~~Dr. Howard Gardner came up with his Theory of Multiple Intelligence stating that knowledge and abilities can be sorted out into the eight different intelligences. Each person is at a different level on each one. Which one is your strongest?~~CpnDuke (Quiz creator) Multiple Intelligences is one of the subjects I had to study while getting my education degree, and it is something that we continue to study during professional development courses. I thought it'd be cool to see what everyon...

My 100th Article...It’s Not about Me, though This is about my aunt Irma. Our family found out this past week that she is HIV positive. Irma is 50-ish years old. She is fun spirited and loves to joke around with her sisters. She loves music and dancing and enjoys spending time with her only grandchild, a vivacious two-year old girl. Irma is not just an aunt I see at holiday functions, parties, etc. We actually lived under the same roof for several years, and needless to say, I am clos...

I sit here and sometimes shake my head at all the heated discussions on JoeUser. I have seen how good ‘ol differences of opinion have turned into “I am better than/smarter than/ more important than-you” spewing matches. I have seen hurt feelings and broken friendships. I have seen battles that to this day have not ended. Sometimes I find it funny... sometimes I find it sad. I wonder how much better we might get along if we saw a different side of each other. I think too many times ...

“There are places I'll remember All my life though some have changed Some forever not for better Some have gone and some remain All these places have their moments With lovers and friends I still can recall Some are dead and some are living In my life I've loved them all But of all these friends and lovers There is no one compares with you And these memories lose their meaning When I think of love as something new Though I know I'll never lose affection For people and things that...

Ahhh....The first day of Autumn! Can you believe it? Time goes by so fast. It brings to mind cool temperatures, football, pumpkin scents, cider scents, favorite sweaters being brought out of the closet, beautiful fall foliage....It’s my second favorite season... Only thing is, I can’t enjoy it to the fullest. See, temperatures here are still in the 90s. Yes, the first day of autumn will greet us with a high of 93 degrees. Also, we don’t get very much fall foliage around here. W...

I’ve been wondering about You, JoeUser... I’ve been wondering ... *How is Danny Bassette? Haven’t seen him in a while...he was a nice contributor to this place... *Whatever happened to “I am Heather”? Anyone remember her? She was one of the first people on JU that made me feel welcome and made me feel part of the community. *Has Island Gurl gotten online yet? I wonder if she’s found a job as well...I enjoy her blogs very much. *Has anyone else noticed the nice pictures Jam...

I have finally memorized my students’ names....all 106 of ‘em. This year, instead of teaching all subjects to one class, I am teaching one subject to all classes. In order to meet our state, district, and school objectives, our grade level departmentalized and I became the Math Teacher. I have to admit it has its downsides: there are hundreds of papers to grade, the schedule is fast paced, and the time we have with them (1 hour 15 min for each of the four classes) never seems to be eno...

For a week, I have been trying to salute the sun, and I gotta say, it’s not as easy as it seems. I just recently bought a book at B&N called Yoga Burns Fat...now, I am aware that it does sound gimmicky--a book that promises muscle gain, weight loss, increase in metabolism, and a better sense of self in seven weeks? Sounds too good to be true, don’t it. But you know what? I am willing to give it a shot. The type of yoga in this book is hatha yoga...it has you practice 7 different typ...

I know you will be reading this today, And I want to say.... Happy Birthday, Honey. I want to remind you what makes you so special to me...and why you should celebrate who you are.... You came thousands and thousands of miles from your home to come live with me....As much as you miss your family, as much as the unknown concerns you, you did it for me....You make the best of every situation you have encountered here. You are comforting and tender and loving; you are affectionate ...

Yesterday, I had to attend a meeting at work (we are in the middle of our summer vacation, but trying to get a head start on new things going on in our school district...long, boring story). We met a new co-worker, a teacher coming to us from another school who will be with my grade level...she seems very friendly, and is eager to join us. Anyway, after a long morning full of work, we decided to stop for lunch. As we were being driving to our destination, the topic of family and childr...

I’ve never been much of a potato person; sure I’ll eat fries or taters from time to time, but I am not crazy about them. My significant other, however, loves ‘em. He has recently introduced me to his homemade mashed potatoes. Oh, you should see how much care he takes in making them! He shines up his knife and begins peeling the potatoes with precision. He then thoroughly rinses them and meticulously begins cutting them up into cubes (I saw him doing this yesterday...it was adorable how mu...

Before I go off to enjoy hot dogs and hamburgers right off the grill, and before I head out to watch fireworks light up the night sky, I thought I'd take the time to reacquaint myself with some worthwhile words from the people who helped shape the country we live in today. and btw, Happy Independence Day. “If there must be trouble let it be in my day, that my child may have peace. “~Thomas Paine “Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue ...

It’s strange how I grew up around people that cuss, yet I am not one to cuss much. Sure, I say the basic sh**t or a**hole when I am angry or something has upset me, but for the most part, I tend to stay away from the big words...even the ones I know in Spanish (what a geek, I know). Because of this, I find myself spewing out the dumbest things....This is usual inbloom talk : “freaking” this or “freaking” that, “that sucks”, “that’s pissing me off”, “son of a crap!”, “crapperoni”, “cripies!”, ...

My boyfriend told me not too long ago that I am the Queen of overstating the obvious. He laughs and says he can’t believe some of the things that come out of my mouth. For example, we were at a restaurant once and he was downing bourbon street chicken. I say, “Do you like it?”, and he sarcastically says, “No, I hate the stuff. I hate it so much, I’m scarfing it down.” (What a smart a**)... Here are some other doozies: “Are you sleepy?” (when someone is yawning). “Is this your b...

I am a distant person....trauma and other very personal matters have molded me this way...I have trouble getting close to anyone...I am not necessarily cold, but it does take a lot for a person to become a confidante of mine. I can count the people I consider very close to me on one hand. Hugs, kisses, affection and verbal expressions don’t come easy for me. It feels very artificial to act familial with people whom I don’t know very well. Even online, I feel like I have to know a person for...