

I dreamed last night that while Sean Lowe from The Bachelorette was filming his season of The Bachelor, he was secretly falling for me even though I wasn't a contestant on the show, and it was the new "twist" of the most dramatic season of The Bachelor in Bachelor history, because ya know, we put our hearts out on the line.  Also, the whole show was filmed in T h a i l a n d (yeah, I know, dreamin' alright!).  He met me here, and I was so excited because even though we met in Thailand, I knew he could two-step because he's from Texas.    

hey, maybe it could happen?  ;)

I think it's hilarious that I literally woke up smiling.  Haha.  Embarrassing?  Slightly.  

But it's Real.  

And for some reason, that's what this blog has become. 

Very, 

very, 

real.  

So on that note  - I'm in a good mood.  And naturally, I turned on Bieb's "Mistletoe" after I woke up and realized the dream I'd just had.  

Next.

Relate.  Relate.  Relate.

and relate again.  [be mindful of the title]

#1:  I find joy in cooking.  I get lost in it.  Sometimes I follow a recipe, but my preference is to treat cooking like a piece of art.  It is.  It is art, creativity, and science all mixed into one.  Add to that nutrition and bent rules, enjoyment, pleasure, generosity, hospitality, variety, limitless possibilities - For me, to cook is to rest.  And I need more of it. 

#2:  I blog.  I document my life and send pieces of my raw emotions, my adventures, my opinions and even some of my p r a y e r s out into CYBERSPACE, wherever that is.  I wonder if anybody reads it, and I wonder who I'm writing to, sometimes.  Most of the time I feel like I'm just talking to myself.  Interestingly, my own self is the audience that can't wait to the turn the page or read the next chapter...  

#3:  Although Julie Powell was turning 30 in the movie Julie & Julia, I am one week away from 27.  Still young and enjoying my 20's.  However, glaringly aware that i. am. single.  i am single.  I am single, and there are things I can do right now in my life that I couldn't do if I had a new little family, which is perhaps part of the purpose in why I am still single.  That doesn't change how many of my friends are having babies with their cute husbands right now, though, and how I, like Julie Powell, wonder how good of an idea it is to document my life and my feelings on the internet.  I am embracing where I am, though, or at least trying to.  Remember that "Thankfulness Changes Things" post?  Still ringin' true, my friends.  It's still true.  

Ya know,

Sometimes...I think Facebook...is a thief. 

of joy.  

...and a catalyst...

for comparison.  

Have I said this before?  I've certainly thought it.  On the other hand, sometimes the connections made via Facebook are priceless, especially when you move across the globe.

#4:  (back to the focus of the post - my life related to Julie & Julia)  Julie Powell sat at her desk with blogger open and contemplated the depth and reality of her blog content.  I do this every time I open my webpage to write.  The direction of my blog has steered away from "teaching in thailand," and instead has become a place where I process the restorative moments that I did indeed expect this year.  

Hello joy, hello adventure, hello humility, hello contentment, ... hello lamentation.  

Julie Powell opened a blog to record 365 days of cooking new recipes.  I opened a blog for recording my experiences and adventures in Thailand.  She ended up with character growth.  I'm finding some identity growth.  

Psalm 139 comes to mind again.  Search me, God, and know my heart.  Test me and know my anxious thoughts; see if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.  

#5:  Given - half the movie is in France.  #leduh 
#6:  Meryl Streep is in it.  Nothing for me to relate to here, I just like that part.  I think she's fabulous.    

As a result of watching this movie, I have made up my mind to take a Thai cooking class.  My Thai friends can still teach me, but I've always wanted to take a Central Market cooking class - so, why not try an authentic Thai cooking class right here in Chiang Rai?  

Small side note - I think watching American movies are extra restful for me here because it looks familiar and sounds familiar.  Everybody speaks English, and it forces me to sit down and be still.  

Writing does the same thing.  

I swear I'll write about life events rather than my thoughts and feelings about Chick Flicks someday soon.... The Christmas season has been unbelievably busy [bizzy].  Joyous, particularly magnifying of the Sovereignty of the Christmas story, pretty stressful, and bizzy.  

It'll be okay if you go watch Julie & Julia now and don't like it. 
I'll still love it.  
:)