Civil War, Snow, Mafia ('cause I roll like that!)

This is the time of year that I must express my humility in expressing homage to those honorable men that greatly influenced American history- those such as Jackson & Lee who fought for the good ole' South during the Civil War, and Martin Luther King Jr. who for for the Civil Right for all Americans during a time when it was simply not safe to express such forward-thinking views on equality- especially before thousands on the Washington lawn and more perched before their television screens at home witnessing the phenmenon. Without these great men in history we would not have...

A FOUR DAY WEEKEND! Woot! Woot! Yes'um down South in Virginie, the yougins get off from school Friday for Lee/Jackson Day, and then of course, Monday for MLK.

I know it seems resplendent to bask in a four day weekend after having only been back in school nine teaching days since Christmas break, but it really helps to break up the accumulating stress of standardized state testing, exams, research papers, and the many more deadlines the end of a semester bring. Also, kids and teachers alike seem to drag their feet when returning from two weeks off, so the four day respite is just enough of a recharge to propel us towards the deadline that is the semester's end.

Making this an even greater respite from the everyday rush was... SNOW! I know it sounds silly but one of the reasons I have always wanted to be better about blogging was to have a record of weather extremes year-to-year. Perhaps, if you live in Virginia this makes sense to you. Last week was flip-flop weather with pressing-70 degree weather, then this weekend- snow. This is typical VA. The inconsistency of weather around here makes it all blur though and you find yourself questioning whether that big snow was last year, or did it snow at all? Or which hurricane kept us home 2 days- and why? So, for future posterity's sake, I present to you, the Great Snow of 2013!

There was just enough white stuff on the ground to excite Benjamin but not enough to excite other folks very much. I was just thankful it was over the extended weekend and unable to tamper with the school schedule. I want this semester's schedule to stay on "track." (Track? Get it? See pic above, ha!)

It was a peaceful and productive weekend. I got a lot of cleaning done- especially if cleaning out the recorded shows on the dvr count. I watched way too much "Wife Swap" and learned way too much about the Casey Anthony trial. (Thank you Lifetime for both of those.) Oh, and I was introduced and intrigued by "The Amish Mafia."

Have you met Lebanon Levi? It is no secret that I like my reality tv brain candy, but this some good stuff! There's a lot of criticism in the media that the show's premise is staged. I think it's debatable. I have not seen anything on the show that smells fake per se, but I accept the convention of production that is involved to liken the personalized justice and reward system or rural Lancaster to a "Mafia" image. I don't get caught up in the authenticity of any reality show because how "natural" is it to have a camera over your shoulder recording your every move and word in any situation?

I also got a lot or grading done over the weekend break on that never-stopping hamster wheel of teaching. The semester is winding down, exams are this week, and I am growing excited about the adventures of the semester that lays ahead.