If I had a million dollars...

Lake Huron Shoreline, Caseville, MI

A few weekends ago my husband and I went to nearby Lake Huron to meet up with some dear friends who were in the area on vacation.  While we walked the beach we came across this beautiful script in the sand.  With only footprints left behind it was as if the quote had been written there just for us to discover.  Ever since that day I keep finding myself humming the old Barenaked Ladies song, you know the one, where he's going to buy the fancy ketchup and an ottoman with his cool million?

This song is so foolish but terribly catchy.  When the Rock Spectacle album came out I went with some friends to see the Barenaked Ladies perform on New Years Eve at the Palace of Auburn Hills.  That night I sang my heart out in the cheap seats, celebrating the start of 1999 with some of my best high school friends.  I felt like a million bucks.

There have been many more times throughout the last twelve and a half years where I have felt like a million dollars - walking across the stage to shake hands and receive my diplomas, my wedding day, the phone call offering my first "real" job.  Each time I felt that nervous heart pounding kind of excitement that only comes with the big things, the real stuff of life.

Although my checkbook may never reflect these million dollar moments in time, I also don't think that any amount of money can buy true happiness.  Happiness depends upon ourselves.  It's the small quiet moments in each day along with the big exciting moments throughout our lives that make up the mural of our time here.  Being able to realize this for myself has put things into a new perspective for me as I try to take time to consciously enjoy the life I lead.  Like the song says, "if I had a million dollars, I'd be rich".  But, I'm pretty sure I already am.

xo,
Jennie

P.S. Less philosophy, more knitting soon... I promise.

Happy New (School) Year

"It scares me to think that one day I'm not going to be in school anymore." - Natalie Portman


With the start of school just days (ack!) away, I have been trying to enjoy every last morning I can sleep in, each sunny afternoon I can spend reading outside and those 10:00 o'clock TV shows that I can never seem to stay awake for for the better part of the year.  I know it is just a matter of time before I am fully back into the swing of things and the lazy days of summer will be a distant memory.  But what a summer it has been; certainly one of the best yet!

Through most of June I was in lay-off status from my job and there was a possibility that I would not be starting this school year in a school.  A scary thought for me since I have been in school in some capacity every fall since 1985.  Between my own PreK-12 years, undergrad, post-grad, graduate school, substitute teaching and now full time school counseling, school and the school year has been a major foundation of my life.  Every year around September, as the leaves change color and I once again start school, I find myself making resolutions and reflecting on my life in preparation for the new year.  It's as if the calendar runs from September - August instead of January - December.

This year as I head back to school in a new position, I am truly thankful for the opportunity to return, as this was not always a given.  I am hopeful that I can inspire my students as so often they inspire me with their youthful outlook on life.  I am grateful for the many abilities that God has so graciously bestowed upon me and I am excited to see what is in store for me over the next year.  Although I will miss my co-workers and high school students in my old building, I am ready for my new adventure with middle schoolers.

I hope as the weather turns colder and you or your family members start the new school year, you too can take a minute to reflect on the year that has past, and the year to come as instruction ends in the classroom, but our education continues for a lifetime.

Fingers crossed for a decent school picture this year.  :)

xo,
Jennie

Word Art anyone?

Hey there, happy Tuesday.  I have been feeling pretty crafty these last few days due in part to a blog posting I read over on Centsational Girl last week.  Although I had heard of both Picnik and Picasa before (thanks to my niece Ciara, who seems to be a pro at editing photos), I had never tried to do anything more with my photos than edit them with my built in iMac software.  So yesterday I figured out how to make a new header for the blog and today after four hours of Picniking and one trip to Walmart, I think I'm officially hooked!

Secondly, I am happy to say that for the first time in what seems like forever, something has come off my needles. Knitting is definitely not a typical a summer hobby, and for me that time gets replaced by reading in the sun.  It just gets too hot to have something wool draped over you for long periods of time.  But as my title states, I do still try to always get in a little time to knit each day.

This shawl is my latest finished project.  Perfect for chilly Michigan mornings (who am I kidding, afternoons and evenings, too), from fall to spring.  It came together in just five days since I am in official relaxation mode and devoting all of my free time to things I want to do leading up to the start of school.

Boneyard Shawl in purple tweed.

Although I made this as a way to use up some of my yarn stash, it was also a way to practice a new technique in anticipation of making this shawl, which is a version of the one Kate Middleton wore last spring to the grocery store.  Before I spent the cash on expensive yarn for this beauty I wanted to make sure that I knew what I was doing.  Luckily when I stopped by the yarn shop in Milford last weekend they had a Kate shawl knit up already so I got to try one on before starting my own.  I liked LOVED it and am very excited for this to be my new fall project!

I must admit, figuring out this blog stuff has also got me pretty excited.  What about you?  Anything new you've been wanting to try lately?  Carpe Diem, there is no time like the present!

Jennie

I'm back... I think.

After starting this blog about 6 months ago, I fell off the wagon and reverted to living in the blogosphere vicariously through all of my favorite bloggers instead of actually posting anything myself.  Recently though, I have been really contemplating a shift back to the blog world for my social networking instead of my old standby, Facebook.  Let's face it, as great as it is to catch up with my family near and far, and my friends from high school and college, Facebook is a major black hole for my free time.

Therefore, I am really hoping to visit this blog a lot more in the future.   I am still learning the proper ways to go about decoding html and template design but I am feeling empowered and I'm pretty sure that if all of those bloggers that I admire so much can make it work, so can I!

So cheers to being back in the blogosphere!  For the two people who are currently following - thanks for sticking it out.  For everyone else - welcome aboard, your just in time for what I hope will be my fantastic return to the world of blogging.

Jennie