Saints & Strangers

This past Friday was “Pilgrim and Native American Indian Day” at my school and the majority of the students and teachers dressed up to celebrate Thanksgiving with their classes before the start of our break.  Our third graders just finished studying the Jamestown and Plymouth colonies and we culminated the end of the unit with a reenactment of the first Thanksgiving feast. The kids came in their costumes {promised extra credit in Social Studies class was an added incentive} and we had such a fun day!

To see more pictures {with captions} head right over here!

I’m heading to North Carolina to celebrate my week long Thanksgiving break with my middle school/high school/college friends in Winston-Salem and then with my mom and sister down in Hickory. Allie and I are even running an 8k race on Thanksgiving morning in Charlotte to assuage any guilt that may follow from our decadent dinner.

I highly recommend that strategy.

I’ll try and post from the road but in the meantime, what is the moment in the last year for which you are most thankful?

Back when cursive was cool and so was dotting your i’s with hearts.

When I was eight years old, my Aunt Joann drew my name for our family Christmas gift exchange. Her choice of gift was, to this day, one of the most perfect gifts I have ever been given. Knowing my deep and abiding love for Nancy Drew mysteries, I opened the beautifully wrapped package from her only to discover eight brand new hardback Nancy Drews that I had yet to read.

My response?

I screamed for a solid thirty seconds.

And don’t lie, you totally wish you had those glasses when you were growing up.

I have held on to my Nancy Drew mysteries through the years and gleefully placed them on the library shelves of my classrooms. Several of my girls have gotten a hold of them this year and are loving them as much as I did. I have one little girl that comes up to my desk every time she finishes a chapter to tell me what Nancy is up to and who she suspects is the villain.

I can’t tell you how happy this makes me.

Yesterday during a break, one of the girls brought over one of my Nancy Drew books, held open the cover and looked up at me with a smug little grin on her face. There, on the front panel of the book in my eight year old handwriting, “I {heart} Jeremy Tilley.”

Ah, yes. Jeremy Tilley. The heartthrob that never gave me the time of day but whose deep brown eyes and fluffy brown hair captured my little third grade heart. “Yes,” I told the students who were starting to gather around with much giggling, “I had a huge crush on Jeremy Tilley.”

I wish you could have seen how big their eyes were. I don’t know what rocked their world more- thinking of me as an eight year old or the idea of their teacher having a crush on a boy. Ew, a boy!

I then proceeded to tell them one of my childhood embarrassing moments in the hopes that someday, when it inevitably happens to them, they wouldn’t feel so bad. One morning, during our “big group” classroom meeting time, I sat on the floor directly in front of Jeremy and his friends. I was painfully aware of his presence behind me and overwhelmed by his wonderfulness. I guess the stress of it all must have gotten to me because….I….ahem…passed gas. And not quietly. Jeremy and his friends, as most mature eight year olds would, began laughing and waving their hands in front of their face. They then scooted back creating an arc of space behind me.

I’ve only recently gotten over the trauma. It’s amazing what a good therapist can do.

My students, of course, thought this was hysterical and a solid five minutes of laughter ensued. My humiliation shared to lessen theirs? I’m pretty sure that they don’t teach that kind of mentoring strategy in grad school.

I swear she’s raiding my mind for song ideas.

I was about to give up and that's no lie
cardinal landed outside my window
threw his head back and sang a song
so beautiful it made me cry

Took me back to a childhood tree
full of birds and dreams

From this one place I can't see very far
in this one moment I'm square in the dark
these are the things I will trust in my heart
You can see something else
something else…

{From Sara Groves new album, “Fireflies & Songs” which you should all go out and buy today}

Loosening My Grip

I’m walking through a pretty intense part of life right now. It’s hard and it hasn’t been pretty for anyone involved. And it has also been an amazing opportunity for God to show me some HUGE truths about myself and the way I’ve done life for the last twenty-something years.

In other words, it’s a lot to chew on.

So.

I’m been on a personal retreat of sorts. A necessary break to think, pray, write {oh, how I love the written word!}, run, think and pray some more. A chance to confront and explore the parts of myself that need examining. The parts that need God’s truth, mercy and love. The parts that need to loosen their grip and give up control.

Be back soon…

Grateful…

… for a well written story and a well produced movie that entranced my students.

… for co-teachers and classroom parents who encourage and challenge me.

… for faithful and brave friends who dare to speak the truth to me passionately.

… for country music and another awards show to watch {Amy Beth, I expect a full report!}

… for a crisp autumn dusk and strong legs on which to run.

… for a good friend who will Skype and watch “Glee” with me while sharing my love of a performance of “Defying Gravity.”

… for my Grandaddy, Glenn Cruise, who served in World War II and for all the other veterans who have so bravely and unselfishly served our country through the years.

Thank you, Grandaddy, I love you!

Apparently, celebrity chasing is not a new activity for me.

Once upon a time, back in the days of the E-Ranch, we watched a little show called “Two of a Kind,” a sitcom featuring the Olsen twins. We were mildly obsessed with the actor who played their dad, Christopher Sieber.

I know, hunky dunky, right? Cut to a year later in 2002 when my dad and I headed to New York City for my Grandpa’s birthday celebration. As an early birthday present for me, Dad took me to see “Into The Woods.”

At the time, I knew it was starring Vanessa Williams as the Witch but imagine my glee when five minutes into the show I realized Hunky Dunky was performing as Rapunzel’s Prince Charming. I can’t embed the video, so go here to see one of the funniest songs in the show. Chris {oh yes, we’re on a first name basis now, you’ll see why in a moment} is the one in the purple coat.

Since this was before the days of Twitter, I had to wait to tell my fellow E-Ranchers of my stupendous luck. However, I was bound and determined that I would get a picture of Chris before the day was out. So, I planted myself by the stage door outside and waited with the eager throngs of people as the actors exited after the matinee. One by one they left, agreeably taking pictures and signing autographs. I even got a shot with the kid from “Picket Fences” {anyone remember that show? Tom Skerrit? CBS?}

But alas, no Chris. Apparently, he had slipped out another door but I was told by a stagehand that he would most likely be back in an hour or so. In no uncertain terms I made it clear to Dad that I wasn’t leaving that door until I had personally spoken with the cutest sitcom dad I had ever known. And so began a very long two hour Broadway stakeout.

At the two hour mark, I was starting to lose hope but to what should my weary eyes appear but Vanessa Williams! She was heading right towards us and her only entry back into the theatre. Score! I had my program ready and asked as she approached, “Ms. Williams, may I have your autograph?”

TOTAL BRUSHOFF.

You know how she plays that evil snotty conniving woman on “Ugly Betty”? Let’s just say she doesn’t have to go far to get into character.

But then, THEN, glory be to the Broadway gods, here came my Christopher.

And he was oh so charming and couldn’t have been sweeter or more grateful to speak with a fan. Of course, I told him all about the E-Ranch and our undying love for “Two of a Kind” and how we were so glad that he had ended up with the nanny after all.  He assured me that he wouldn’t have had it any other way.

“Oh no, Chris, it’s okay. You’re so sweet to want to give me your number but I already have plans for this evening. Maybe next visit? Thanks, Hunky Dunky.”

 Now, if I could only get Matthew Morrison to return my calls….

Neither sneezing nor migraine will keep me from this post.

Such is my commitment to sharing the last part of what I believe Traci correctly called “the best inaugural UT game experience EVER.” So, continuing on. After a photo op with a slightly larger and fuzzier version of Smokey, Sarah and I headed for our seats inside of Neyland Stadium.

As we wound our way through the ramps leading up into the stadium, the anticipation built and my grin got wider and wider. And then, there it was…

Vast and glowing, an architectural behemoth checkered in orange and white.

After my initial peek into this Tennessee landmark, Sarah asked if I wanted to head down to the Lettermen’s Club located on field level. Um, am I willing to chase a celebrity and ask him for a picture? Heck, yeah! Down we went and shamelessly worked her husband’s letterman status {thanks, Kyle!} in order to get in. And then, there it was. The checkerboard, mere yards from me…

Oh yeah, and there was this other guy there, Johnny Majors.

I heard he was a big deal or something.

After stocking up on free snacks, water and cokes {take that, overpriced concessions stands!} we headed up to our seats and the gorgeous view that spread before us. And this is where our tale takes a sad turn. I took this one last shot…

…and my camera battery died. Kaput. Done. And like a total moron, I hadn’t brought my extra battery with me. So the rest of my pics are courtesy of my cell phone. Sigh. But what better to snap me out of my camera funk than a marching band? Bring on the Pride of The Southland Marching Band! Go Vols!

{We weren’t sitting on the home side, so just flip these pics in your head, m’kay? Thanks.}

The Power T

And here they come! We settled in for the first half in which I sang “Rocky Top” at least fifty times as we rolled over the Memphis Tigers.

At halftime, the alumni band joined the current band and taunted me with the first formation for the famous Circle Drill. If you haven’t ever seen this, click on over here and watch {it starts around 2:30}. AMAZING. We didn’t get the whole deal {teasers} but it was still a pretty great show. They even had the guys who first recorded “Rocky Top”, the Osborne Brothers, out on the field to perform. Pretty sweet!

Game won and “Rocky Top” sung another fifty times, we headed down for one more shot with Smokey and one last shot with the checkerboard.

Blissfully happy and deliciously exhausted from the wind, cold and hollerin’, we headed home to Chattanooga. But not before one last stop at Waffle House for a late night snack and “Don’t Stop Believing” on the jukebox.

Trust me, someone had to redeem the terrible frat band cover we heard that afternoon.

Go Vols!