October 29, 2006 by samantha.

On Saturday, Val and I journeyed to Santa Monica. We took a nice long walk, a tour of the pier, and a relaxing lunch. It was a wonderful way to spend a beautiful day. It was fun to see some of the landmarks that we have all seen in movies and I found some great places to walk. It was even fun to drive down the famous Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) with the windows open and the radio turned up. I love Santa Monica and I can see why people are drawn to it. Santa Monica has an atmosphere that many towns do not have. What surprised me most was the amount of homeless people in Santa Monica. I saw them everywhere along Ocean Avenue and down along the pier. I know that every town has its fair share of homeless people, but I guess it was just more visible to me today. Maybe they didn’t blend in today like they do most days. Who knows! I will definitely be going back to Santa Monica and maybe I will venture a little further north to Malibu!

This was a staircase that Val and I walked up to Ocean Avenue. I thought it was pretty picture and one that many may not see of Santa Monica.

Posted in Rants | 3 Comments »

October 28, 2006 by samantha.

I just finished The Tale of Despereaux and I enjoyed every minute of it.  It is children’s book written by Kate DiCamillo, the author of Because of Winn-Dixie.  Despereaux is a mouse that is born too small, with ears too big, and his eyes wide open.  In his little mouse community he is labeled as different and eventually gets kicked out.  He is then rescued and decides to save the kingdom.  Kate DiCamillo has a way of writing that captures the reader and makes it almost impossible to put the book down.  At times you forget that you a reading a kid’s book since you become so engrossed in the story and the characters.  Each character is someone that you can relate to and the moral of the story is one that we all need to be reminded of from time to time.  The story is a simple one, but is highly enjoyable.

In my reading, I have been switching back and forth between adult and children’s books.  I like to know what my students are reading and an easy story is a nice change every once in awhile.  I have gone back and read some of my favorite books from my youth.  Some are still as great as I remember and some leave me questioning why I like a book so much.  In today’s crazy world, reading an easy, light children’s book is refreshing.  Most of the books have a moral that many of have forgotten.  The books remind us of what is important in life and to appreciate the simple things.  And as Kate DiCamillo says at the end of The Tale of Despereaux, stories are light

Posted in Books | No Comments »

October 28, 2006 by samantha.

So my wild and crazy Friday night consisted of Oprah and pizza. Bill O’Reilly was on and trying his best to conceal his true colors. He slipped a few times, but he quickly regrouped. Bill O’Reilly claims that we are in the mist of a culture war. He believes that there are two types of people in the United States: Traditionalists (which of course he is) and Secular-progressives (or “SPs” as he lovingly calls them). According to him, you can only be one or the other. There is no middle ground. In O’Reilly’s mind, if you agree with him on any subject you are a traditionalist. Where does that leave me? I am strong supporter of the death penalty, but I also strongly believe that the gay community should be allowed to get married. So am I a traditionalist or a secular-progressive? I guess in the mind of O’Reilly I am a traditionalist since I agree with him on one issue and according to him there is no middle ground. But I believe that a true American would be found somewhere in the middle. A true American would make the decision for themselves and not let people or the media influence them. I believe that is one of America’s biggest problems. We listen to everyone else and we no longer think for ourselves. We do what Oprah, Bill O’Reilly and anyone else tell us to do. We need to stop and think about what is important to us and make our own decisions.

Posted in Rants | 1 Comment »

October 24, 2006 by samantha.

Eat, Pray, Love is a wonderful book. I was hesitant to read it since I thought it was one those books that every women seems to be writing. The author, Elizabeth Gilbert, is recently divorced and trying to find herself. She decides to travel to Italy, India, and Indonesia. Italy is always a place that she has wanted to go, India is where she hopes to learn the power of meditation and inner strength, and Indonesia to find balance in her life. I had the hardest time putting this book down. It made me want to travel and find myself, as corny as it sounds. As much as I had a hard time relating to the author, I found myself understanding her struggles, pains, and joys. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to travel, but is unable to leave home and explore the world.

Posted in Books | No Comments »

October 23, 2006 by samantha.

Have you ever noticed that the minute you close your eyes to go to sleep, every problem from the day keeps you awake? This has been happening to me a lot lately. I find myself stressing out about going to bed since I know that I will have trouble sleeping. I have tried everything I can think of to avoid this problem. I have begun to keep a worry journal and I have been talking to people. I have been taking the dog for longer walks and drinking sleepy tea before bed. I am having no luck. And I cannot figure out what is bothering me and that is making the situation worse. The Buddhists have a term for those people with a wondering mind during meditation- monkey mind. Have monkeys taken over my mind or am I just going crazy?

Posted in Rants | 3 Comments »

October 21, 2006 by samantha.

This was a selection from my book club. About the Author by John Colapinto is  about Cal Cunningham who steals a novel from his deceased roommate. The novel is published and Cal becomes an instant success. But of course, someone knows that truth and makes Cal’s life miserable. I found the book predictable and a little boring at times. It took some work to get through it. I also felt that the premise of the book had been done before many times and that other authors had done a better job.

Posted in Books | No Comments »

October 21, 2006 by samantha.

I thought that was a gorgeous picture. I took this last February when my mom and I went whale watching in San Diego. What I love about this picture is the clouds. The sky is the most perfect shade of blue. Also, from in this picture the seagull looks beautiful and graceful. Not what you normally think when you see a seagull! And between you and me I have found that I have a thing for trees. In my photo album I have zillions of tree pictures. What is wrong with me!!?!??

Posted in Rants | 1 Comment »

October 12, 2006 by samantha.

I am trying to understand this whole thing with Rep. Mark Foley. Everyone seems to be rolling over and taking the lame excuses that his camp is dishing out. The first two things that they said was that a priest molested him and he is an alcoholic. Not only is that a lame excuse, but those people that are accepting it are an embarrassment. And now Republicans are saying that it is Democratic conspiracy to ruin the GOP close to elections. I would have so much more respect for Foley and the Republicans if he would just say that he likes young boys and that he is gross. Stand up for your mistakes and be a man!!!!!!

Posted in Rants | 3 Comments »

October 7, 2006 by samantha.

If any of you have tried to add a comment, you may have had trouble with the adding question.  I have no idea why that is up there and I am working to get rid of it.  Please be patient with me until then.  Once I get rid of it, I will let you all know!

Posted in Rants | 2 Comments »

October 7, 2006 by samantha.

Since my Friday plans fizzled out, I stayed home and read. One of my students had just finished Dear Mr. Henshaw and I had to borrow it from him. I had not read the book since the fourth grade and thankfully it was better than I remembered. It is a story of a young boy whose parents just got divorced and his whole world has been turned upside down. He lives with his mom, he is new to town, his dad took his dog, and someone keeps stealing his lunch. His only real friend is his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw, that he writes his problems to. It is a cute story that all kids and adults can relate to.

Posted in Books | 3 Comments »