brew me a fine cup of solidarity

i love storms, strong storms that come in and slow everything to a snails pace. storms that make roommates who have not seen each other for weeks sit around their kitchen table and talk. storms that make driving treacherous, lip singing show hilarious and blankets, hot tea with greys anatomy the only thing on my mind.

i haven't been around in a long time and i don't know why. all of a sudden a snow storm comes to town and i realize that i like this place. i love the people in this place and, in the end, i would like to be around this place a little more often.

did i mention i went to california - my heart might have stayed in the mountains there. im sure that it will make frequent stops at the beach or coffee shops in santa cruz. it's not hard for me to pick up right where i left off with the people i love - it just seems natural and that’s how i know it's true. one day i would like an ounce of the hospitality that i was shown.

i have this reoccurring daydream. now im using the term daydream loosely - one day it will come as no surprise to me when it becomes a reality. sufjan stevens and i travel the country. he writes about it all and places his gentle notes to his gentle words and i take pictures of it all. we travel and observe and there's peace.

there might be one major regret of february 2007 and that would be missing the josh ritter concert - i know steve and rhonda...i know. don't worry there are plans developing as we speak to meet you guys in canada at a folk feast and greet josh once again. it's not all that shabby a february.

justin fenstermen is my favorite valentines phone call. im making sushi again tonight justin. no it's not real crab meat.

im so glad that jt is bringing sexy back.

there are 10,000 chicago public school children who are homeless. one of those kids is now in my class. an 11 year old should not have to deal with being kicked out of his home. i watched him mourn a broken home today. i watched the toughest kid in my class weep and i cried with him. sometimes i think that my heart is not strong enough for these kids because i break right along with them.

have you click on the hunger site today? http://www.thehungersite.com please and thank you.

wash with pomegranate.

me doing this usually means me not doing my lessons plans. thursday nights make an internal battle in me that might never be won. greys anatomy makes me look forward to them all week long and knowing that all my lesson plans are due the next day makes me dread dread dread them.

i think that i had a crush on derek at volleyball this week. it must have snuck in with his dramatic eye roll and loud sigh and left with the unnecessary ball throwing. does his new spoken passion for africa have anything to do with it?

i am no longer that only jardine who has not had an accident. when i go out i go out strong - im talking about 4 car pile up strong. i think that asking me to remain sitting in my car might be the hardest request possible when there is opportunity for me administer first aid. my dream of being a nurse still lurks.

i wish all of you could see the beauty of my mom coming into my classroom to read and sing with the kids. something about the worst of the worst sing folk songs with a grey haired kind hearted women is completely magical.

i love camp. i love serving. i love serving at camp at 7:15 in the morning on my only real morning off. i love jill. i also love serving at camp with jill and deciding to walk into town in freezing rain and snow to warm ourselves with tea and cider and have sliding contest throughout most of our adventure. down jackets make the world go around.

as it would turn out jason mraz has just come back from india - another reason for soulmates? how embarrassing though that he forgot to take his favorite girl to the land she dreams of. reading his poetic words fills me with nothing but forgiveness.

in the end pomegranate hand soap really does smell amazing.

oh and life of pi had me crying on the train - read it...hmmm wait....let me finish it first then i will give me final thoughts. so far it's a thumbs up.

i will go here...

breathing in the new year.

i was holding my breath for a little while and all of a sudden i wasn't me anymore.

breathe- i forget to sometimes. and my world starts to look small and things start to look complicated and i get a little sad.

hopping into a car and passing from state to state makes me feel like i'm breathing again.

sitting on a beach listening to waves crash and watching the dolphins say their hello is breathing.

applauding the sun as it says its goodnight and sets over the water with strangers who don't feel so strange as my new friend softly strums his guitar next to me is breathing.

singing on the very very top of my lungs and waving my fist in the air as we dodge our highway police men because we might be going way to fast is breathing.

hopes of sweet southern apple pie and BOOOOOY those little chicken biscuits in middle of the south with surprise trips to the airport and a sister who thinks that rules are allowed on road trips with regina speckor sneaking in a breaking rule....#4 is breathing.

it's a new year full of new hopes and dreams.

resolutions: these things are serious to me. once they are said out loud they become a little more real. i wont say them all out loud yet - i can't yet. i'm scared for a couple to become more real. BUT...

#1 - pick up the phone when i know it's ringing.
#2 - communication. i don't do it and i'm sorry. faithful old friends who wait patiently are blessings for girls who find running away to battle new adventures way easier than sticking around to battle old hurts. does it help that i'm aware of it?
#3 - research my homeland of india.
#4 - don't ever tell my gypsy blood not to pound inside of me.

and breathe. it's important.

and i still jason mraz.

and ellen moore. i love her and her delicately sweet voice.

three strikes doesn't necessarily mean im out

i am a chameleon. i can always fit where i am. i can find happiness.

switching time and even though it took a little longer than i expected i have switched. beauty in the waves - beauty in sunsets - beauty in the white of the sand is now replaced in beauty of the city.

counting your blessings name them one by one. we went on a blessing hunt over thanksgiving with my class. hunt for those blessing, keep your eyes wide and treasure them when recognized. it's time for a beauty hunt and the city is my playground.

i take the train to work now. i love it. i anticipate it. i grow from it. tonight on the way home i had to remind myself to put my book down and take in everyone around me.

i love people watching. i believe that we grow through each other - my train ride is growing time. "why does that person seem so sad." "that person must be talking to the love of their life." "this must be the best day of that person life." "everything in that persons day must have gone wrong - the worst day of their life." train riding has brought me to the conclusion that there are more miserable people than happy in this world and there is nothing right about that.

my corner grocery man comes out every morning to feed the pigeons with his day old bread. i made rachel slow down the car the first time i saw it so i could take in the beauty. now i can't wait to walk by it each morning. one morning i think i might be very late for school so i can take part.

i love when people just sing. i don't consider it a sign of craziness. i consider it a sign of freedom. today i got to walk with a guy that sang to me for a good block and a half. i smiled the whole way. beauty.

christmas shopping is a must. last week i hated the thought of it. this week im looking forward to it. im ready to buy things. im ready to warm hearts through gifts. this years theme will be "a picture isworth a million words." if i had to choose an elf friend to go shopping with, one that would bring christmas cheer yet still desire christmas savings it would be jill renee weber. she is way on top of her game.


come walk with me in humboldt park. sit with me by the water. feed the pigeons with our day old bread. fill your lungs deep with the crisp air.



the city is my playground. chicago is home base. i think that im going to sit on home base for a little while.

i was sitting, waiting, wishing

i think that i love to be alone. i think that i forgot that because there was a while there that someone was always around. i think it's good to be just you and your thoughts. turn the off the noise and just rest. it might just make us a little stronger.

i forgot who i was for a second and i didn't have alone walk on beach so the waves could whisper their reminders to me. people ask if i miss the bahamas. everyday. i honestly don't miss teaching... i miss the abandoned nature of it. the adventure of it. the slow pace peace of it. mornings drinking tea and reading on my back porch as the sun rises over the water. my mornings that the dolphins stop by to say their hello. i miss my treasure hunts for shells and sea glass. i miss laura and i solving the problems of the world, or at least the problems of this girls heart, with white sand between our toes.

i can commit - i committed to a whole bag of fig newtons just tonight. i think im going to wash it down with a hot cup of cinnamon ginger root tea. my ginger jar just came for me - with love from india. don't worry i will be there to give the love back one day.

im sitting right in front of my kitchen window which looks directly into my neighbors kitchen. at one point i caught myself no longer grading papers but grading my cute neighbor as he took his rug and hung it over his banister. that's right im staring right at you...and yes, im still eating my fig newtons.

del barber - who the heck is this guy and how come im not his supportive girlfriend. thanks ellen for leading me his way. check him out - im not saying he is anywhere near getting in the way of jason mraz for a virtual romance but i have spent all evening listening to his myspace page.

welcome to my apartment...

my bed is big enough for at least three four or five if we want to make a snuggle puddle - super sleepovers are on my top favorite things to do on a friday/saturday/sunday/monday/tuesday/wednesday/thursday night.

19 days till christmas. i count down for the kids which would be the only reason i truly know. what do i want this christmas. how about a romantic walk in the snow that ends with a hot cup of tea.

it's hard to be soulmates with an international superstar.

it does not feel like i have just had four glorious days off, let me state that just off the bat.

thanksgiving comes thanksgiving goes. thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.

isabella wins for best thanksgiving spirit and around the table ideas. i tried my dang hardest to be the winner of thanksgiving cheer but that little girl has a competitive spirit that i haven't seen since i peed my pants so i wouldn't have to move to win a hide and seek game at the age of 6. hats off to her.

friends - love them - need them.

i never thought that leaving a "thanks for letting me crash on your floor in a coma like state but now im going to slip out the door in the wee hours of morning so i can make it to church on time" note could be considered a booty call note. p.s thanks for watching out for my out of the trash picnic table - i will be there soon to pick it up.

moving time next weekend. helpers please contact me asap. mandatory no shirt rule for all boys. just kidding that's gross...cough.

jill weber - keep up the good fight. the fight for good music. the fight for free music. the fight that will bring you through the cold lonely nights and bring rest to your soul. don't let a small memory space get you down.

jason mraz had a winner of a blog the other day. check it stat. www.jasonmraz.com.

on a serious note. checking out churches is the past time of my sundays. one thing i have recognized is that we truly are a family of god. i walk into different churches each week and though there are different levels of comfort and styles that appeal to me one thing remains true and that is we have a common bond and it's recognizable.

i would like these to be my next students. im have started to seriously research this.




joe your wicked because you gave me a challenge that i can't forget. i feel like i can't let you down - i must quite my job.

jazzit cafe has the best ginger cinnamon tea i have ever had.
one day i am going to adopt husband or no husband.
i think that my shirt is to tight today.

stay tuned.

new baby - old friends - country living - antique finds - with a sprinkle of emmaus time.

there are a lot of times in my life when i am overwhelmed with blessings. i felt that this weekend.

welcome to the world jorja grace. i can't even begin to imagine how much fun and love this baby girl is going to get.

emily and mark are my favorite go to visit pair. shopping for antiques and then completely taking them apart and refurbishing them was the theme of this weekend - with chili and coffee in the middle.

i love small town living. i love driving down winding roads listing to good music on our way to see a favorite tree. i love the fact that my friends have favorite trees and know that sharing those trees with me will bring me joy.
















i don't feel good tonight. i don't want to go to school tomorrow. i think that we should all quit our jobs and search the world for favorite trees with coffee in hand, good friends and good music. just my opinion.

thank you for understanding derek - shopping - he gets it.