Every girl needs a place of her own...

Yes, this week Willow got a new bed. Her own Shabby Chic basket to curl up in. I just couldn't resist it. Now, as I'm writing she is still curled up beside me in our bed, but she's a very smart cat and when she hears the front door open (indicating that Joelie is home) she jumps off the bed and into her basket! Also, if I'm not in the room she prefers her basket as well--soooo cute is she. So, yes, I am spoiling this new little companion a bit--but,hey, she is our first real pet. I mean, there were the Jackson Chamelions in Hawaii, who I did somehow manage to get attached to even though they are the most anti-social creatures on earth! Then there were the hermit crabs in San Marcos, who I also sort of became attached to but who, sadly, I managed to kill like 5 of in a couple of months:( So, Willow is our first pet who even comes close to returning affection and that makes her much more lovable and easy to spoil:)

Today I was again amazed by the colors of fall. I am soooo disappointed that the colors seem so muted in the pictures that I take. They are vibrant and alive and rich and I want you to see that, but alas, this is the closest I can get to sharing it with you...


I'm not giving up yet!

Work went well this week. I will really miss some of these students after this session ends (in two weeks!!!). Though sometimes the academic atmosphere feels stifling and the lesson planning overwhelming....I love being an ESL teacher. I really feel so privileged to be one of the first faces to welcome these students to the U.S. and hear about their cultures and help them learn about ours. So many times I just want to plop down in a chair and say, "Lets forget about this stuff and just talk!" because they have the most interesting thoughts and perspectives. On Thursday the students in my speech class were discussing whether they preferred the Asian "passive" philosophy of life, or the American "aggressive" philosophy (this was after reading an article written by Arnold Schwarzenegger about his love for America). I was in heaven as I walked around listening to their responses. Responses like, "Well, I like the ways Asians seem to be more cooperative in their living, but I do think we need to give our opinions more like the Americans do. They are very brave in that way." They also love that they can come here and blend in and people may just think that they are Asian Americans whereas in their countries, people stick out that are other ethnicities. It was a great hour and I told them that i could just listen to them talk forever:) Next week I am subbing for a teacher while she is on her honeymoon. She teaches a video class and we will be watching Hitch, so that should be fun. I'll try and take some pictures of the students soon.

Guess that's all for now. Hope you all had a great week! Jen