Mrs. A

Hi there, I must have gotten the writing bug. Two posts in one week. I have just been chuckling all week as I have watched these events unfold and had to share my slice of country. It's that time of year when hunting enthusiasts walk around in their special camouflage duds. Guns are being sighted in. Secret spots are being guarded yet bragged about. Old stories are being compared. Pickups are being loaded up. Just normal things in my neck of the woods. outwriteoutdoors.com Did I mention students are missing school? Yep, it's a big deal. Yesterday was opening season for the general deer hunt. My normal drive to school that usually consists of two cars, a couple of truckers with a load of hay, and several antelope is now faced with many hunters and their rigs - trailers, four wheelers, gas grills, tree stands and duds for the next two weeks. You know, just the essentials. They pull off the road, hike into their 'secret' spot, and await their opportunity to

Dear Reader, (This is a girlish post with girlish information. If you're not into that sort of stuff, now is the time to exit.) I have gone back and forth on whether I should post about recent experiences I have had. They are very personal, scary, and insightful all at the same time. I have come to the conclusion though, that great insights come when we are challenged. So here it goes... It all started with this body of mine. I got married and figured birth control would simplify my life. I have had friends/family who were on various forms and had no problems or side effects whatsoever. Plus, Cowboy and I wanted time to be married and not rush into babyland. I went to visit the OB/GYN and found it simple enough to get a prescription. I asked good questions and was informed that I shouldn't be worried about side effects or problems. I figured that the doctor's word should be good enough for me. I was good to go for the first few months. I gained some weight, bu

I read an interesting article( here )about social media and the effects it is having on culture. It's about how we need to stop posting our perfect lives online, because the reality is our lives are not perfect. I struggled for a bit with a couple of friends/ladies and their blogs/facebook accounts awhile back for various reasons. I am over it now, but will admit jealousy existed. It was my issue entirely. I must have had glasses on that only allowed me to see what their lives contained (clothes, hobbies, vacations, traveling, amazing food, incredible photography skills, and immaculately clean and well designed homes)and focus on what I thought my life lacked (insert same list as above). I must have got kicked by a cow pretty hard because one day it dawned on me that no one's life is better or worse than mine...they are simply different. I love that idea. So I will go on preparing my scrumptious lemon cream pie that I don't think Cowboy really likes and probably not take

 i still think there is goodness in the world today. a lot of it. where? i think i found a couple of places. last night i drove to the big town, and my parents picked me up to run some errands while cowboy roped. the oil pressure wasn't working and we were stuck at the mall in an old durango. prayer came to mind, the oil pressure rose, and we were able to drive across town to drop me off and my parents made it safely home. goodness. i have a dad who is sicker than we have recognized in a life altering way. he is such a good hard worker that you would never know. goodness. last friday we got to sit through an educational meeting and stare at all the data that paints the picture of my teaching reality. my mind drifted to the valentines dance and a young 7th grade boy who decided to ask the girl who no one else would. his goodness and her face made teaching meaningful. he didn't have to, but he knew it would make her day. goodness. i was asked to pla

I am a daily commuter. In that driving time I regularly listen to NPR. It comes on right when I'm driving to work and then helps fill the time on the return trip. This week David Greene, a host on Morning Edition, is focusing on my generation and its problem with religion. The series is called, "More young people are moving away from religion, but why? The article explains how, " One-fifth of Americans are religiously unaffiliated — higher than at any time in recent U.S. history — and those younger than 30 especially seem to be drifting from organized religion. A third of young Americans say they don't belong to any religion. " Here are statements about religion from my generation: Miriam: I find the practice of sitting and being quiet and being alone with your thoughts to be helpful, but I don't think I need to answer that question [about God] in order to participate in the traditions I was brought up with. Yusuf: Today if some guy told