Sweet Relief

I am finally settled in my new house and hope to be getting be into the blog.
Moving was a pain... but we finally are getting settled in our new house. It is such a relief to be done loading u hauls.

The Most Unforgettable Person You Know

One of my new favorite things to do in my new home of Bloomington is to wake up early, while Brett is still deep asleep, and go for a long walk. I plug in my ipod into my ears and listen to "This American Life" a radio show on NPR that features stories. This week's show was inspired by the The Georgia Rambler a column in an Atlanta newspaper where the journalist would drive to small towns and ask, "Who is the most unforgettable person you know?". The show featured seven stories from that very same question.

I have to ask, what would happen if I did the same thing? What stories would come out? Who would people pick?

I asked my husband, Brett, who was the most unforgettable person he knew and he sputtered something about his dad and his twin brother Eric. It was difficult for Brett to qualify why he felt these two individuals could wear the title of unforgettable.

Now to ask me; who is the most unforgettable person I know? Unforgettable isn't the person who has changed me significantly or the person who has inspired me to be who I am today. Unforgettable is the person who you can see, smell, and their energy erupts out as stories are retold. To that I can only think of one person in my life who could meet those requirements - my friend Joya.

Just barely skimming 5' Joya made up for her short stalky stature by being loud and noticed quickly. Brett loves stories that feature Joya as he laughs with a loud cackle at each detail described. Stories told about Joya must be told in a specific dialect. One that is slow and vowels are slurred. The word bunny becomes bonnie with a lazy tongue barely wanting to move. In my mind she is almost like a folklore figure - larger than life. Joya known for uncanny words and nicknames to anyone she met. If she didn't like you, you were named for a feature that was unpleasant. For the counselor that had overweight arm fat that dripped and dribbled as she walked, qualified for a Joya nickname of "Dumplings". I would come home from running an errand to find Joya spread out on my couch like a blanket basking in the cold frosty AC air. She would only have the energy to turn to me and say, "I'm not going up to the fourth floor - I'm staying right here." She didn't ask permission for things - she informed people what would be happening.

Who is the most unforgettable person you know?

Guess Who's Getting Hitched???

So the day has FINALLY come! Brett and Ms. Conroy are getting married. I have about 40 lbs. of hairspray in my hair and 100 bobby pins holding everything up. I cannot believe the day has finally come. I am so excited and I hope I don't mess anything up. Last night at the rehearsal the priest at our church told me that I shouldn't be shy and I should speak up when I have my vows. I totally pulled out my teacher voice to practice. I don't think being quiet will be a problem for me. A wedding as I have learned is basically just like a great big party where ALL of your friends and family come and have the best time ever -- at least we hope they have the best time. It will be very interesting to see all of my friends and Brett's in the same room. Let's just say we have different types of friends. Brett's are all very unique. You have Kit who is a PhD student in DC and cuts his own hair, Adam whose nickname is T-Rex, and you have Hebert who is so obsessed with LSU that he bleeds purple and gold. My friends on the other hand (I think) are totally normal and very sophisticated. But it will be so great to see. Mrs. Farrar and her husband will be there dancing the night away. And you know that Journey will be playing if I have anything to do with it. I wish you all could be there today and see it all unfold. No worries - I will have many pictures up so you can see what I look like. Wish me luck! :)

Love,

Ms. Conroy

Ps. Does anyone want to guess how many cats William has? My bet is 7.

New Kitten

I got another cat :-O.

About Him:

Breed: Unknown

Type: Kitten

Age: Unknown

Acts:

Shy untill you touch him. Once you touch him he will rub you and purr.

2010-06-22

This is my new cat that we got from the pound.

1 Truck Full of Stuff

Imagine...taking all of the contents of you room and putting them in boxes. That means books, clothes, toys, and of course shoes. Imagine...boxes and boxes and boxes containing all of those possessions. Imagine...all of the furniture you use everyday in your home. Imagine...your chairs, TV, Wii, cables, DVDs, computers, bed, blankets, and even you cocoa puffs. Imagine taking everything that you need to make your life normal - how much stuff would it be? Well if its like me, it would be a LOT!

Brett and I spent 3 hours loading a moving truck and filled it to the brim with our most prized things. We filled the truck by carefully stacking each package in the bright hope that its contents will not shatter into a million pieces. Tomorrow we drive to Indiana. According to Google Maps our trip should only take 9 hours and 30 min. However, the truck can only go a max speed of 45 mph when going up a hill - that means we will be on the road forever!!!!

I got an email today from the teacher I will be working with next year, Heather Rock, and she offered to help Brett and I unload our truck once we get into Bloomington. I can't even begin to explain how touched I am that someone I haven't even met yet wants to help unload all of my junk.

Do you all have any moving stories? What have you all done when you have had to move? What would you absolutely take if you had to move?

Will keep you all updated on our new home!

Love,

Ms. Conroy

What are YOU reading?L

So I just spent some time with a very good friend of mine who is a librarian in a school up in Northern Virginia. Her apartment is like a mini library with books stacked EVERYWHERE! It's fantastic. Every time I see her I always come away with a list of great books to read. I'm curious to hear what books you all are reading and what you recommend. I want to read a ton when I'm on my honeymoon and sitting on the beach with my new husband. Here are some of the books that I have been enjoying and plan to read:

The Help

By Kathryn Stockett

Definitely a book to read if you're okay with reading about challenging topics like race relations in the South. This story is told by three different narrators - two are African American housekeepers and the third is a young white lady who wants to be writer and tell the story of what life is really like as a housekeeper in the South. This story is so well written and weaves seamlessly in and out of descriptions that I really feel like I am in the story! I have heard that this book is GREAT on audio because you hear the different voices so clearly. I am still reading this book but I have found myself staying up later and later trying to find out what happens. Definitely check it out with your parents if you plan to read because there is some language that they might not want you to read. Overall - a fantastic book and definitely one that I will be keeping on my shelf.

The Truth About Forever

By Sarah Dessen

This is one of my all-time favorites (except for The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankenweiler) and I literally read it every summer. Definitely a book I would recommend for girls but there may be some boys that might like it. This story is about a girl who has a boyfriend that expects her to act a certain way all the time. She starts working with a catering company while he is at "nerd" camp and discovers that through this disorganized and insane job that she is good enough to be who she is. Definitely a book that is for young adults (you guys) and has some references of high school behavior (partying) but is a story I cannot put down. I love this author and I think she does an amazing job of having her characters come to life.

Listening Is An Act of Love

Edited by Dave Isay

I picked this book up for my trip after reading the first paragraph! It is a collection of stories written by people who participated in Story Corps. (Remember those personal narratives we wrote and recorded guys?). So basically this group goes around the country asking people to tell stories about the people they love and experiences they have. The notion is that oral history (what stories your grandparents would tell) is disappearing and we are losing the great stories to tell our family's pasts. These stories are so inspirational and there is something about hearing them out loud. Hopefully reading these stories will have the same impact. I can't wait to read this book and will give you all a better review once I finish.

So my question to you is - what are YOU reading? What are the books that you cannot put down this summer? You have time to read and if you need a suggestion - just ask me. I have a list that I am dying to pass along to you. If you have any suggestions to read definitely let me know. :)

Happy Reading!

Love, Ms. Conroy