FRENCH Grammar Rules

Although I haven't ever posted regularly, the start of a new school year has kept me from posting at all, at least for the last few weeks. I have a stack of papers to grade even now, but I wanted to update anyone interested on my newest venture in the academic world.

My school has decided not to offer French any longer, but there were still eight students who needed to finish their third year to get the credits for graduation. After going two and a half weeks into the year without a teacher, the superintendent heard about me. I am a last resort but the new French 3 teacher nonetheless. I admit it is a bit overwhelming, since I don't feel confident speaking French, despite having been to France twice and taking two years in college. (I need to remind myself that I still know more than the students.) I know that I will learn so much from this experience, and the timing couldn't be better. After visiting France, I came back wanting more than ever to begin studying French again. What better motivation than to teach it because if there's one thing I know about teaching, it's that you must first know the material before you can teach it to someone else.

Happy News

Warmest congratulations to my dear friend Andrea and her fiancé Jeff. I'm so happy for you both. Best wishes in the coming months as you make plans for the wedding and as your relationship continues to deepen. May you continue to know God's grace and His leading in all that you do.

Hymn Meditations

Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress;
’Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.

Bold shall I stand in Thy great day;
For who aught to my charge shall lay?
Fully absolved through these I am
From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.

The holy, meek, unspotted Lamb,
Who from the Father’s bosom came,
Who died for me, e’en me to atone,
Now for my Lord and God I own.

Lord, I believe Thy precious blood,
Which, at the mercy seat of God,
Forever doth for sinners plead,
For me, e’en for my soul, was shed.

Lord, I believe were sinners more
Than sands upon the ocean shore,
Thou hast for all a ransom paid,
For all a full atonement made.

When from the dust of death I rise
To claim my mansion in the skies,
Ev’n then this shall be all my plea,
Jesus hath lived, hath died, for me.

Jesus, the endless praise to Thee,
Whose boundless mercy hath for me—
For me a full atonement made,
An everlasting ransom paid.

O let the dead now hear Thy voice;
Now bid Thy banished ones rejoice;
Their beauty this, their glorious dress,
Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness.

~Nikolaus L. von Zinzendorf, 1739
trans. John Wesley, 1740

Reality Check

Yesterday morning, as I sat through the annual faculty lectures on "The Dangers of Blood-borne Pathogens" and "The difference between an HMO and PPO,"I could not ignore the fact that summer was officially over. Reality hit me hardest as I went to my classroom to begin doing my bulletin boards and saw the stacks of desks and books.

While at this point I'm more overwhelmed than excited, the excitement is mounting. One big change for me this year is that I will be teaching only literature but for both 7th and 8th grade. For the last few years, I have taught only 8th grade, both lit and grammar.

Since I prefer teaching literature more than teaching grammar, (I know. That makes my blog title a bit ironic, doesn't it?) I love the new arrangement. The challenge for me will not be the new material as much as the new grade level. I'm not quite sure what to expect from 7th graders, most of whom will be 12 years old. I can hardly remember what I was like when I was 12--and it wasn't that long ago! The only thing I know for sure is that they will seem very young.

I'll be meeting many of them on Thursday during our open house. I've already been looking over last year's yearbook. I had a professor in college who knew almost everyone's name in the class the first day--even if she had never met you before. It certainly set a tone in her class and that is one thing I need to do in my classes, especially in jr. high classes.

A bon voyage

I know I promised many posts and lots of pictures of my travels after my return from Europe. I am working on modifying my pictures, and I'll post a link to them when they are finished. As for telling about my trip, I think I'll take my time on that and organize my thoughts a bit more first.

I will say that I enjoyed my trip immensely, especially the time spent with friends. The trip taught me some valuable things about myself, and I surprised myself in some instances with what I accomplished while traveling on my own.

As I left to "Go A Journey," I quoted some from William Hazlitt's essay. I think the following passage that concludes his essay is appropriate now that I have returned.


Dr. Johnson remarked how little foreign travel added to the facilities of conversation in those who had been abroad. In fact, the time we have spent there is both delightful, and in one sense instructive; but it appears to be cut out of our substantial, downright existence, and never to join kindly on to it. We are not the same, but another, and perhaps more enviable individual, all the time we are out of our own country. We are lost to ourselves, as well as our friends. So the poet somewhat quaintly sings,

"Out of my country and myself I go."

Those who wish to forget painful thoughts, do well to absent themselves for a while from the ties and objects that recall them; but we can be said only to fulfil our destiny in the place that gave us birth. I should on this account like well enough to spend the whole of my life in travelling abroad, if I could anywhere borrow another life to spend afterwards at home!

Paris is always a good idea

Hello again from Europe! I leave for London tonight and then return home tomorrow morning. I have had a marvelous time on my trip and look forward to sharing more about it when I get home. I can't write much now because there a few more things I'd like to see before leaving Paris.

Yesterday, I started my afternoon by going to the park. Of course, in Europe a park is nothing like a park at home, pas de tout!


This is the famous Jardin du Luxembourg and the Palais du Luxembourg, which now houses the French senate. Wouldn't this be a nice place to go whenever you would like.



From there I found the Pantheon, which resembles St. Paul's Cathedral quite a lot from the outside. Some of Paris most elite philosophers, scientists, and authors are buried here including Victor Hugo, Voltaire, and Alexandre Dumas. This building is also the place where Foucoult was able to test his theory of the earth's revolution by hanging a pendulum from the top of the dome.

I ended my day at a cafe called Les Deux Magots, made famous by the literary elite who often ate there. I had the most delicious Croque Provencal.

Now I'm off to see the Sainte Chapelle and hopefully the Musee D'Orsay.

A bientot mes amies!

Je veux mon livre.

This may be my last post from Europe so if so à bientôt to friends and family.
I thought though that I would tell you about the librarie that I visited (which in France is a bookstore not a library as one might think). Bordeaux claims to have the largest bookstore in all of France, Librarie Mollat, which was indeed an enormous store. Although I haven't read much (or any for that matter) in French since required to in class, I couldn't resist finding some favorites to own in French. I found Madeleine as well as a collection of short stories by Guy de Maupassant including "The Necklace" and Rostand's Cyrano. I should probably try tackling these before the euphoria of being in France wears off. :)

I plan to visit one more librarie when I'm in Paris but this one has a large collection of English books. I especially like the name of this store too--Shakespeare and Co.

Priez pour moi à dimanche. Je chanterai un solo.

Au revoir mes amies!

Vive la France

Bonjour de Bordeaux!

I arrived in France late Friday night after flying from London and then taking a 4 hour train ride from Paris. It has been wonderful to see the Christy family again; after 6 years we had plenty of things to catch up on. Sunday was the first real test of my French. It went better than I expected. What was especially nice to see was some of the same church members still faithfully attending as well as a newer building to meet in.

I have been taking beaucoup de photos, bien sùr! Malheureusement, I cannot post them from here. I am at the Christy's library, which is in a petit chateau. If we had libraries like this at home perhaps more people would go more often.

Please forgive any errors you may find in this post. Since I'm at the library, I'm typing on a French keyboard, which is just different enough to cause problems.

As far as plans go for this week, the Christys have a pastor and his wife from the US coming for the next few days. I may actually meet someone who knows less French than I. :)

I hope to post at least once more before leaving for Paris.

Au revoir!

Mind the Gap

Hello from the UK. I've been here two days and still can hardly believe it. I have wanted to visit here for so long. Although my visit was a short one, it was filled with activities. (I have a blister on my foot to prove it.)

I was kindly met by my friends when I arrived at Heathrow, and then after a long ride on the tube, we headed to the Globe. I can't tell you how thrilled I was to see this theater, and then the best part was to actually see an evening performance of Antony and Cleopatra. My students are really in for a treat next year with all the stories I'll be able to share. The performance was amazing, especially the woman playing Cleopatra.

Today adventures included going to Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, Trefalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, and Buckingham Palace. I know I don't have to tell you that I took plenty of pictures.
Tomorrow morning I head to France for a couple of weeks. I'm looking forward to seeing and helping my friends who live there.

On Going A Journey

The personal essay is perhaps the most attractive of all literary genres. The writer takes for granted our friendship, and we are happy to let him, as he (or she) has no greater desier than to amuse us and himself. The essay is a monologue of conversational writing, but the speaker never forgets we are there, and he rarely tries our patience.

So says the opening note of Great English Essays: From Bacon to Chesterton. Since buying this book, which I must say was a surprising find on the summer reading table of a Barnes and Noble display, I have read several essays that have been both entertaining and insightful.

Since I am going a journey myself, I thought I would share a few quotes from William Hazlitt's essay on travelling.

One of the pleasantest things in the world is going a journey.

The soul of a journey is liberty, perfect liberty, to think, feel, do, just as one pleases.

I leave today for England; then it's on to France for 2 weeks. It has been 6 years since I've visited Europe. I have been planning this return trip for several years, and it is so hard to believe the departure time is actually here.

I plan to post from Europe if I have any opportunity. If I'm not able to, you can expect many pictures and posts shortly after my return in August.

On the Road Again

Just wanted to let you know where I'm at these days. I'm headed to SC to see some friends and to visit my old church. I'll post more about it when I return. I thought you might like to see a picture of the church building, which is a historic landmark.

Finally Done.

I have finally finished my second year of teaching. I hardly knew what to do with all the free time I had this weekend. :) We have end-of-the-year meetings and work days until June 16th, but it is a relief to be done teaching. I do enjoy teaching, but teachers need summer break as much as (or more than) the students.
As for summer plans, I'm hoping to travel if details work out. The plan is to visit some friends in London for a few days and then make a return trip to Bordeaux, France to spend several weeks with my missionary friends I helped in 2000. This means doing next school year's preparation early this summer and brushing up on my French, bien sur!

Must Not Love Dogs

This weekend I dog sat for friends who own two Akitas and was reminded once again that I'm not a true dog lover. Now, I didn't say that I don't love dogs. I certainly understand the joy that people find in having a pet. I just know that I probably won't get a dog of my own any time soon, especially while I'm still single.
How did I arrive at this conclusion, you ask? Well, if I were honest, it's probably just the immense responsibility that a pet brings that dampens my enthusiam for owning one.
You see, pets are always dependent; they will not eventually move out on their own, and contrary to the fiction of Hollywood, animals cannot ever tell you what is wrong with them. You can't always take them where you are going. Their schedule can tend to dictate yours. The list goes on.
So does this make me selfish? Please don't misunderstand me. I like dogs, but I like them a lot more when they belong to someone else. The picture to the left is Ronin. He was one alarm clock I couldn't argue with.

A Teacher' s Appreciation

To those who may not be aware, this week is Teacher Appreciation week. I am certainly not posting this to pat myself on the back. Instead, I thought my blog was a perfect way to send a public thank you to all the teachers and professors I have had during my many years of schooling. More and more I appreciate the hours they spent preparing, grading, planning, and lecturing. So many of my teachers have influenced me in different ways; however, the one thing I'm most grateful for is how these teachers have instilled in me a love for learning and particularly a love for my field of learning. And of course, with so many good models, I believe these special teachers have greatly influenced my decision to be a teacher.

So God bless each of you who has been such a catalyst in my life.

And to all of my friends who have also chosen this wonderful profession. Keep up the good work. The rewards are far greater than we may ever know.

Spring Break in sight...

Only 1 more day. Words cannot express how exhausted I feel. I am weary to the bone and so, so glad that starting Monday I have 6 glorious days off from school. I desparately need some sleep, although, perhaps unwisely, I have planned a trip or two which isn't always very restful. However, I know seeing and catching up with some dear friends will be just as refreshing. I'm headed to SC this Sat. for a few days to visit my alma mater and my former church family.

What has brought me to this point of exhaustion I mentioned? Let me fill you in on my activities of the last month (since I'm obviously not doing a good job posting on a regular basis).

In March I had the joy of teaching (well, trying to teach) 8th graders how to write research papers. For those of you teaching at a high school or college level, I know I have your sympathies. (8th graders follow instructions even less than freshmen.) So the month of March went by in a blur of red. (I went through several pens.) The quarter ended last week, and grades were due this past Monday. I spent the entire weekend grading their final drafts, which sadly were not much better than the 2 rough drafts they had already done.

Now that we've established that I need some sleep and relaxtion, I guess I should mention my students are turning in a poetry collection project--tomorrow, the last day before spring break.
More and more I understand that summer break is really for the teachers, not the students.

Poetry is. . .

Well, according to Carl Sandburg, "Poetry is the synthesis of hyacinths and biscuits." Although I find this quite amusing, unfortunately the statement was rather lost on my 8th graders.

We are starting our unit on poetry this week, which I'm sure that I'm much more excited about than my students. Thankfully, I do have a few exceptional students (the kind that I wish I could clone and have an entire class of when teaching things like poetry at a middle school level).

I must say it is a challenge for me to introduce Donne, Herbert, Milton, Frost, Dickinson and others when the only poets my students know are Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein. I guess I'll have to find a way to "synthesize hyacinths and biscuits."

While preparing for this study, I found the following poem at this excellent website.
The title of the poem is "Poetry" by Marianne Moore.

I, too, dislike it: there are things that are important beyond


    all this fiddle.


 Reading it, however, with a perfect contempt for it, one


    discovers in


 it after all, a place for the genuine.


    Hands that can grasp, eyes


    that can dilate, hair that can rise


       if it must, these things are important not because a




high-sounding interpretation can be put upon them but because


    they are


 useful. When they become so derivative as to become


    unintelligible,


 the same thing may be said for all of us, that we


    do not admire what


    we cannot understand: the bat


       holding on upside down or in quest of something to




eat, elephants pushing, a wild horse taking a roll, a tireless


    wolf under


 a tree, the immovable critic twitching his skin like a horse


    that feels a flea, the base-


 ball fan, the statistician--


    nor is it valid


       to discriminate against "business documents and




school-books"; all these phenomena are important. One must make


    a distinction


 however: when dragged into prominence by half poets, the


    result is not poetry,


 nor till the poets among us can be


   "literalists of


    the imagination"--above


       insolence and triviality and can present




for inspection, "imaginary gardens with real toads in them,"


    shall we have


 it. In the meantime, if you demand on the one hand,


 the raw material of poetry in


    all its rawness and


    that which is on the other hand


       genuine, you are interested in poetry.

From The Complete Poems of Marianne Moore. Copyright © 1961 Marianne Moore, © renewed 1989 by Lawrence E. Brinn and Louise Crane, executors of the Estate of Marianne Moore.

Update and Upgrade

I have been wanting to stay in touch better with more of my friends and family so I thought I'd upgrade to Blogger, which doesn't limit who can comment on the site. Of course, this means I'll have to do a better job at posting more regularly for this change to be worth it!

So to update those who are new to my blog and those who haven't seen a post recently on my old one, here's what is happening in my part of the country.
The second semester is flying by with only 3 weeks left in the 3rd quarter. Of course, I'm not complaining because that means Spring break will be here that much sooner.

Although teaching is as busy as ever, I have one less extra curricular to vie for my time. Basketball season ended a couple weeks ago. Something that is both a relief and a disappointment. I had the unusual opportunity to coach the same girls for two years, which at the middle school level does not happen often. So it was sad to see this season end, knowing I will no longer be coaching these girls.

As for an update in personal matters, I took a short vacation to Texas last week to celebrate my birthday which I also share with my grandmother. It was wonderful to see my extended family, and I was also able to meet with a dear friend from college.

I do hope this blog will be a way to stay better connected to old friends as well as make some new ones.