The Kohlmans

I will be the first to admit that, as much as I wish to, I do not have it all together. Not even close. But then again, I can't imagine that this comes as a shock to anyone out there. My mind is a cluttered mess these days. I've been thinking about a lot. Like, can I really save money and buy post-consumer products? Are coupons worth the trouble and in which situations? Should I write a letter to the city council requesting curbside recycling? What if I don't have a full-time job next year? How can I become a better steward of what I have? Will basketball in Atown be better next year? Should we put more money toward paying off our student loans, at the expense of our savings account? What if I'm not accepted into my master's program? Will I really play piano as much as I think I would if we bought one? And this is just the tip of the iceberg. The questions (well, some of them) can sometimes be overwhelming. Lately, I've felt like I'm drowning in uncert...

This weekend, thanks to my wonderful husband, I crossed two things off my list... Remember a couple months ago, when I, shocked by my own strength, ripped off a drawer front ? Yep, it made it as item # 13. fix kitchen drawer, or persuade Brad to do it for me . Done. (Brad did most of it, but I helped hold the drawer front in place as he put in the screws. Don't look too closely, Grandpa Varden. It may not be quite perfect.)   A few months ago, Brad bought this cookbook from his school book fair.   Pretty exciting stuff, I know. Perfect for # 17. find a completely new recipe that both of us love. Done. (This one was at least a 50/50 project...)   Benihana (which is a lot like Kobe's or Sumo's or whatever Japanese steak house is in your area) Hibachi Steak 4 5-oz. sirloin steaks 4 tsp. soybean oil (we used sesame oil, since we couldn't find soybean in the Augusta Dillon's - surprise, surprise) 1 large onion, sliced 8 large mushrooms, sliced thick 2 c. ...

  Lest you somehow think my everyday life is not completely full of glitz and glam... here is a little peek into my 9-5. (Okay, so most days it's really more like 7:24 - 4:02, but who keeps track, anyway? 9-5 adds to the glitz and glam.)                     (though i promised myself i would not write much today, i must interject here. usually my life is so glamorous that i bring my own lunch. this is the first time all year i've run out to grab lunch... it's been a rough couple of weeks.)      (i've decided i need some more life in my life. plant life, that is. i only have one at school. any suggestions for great, low-maintenance plants that can life in my classroom during the year and on my deck in the summer?)                    

I put up a video. I'm pretty excited about embedding a youtube clip for the first time. Check it out. But that's not really why I'm posting today. I have a question. I covet your answer. Because I'm confused. And maybe crazy? I have this quotation on my desk at school, because these are words that tug at my heartstrings, words that help me keep my own "issues" in perspective, words that mean to me that my job is worth every second. "For these are all our children; we will all profit by or pay for what they become." -James Baldwin Politics and whatnot aside, what does this mean to you? Do you agree with it? Think it's stupid? It means nothing? Please take a minute to respond. I really want to know.

Don't worry. This post is not about how I'm a big fan. She just has this little video I like. Enjoy.

Weekends are for... ...belated birthday lunch with an amazing friend and belated birthday cake from two of Brad's freshman players.  ...wearing the 2003 Cross Country state championship long-sleeved t-shirt. The one that has holes on the sleeve. The one that's so soft I can't get rid of it. ...10:00 p.m. visit of encouragement to Coach K. from a community member/future basketball parent. ...revisiting an encouraging Valentine from a fifth grader. ...church and a great Sunday School discussion (thanks, Sarah , for the great suggestion ). ... checking my list and realizing I'm not doing too great at it so far. Oops. I did print it to hang as a reminder. The violets will bloom any day now, though. ..conquering the mountain of laundry. (Almost.) ...typing notes from the first VBS meeting and working on an agenda for the next. And getting pretty excited about this summer "project." ...making a dent in the reading list. I've read two (not...

"It's not whether you win or lose. It's how you play the game." I've learned a lot this basketball season (and there are still 3 weeks left!). I've learned that there are things you cannot coach - passion, pride - not matter how hard you try and how exuberantly you display them. I've learned that today, high school basketball is becoming more and more about winning. Winning big. Winning at all costs. It wasn't like that when I was in high school. Maybe it's still not, back where I come from. And maybe it always was like that here. And I've learned that it really is how you play the game. You figure that out when your team is 1 and I-can't-keep-track-of-how-many. In the past, I dismissed this quotation as silly. Most people comment that "whoever said it must have lost." Well, maybe. But maybe not. My senior year in high school our basketball team wasn't amazing, but we weren't terrible, either. We won some and lost a ...

I have to admit that today I was not in the mood to listen to the news that, if one of my coworkers is unable to move next year (which I had to gather from the information we were given), I am on a level playing field with two other teachers to have my job cut in half. I was not in the mood to sit in the library for an hour and a half after school today to listen to our superintendent holler at us (yes, yell he did) about budget woes. I was not in the mood to get gas in the obnoxious drizzle when I finally got back to Augusta at 4:45. I was not in the mood to start online applications to other school districts or e-mail HR people. But I did it all. And I have lived to tell the tale. So could you do something for me? For yourself? For your kids/grandkids/neighbors/hypothetical future children? For the kids who will some day be your doctor and nurse, the police officer down the street, the firefighter who saves your life? These kids are being cheated. They are not getting the...

"Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways. The dry seasons in life do not last. The spring rains will come again." -Sarah Ban Breathnach