Yesterday the photographer came to the school for the newspaper article, today it was in the paper.
If you're interested in reading a bit more about my experiences with the little give, the Downers Grove Reporter has published an article. You can read it here!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
200th Post
Who would have guessed that when I started this little ole' blog that I'd have 200 posts. I didn't that's for sure!
Let me give you a bit of an update on my Little Give Experience. It has been quite a week. I was on the radio again Tuesday morning to report how much money I was able to raise. You can download the April 22, Eric and Kathy Podcast to listen to me on the radio here!
I can't remember if I mentioned how much I earned in my last blog post, but I was able to raise $4,000!!!!! In 24 hours I was able to do more than I thought I could. People were amazing. This even caught the attention of the local newspaper and one of the ministers at church. Today he brought up my email and the amount I was able to raise in church.
I need to finish collecting the money, just a few people more and a couple more schools to collect from, get everything together and go to the facility.
Things are getting crazy-busy at school. It always does between April and June. I have am volunteering at the book fair tomorrow for a bit, then into a meeting (all after school), Reading group for 2 more weeks on Tuesday and Thursdays afterschool, Wednesday meeting too, and I've got to start getting organized to pack up my entire room. I wish I knew if I was staying put in that room or moving. I have requested to change rooms to the front hall but don't know yet if I'll be moving. We should be knowing soon, usually by Memorial Day.
We also have a difficult situation facing us, Don has the feeling that his time with U-haul is nearing an end. Often the case with middle management when a new president comes in, he tries to bring in his own people and with Don being so qualified and really should have gotten that job, the new 24 year old boss feels that Don is a threat and has demotted him and has told his new manager to get rid of him. This is truly an unfortunate situation but I feel that God will reveal a plan and somewhere a window is open for Don to find. Thankfully the college and high school tuitions are paid and we have a bit of reprieve from those. If you are the praying type, please keep us in your prayers that Don can find a job that pays pretty decent that will help us stay afloat, and that it is something that he likes and can do well.
I've got to go start on some papers to grade or starting my grocery list for a quick trip to the store. Tons to get done because we are thinking of volunteering at St. James Farm. This was the private, farm retreat of the McCormicks, of Chicago and International Harvester riches. Their farm has been purchased by the county's forest perserve and it's about to open to the public for the first time ever. You can read more about the interesting history of this in this newsletter. I was quite surprised at how much I learned about Illinois and Chicago history that I didn't know.
I hope you've found something intersting in this 200th blog post. I guess that is about an average of 100 posts per year or once every 3.5 days. Hey not so bad when you consider that the title of my blog is "My Busy Life." I think I sort of let you know that I'm pretty busy. I hope you're not too busy to leave me a little comment.
Thanks!
Let me give you a bit of an update on my Little Give Experience. It has been quite a week. I was on the radio again Tuesday morning to report how much money I was able to raise. You can download the April 22, Eric and Kathy Podcast to listen to me on the radio here!
I can't remember if I mentioned how much I earned in my last blog post, but I was able to raise $4,000!!!!! In 24 hours I was able to do more than I thought I could. People were amazing. This even caught the attention of the local newspaper and one of the ministers at church. Today he brought up my email and the amount I was able to raise in church.
I need to finish collecting the money, just a few people more and a couple more schools to collect from, get everything together and go to the facility.
Things are getting crazy-busy at school. It always does between April and June. I have am volunteering at the book fair tomorrow for a bit, then into a meeting (all after school), Reading group for 2 more weeks on Tuesday and Thursdays afterschool, Wednesday meeting too, and I've got to start getting organized to pack up my entire room. I wish I knew if I was staying put in that room or moving. I have requested to change rooms to the front hall but don't know yet if I'll be moving. We should be knowing soon, usually by Memorial Day.
We also have a difficult situation facing us, Don has the feeling that his time with U-haul is nearing an end. Often the case with middle management when a new president comes in, he tries to bring in his own people and with Don being so qualified and really should have gotten that job, the new 24 year old boss feels that Don is a threat and has demotted him and has told his new manager to get rid of him. This is truly an unfortunate situation but I feel that God will reveal a plan and somewhere a window is open for Don to find. Thankfully the college and high school tuitions are paid and we have a bit of reprieve from those. If you are the praying type, please keep us in your prayers that Don can find a job that pays pretty decent that will help us stay afloat, and that it is something that he likes and can do well.
I've got to go start on some papers to grade or starting my grocery list for a quick trip to the store. Tons to get done because we are thinking of volunteering at St. James Farm. This was the private, farm retreat of the McCormicks, of Chicago and International Harvester riches. Their farm has been purchased by the county's forest perserve and it's about to open to the public for the first time ever. You can read more about the interesting history of this in this newsletter. I was quite surprised at how much I learned about Illinois and Chicago history that I didn't know.
I hope you've found something intersting in this 200th blog post. I guess that is about an average of 100 posts per year or once every 3.5 days. Hey not so bad when you consider that the title of my blog is "My Busy Life." I think I sort of let you know that I'm pretty busy. I hope you're not too busy to leave me a little comment.
Thanks!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Give Big with a Little Give
Today was an emotional roller coaster. But before I can tell you the story I've got to give you some background. There is a radio station here WTMX 101.9 that did a promotion the first week that Oprah's Big Give started. Eric and Kathy, the morning show hosts, I think DJ's are not the appropriate job title any longer, did something called Eric and Kathy's Little Give. They gave 3 "players" $100.00 each to do something good with; donate it or help someone else out who could use just a little. Their objective was to do a similiar thing to what was happening on Oprah's show. After hearing them give away the money and hearing the outcome of the three people's gives I felt compelled to write the radio station to compliment them and tell them that this should be something to continue. A week or two later, I heard they were going to continue it but were changing it slightly and were picking communities to focus on. Jump ahead to today. I got up and on my way to work earlier than normal. Next they, Eric and Kathy, were talking about it being the last time they were doing their Little Give project. They were taking text messages to determine the community but I missed that part. Low and behold the community that was selected was mine, Downers Grove.
What a coincidence that just last night I was spreading the virtues of this great program with my mom. We talked about it so much that I actually missed the finale of Oprah's Big Give. Well after they announced my town and they said they were looking for 2 callers, I called. First I got a busy signal so I hung up and tried one or two more times. Sure enough, I got through and was selected!
I was put on the radio and one of the two people who were going to be given $100 to use and try to grow to make more. I was picked and now I had to scramble to figure out what organization. I selected the Family Shelter Service
Once this was actually put on my shoulders I immediately felt I wasn't going to be able to do as well as some of the others have done. I had to teach all day. How could I make this $100 turn into more in 24 hours? I swear do you know how quickly 24 hours is? I started to freak out and one of my close friends at school told me just do what you can. I called my family and asked Don and my mom to help me out. My mom called my brother whose field of work is donations! Geesh how could that have slipped my mind? I think it was a foggy, Monday morning brain. So I started sending out emails to everyone I knew. Sure enough I started getting some back saying I'll give you $25 or $100 or some other wonderful amount.
I got the kids in my class involved. Hey we did a bit of spelling, reading, and math today. I figure they got a chance to go above and beyond a "normal" day at school. They got to be involved in something big that was titled "little." It wasn't little. Can you believe that all my students went room to room collecting donations from all the teachers at Roosevelt School? After that my class worked all afternoon and popped popcorn to sell after school. We popped close to 200 bags. Try keeping some sanity with 18 kids and 200 bags of popcorn! I laugh now thinking back. Well tonight I came home and had over 40 emails from teachers from other schools.
Jump ahead to right now, I've finished calculating how much we've earned. I say we because I could have never done this without my students, the staff of Roosevelt School, the teachers of Cicero District 99, my mom, dad, brother, and husband. I have such wonderful friends who are willing to go above and beyond. The ladies who work at Beauty Company of Chicago who graciously donated $175 after my haircut. The people at my Weight Watchers meeting tonight gave over $50.
Ultimately, as of right now, I am going to be able to tell the Chicagoland area that my peeps were able to provide Family Shelter Services almost $4000.
To my peeps, YOU ROCK!!!! I cannot express my gratitude and thanks. If you feel you can contribute and the first 24 hours is over, keep it going because this shelter can always use "stuff" besides money. They can also use you. Consider being a volunteer there. Give them some time, sometimes that is worth more than money.
THANKS AGAIN EVERYONE YOU ARE THE BEST!!!
What a coincidence that just last night I was spreading the virtues of this great program with my mom. We talked about it so much that I actually missed the finale of Oprah's Big Give. Well after they announced my town and they said they were looking for 2 callers, I called. First I got a busy signal so I hung up and tried one or two more times. Sure enough, I got through and was selected!
I was put on the radio and one of the two people who were going to be given $100 to use and try to grow to make more. I was picked and now I had to scramble to figure out what organization. I selected the Family Shelter Service
Once this was actually put on my shoulders I immediately felt I wasn't going to be able to do as well as some of the others have done. I had to teach all day. How could I make this $100 turn into more in 24 hours? I swear do you know how quickly 24 hours is? I started to freak out and one of my close friends at school told me just do what you can. I called my family and asked Don and my mom to help me out. My mom called my brother whose field of work is donations! Geesh how could that have slipped my mind? I think it was a foggy, Monday morning brain. So I started sending out emails to everyone I knew. Sure enough I started getting some back saying I'll give you $25 or $100 or some other wonderful amount.
I got the kids in my class involved. Hey we did a bit of spelling, reading, and math today. I figure they got a chance to go above and beyond a "normal" day at school. They got to be involved in something big that was titled "little." It wasn't little. Can you believe that all my students went room to room collecting donations from all the teachers at Roosevelt School? After that my class worked all afternoon and popped popcorn to sell after school. We popped close to 200 bags. Try keeping some sanity with 18 kids and 200 bags of popcorn! I laugh now thinking back. Well tonight I came home and had over 40 emails from teachers from other schools.
Jump ahead to right now, I've finished calculating how much we've earned. I say we because I could have never done this without my students, the staff of Roosevelt School, the teachers of Cicero District 99, my mom, dad, brother, and husband. I have such wonderful friends who are willing to go above and beyond. The ladies who work at Beauty Company of Chicago who graciously donated $175 after my haircut. The people at my Weight Watchers meeting tonight gave over $50.
Ultimately, as of right now, I am going to be able to tell the Chicagoland area that my peeps were able to provide Family Shelter Services almost $4000.
To my peeps, YOU ROCK!!!! I cannot express my gratitude and thanks. If you feel you can contribute and the first 24 hours is over, keep it going because this shelter can always use "stuff" besides money. They can also use you. Consider being a volunteer there. Give them some time, sometimes that is worth more than money.
THANKS AGAIN EVERYONE YOU ARE THE BEST!!!
Saturday, April 19, 2008
A Saturday and a layout
I took yesterday off earlier in the week as a personal day because Don was going to be off and we were going to have a garage sale. The week got crazy and they kept calling for rain on Friday and Saturday. So we decided on Thursday when they kept saying rain, rain, rain that we would hold off for a couple weekends. Well yesterday was beautiful and although it rained a bit last night it's been cloudy but dry again today. I guess the weather people aren't always capable of predicting God's weather. So I'm thinking I should go out and price stuff to get ready for when the right weekend does come along.
I have been such a slacker with my Creative Team duties. I've been so swamped with work, which only gets busier from now until the end of the year, that I've not been doing much scrapbooking. Well today I was feeling super guilty and instead of going out, or actually going to my girlfriend's to scrapbook on her monthly scrapbook day, I just sat and did it in my quiet house.
The fruits of my labor are here:
Credits here
So I hope that you are having a funfilled weekend. I'm happy to see spring is here. We finally have some dafodills and a few tulips. Next week the tulips at the mall should be in full bloom and might deserve a little trip to see them, and maybe some shopping.
I have been such a slacker with my Creative Team duties. I've been so swamped with work, which only gets busier from now until the end of the year, that I've not been doing much scrapbooking. Well today I was feeling super guilty and instead of going out, or actually going to my girlfriend's to scrapbook on her monthly scrapbook day, I just sat and did it in my quiet house.
The fruits of my labor are here:
Credits here
So I hope that you are having a funfilled weekend. I'm happy to see spring is here. We finally have some dafodills and a few tulips. Next week the tulips at the mall should be in full bloom and might deserve a little trip to see them, and maybe some shopping.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
sometimes you feel like a nut...
and sometimes you don't! Well I decided to figure out what kind of nut I really was! Some will say I'm seriously cracked, some know I'm just a bit nutty. Then there are my close friends who I love to be around and the nuttier the better!
You Are a Brazil Nut |
 To most people, you seem exotic, unusual, and even a bit scary. But you're really quite normal. You're just hard to get to know. If people leave you alone and let you do your thing, you really shine. But you tend to get lost in a crowd, especially if it's filled with big personalities. |
Thinking about your thinking
is one of those wonderful educator things. We call it metacognition. It truly is thinking about your thinking. It gets deep and kind of weird because it can keep going. Anyway, I digress because I was just coming to post about my own thinking and what kind of thinker I am.
I guess I have to say that I'm not surprised. I'm kind of a go with the flow, then get down to business when urgent. I want my stuff to show my creativity and my unique personality and to blow others away, yet I want it factual.
So after reading about my thinking, and thinking about your thinking, take the quiz that tells you about your thinking!
Your Thinking is Abstract and Random |
 You are flexible, adaptable, and creative. There's many ways that you can learn - and you're up for any of them. You relate well to other people, and you do well working in groups. You can help people communicate together and work with each other's strengths. You don't work well with people who are competitive or adversarial. You prefer to work toward a common goal... not toward conflicting goals. |
I guess I have to say that I'm not surprised. I'm kind of a go with the flow, then get down to business when urgent. I want my stuff to show my creativity and my unique personality and to blow others away, yet I want it factual.
So after reading about my thinking, and thinking about your thinking, take the quiz that tells you about your thinking!
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