Something about the Name Mary. Or Not.

Several times in recent weeks, folks at work have called me "Elizabeth." I'm not sure why. There is another Elizabeth in the English department, so maybe that's it. Or maybe my given name, Allison, just seems close to "Elizabeth." In any event, I did not mind. I am not particularly fond of my name. I don't feel like it fits me. Me of the dark looks, sometimes dark moods and always, loud laughter.

My parents thought I was going to be a boy. You know, they'd had a son and then two daughters so it was time for another boy. Right?  God does these patterns, right? I was supposed to be named Gregory.

Looking for a One and Only? Try Hot Dog Johnny's!

My husband and I and our younger son found ourselves in rural Warren County, NJ yesterday, at the birthday party of a little girl named Joy. After the party, we headed west for several miles on Route 46 to a place called Hot Dog Johnny's. Family-owned and operated since 1944, Hot Dog Johnny's sits along the Pequest River, far from strip shopping malls and chain restaurants and interstates and corporate-created nostalgia.

Hot Dog Johnny's is the real deal, in Buttzville, yes Buttzville, New Jersey, which makes for great t-shirts for middle schoolers. (Which is exactly why our son was willing to endure a one-year-old's birthday party)

Celebrating a Perfect Gift!

Today I got to help my friend K., who teaches at the same high school I do, celebrate her daughter's first birthday! It has been a long time since I have been to a child's birthday party, given that our own sons are 13 and 16 years old. So I didn't mind driving an hour each way to help her large extended family and circle of friends celebrate Joy's first year on the planet.

The Case of the Dueling Bloggers

In response to my blog post about my beautiful church, my mentor/blogger "friend" Webster Bull has thrown down the gauntlet (or to mix metaphors, lost a few marbles) by claiming that his church is not only more beautiful than mine, but "the most beautiful church in the world."

People, clearly he is wrong wrong wrong. For proof, he puts up a photo of the interior of his church, and compares it to the exterior of mine.

Hrumph.
Here is the inside of my church, Webster.

Just for Fun: Christmas Decor Linkup

I haven't done a linkup in a long while and figured this one would be a way to show off how we have decorated our home so far. Right now, we are focusing on Advent; we plan to buy and decorate our tree over the weekend.

So....here's what we have up so far.

First, the front door Chez Trevor:

Our front door. I bought the "family basket" many years ago at a Christmas craft show. The Saint Nicholas is actually a puppet I ordered online this year from the fabulous Holland, Michigan-based St. Nicholas Center. 

First the Good News: Noone Will Ever Mistake Our House For Cheese

That's because the new paint color on the exterior of our house isn't Velveeta yellow, as is the house across the street. In fact, once upon a time, before the days of GPS, we would use that house as a landmark  when giving directions. "Just turn left at the Velveeta House.".  The owners, now grandparents, didn't mind; in fact the house's color is a point of pride. "Our house used to be Dunkin' Donuts pink," the matriarch told me once. You see, they let their eight kids vote on the house color.

So it was my 13 year old and I who decided on the new house color. At first, we liked a Benjamin Moore color called "California Blue." The paint would be only on the first floor of the house, since the second floor is white siding. And are white wooden front porch will stay white too.

But then, I got to thinking: let's go with something a little more sedate. Let's go with Number 805, "New York State of Mind." (Imagine getting paid for coming up with these paint color names). And so that's what the painters bought and have been painting the exterior with. But instead of this....

Etsy Score: This Time A Mirror

I've mentioned before how much I love www.etsy.com, that site where crafters from all over the globe can post their wares. Today I made another etsy score: this groovy mirror.

Thanks to the U.S. Postal Service, I don't care what corner of the country I order stuff from. I bought a wonderful book bag from a woman in Arkansas, and an iPad case from a woman in Wyoming. My wallet was crafted in Connecticut. Turns out the person who hand paints these vintage mirrors lives just a couple of counties from me. 

How to Build a Tardis Cake (Or, What Happened Before the Whovians Showed Up)

I am not much of a baker; the other day my banana bread was so overcooked, my sons thought I had put walnuts in it. So when our 12-year-old said he wanted to have a Tardis cake for his Dr. Who Season 7 Premiere party, I enlisted the help of two friends, one of whom is a wonderful baker, the other who knows how to decorate just about anything. Trips to Party City,  googling Tardis cakes and this masterpiece emerged from our kitchen Saturday, with no help whatsoever from me, except for a quick run to the supermarket to pick up extra frosting and white chocolate....

Summer Afternoon at the Pool with my iPad

This afternoon my husband and I and our younger son went to our swim club. I brought my school-issued iPad and took my first photographs with it. We were told to spend time enjoying our iPads over the summer so we can know them well enough to use them in the classroom in September. The iPad's camera is a huge upgrade from my Samsung camera phone.

Here is our 12-year-old, who has spent about at least four hours today jumping off the diving board.

After this photo, I had to put my iPad away becauseI got a little too close to the pool and  a bit of pool water splashed on my iPad!

Incoming from Wyoming: Hello Kitty iPad Case for my new IPad

Tonight in a town called Gillette, Wyoming, a mother of five children ages 10 and under (four of them boys) is making me a customized Miss Kitty cover for my new iPad. 

While my penchant for the female Japanese bobtail cat with no mouth and a red bow is a huge source of embarrassment to our teen boys, I find Miss Kitty White (her "real" name) lightens my mood. Also, I feel so fortunate to have discovered a blog and an etsy site called Five Sprouts Stitching! Sarah and Justin, Reformed Presbyterians married for 13 years, have lived in Wyoming for four years, and they homeschool their children. "We wanted to start a family business and sewing is my main hobby so we started Five Sprouts Stitching last year," Sarah says. 

Introducing....My American-Made Teacher's Bag

Over the winter, I wrote about my search for a teacher's bag, a bag where I can tote papers to grade, pencils and pens, and my weekly calendar.  The ones I longed for were made in China. Where was my American-made bag?

After an obsessive search on Etsy, I found it. Here it is! It arrived today from Arkansas.

Dare to Share: Spring Has Sprung (and I am Still a Klutz)

If you just saw a woman driving by in a minivan with a black cherry milk shake streaming from the hood to the windshield and the driver's window, that would be me. 

And that would be our son in the driveway, hosing off the remains of what was supposed to be his after-school treat.

 

Moi? "Versatile Blogger Award?" Thanks!

Woot! I don't remember the last time I won an award. Maybe it was in the fourth grade when I found the most words within the word "SILENCE." Thanks to Holly at a Life-Size Catholic Blog, I have won a "Versatile Blogger Award."

Sure, I'm "versatile." Other words for that trait are: eclectic and unfocused. I have many interests and I don't like to be tied down to say, a favorite movie, a favorite writer, or a favorite vacation spot. Now, as part of this award; I have to tell you seven facts about me. (Then, I have to share 15 websites and blogs I love).

Gee, I just told you 10 facts about me. How much more do you need/want to know?
Here goes.

7 random facts about me

Hey Girl

When my bloggyfriend Sarah Harkins at theclayrosarygirl.blogspot.com posted one of these "Hey Girl" photos, I thought I'd join in the fun. You can see more of them at www.gsheller.com and add your own "Hey Girl!"

In The Market for an American-made Vera Bradleyesque Bag

This school year it seems, these bags are ubiquitous at my high school. Instead of lugging books and notebooks in utilitarian backpacks, female students are sporting the sweet and sturdy bags. And my teaching colleagues buy Vera Bradley laptop cases. "You can wash them," they gush.

I'm not a trend follower and I am happy with the large blue leather bag into which my graded papers, my pencils and pens, and my post-it notes go as I travel from one classroom to another. But lately,  I've  have been longing for something prettier to schlep my work down crowded hallways between classes.  I'm watching other teachers walk by with their totebags patterned in Buttercup, Twirlie Birds Navy, and English Meadow.

Seven Quick Takes for Friday: Pink Tutus, Uprooted Trees and a Suggestion of Arson

1. This is how our oldest son celebrated Halloween. The day before he raced cyclocross, wearing a pink tutu he bought on the Upper West Side. He also bought a tiara, but couldn't figure out how to attach it to his helmut.

Save the Date: New York Encounter 2012

If you want to experience the vibrancy of the Christian faith, I encourage you to head to Manhattan on Martin Luther King weekend in January.  Hey - if enough of you decide to show up, perhaps we can make plans to meet for espresso. Let me know!

A Little Frivolity: Patron Saint Meme

Melissa, who blogs from central Texas at Make Sense of this Spence, tagged me in a new blog meme:

The rules are as follows:

"Assuming you are a saint, and your cause has been executed, your miracles confirmed, your date on the calendar established, all that is required is to select that of which Holy Mother Church will name you Patron (ess) of.

For this meme, you must name your patronage

and then tag 5 other people who would like to play along.

Linking your answer to your nominator's post 
would make it easier to get your answers."