Reverb 10 #16 - Friendship

Friendship: how has a friend changed you or your perspective on the world this year? Was this a gradual change or a sudden burst?

It wasn't a friend who changed my perspective on this but it was the nun who helps run the St. Bernard Project. She talked about the people who lived in St. Bernard's Parish and how most of the people never left. They went to school, got their jobs, got married, started their families and lived close to their relatives.

Growing up, I always wanted to just leave. I didn't want to stay in the same place and I never understood why anyone would stay where they grew up. Why not go out and explore the world? Why settle in the same city you grew up in when there is so much out there to see? I also got a bit snobby about it. I'm kind of snot when I get something in my head.

But I don't know. Something about how she said it that day, as we sat in that stuffy back area on the low bleachers looking at all the messages people wrote before heading out to rebuild houses, that just stuck. It opened my eyes to why people stay.

My sister stayed in SD. My brother says in SD. My cousins are there. They all live close to each other and if they need help, they call each other. The other day, my ate, who is 8 months pregnant, lost the feeling in her legs at Costco. She had my nephew with her and she just couldn't move. So, she ended up calling our brother, who picked her up and took her to the hospital. (She's ok btw). But there are things that you sacrifice when you leave. And of course, there are things that you sacrifice when you go.

But I think, now I get it...

Reverb 10 #19: Healing

What healed you this year? Was it sudden, or a drip-by-drip evolution? How would you like to be healed in 2011?

Honestly, I don't think there was anything to heal me from this year. I wasn't hurt by anything or anyone this past year especially at work.

But maybe it is the fact that I said out loud why I don't get particular close to people anymore. I had a bad friends break-up so I tend to just not let new people in and when I do, I pull back. So, maybe saying that outloud will make me ok with being more vulnerable and open to people. We'll see what the future holds.

Reverb 10 #18: Try

My great hope is to laugh as much as I cry; to get my work done and try to love somebody and have the courage to accept the love in return.
Maya Angelou

Today's prompt is : Try What do you want to try next year? Is there something you wanted to try in 2010? What happened when you did / didn’t go for it? (Author: Kaileen Elise)


Honestly, I suppose this should go on another blog because I'm getting a little personal but I would like to date more next year. There. I said it. Now I feel a bit embarrassed and kind of a little too open at the moment...so I will leave it to Maya Angelou to express my thoughts in the quote above.

Reverb 10 #10: Wisdom

Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it
- Albert Einstein

I am having a really difficult time trying to figure out what decisions I have made this year. Maybe this is a sign that I haven't really been making any decisions at all. In my career, I am pretty comfortable with where I am at - though there are always new tools to use and incorporate into lessons. I've taken on more at school since I am also one of the heads of the Charity Council. I think I'm a much better team leader. We are really doing more innovating things and approaching the lessons with fresh eyes.

In life, I am still wavering on my "what is the next step" decision. I know, it's fear of change, fear of making the wrong decision, fear of failing. But when it comes to these things, the universe usually kicks me and then I jump. Sometimes, jumping isn't the best approach but for me, it seems to be the best thing to do to get my motivated and moving.

I am very proud of my effort to support the things I hold dear. I don't have a lot of money but if I can help my family, friends, and organizations, I will do it with what little extra I have. I have had the opportunity to help rebuild houses in New Orleans, I have donated to different charities, Planned Parenthood, the SPCA, and various online sources, like Wikipedia and Mozilla. It feels good to give to these great organizations. I definitely want to do more of that this coming year. And we already have our return to New Orleans and the St. Bernard Project happening in conjunction with the wedding of the year.

So, it's already happening. It's all happening.

Reverb10 #9: PARTY!!!!

December 9 – Party

Prompt: Party. What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans.
(Author: Shauna Reid)

The party of the year? I'm not much for parties but I do love going to shows. The best show of 2010 for me was the Aloe Blacc and the Grand Scheme. The show was at the Echoplex in Echo Park, which is basically the basement of the Echo. It is dark, small, has a great bar in the back, a lounge area, benches along the side and you can really get right up to the stage if you get there are the right time. The crowd was a pretty eclectic KCRW crowd - hipsters, soulsters, music lovers. The show was sold out. The line stretched under the bridge on Glendale Avenue. People were dressed in all sorts of styles but for the most part, the Stones Throw crowd is usually always dressed to the nines.

I love this resurgence of soul music and soul revues. Like a true soul revue from the 1950s and 60s. Back to that time when people cared about what kind of show they put on. The lights are perfect. The choreography is perfect. The band is ridiculously tight. The outfits are amazing and they don't look like they crawled out of bed or were drinking before coming on stage. They make the crowd a part of the show not just spectators.

I definitely want to go to more shows where everyone's happy and dancing and just enjoying them selves and spreading the love.

AMEN to the Church of Love and Happiness.

Reverb10 #8 : Beauty

I can't believe I'm already behind on my #reverb10 posts. This week's prompt is about :

December 8 – Beautifully Different.
Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful.

Beauty - in projection and perceiving - is 99.9% attitude. ~Grey Livingston

When I first read this prompt, I have to admit, I kind of rolled my eyes. I don't feel I have low-self esteem or anything and maybe living in Los Angeles has warped my idea of beauty but I am just not comfortable thinking or talking about "what makes me beautiful."

But since I'm reflecting, I guess, I should put something down. I think my laughter is one of the things that makes me different. I laugh all the time. I laugh in class. I laugh with coworkers. I laugh with friends. I constantly see the humor in things.

I'm having a difficult time writing this post. I am not used to talking about myself. Some people are very good at it. I like to keep a lot of things to myself. So I'm going to stop now.

Reverb10 #7: Community

Today's #reverb10 prompt deals with "community."

"While the spirit of neighborliness was important on the frontier because neighbors were so few, it is even more important now because our neighbors are so many."

~Lady Bird Johnson

I have been reading a lot of posts about community lately. Finding it. Discovering it. Sometimes losing it. I am sort of at a point where I need a change and I have been thinking about the community I have here in Los Angeles. Do I want to move and lose some of that? Because when you move, you do lose something. However, now with everyone being online, do you ever really lose it?

However, reflecting on this year, my community grew because I joined my hula halau. This was really evidenced by the fact that our Thanksgiving friends dinner was huge! It had brought new people into my life who are inspiring and wonderful.

Online, I think, my community are those people I follow on Vox (so sad), Twitter, Friendfeed. These are the spaces where I have met people face-to-face. Or have sent postcards to. Amazing people who share interesting things.

Hopefully, next year, my community will continue to grow. It might be in L.A. in might be somewhere else...but either way, I'll keep myself open to it.

Reverb 10 #6: Make

"What is produced in haste goes hastily to waste"
- Saadi

What was the last thing I made: Cookies! The last batch were pumpkin whoopie pies. NOM!

Materials: flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, dark brown sugar, vegetable oil, pumpkin puree, eggs, vanilla, powdered sugar, butter, cream cheese, cookie sheets, cookie racks, mixer, giant bowl, parchment paper (my favorite tool when baking!!!)

Since I started working here at the school, I have baked cookies for everyone during the holiday season. I know, there are a lot of jobs out there where companies give presents and all that or the boss gives presents so this is my small way of saying thanks for making the school year fun. I just set the cookies out in the faculty lounge and post a note on the school website and everyone can go and enjoy cookies for the day. Normally, I just put the cookies out and don't leave a note. No one really reads the online message board so I used to be pretty anonymous but now, it's kind of "my thing." People ask about it and that's cool. Also, this year, I did it a lot earlier because last year the cafeteria did something similar and then there's the parent faculty lunch day. I don't expect anything. I just like baking and sharing and it's fun.

My ate (big sister in Tagalog) is having her baby shower so I'm making the "give-aways" for that. Bath fizzies and maybe some solid bubble bath bars. I kind of love the bubble bath bars more but I have to get more sodium lauryl sulfoacetate that helps make the bubbles. I have some great oils from Bramble Berry that I will use. I have to make 50! Whoo-hooo!

Reverb 10 #5 : Letting Go

"When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us."
- Alexander Graham Bell

Reflecting on what I have let go of this year, I am remembering that the whole process of letting go and slow and steady. I like to believe that once I do the rituals, say the tossing and deleting of old photographs or burning old letters, that I have some how purged myself of all those emotions and the hurt, but you know, that's not true at all. Those things are still there and sometimes they come creeping back up at the most inopportune moments. I have to remember that "letting go" doesn't happen in one moment, it happens in many moments and sometimes over many years, and that is ok.

In my career, I have learned that I have to let go of this "image" that I think an educator should be. I can be myself. This year, I have been so much more comfortable in my own skin. I know, my classes are kind of a jumble of energy but for the most part, my kids are great and participate, learn and have fun. I think, I sort of had this idea that a teacher/educator had to be strict, serious, and almost scary, like in the book Miss Nelson is Missing! by Harry Allard. But I'm not like that at all. I share. I laugh. I joke. I'm probably too nice. But that's my personality and it's ok. I can be this way. There is room for it and it makes my class fun for me and my students.

Reverb 10 #4 - Cultivating Wonder

Inspired by Tiffany and Jason to reflect on the past year and think about the new year, I joined #reverb10. We are always talking about how our students lack the time to reflect on all the lessons they are learning. And I have realized that I do not have time to reflect either. So, I will make an effort this month to reflect daily on what has happened in my day.

December 4 – Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year? (Author: Jeffrey Davis)

I looked at the different definitions of "wonder" - surprise, doubtful speculation, curiousity - and I definitely fall in the category of curiousity: a state at which you want to learn more about something (http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=wonder). This year, I made a real effort to learn something new every month. I started taking classes at Home Ec Shop (now closed) with Jenny Ryan. She is a wonderful teacher and enthusiastic about anyone interested in learning practically any kind of craft you can think of.

I learned how to needlefelt and with that I taught myself how to wetfelt. Next year, I will try to make those placemats that my friend, Max, asked me to make. I am starting a notebook filled with images of items that inspire me to work on this craft. My dream is to have an alpaca. I wonder, if I can sponsor an alpaca....

I took a sewing class there as well and with that I destroyed my sewing machine. I still need to invest in a new one. I have a few patterns from Colette Patterns. I really want to make my own clothes and also to make shirts for my guy friends. I don't know, something about a really tailored mens shirt is just so neat and elegant. My coworker showed me a newsletter from the tailor her husband uses and having a fitted ensemble is just incredible to look at. I feel, I was much more into being creative about my wardrobe and I really return to that awareness. I'm not going to be a fashionista by any means but I should just make a bit more of an effort. (Also, it might be this crazy long hair I have now....)

I've taking all of Richenda Brim's book binding class. She's the woman behind Clementine Press. She's a print artist and librarian/conservationist. Talk about being a wonderful example of what we can become and do with our MLIS/MIS/MLS degrees. We can do anything and continue to foster our other interests and share them if we so choose. She offers classes so if you are an artist or are curious as book binding, definitely, learn from Richenda. She's a great teacher.

Also, I've had a lot of fun baking all sorts of things. This year, I even tried my hand at making pot pies. I love a good pot pie. I made pecan snowball/Russian teacake cookies and those were amazing. There are a lot of wonderful bakers out there and I am always inspired by what they share (i.e. The Food Librarian, smitten kitchen, Joy the Baker, and all of my family and friends who are always sharing recipes and food with me online and offline).

I also am finishing my 1st year of hula. 2 dances and 2 more to learn. It is important to be a student. My mom still takes classes. Of course, she's at the age where they pay her to learn things but she always tries new things. This year, she's been taking a baking class and even made an Eiffel Tower cake for my ate's birthday! She's going to make a crib cake for her baby shower also. See, it runs in the family. My sister is the same way.

You really need to foster that sense of curiousity and it doesn't have to be taking a class, it could be exploring a city, taking a walk, getting out and singing karaoke, just look around and if you wonder how it's made, works, etc..go out and teach your self. Anything is possible and just try to let things like fear or money or doubt stop you. Trust me, I know the money issue...that just means it will take a little longer than some people but if you really want it, just do it.

As Jason would say "Don't Just Say It, Do It."