World Cup 2022

 If I were playing in the World Cup I'd want to have my typical before and after the big game/s meals I had as a kid every weekend when our life revolved around soccer. 

Chinese food the night before. Chicken and asparagus or broccoli, steamy white rice, hot and sour soup with no meat, unlimited water and lots of green tea with sugar. In the morning before the game its oatmeal with brown sugar and creamy milk with a side of hash browns plus ketchup. As always, lots and lots of water. Lunch is chicken kabobs with white rice and roasted tomato and some lemon slices, mast o khiar and bread with butter. Iced water with a straw and some dough. 

Every single weekend. Best meals ever. 

World Cup

  Do I believe we can win? 

Yes, I believe we can win? 

Why? 

Well, we are a very young team and I believe that's our advantage this World Cup. 

I believe there is more to the World Cup than we understand. 

When we play on a world stage, is being young an advantage? 

Yes, when we're young, we can play. 

On a professional level? 

Together we can. 

Do you believe? 

That's a good start. 

What are we? Lots of fish swimming together? 

We are the core.

We are the stars dancing in the light of the moon. 

Fur Elise

 

Bach Favorite

 

Education

 In the classroom, we tend to lose sight of what is happening in the world. Our hearing becomes selective. Are you saying the sounds of the letters the right way becomes the question. We touch the papers, open our scented markers and smell. The grape one is my favorite. I can smell just thinking about it. We taste the drink of water we have when we’re focused on our work. We know when we are thirsty because we have time to pay attention. The lessons are hopefully more enlightening than overwhelming. The work load is bearable or it should be modified so that it is. We know how to make it through the day. Learning is fun because it is safe to learn. How do we continue to create that type of environment for our students and each other? 

The Little White House

 In our search for the right home for our family, we found one that I, of course, fell in love with. It’s an old house and a small one. Our search has been fruitless and we’re getting tired of believing we can get the right one for us. This one fell into that category because the price was out of our reach (according to the typical factors of real estate). My son’s baseball game ended early because of the rain and hail so I actually drove through the driveway during the last minutes of the open house. 

I imagined us living there and designing our life accordingly. On our way out of the driveway I had to swerve around the rose bushes in order for them not to scrape the side of my car. So I stared at them, accidentally. Wow, those are gorgeous, I thought. They were bright in the rain like a light in the dark. I couldn’t stop staring at them. The woman who lived there passed away inside of the house. She was in her mid 90’s and was walking the property days before she passed. A good omen, I said. 

Later that evening I laid in my bed visualizing the garden and our small family loving the house and every part of the property. What upgrades would be necessary? How would we enjoy the space? What would our life look like? How can I make this happen? I went over it all in my mind and was completely and hopelessly in love. My thoughts were interrupted by a voice… one that I know and love dearly. “We love you too.”, she said. And she was speaking for the roses. 

The Script

 I wrote part of a script. It’s one of those things where I can sort of visualize pieces of the movie, but it’s still in pieces. I thought I could write the entire script in one to two months. Half a year later, I’m starting to implement some dialogue after four main narratives. I love it. It includes my favorite teaching material which is all about the United States and the foundation of, centered around the game of baseball. It’s complex and multifaceted, just like the melting pot of the United States. I suppose it’s a goal worth finishing. I pretend I know how to write a script even though in reality I have not ever tried nor studied the craft. I’m telling multiple stories, creating, teaching and putting it into one piece of work. We’re going to need a team to accomplish this goal.