look at me embracing the digital age

It took me quite awhile to get a cell phone, even longer to get an iPod, and now I am getting what I probably should have had from the very first: a camera! 

Cute little Canon Powershot A3100. I'm pretty much really excited!  I'm kind of a little bit fanatical about recording, capturing, and sentimentalizing random things, happy memories, and the like, so this is going to be my new best friend.

the king's speech

Last night I received word that my family would not be arriving home from their Disneyland trip just yet, but would be staying over in St. George and driving the remainder of the way this morning.  Well, in order to console myself about having to be all alone with 4 cats for one more night, I took myself to a movie.

It was fantastic! Months ago when I saw the preview I built up a happy anticipation for it...until I discovered that it was rated R.  Rats.  Then it won a bazillion Academy Awards, and  THEN it was re-released with a PG-13 rating because someone realized there was no reason to rate it R.  Anyway, I saw it and I loved it.

Aside from the 15 seconds of straight (and impassioned) profanity that maintains that -13 rating there isn't anything that could make this movie better than it is.  Don't tell, but I will allow that slew of profanity because it is actually completely integral to the film and to King George VI's character's journey.

The King's Speech is full of our favorite fantastic British actors.  I love these guys.  See, we have Mr. Darcy, who is the son of Dumbledore, and the brother of Fernand Mondego.  He is also married to Bellatrix Lestrange and receives speech therapy from Captain Barbossa , who also happens to be married to Elizabeth Bennet.  Not to mention that  the Scarlet Pimpernel is the Prime Minister, Mr. Collins is the Theatre Director, and Peter Pettigrew is none other than Winston Churchill.

See?  Awesome caliber of actors.  Awesome film. Awesome story.  Awesome music (Alexander Desplat is always fantastic).  Awesome visual style...you get a great sense of how constricted the King feels.  Awesome everything. Go see it.  Plug your ears for that 15 seconds or so if you like, but go see it.  Here is one of my favorite parts:

King George VI: "Listen to me!"
Lionel Logue: "Listen to you?  By what right?"
King George VI: "By divine right if you must, I am your king."
Lionel Logue: "No you're not, you told me so yourself.  You didn't want it.  Why should I waste my time listening?"
King George VI: "Because I have a right to be heard.  I have a voice!"

I love it.

Dream Job

Yesterday, after prayers and pleadings and nervous tummies and hopeful smiles up at the heavens and a highly-intimidating interview process........I was invited to join the faculty at Deerfield Elementary for the upcoming school year!  Yay!  The more that I think about this, the more I realize the magnitude of the responsibility that I am assuming...and just how wonderful an opportunity it is!  Working as an intern will not be the easiest thing I have ever done, but I'm going to give everything I have to my 25 or so 1st or 2nd graders, and I know it is going to be a wonderful school year. 

And how nice are the people at Deerfield?  Pretty dang nice....apparently they welcome their interns by sending them these:

Goodness, I'm a lucky girl :)

Quicky Happy List

1. people laughing way too loudly
2. grey clouds
3. babies in thermal pajamas
4. 100% Juice
5. Queen Elizabeth II
6. Friday nights and Saturday mornings

good people and a birthday wish

I's is grateful for people. Good people who try to be good because they know that, truthfully, it is good to be good. Everyday I battle it out as Good Bethany engages Evil Bethany is aggressive hand-to-hand combat. Sometimes it may escalate into a good old-fashioned knife fight with machetes and titanium blades, but, no worries, GB usually squeaks through and gets the upper hand somewhere in there. 

An over-concern with being good leads me to be tremendously thankful for the opportunities that I have to associate with good people, and it seems I have had those in abundance lately.  Here are a few:

Papanwa: My papsy is the kindest in the world, and always asks me how my day is, how school and teacher-prep are, how James is, and how Bethany is.  I know sometimes I may appear a little frustrated when I don't know how to answer all of those questions (or when the answers cause me to sigh), but I appreciate you asking anyway.  

The CFA who shares my name:  I know I just met you this semester, and you could be more interested in your last-semester cohort students (heck, they are more interesting), but thanks for noticing me, and thanks for placing faith in me.  Thank you for noticing my attempts to "step it up" and "grow" from scary teaching experiences.  I'll keep trying to make those attempts because I know you are coming on Tuesday to observe (and rate) my profusion of teaching skills.  At least I know you'll always do it with love.

Dear Bre: You've been cracking me up since junior high, I've always thought you the epitome of grace and refinement with that harp of yours, and I recently discovered how much of a blessing it is to confide in you. Thank you for your listening ear, your thoughts, your experience, and your testimony.  Oh, and thanks for your posts of your cute widdo guy; they always make me smile.


To the owner of the Facebook page that I stole this quote from:  "Enough had been thought, and said, and felt, and imagined. It was about time that something should be done."  -C.S. Lewis.   Golly, thanks.


And, of course, to James:  You are yourself, and you are good.  You tell me I can do and survive anything.  You're a listener, you're patient, you're kind, you're here.......and (deep breath).....today is your birthday!

Have a happy one :)

grace

"If foil'd at first, resume thy course, Rise strengthened with Antaean force. So shall thy toil in conquest end."

William Mason, Ode to the Honourable William Pitt

i read a sweet book today

A Brave Soldier, Nicolas Debon

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