Remembering...

Regardless of how you feel about the current administration and the war, I just want to remind the world of one thing:
"That there is some good in this world...and it's worth fighting for." (S.G.)

Let us remember and honor the many soldiers who, whatever other motives are out there, are fighting for the good in this world and are upholding the honor of the oaths they have taken to serve and protect this country.

Why Labor?

Okay, so does anyone else ever wonder why they call it Labor Day when most people get the day off work? I suppose if I really wanted to know the reason for the name, I could just look it up... but why work on a holiday? In fact, in spite of good intentions to actually work on lesson plans and such, here I am instead working on a new post for my blog. I may get around to the actual productive work at some point today, but for now, I am enjoying the non-Labor part of Labor day...i.e. actually taking a holiday from work.

Since I promised photos of my various travels over the summer, I thought today might be a good day to start that. Here you have the first sample of the trip Juli and I took to the great state of Washington (where I served my Spanish-speaking mission):

We begin with the Tri-Cities (Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland), where I spent the first six weeks of my mission getting trained by Hermana Jennifer Carroll. I wasn't there very long, but since we worked exclusively with the Spanish branch, this is where I really felt I got the language down pat. Because my memories of this area are rather vague, it was quite surreal to drive around the town with fragments of recollection. Here are some photos of what I DO remember:

The Blue Bridge (one of the main bridges across the Columbia River) Because we lived in Kennewick but mostly worked in Pasco across the river, we used this bridge most frequently. most


The Cable Bridge (the other main bridge across the Columbia River) We didn't use this one as much, but it sure looked cool, especially when lit up at night.


The Columbia River Temple (in Richland, near where the Mission Home is located)



After the Tri-Cities, we drove down into Oregon, where my third area was located- the thriving metropolis of Milton-Freewater.

Because we covered the whole stake for Spanish contacts (which went from Walla Walla, WA in the north down to Pendleton, OR in the south), we took in quite a bit of ground. Beside M-F and Walla Walla, we also did some work in the tiny towns of Athena and Weston. Here are some photos of that area (which, incidentally, was one of my favorites, and certainly my most successful area):

Our apartment in Milton-Freewater (which apparently still houses missionaries, judging by the picture of Christ in the window):


Pegg Johnson, a convert to the church, was such an enthusiastic, cheerful woman- she was absolutely adorable and was so helpful to us in so many ways!


Here's how Walla Walla dealt with rising gas prices:


The view from Tollgate Mountain (where Weston- and some of the members of the M-F ward- were located- it's not the Rockies, but it is still a pretty impressive view!)

And here is my attempt to capture what was really an incredible rainbow (although this is just one side of it, it was a full arc rainbow, spanning the stormy sky with its impressive array of brilliant color!)


Thus ends Part I of the Washington Saga- as I get more time throughout the week, I will be adding on, so stay tuned...

Changes...

So. In order to explain my current life situation, I need to provide some information.

First, the facts:

1. I currently only hold an emergency license, which expires at the end of each school, and is renewable (for up to three years) if there is still an emergent need for the subject (in my case, Spanish). In other words, if they have enough certified Spanish teachers to fill the positions, they don't need me and therefore won't renew the emergency license. So, the expiration of my license left a Spanish teaching vacancy here at Tech.

2. Senora Oreilla, who is from Spain, left at the end of the school year to return home, leaving a second Spanish teaching vacancy here at Tech.

3. At the end of the school year last year, Tech hired a new French teacher and a new Chinese teacher.

4. According to my friend and colleague, Lily Stewart (another Spanish teacher here at Tech), Tech did not hire any replacement Spanish teachers by the beginning of this school year.

Now, for the theory:


With funding constantly being tight here at IPS, I think that rather than fill the two vacant Spanish positions AND create two new positions at Tech to compensate for the new French and Chinese teachers, Dr. White (our beloved and illustrious superintendent) decided to reallocate the salary money- in other words, he cut the two vacant Spanish positions and used the salaries from those positions to pay the new French and Chinese teachers. Of course, it is only a theory, but it seems to match up with all the other facts previously mentioned. That means that there are currently only 3.5 teachers to cover classes for all the Spanish students (one of those teachers is actually a Special Ed. teacher, but she is covering one or two of the Spanish classes, which is why she's only 1/2 a Spanish teacher). Sadly, that means that, despite these two new languages being offered, there is still overcrowding going on in the Spanish classes.

So, what does all this mean for Peeser?

Well, since there technically aren't any Spanish vacancies, despite the desperate need for them, I can't be hired to teach Spanish at Tech. Now, I have been told, if by the middle of September, our principal can prove to Dr. White that enough of the projected students have actually enrolled and are coming to class that it warrants a need for an additional Spanish teacher, then he may "re-create" one or two Spanish teaching positions, and presumably I will then be called to fill one of them.

In the meantime, lest you think I am idling my time away with my new kitten and Olympic TV, I am back at Tech filling a Reading teacher vacancy, probably until the end of the semester, at the very least. Yes, I, Elise Lambson, am now attempting to teach reading to students whose skills are such that they failed to pass the I-STEP test (Indiana's standardized test, similar to the MAP test in MO). I have a co-teacher for a couple of weeks who has been helping me get my feet wet... we'll see how this goes.

So. There is my current life in a nutshell (granted, a very LARGE nutshell, but what are you going to do?).

On the upside, I have entered a program through Marian College that looks like it will get me certified a lot sooner than the one I was going to do at IUPUI. Wish me luck!

Getting to know her...

My life is a bit crazy right now- perhaps by the weekend, I'll be ready to share that insanity with all. But for the time being, as promised, some attempted photos of my hilariously rambunctious kitten- enjoy!

The drive to IN from MO:

Her favorite perch in my room:

Asleep on the floor:

Laying on my neck:

Dirty from the fireplace:

After a bath....:

And now, the piece de resistance: an attempted video of her playing with a new toy:

Cupcakes + Gelato + Sister = A Fun Afternoon: Check it out!

When Juli somehow discovered that Indianapolis has its own cupcake shop, we knew we had to check it out, especially after glancing at their array of flavors. So, yesterday afternoon, Juli came over so we could see what this "Flying Cupcake" is all about (well, she also came over to meet Tonks in person- we had fun watching her tear the feathers out of one of her new toys... photos will follow soon...)


Anyway, while it wasn't hard to find the shop, we did make a small detour into the children's book store next door (quite a delightful place). When we actually made it into the shop, we were pleasantly surprised to find that they also sell gelato (and in flavors that complement the cupcakes!). So, with cupcakes and gelato cups in hand, we sat down to enjoy an atmosphere of nostalgic ambiance:








Okay, so maybe it isn't quite the elegance of The Cupcakery in St. Louis, but it was quite the charming place. The cupcakes also might not be quite as good, but they were very tasty in and of themselves--enough so that whenever any of you come to Indy, The Flying Cupcake is definitely worth a stop-in. It definitely made the afternoon with Juli a fun one (or, I should say, Juli made the afternoon fun by joining me in checking it out).

(for a complete listing of their available cupcakes-including pictures-click here; this way, you're prepared for when you come for a visit! :)

Meet Tonks!

Well, here she is- the lovably feisty furball who entered my life just a week ago. For the time being, she shall officially be known as Nymphadora Tonks, or Tonks for short (however, I reserve the right to change the name if something proves more fitting to her personality). Despite her tendency to snip and swat at feet and fingers, she really is quite adorable, especially when she snuggles. Sadly, she is not one to pose for photos- she seems a bit camera shy- but as I am able to get better photos of her, I'll be sure to post them!

Short Stuff

No, I am not referring to my height. I am simply trying to give a brief update on the last couple of weeks to the few, faithful followers of this random blog. So here are a few quick notes and pics:

1. July 18, 2008: Julina and I went to see the Dark Knight on IMAX! Holy incredible movie experience, Batman! It was so amazing to not just see the film, but to FEEL it as well (and, unlike the sadness of Sarah's experience, the sound/music did not overwhelm the dialogue, which was very well-delivered). This movie is dark, I'll grant you (which is why I was utterly flabbergasted to find that parents had brought small children and babies- yes, I mean INFANTS around, maybe even under, the age of one- to this film). But it deals with relevant issues in a meaningful way. The acting is amazing; the effects are superb; and I love the message Chris Nolan delivers regarding the power of choice and how the choices we make have an impact on those around us. If you haven't seen it, you should be running to the theater right now! (Okay, driving might get you there faster... and maybe you should wait for a day other than Sunday to do it...)

2. July 18, 2008: After watching the aforementioned fantastic film, I drove the extensive six hours to Missouri to spend a couple of weeks with my family, making a stop in St. Louis to dine with Emily, Joe and Noah and to do a session at the temple before it closes for cleaning.

3. July 20, 2008: With Emily, Joe, Noah, Steven and Tamara driving over for the occasion, we celebrate my birthday by eating Mom's fantastic BBQ chicken wings, corn on the cob, watermelon, and baked beans (all the tastes of summer!) with a yummy trifle and chocolate/rocky road ice cream cake (compliments of Emily) for dessert! I got some great games, foamy soap (one of my favorite B&BW purchases), and Reese's Pieces. We rounded out the night by playing one of my favorite games, Balderdash!

4. July 24, 2008: Miss Saigon! While I will freely admit that Emily was the bigger fan, I've always loved the music to this production- I loved the soundtrack (being poor, I was never able to buy it, a fact that will soon change), I loved the poignant tragedy of the story- so I was excited when she mentioned that it was coming to the Muni (Muny? St. Louis' Municipal Theater). Fortunately, she was able to get a baby-sitter for Noah, so Joe was able to come, too. The production was fantastic. There were a few kinks that threw us off balance, but overall, it was incredible- the performances were solid and did an excellent job with the story and the music. We were also lucky enough to have cool weather and NO RAIN (despite the rain that had come before and after the performance). It was a great night and a great way to spend time with my sister and brother-in-law.

5. July 28, 2008: I will be driving to Hannibal, MO to meet my friend Rebecca Powell and finally get my kitten! I still haven't made any final decisions on the name, so there's still time to suggest away... :) If you'd rather vote than suggest, some final contenders are: Agadore Sparticus, Thor, Cairo, Hel, Squishy, and Tonks.

So, that's my life in a nutshell (albeit a rather large nutshell). When I return to IN, I will try to post more summer updates (e.g. travels to WA/OR, Dallas, among other things...)