Prayers for the Next Stage

Howdy from Jaclyn in Aggieland!

The reality of Hubba's graduation is starting to sink in. In the last couple of weeks, he has started applying for many positions around the country. We are 3 months away from graduation. That sounds so much nearer this side of summer vacation than at the beginning of summer vacation.

I am feeling nervous about the future. I am a planner all the way. I like to know where we will be, what we will be doing, how we will be doing it as far in advance as possible. I think that I have done very well in dealing with our murky future up to this point. Pray that I can continue to handle the stress of the unknown for as long as that might be.

I have started day dreaming of our next location. Of the home I hope we can make there. Of the community I hope we find there. Of the jobs that we will find. I have a wish list (that will probably grow as time goes on) of what I hope will be waiting for us. Please pray for these things, but above all, please pray that we will hear and heed God's will for the next stage of our life.

• I pray that we will be able to find a home that we can comfortably afford that will be safe, have two toilets, and more storage space than our current home.
• I pray for a good local library. I wish I hadn't of wasted the last 5 years not using the BCS Library System.
• I pray that we will have good neighbors that we can count on for dinners together, watching over each others homes while we are away, and be a part of our family.
• I pray for jobs that are satisfying and that we feel are in accordance with our life purpose. In particular, as the "following" spouse, I pray that I will be able to find a job that I love. I pray for my future colleagues, that they will accept me, mentor me, and be friendly.
• I pray for a church home. One that is centered on loving God, loving people, building community, fostering shared responsibilities, and taking some part in sharing the gospel. One that doesn't scare the pants off of me.
• I pray for experienced and wizened members to be in the church so that we can look to their example.
• I pray for families that have gone through similar situations as ourselves that we can learn from and use as resources.
• I pray that our family will grow. That we will be able to find the resources and experts we need to help us on our way.

Thanks and Gig 'Em!

Where do you start?

Howdy from Jaclyn in Aggieland.

Recently in the news, there have been many stories that have tugged at my heart. The situation in Iraq seems so overwhelming, that my brain almost ignores it, scrolls past the stories without giving my heart the chance to feel. But my heart does feel.

I just picked up a book (Called to Adoption: A Christian's Guide to Answering the Call) that seems to have nothing to do with Iraq, or IS, or really anything close to the events that may be (are) occuring. But the book starts with some Adoption Wisdom, which included the following scripture from Isaiah:

Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. Isaiah 1:17

This is a beautiful verse, but I will be honest - the first two words leave me feeling helpless. Seek justice. How do you seek justice for the Christians, Yazidis, and other Muslims that are not just oppressed and not just threatened, but are literally losing their homes and lives. Women are being given to IS soldiers. Other horrible acts have reportedly been committed, although no one seems to be sure exactly what is going on. And here, I sit, quite comfortably in my home half a world away, feeling sorry for myself for reasons that sound so small and insignificant. What can I do from here?

Thanks and gig em..

Recharge

Howdy from Jaclyn in Aggieland!

Fairly recently - in the last year or so - I have realized that I am an introvert. This might contradict the stereotypical picture of an introvert. When I think of an introvert, I think of someone like Hubby - quiet, gentle, shy. Most people would not describe me as such. I am loud, spunky, goofy, comfortable around a lot of people, friendly, and open. However, introversion is the state or tendency toward being wholly or predominately concerned with and interested in one's own mental life. Some theories of introversion say that introverts are people whose energy tends to expand through reflection and dwindle during interaction. In other words, introverts prefer spend more time in their own head rather than on the outside world.

My job requires a lot of energy, time, and thought spent on the outside world and not much time on reflection. This is draining to an introvert. I was working year-round in an extrovert capacity. Just about every waking hour was spent thinking about someone else. I took solace in writing notes because that was as close to reflection and my own mental life as I could often get. Don't get me wrong. I absolutely LOVE teaching and working with students and being around people, but it is draining. So, after the past seven years of depleting my energy in the classroom (as well a through other unhealthy means), I was empty. I took off of teaching during Summer II leaving me with 56 glorious days to recharge - and that is what I have been doing.

I am still working, but I am mentoring 3 grad students who are teaching and most of my mentoring can be done via email or short meetings as necessary and I am making two short videos which can be done at home. So, I get to spend my time as I want. If I want to sleep until 12:30, I can. If I want to stay up until 6am lost in another world, I can. If I want to write, draw, study something new, I can. If I want to spend the day just sitting in a dim room and breathe, I can. It is doing wonders for me. As much as I thank God for doctors and the chemists who created antidepressants (because without them, I would be an ugly mess most of the time), I am more thankful to God for improving my mental well-being through this time of recharging and for working out all the details that needed to happen so that I didn't have to teach the entire summer.

At the beginning of the summer, I wrote a list of summer goals. I don't know that I have been very successful in them, but I think that what I have been doing this summer is going to make my life better during the upcoming school year.

Thanks and gig 'em!

Welcome to the Real World

Howdy from Jaclyn in Aggieland!

WARNING: I use a bad word in this post! I also talk about something some people might find gross... You have been warned....


***********************************************************************************


 

My SIL was telling me about the kids fighting over who should clean up the poopy mess made by one of the pets (or it could have been more than one pet... who knows...). I guess the general rule is that if your pet makes the mess, then it is your responsibility to clean it up. If no one knows whose pet it is, then who does the cleaning fall to?

For me, it turned into a lesson on life: Sometimes in life, you have to do shitty jobs that you don't think is your responsibility for the good of the family or the community you are involved in. Sometimes, you have to pick up other people's (or being's) messes. Sometimes, life is not fair. Would you rather live with the shit just because you feel strongly that it's not your job to do or just pick it up and move on? For me, I'd rather just get it over and done with... But I don't know I thought about it like that when I was the kids' ages.

Thanks and Gig 'Em!

Summer Time and Vacation Songs

Howdy from Jaclyn in Aggieland!

Summer I ended yesterday and I was able to get grades posted right away so I am free!!!

I have a couple of trips this summer and will need fun, upbeat, good music. I am not particularly picky about genre as I like pretty much anything, but have a higher fondness for country, rock, classic rock, oldies, blue grass, and pop.

Anyone have suggestions for my summer playlist?

Thanks and Gig 'Em!

The Tongue

Howdy from Jaclyn in Aggieland!

It has been very busy around here, which has led to no time or inspiration to write. I don't think this post will be long.

I used to have a very big problem with controlling my tongue. There were many times that I felt like what I really needed to do was fast from speaking - which I never did... It would be practically impossible... Which is maybe why it should be done...

I haven't felt that way in a long time... Until today....

For some reason, today, my mouth just spewed things that I wished I could just shove back... But that is the thing about the tongue. You can't take back what you have already said. The tongue can be sweet like honey one moment, and the next, it can cut you like a knife.

My tummy still feels sick from some of the things that I said today...

Ugly words escaped my mouth in abundance. Exasperation fled my mind in the form of angry, frustrated statements with people around who shouldn't have heard it. Things that can negatively color perceptions against good people were said.

From James 3:

Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Tonight, I pray that God will tame my tongue, since it is not something I can tame myself. That I will be forgiven for the harsh things I spoke today (and in the days past and to come). That instead my tongue will be used for building up, praising, leading, obeying...

Please tell me I am not the only one who wishes her tongue would just shut up!

Thanks and Gig 'Em!

Tired...

Howdy from Jaclyn in Aggieland!

Today was long. I didn't get to stop or rest from the time I woke up until about 4:30 today - and that was just long enough to spend a few minutes putting my head down on a desk and taking a couple of deep breaths because I at least had everything done that required assistance from the office... I at least had the exams for tomorrow ready to go...

I spent about 5 hours with students. I spent a good bit of time getting tomorrow's exams finished, printed, organized and sorted. I gathered, filled out, scanned in, and posted answers to the quizzes corresponding to tomorrow's exam. I have been responding to emails since I woke up. I will continue to respond to emails until I go to bed.

We are two and a half weeks down in the session. Two and a half weeks to go.

Tomorrow is an exam day. I wish I could just cancel class on Friday to give me a chance to breathe, to mentally get away. I know they wouldn't mind... until we have to speed up to cover everything again. It is when you are in the middle that it feels like you are trying to run through molasses. It will be over before we know it. We just need to persevere.

I am tired tonight. So tired. I am so glad I am not teaching during summer II. I am so glad for the blessings given to us that gives me the freedom to not teach. I need rest... I need my body to relax. I need my jaw to unclench. I need down time... Time to paint my nails and shave my legs. Time to clean my house... again...

Thanks and Gig 'Em!

In Defense...

Howdy from Jaclyn in Aggieland!

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. - 1 Peter 3:15

First, let me say that I am by no means a great Christian. There is a lot I do not know. A lot that I fail at every day. The Disclaimer: I am SUPER nervous about posting this. I do not talk religion or politics. Most of the time, it seems pointless to do either and I don't like to debate. I sometimes talk about what I believe with Hubba or my momma, but I tend to avoid conversations about those topics if I think there will be conflicting points of views.

I believe that there is one true God with three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I believe that the Bible is God's Word handed down to us so that we may learn about Him and His truths. I believe that God created the heavens and the earth and that he created man in His image. I believe that sin entered the world through man, that sin has condemned us to death and separation from God, but that redemption comes to those who are willing to accept the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, who was without sin. That by accepting His sacrifice, we will enjoy everlasting life in heaven.

With that said, I am by nature an intellectual, logical, science-oriented person. I know that many of my friends and colleagues do not believe in a god. Maybe because their understanding of God and their understanding of science creates a gap too big for them to cross. Maybe because the lack of physical evidence of a god is insurmountable to them. Maybe for another reason. It is kind of amazing to me that I believe in God. There are plenty of reasons to not believe in Him. There have been lots of experiences in my life that are reason enough to dismiss Him.

As I was thinking about this post, I thought a lot about what lead me to choose God and Christ. At first, most of my thoughts were about what it isn't.

I don't believe in God because the Bible tells me to believe. If you believe in God because the Bible tells you to believe in God, what makes you believe in the Bible? What makes you believe that what it contains is truth and worth giving your life over to an "invisible" being? For this reason, I won't try to convince anyone of God by using the Bible for my justification of his existence. To me, that isn't logical. However, because I believe, I use the Bible to understand God, build a relationship with Him, and learn what His will is for us as a people. His Word should direct my life. I believe the Bible because I believe in God.

I don't believe in God for comfort, although it can be a perk. In fact, a lot of my relationship with God is very uncomfortable. He requires me to put my trust, faith, hope, and desires in Him. I like to be in control. I like having my plans. I like to know what my life is going to look like in 6 months. With God, I have to be willing to accept His plan, even without knowing what it is or where it is heading. Also, the Holy Spirit is working in my being, requiring me to rid myself of my selfishness. Man, that is really uncomfortable. Hearing a truth and knowing it requires a change - ugh... Yes, I can come to God and lay my burdens down. Yes, He is a comfort to me when life is hard. Yes, I believe He hears me when I am crying out to Him because I don't understand why my life is not and cannot be what I want it to be. Yes, I take comfort in knowing that my friends and family who believe in Him and accept Christ will join me in heaven. However, I don't know what heaven will be like. I don't know if I will know or recognize friends and family that are there. I don't know what that eternal life will look or feel like. So, while I take comfort in knowing they will be there, I don't know that I will see them again or know it is them if I were to see them. That isn't really comforting. 

I also don't choose to believe out of fear. There are probably people who believe in God for the sole reason of a fear of death and what may come after that. They would rather believe in God and "find out" they were wrong after they die than not believe in God and find themselves in hell. I don't know. Fear is a good motivator, but it doesn't seem maintainable. Don't get me wrong. I believe in hell and I want to stay out of it, but it is not the reason I believe.

I don't believe in God for moral reasons. There are millions of basically good people who live an upright and moral life who do not believe in God. From Luke 11:

"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" Luke 11:11-13

So morality is not the standard for believing in God. However, I do believe that if you believe in God, you should be striving to live a righteous and moral life. That you are being refined and sanctified towards God's standard. If you do not believe in God, then I can't hold you to the standard that God asks for, but I can expect that you will follow basic moral codes and that you understand that things like blatant lying, stealing, cheating, and murdering are wrong.

I don't believe in God for creation reasons. As I said earlier, I do believe he created the heavens and the earth, that he created light and made day and night, that he formed the sky, land and seas, that he made the land produce vegetation, filled the sky with the sun, moon and stars, the water and land with animals. I believe he made man in his image. I do not think all of this was done in six 24-hour periods, but made in six stages. I don't believe Earth is only a few thousand years old. I believe in evolution: small changes over a long period of time, weak creatures dying off, strong creatures passing on their genetically superior genes to the next generation. I don't think that being rational and logical, loving science and "believing in science" separates you from God. God is those things, too. I think the bigger problem with "Science vs God" is the misinformation on both sides of the debate.

I don't believe in God because of my family or my culture. Although my family believes in God, we were not church-goers. I also have developed a faith very different from any of my parents, siblings, and extended family. When I first started going to church, I drove myself there every Wednesday and Sunday. It was my choice to be there. I did first start developing my relationship with Christ at my best friends' church, but I asked questions, searched for real answers, and struggled with gaps between what I was being taught and what my heart was telling me. Throughout college, I was blessed to be a part of a college ministry that encouraged making your faith your own. I often made decisions about my beliefs that went against the church home I had found. Eventually, it led me away from my initial denomination, but I still admire, respect, and listen to the people who gave me the freedom to choose which in turn helped me grow in my faith - one that is my own.

So, why do I believe in God?

There is a yearning in my heart that is only satisfied with Him. 

Maybe that is illogical. But even as a little girl, with limited knowledge of what a god is, my spirit moved to him like a magnet. I felt His presence. His Spirit called to me and I answered. My heart was prodded to belief. I know that is not going to be a satisfactory answer to non-believers and I know that there are people who prayed for God to give them faith and believe that He didn't answer. But there you have it. I cannot ignore the longing of my soul.

 A friend of mine wrote the following:

We certainly don’t see any God influencing our day to day life — though some people like to claim they’ve seen it or seen miracles — I believe that people are often experts at fooling themselves and seeing what they want to see.

I would have to disagree with her, with gentleness and respect. I have felt God's influence throughout my life. I cannot ignore it. I cannot ignore the sequence of events that led me to where I am today. I cannot believe they were just coincidence and happenstance. After how many coincidences and perfect timings do you start to think that it's not coincidence any more? To me, that is ignoring evidence. So I choose to see God.

Thanks and Gig 'Em!

Songs of My Life

Howdy from Jaclyn in Aggieland!

This post is going to be light and fun because PCOS is heavy (pun intended) and sad and I am working on a post that is kind of deep for me, if I can get up the courage to post it. I believe in the sandwich method.

I have always thought that making a music play list that represented my life would be a really cool thing to do. However, it is really hard to choose the songs. Today, I am making a list of songs, one from each year I have been alive, from the "Billboard Top 100 Songs of ****." I tried to choose them based on something special, but that is hard too. Also, I think my real play list would be much longer and much more in depth, but this is a good place to start.

1983: Every Breath You Take by The Police (LOL... Because that is when I took my first breath...)
1984: Lucky Star by Madonna
1985: We Built This City by Starship
1986: You Give Love a Bad Name by Bon Jovi
1987: Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For by U2
1988: Sweet Child 'O Mine by Guns 'N Roses
1989: Love Shack by B-52s
1990: Step by Step by New Kids on the Block
1991: Something to Talk About by Bonnie Raitt
1992: End of the Road by Boyz II Men
1993: Ooh Child by Dino
1994: The Sign by Ace of Base
1995: Waterfalls by TLC
1996: Gangsta's Paradise by Coolio
1997: Wannabe by Spice Girls
1998: I Don't Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith
1999: Iris by Goo Goo Dolls
2000: All the Small Things by Blink 182
2001: Fallin' by Alicia Keys
2002: Standing Still by Jewel
2003: Front Porch Lookin' In by Lonestar (Really hard to pick a favorite... Lots of good songs...)
2004: White Flag by Dido
2005: Daughters by John Mayer
2006: You and Me by Lifehouse
2007: Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol
2008: You're Gonna Miss This by Trace Adkins
2009: Chicken Fried by Zac Brown Band
2010: Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars
2011: Raise Your Glass by P!Nk
2012: A Thousand Years by Christina Perri
2013: Roar by Katy Perry
2014: (Obviously, it's a little early, but...) Automatic by Miranda Lambert

Oh man... There were some years that was REALLY hard to choose a song for... Mid-90's had tons of songs and late-80's...

Thanks and Gig 'Em!

Reflections on PCOS #1

Howdy from Jaclyn in Aggieland!

This is a first in what may be a regular series of posts about my life with PCOS. My goal is not to give the medical background, but to tell my story so that people who don't know what PCOS is or don't have it will become aware of it, those with PCOS won't feel alone, and I can sort through, process, and deal with what I am learning. Each post will focus on one aspect of PCOS in my life.

We are going to take this back to my sophomore year of high school.

I am called into one of the counselor's office. I was not expecting the conversation we were about to have. She told me that someone was concerned about me and asked if I was pregnant. I left feeling mostly shocked and flabbergasted. Later that day, I was at basketball practice talking to my best friends about my visit to the counselor wondering out loud who would be crazy enough to think I was pregnant! After practice, the coach called me into the athletic trainer's office and explained to me that they were the ones worried I was pregnant. They had noticed that I had "gained some weight" around my middle and were concerned about me. If I wasn't pregnant, maybe I had a tumor. I left that meeting angry, hurt, appalled and with my first taste of being self-conscious about my body and the fact that it wasn't like my friends.

That was 14 years ago now. It ended up being the first of many times that I have been asked, one way or another, if I am pregnant. It has been very painful and frustrating. I wish I knew then what I am beginning to learn now. The reasons for my weight gain despite being an athlete who always pushed myself as hard as I could was not completely in my control. My body didn't seem to be with the program because I have PCOS - polycystic ovarian syndrome. I had no idea and am only now starting to learn about the chain reaction of events as well as their effect on my life for the last 14 years. Looking back, that day with the counselor, coach and athletic trainer should have been a clue. But hindsight is always 20/20.

I feel at this point in time, I have dug myself into a pretty deep hole because I didn't know or understand what was happening in and to my body. If my mother or I had understood what I had, if the doctors I went to in high school and college had recognized what it was, we may have been able to make lifestyle changes earlier where I might currently be in a better place. Maybe not. Unfortunately, I was officially diagnosed with PCOS only about a year ago (and before that, my mother suspected I had it, but I was in denial). This is not to say that I am in a hole I cannot get out of. However, it is something that is going to require difficult lifestyle changes and breaking habits I have had for as long as I can remember.

One of my symptoms is being overweight, particularly in my midsection. It isn't fully understood if weight gain triggers PCOS or if losing weight will ease the symptoms. From my own experience, I had PCOS before I became overweight and had a lot of my symptoms (looking back) in high school and college. As a sophomore in high school, I weighed maybe 130 pounds and was mostly muscle. There seem to be many factors that lead to a person with PCOS being overweight - hormones, insulin resistance, increased craving for sweets as compared to people who don't have PCOS, stress - and it seems to be different from person to person.

It also seems like obesity with PCOS contradicts science. If

calories burned > calories consumed, 

then you lose weight! That is true, but a lot of people with PCOS have a much lower rate of metabolism than other people. So we can't eat as much and we have to work harder. It is not impossible for me to keep my weight in check with diet and exercise, but it is very hard to do and requires me to make perfect choices all of the time (or at least, that is how I feel). My weight can easily fluctuate 5-10 pounds in a couple of days - and don't tell me it's just water weight. You can see how this can be discouraging and feel like an impossible thing to maintain.

So, how do I battle my weight? I haven't figured this out yet. So what do you do when you feel like you are making smart food choices and are living an active life, but aren't seeing results? It is easy to say eat less and work out more. But if you are going to have a diet you can maintain the rest of your life, the diet cannot be based on starvation or on not allowing you to ever eat a certain food. Also, if you have any kind of life at all - work, family, needy cats - spending hours a day at the gym often doesn't make sense. If I am going to get my symptoms under control, I have to deal with all of them. I can't give up on losing weight (but I might have to give up on ever being 145 lbs again).


I could use some gentle encouragement and gentle tips. From the research I have done so far, it seems as though (because of the tendency to insulin resistance) avoiding a high-carbohydrate diet is important. As with most people with PCOS, I love carbs! This makes me super sad...

Thanks and Gig 'Em!

The Firefly

Howdy from Jaclyn in Aggieland!



Sunday was our seven year anniversary. To celebrate, we went to The Lodges at Lost Maples in Vanderpool, TX. We left home sometime between 4 and 5 and headed west. When we got to Dripping Springs (or, as the fella at the next table continued to tell one of his companions that she must learn to call it, Drip), we stopped at Creek Road Cafe. Hubba had their Mahi Mahi special and I had a watermelon salad and a chicken pasta dish. It was very good. We also decided to order dessert - Lemon Curd Mousse Cake with Prickly Pear Gelato. It was so amazingly good. The gelato was a good balance against the citrus of the cake. Hubba, who does not like sweets much, ate just as much of it as I did.

After dinner, we got back on the road and headed to Kerrville, where we stopped to buy some groceries for the weekend. I was surprised that I didn't see any Johnny Manziel-ania, but maybe we weren't in the right part of town or maybe he is old news to them. I was surprised at how large Kerrville is. What do people who live there do?

Now things started to get interesting as we really and truly entered the Hill Country. The roads had a lot of hairpin turns and steep grades. Trucks were strongly encouraged to go another route. One area had a sign that told you if you were going to fast (you were if you were going over 20 mph) followed by rumble strips, followed by a sign that said HILL. Apparently there were still quite a few people who didn't get the message judging by the number of tread marks leading off the road. It was pretty late by this time, so we didn't get to see much of the area we were driving through, but we saw lots of deer (including a fawn that was just learning to walk), a fox, and a raccoon. The Versa reminded me of The Little Engine Who Could, barely making it to the top of the mountain that our cabins were on.

We finally pulled up to our cabin, the Firefly, a little before midnight and got settled in. I found what would be my main spot for the weekend on the back porch - the porch bed swing. We laid out on that bed and listened to the wind blowing through the trees, watching a firefly go by, and I told Hubba, "This is wonderful..." I was able to fall asleep out there, but Hubba seemed to have a harder time. Finally, at 6am he told me he was going to go sleep inside, so I joined him.

The next day, I woke up and saw either peacocks or wild turkeys. I am not sure because as soon as I opened the door, they took off to the woods so I didn't get a super good look. I am pretty sure they were peacocks, though. I read for a little while and then Hubba and I took a long walk. (None of these pictures do justice to the absolute beauty of the area.)

By the time we made it back to the cabin, I was hot, dusty and thirsty. So I got myself a tall glass of cold water, washed my face and feet and cooled off in the cabin. I read a little bit more, Hubba and I cooked the pizza we had picked up with a couple glasses of wine, and then Hubba and I drove down to the Lost Maples Country Store for some supplies we forgot to pick up in Kerrville. I wish I had pictures from that drive. It was breathtaking. I had no idea Texas had anything like that until this weekend. I thought I knew what the Hill Country was about. Wow. I was wrong. (I also don't mean to say that I didn't think Texas was beautiful before this weekend. I love the Piney Woods. I love the big, endless blue skies. I love the lakes and the wildflowers. I just didn't expect "mountains" and valleys.)

Hubba made fajitas that night and we had some more wine. Then, I had a bubble bath in the claw-foot tub. Best bubble bath ever.

We listened to music, made some tea, and hung out with each other. The next day, it was time to pack up, clean up the cabin, and start our journey home. Again, I was just struck by how beautiful the land was. We decided to go through San Antonio so that I could stop and answer student emails and so we could see Hubba's brother. We stopped in Bandera, the self-proclaimed Cowboy Capital of the World, for lunch and had us some barbecue. The brisket was really nice and tender. We definitely saw some cowboys. We then exited the Hill Country and all I want to do is be back.

It is heaven on earth.

Thanks and Gig 'Em!

One Week Down!

Howdy from Jaclyn in Aggieland!

One week is down and it is the most brutal of the five, just in terms of the pace of the class. This week, we had to cover something like 10 pages of notes a day and I gave graded assignments every day. Phew! I am glad this week is over!

Already on day 2, I had a large group of students making up my core group in office hours. It has been increasing where I now have to conduct office hours in a larger room than my office. I think that means that some of them actually listened that first day. But, they are also very scared for the exam that is on Monday.

I am a little worried for them and feeling a little guilty because I am ditching them completely this weekend to celebrate our anniversary - I won't even be available via email! *gasp* Obviously, spending this weekend with Hubba is way more important, but I do wish there was a little bit more time I could offer them before the exam. Oh well... I won't feel that bad for that long. :)

After this exam, the material gets more difficult, but we get to slow the pace down. I am happy for that. I have been very uncomfortable with the pace this week, so I can only imagine how they are feeling.

TGIF!

Thanks and Gig 'Em!

Hubba's Birthday Present to KB

Howdy from Jaclyn in Aggieland!

This is the very creative gift Hubba gave to KB for her birthday. I don't know if you can tell what it is, but the 9 caricatures are of the Goonies and of the Fratelli's. He found those on etsy. He got a canvas and painted it like the skull cavern. He also bought some copper parchment paper and found an image of the Goonies map. He carefully printed it on two pieces of paper and taped (I think) them together. He then did some very high-tech aging techniques and rolled it up with twine. He also bought a display case to keep everything together.

Gooniees never say die!

Thanks and Gig 'Em!

Why I Decided to Scare the Pants Off My Students

Howdy from Jaclyn in Aggieland!

Today was the first day of Business Mathematics II a.k.a. Cowboy Calculus a.k.a. "The Next Five Weeks are Going to be SOO MUCH FUN!" This class is very algebra-intensive and the majority of college students do not know how to do algebra... At all... So, after talking about the syllabus and the "Getting to Know You Assignment," I tried to put the fear of God into them. Here is a screen shot of my "You Must Know Algebra" slide.

I normally do not take the "scare them senseless about math" approach, but this week is going to be very difficult for a lot of them and my hope is that they will take initiative to stay on top of things and succeed in the next five weeks.

Here are some of the things I told them:

• As soon as you have a question, you need to ask. This class is too fast-paced for you to "figure it out" on your own.
• If you fall behind, you will drown.
• Most of you will have to spend several hours a day practicing, not an hour or two here or there, to do well in this class.
• If you don't take me seriously, we will all be sad.

After this, I gave them a quiz over algebra and the syllabus. They were allowed to use the notes I told them to print off and bring with them to class.  Here is a picture of the first few problems... Oh, the horrors I saw! They almost made my eyes bleed!

The back side asked them to solve polynomial equations and gave them up to 5 bonus points for correctly answering questions about the syllabus. Hopefully this was added incentive to take me seriously and start their algebra review. We will find out!

After this, we covered 8 pages of notes. I usually only cover 5-6 if I have the entire class time to lecture. This means I was moving at a very brisk pace. I think if they can survive the first few days, they will be fine.

Do you think I sufficiently scared them?

Thanks and Gig 'Em!

Spa Day and KB's Birthday!

Howdy from Jaclyn in Aggieland!

Thursday was an amazing day!

I had a spa day at Galleria Day Spa. Shannon gave me an amazing deep tissue massage. It was much needed. I carry most of my stress and tension in my right shoulder and the knots had gotten so bad that my arm would, at times, go numb. There is nothing like getting rolled out like pizza dough to help. After that, Davina gave me a deluxe mani/pedi. It was awesome! She did such a great job. I am totally going to go back for future mani/pedis.

After that, I went shopping to pick up a couple more things for KB's birthday gift, picked up Hubba and headed to ALA's house for the party. We had a great time celebrating KB and playing games, one of our favorite things to do when we all get together. She had tons of people who showed up.

Tomorrow, summer school begins. I have the first week ready to go and an exam for next Monday that (I think) is ready for BA to look at. I also have all notes posted for the students to print off and bring to class, drafts of quizzes for the rest of the semester, and outlines of the exams. Ready or not, here we go!

Thanks and gig 'em!

Happy Birthday, Hubba!

Howdy from Jaclyn in Aggieland!

I hope everyone is having a great Memorial Day weekend and that you take at least one moment this weekend to remember and give thanks to the men and women who have died protecting our freedom.

Yesterday was Hubba's birthday! Happy birthday, Hubba!

We went to lunch at a new brewery in the Northgate District - Blackwater Draw Brewing Company. I was hoping to get there in time for brunch, but I woke up too late.  We ended up getting an order of their #YESSIR fries, I got a BYOB (Build Your Own Burger), and Hubba got the Charles Brat-son. The fries were sweet potato with cinnamon, sugar and feta, but there wasn't any substance to hold the feta onto the fries. I think the fries at The Luxury in San Antonio are waaaaayyy better. But, I loved my burger. And I am awful picky about my burgers. It was on a sourdough bun. I love the slight sweetness with the hamburger. It was also sturdy enough to hold together throughout the entire burger. The patty was not too big, but it also wasn't small. It comes with arugula, red onion, and a thick slice of an heirloom tomato. Then you get two "freebies" and if you want to add cheese, a fried egg, or peanut butter (among other choices), there is a fairly standard upcharge. All of their "freebies" are house made. I got their sriracha mayo and chipotle ranch and cheddar cheese. It was really good. Hubba took home a 64 oz. growler of their Kolsch.

We can bring back the jug the next time we go and get it filled with anything on draft.

After lunch, we kind of lazed around and ran a couple of errands, but mostly just relaxed with each other, not doing anything special until dinner time. Hubba had made plans to have dinner with the neighbors and watch a movie. They had made a lot of pizza dough, so we had a lot of fun making a bunch of different pizzas on the grill outside until the coals weren't hot enough. Here is a picture of our toppings spread:

We ate out in the back yard, rolling out dough, mixing up the combination of ingredients, and sharing our creations amongst the four of us. The toppings we had available were: traditional tomato based pizza sauce, pesto, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mushrooms, bell peppers, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, shredded mozzarella, cheddar, red onions, basil, jalapenos, and corn. The coals didn't quite stay hot enough for all of our pizzas, so the last savory pizza was cooked in the neighbors' oven and I started working on getting the dessert pizza toppings ready.

(Sorry there are no pictures of the dessert toppings.) For the dessert pizzas, we used the same pizza dough used for our other pizzas. We pre-cooked the dough, but I think it would be fine to not do that, or makes calzones. My original idea was to smear the dough with nutella, but I didn't realize that we were out. So, instead, we melted some good chocolate and smeared that on the pizza. Then, I had brought out a variety of toppings: bananas, blueberries, raspberries, pineapple chunks, apples, pecans, sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, butter, cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, Hershey's chocolate syrup. Everyone was able to put on their own dessert pizza whatever they wanted. No one was entirely sold that this would be delicious, but it turned out great and everyone seemed to really love their creations. Mine had the melted chocolate, bananas, pecans, and marshmallows. I stuck mine back in the oven long enough for the marshmallows to get toasted and then sprinkled a little powdered sugar on top. The powdered sugar, we all agreed, was necessary to give some sweetness that was lacking in the dough. I thought it was amazing.  After that, the neighbors brought over some slices of watermelon and we sat out eating our watermelon and spitting out the seeds. Next summer, maybe the backyard will have a watermelon crop!

After that, we watched Castle in the Sky. I forgot how much I liked it. Hayao Miyazaki is a great storyteller.

 Ryan and I at The Salt Lick earlier this month.

Thanks and Gig 'Em!

Cool Ranch Crockpot Chicken Tacos

Howdy from Jaclyn in Aggieland!

Tonight for dinner, we made this! It was good and super easy, which is really good considering I continue to battle insomnia and am still trying to be productive, which leaves little energy for things like cooking...

Tomorrow, two of Hubba's classmates (and former students of mine when I was a TA) are coming over for dinner to work on their project. They are building a rocket (I think).

I appreciate those of you who have been following the blog!

Thanks and Gig 'Em!

Two New Additions to Our Home

Howdy from Jaclyn in Aggieland!

Tonight, Hubba and I went on a "mini-date" that ended up being not so mini! I worked all afternoon on prep for summer I (how am I going to be ready in 13 days!?!). After a quick stop at home, Hubba and I went to dinner at Cheddars and then went indoor plant shopping at Home Depot. We found several plants that we loved, but out of all of them, only two were cat-friendly enough for us to feel comfortable getting them. We ended up getting a Burgundy Rubber Plant and a Cat Palm. Our next stop was TJMaxx in the hopes that they had pots that were big enough for our new family members and would go with our house. We lucked out there and then headed to Target, where we also lucked out. TJMaxx had a couple of nice pieces of furniture that I wanted, but wasn't willing to spend the money on. There was also this awesome mirror that would look fantastic on the accent wall in the living room, but, again, I wasn't willing to spend what they were asking. At Target, I found some school supplies, but that was about it. So the hunt for pots is still going.

We got home and brought the rubber plant in first. Tonks went and smelled a leaf and was good. The rubber plant is not too intimidating to her. Kitty didn't find the rubber plant to be at all intriguing so did not bother to move from her spot on the couch. Then, we brought in the cat palm, which is already between 3 and 4 feet tall and moves a lot. Tonks was definitely scared of it. Kitty, however, recognized a good thing when she saw it and immediately went to taste it. We shooed her away from eating it. Eventually Tonks got brave enough to check out this awesome thing that was moving gently with fun string like projections. She realized that it was actually a pretty cool toy. Now, Kitty came to check it out. They both played with some of the leaves that were moving around, until Kitty again tried to eat it. Now they are both sitting, lovingly watch it sway in the air created by the fan.

I hope we can keep them alive!

Thanks and Gig 'Em!

Penne with Asparagus, Spinach and Bacon

Howdy from Jaclyn in Aggieland!

Tonight we had Penne with Asparagus, Spinach, and Bacon for dinner. It was really good and really pretty easy to make. Hopefully we don't forget about it!

I am struggling getting into a good sleep habit which is kind of messing with how good of a job I am doing on accomplishing my goals. I am trying to not nap, because naps for me turn into falling into a deep sleep for 4-6 hours which means that at midnight, I am wide awake. But because I didn't nap, I am ready for bed right now (at 8:01pm).  I have also found that I am having a hard time getting comfortable at night. I get super itchy, or my shoulder hurts, or my hand falls asleep, or I am too hot, or too cold, or there is too much light, or too much noise, or not enough noise... It is really frustrating.

Now, for something not so negative. I finished reading A Dance with Dragons last night. Maybe that isn't "not negative" now that I think about it since I spent most of last night frustrated with what is going on. However, that means I get a break from A Song of Fire and Ice. I don't know about anyone else, but I am so grateful for breaks between books with this series. I normally am ready to read the next book. I love to marathon read (or watch, in the case of TV) series. But I can't do it with this. I probably won't stray too far from fantasy, though, as that is my favorite to get lost in. I might not even travel far from the "medieval fantasy."

So, I can read The Fault in Our Stars. I hear I need a box of tissues to read it, though, so I might wait for a weekend that has nothing going on so I can just curl up and read and ignore the world outside my doors. I can also now read some of the books Hubba brought home from the Book Sale. I will either read Green Rider, the first in a series by Kristen Britain, or The Mists of Avalon, a stand-alone by Marrion Zimmer Bradley. I also need to order the second book in The Enchanted Forest Chronicles. The first book, Hubba and I read together before bed.

So, my questions for you are:

• What is your bedtime routine? How do you help yourself fall asleep?
• What is on your reading list?

Thanks and Gig 'Em!

Creativity

Howdy from Jaclyn in Aggieland!

I wish I were more creative. I want to be able to write poetry and songs, to paint and draw, to write... and all in a way that moves people. I feel like it is all in my head, but something prevents it from coming from my brain to the paper. How do you grow creativity?

Thanks and Gig 'Em!

Jaclyn

Harry Potter Curriculum

Howdy from Jaclyn in Aggieland!

For several years now, I have been incredibly intrigued by the idea of homeschooling my future children. I get really excited when I am thinking about how and what I would teach my kids. I love Harry Potter. A lot. I recently was re-reading the series and the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, sparked so much inspiration for a one-year (maybe less, depending on just how thorough I can make it) curriculum for an 11-year old. Here are some of my thoughts on what parallels I would make.

First of all, Harry Potter begins his schooling at Hogwarts the year he turns 11. The curriculum is based on the courses Harry Potter and his classmates take, but with a more realistic twist. Some of them have more obvious parallels to real-life subjects and others are a little bit harder.

• Transfiguration: In the world of Harry Potter, Transfiguration is the science of changing objects (including animals and even yourself) into other objects. Often this is something like turning an inanimate object into an animal, but the ability to be an Animagus is based in Transfiguration. This was at first difficult for me to decide what the real-life subject would be, but after a lot of thought and consideration, I decided on mathematics. Transfiguration is described as being elegant and there is nothing more elegant than math. Also, a lot of math (especially in the middle grades) is about understanding how to "transfigure" numbers and data into alternate forms, i.e., rational numbers as decimals and fractions, data into graphical representations, etc. It is a stretch, but it is the best fit, in my humble opinion. :)
• Charms: Charms is similar to Transfiguration, but "softer." It allows for creativity and for the personality of the wizard to come through. J. K. Rowling said of Charms, "I see Charms as a slightly lighter subject than transfiguration which is very hard work. With Charms there would be a little more leeway for a little more personal creativity – transfiguration you have to get it exactly right, transfiguration is more scientific." I also had a difficult time deciding on the real-life parallel to Charms, but I felt that Art or Music was its closest counterpart.
• Potions: Potions is the science of creating potions. There is no obvious magic used in creating potions, but it is extremely difficult to create the proper end result. I thought Chemistry was the obvious choice for Potions. Not only does Chemistry involve the interactions of atoms and the making of substances, but it also requires a lot of care and precision.
• History of Magic: This is your typical history course, but focuses on magical beings and events. Thus, this will be a typical history course with a focus on the contemporary world.
• Defense Against the Dark Arts: This course is all about protecting yourself from dark magic and evil wizards. To me, it feels like the most physical of the classes at Hogwarts, so I envision it more as a Physical Education course. (Although Dolores Umbridge turned it into a dull reading-based course. What did she even do besides be a horrible horrible toad?) This will be a physical education "course." Maybe sign them up for martial arts? Especially a branch that focuses on discipline and using what they learn only for defensive reasons.
• Astronomy: Astronomy is Astronomy. Harry Potter and his classmates learned about the names of major stars, constellations, and planets, as well as their movements and environments. The class was done Wednesdays at midnight. Exactly what I would do. Sounds fabulous and fun.
• Herbology: Herbology is the study of magical and mundane plants and fungi. My idea here is that the kids will help in the garden, growing fruit, veggies, and herbs that will be used in the home, just like the plants and fungi Harry Potter and friends worked with were used in potions and other items at Hogwarts.
• Flying: At Hogwarts, all first year students learned how to fly on a broom. I have no idea what parallel I can make with a real-life course. No clue...

Classes that need to be addressed:

• English and Language Arts: Reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and completing some kind of project on it would be a part of the curriculum, but it would not be sufficient. My idea (right now) is that the kids would write a play based on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone or some other creative activity that would demonstrate the year-long, curriculum-wide learning. However, I also want to incorporate reading and writing poetry, nonfiction, drama, and other fiction. What I really want to happen is that Harry Potter will be our bedtime read which will be read aloud by the kids, myself, and maybe Hubba, if we can prod him into it. However, that leaves open the "problem" of integrating ELA into the curriculum since that was not a course for Harry.

So, what do you think?

Thanks and Gig 'Em!

A Clean Bathroom and French Bread Pizza

Howdy from Jaclyn in Aggieland!

Yesterday, we went to root on the Aggie Men's Tennis team in the second round of the NCAA Championship Tournament. Unfortunately, we lost, but we put up one hell of a fight. Most people thought the day was done shortly into the Men's Singles, but some impressive comeback play had us with a chance through the last set of the last match. It was a very hot and humid day with little wind, so the climate impacted everyone there. We had plans to make it to the grocery store yesterday, but after being out for four hours, we were pretty exhausted. Hubba made it to the store this afternoon, though. So Meal #1 of the week is French Bread Pizza! This is a super easy, super fast, and super flexible meal. Here is what I did:

I cut the loaf in half because there is only two of us and I can use the other half for some other meal later this week or lunch or something. I then split one of the halves in half like a hot dog bun. On each cut side, I basted the bread with melted butter and sprinkled the sides with Italian seasoning and a little garlic powder. I then toasted it. I like to do this otherwise the bread stays a little too soft for my personal preferences. After the bread was toasted a little, I pulled it out of the oven and put some tomato and basil sauce on each piece. We made a margherita style pizza, so I then put some slices of tomato and mozzarella cheese on. If I had thought about it, I would have also added at least one other kind of cheese since mozzarella by itself can sometimes turn into a plastic consistency. Pop it back in the oven for about 10 minutes. Once the cheese is melted and slightly brown (you have to watch it!), I sprinkled some roughly chopped up basil on top and dinner was ready! You can do all kinds of fun stuff with this. Set up a toppings bar and let each person make their own pizza. I remember my mom doing that when I was a kid and it was always fun to decide what i wanted on my pizza. What would you put on your personal French bread pizza?

My cleaning project of the day was to scrub the bathroom from top to bottom. I started by wiping all surfaces I could reach, including walls, windows, mirrors, etc, with warm soapy water and then wiping again with clean water. I then cleaned the window and mirror with glass cleaner, the outside of the sink and toilet with Scrubbing Bubbles, scrubbed the inside of the sink, toilet and tub with Ajax, and mopped the floor twice: once with a vinegar and water solution and once with pine sol. Our home is an older house so there are often mysterious smells. Hopefully this will get rid of them, at least temporarily. I also washed the shower curtain and replaced the lining as well as washed all of the towels. I put some finishing touches on it to try to bring it all back together and lit a candle.

Also, I need a schedule to follow. So today, I came up with one that will work through the summer. If you want to help me with accountability, you can send me a text or give me a call to encourage me to go work out and you will know when I think I should be going.


-->

6:30am-7:00am	Get Ready
7:00am-8:30am	Bible Study/Devotional
8:30am-9:00am	Drive Time
9:00am-10:00am	Work at Office
10:00am-11:35am	Class
11:35am-12:30pm	Office Hours
12:30pm-1:30pm	Lunch
1:30pm-2:00pm	Drive Time
2:00pm-3:30pm	Work Out
3:30pm-4:00pm	Drive Time
4:00pm-4:30pm	Shower
4:30pm-5:00pm	Make Dinner
5:00pm-6:30pm	Dinner
6:30pm-7:00pm	Clean up Kitchen
7:30pm-8:00pm	30 minutes of cleaning
8:00pm-10:00pm	Relax, Read, Physics, Etc
10:00pm-6:30am	Sleep

The Mother's Day Posting

Howdy from Jaclyn in Aggieland!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to the mommas whose babies have grown up and left home. Who maybe have their own babies. Or even their babies have babies.

Happy Mother's Day to the first time momma who has realized just how much you can love a being.

Happy Mother's Day to mother-in-laws and mothers by marriage. I was blessed to marry into amazing one.

Happy Mother's Day to the momma's who are just glad they survived the week without killing their kiddo.

Happy Mother's Day to the momma's who have lost their baby. Whatever the tragedy that took that life away, I wrap my arms around you.

Happy Mother's Day to the mommas whose babies came to them through adoption. You are blessed.

Happy Mother's Day to the mommas in spirit. The teachers who love their students as if they were their own. The mentors who love on their cadets. The aunts who light up around their nieces and nephews.

Happy Mother's Day to those of us desperately waiting our turn. I lift us up in prayer that one day we will hold a child of our own. That we will be able to lay our little one down to sleep. That we can enjoy the day to day pleasures and horrors of motherhood. To those of us whose desire of motherhood never came to fulfillment, I grieve with you.

I have been blessed to have a wonderful mother. She always put our needs above her own. She taught me how to cook. She is silly and weird. She is my best friend. Her home is always home for me. I know that when life has me bogged down, I can take a trip home and be refreshed by mom's cooking, by sitting on the deck with her and reading, or by drinking a glass of wine. I love you, momma.

Me, Grandma, and Mom

K, My Mother-in-Law, and Hubba

Me, my new friend, my best friend, and her little stinker. :)

My sister, mom, grandma, and nephew

Thanks and Gig 'Em!

Cleaning List for the Week

 Howdy from Jaclyn in Aggieland!

This week is the official start to my summer. I finished entering grades this evening. I still have a lot of work to do to get ready for summer school, but I am going to take this opportunity to try to get in some cleaning beyond just pick up the clutter, take out the trash, and sweep the floors. My goals for this week are:

• Air Conditioners: We have window units. I am going to clean all four of them. Soak the filters in a water and vinegar solution and let them dry. Vacuum the coils. Wipe down the exterior panel and control panel with disinfectant wipes
• Baseboards: Ugh... Not looking forward to the bending down aspect, but they need it! I read that if you wipe them with a fabric softener sheet, that it will repel dust. 
• Blinds: Another frustrating job, but someone's gotta do it. Going to try the dryer sheet here too... And using cotton gloves with a water and vinegar solution...
• Floors: We have all hardwood floors. They definitely need a good sweeping and dry dusting. After that, I will use whatever that product is that our landlords have approved for cleaning the floors.
• Furniture: Vacuum off the couch, chair and boxes. Spray with a water and vinegar solution. Force open the windows to let everything have a good airing out.
• Lampshades: Use a lint roller on them and use some kind of blowing device to blow out the crevices.
• Pillows: Wash them and hope they don't bunch.

Here is a picture of a sassy Tonks who missed me so much!

And here is a picture of Kitty who doesn't understand that you are supposed to hold your pose. She would be cute and then immediately move.... Little stinker...

I did not work at all today. I did not do any intellectual pursuits. I have not read from my Bible or from HTRTBFAIW yet, but I will at least read from my Bible before bed. I did not exercise. I did not deliberately choose my meals for the day, but I did plan out meals for the next four days. I did not take my multivitamins or drink enough water. I did do one load of laundry and cleaned for 30 minutes. We ate out for dinner. I paid bills. And watched several episodes of House.

Thoughts on cleaning house?

Thanks and Gig 'Em!

Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center

Howdy from Jaclyn in Aggieland! (Reporting today from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.)

Today, my mom, grandmother, Hubba and I went to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in South Austin. This is me with Hubba and grandma in front of the water lily pond at the front of the center.

We started by hiking a trail that was actually outside of the center. It was hot and muggy. We could see rain clouds not too far away but there wasn't a hint of a breeze. We also felt like everything we saw on the trail we could have seen in Mom's backyard. But it was still pretty. :)

Above is a picture of typical Texas Prickly Pear Cacti and Indian Blankets that we saw in abundance on our hike. We also found a research plot that seemed to be researching garden roofs and tall grasses, a sinkhole, a few different varieties of sage, and a couple of Indian Paintbrushes and Bluebonnets that seemed to be clinging on. Most of the Bluebonnets had gone to seed.

When we made our way back to the center, we looked at the different gardens. Here are some of my favorite garden photos:

 Water Lily

 

 California Poppy

Zotol

We also found the Family Garden that had several fun things for us to do!

Bobcat!

Man-made Waterfall with "Hidden Nook"

Me, Grandma, and Mom in a Giant Bird's Nest

We ended our time at the Wildflower Center at the top of the Stonework Tower and looked around in the store. Hubba had been tracking our activity while at the center. We walked just over 2 miles. I will count that as my exercise for the day. :) 

View from the Top

When we left the Wildflower Center, we headed to the original Salt Lick BBQ. It was really delicious! I got the combo plate with brisket and sausage, beans, potato salad, and cole slaw. Soo good.

On the way to Salt Lick, we found Wizard Academy. I have tried to find information about it, but their web page does not have very much information. What is this?

I also worked through a few more pages of notes for the class I am teaching this summer, read another chapter in Luke and in HTRTBFAIW. I took my multivitamins. I drank more water than yesterday, but still need to get another glass or two in before bedtime. I also might pick up the physics textbook tonight and play with that. 

Tomorrow, Grandma flies north and we drive back to Aggieland. We might make it back in time to watch the Aggie Men's Tennis Team play in the first round of the NCAA tournament(?). Monday, Hubba starts his 3-week racketball court while I get to relax.

What do you have going on this weekend?

Thanks and Gig 'Em!