Each Friday my principal asks us via email to respond to a Grateful Friday Challenge.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, he asked us to make a list of things that we are thankful for at school and at home.
** Note: The word "you" might refer to YOU, or maybe the royal you. Either way, it's probably true.
My home
The soreness I feel after hockey
Dinner with mom and Jim
My two sweet puppies
Being completely honest with you
Pizza for breakfast
The way your hand fits mine
Choral music
An amazing custodian friend
The fatherly love a friend has for me and all he wants for me
Random texts like "Love you baby! Be safe and have a great day."
Listening to the Fuel win on the radio
When students finally get it
A random walk with my mommy when I decided to stop by her house
Wintertime....
Calm nighttime snow
Fireplaces
Warm inside
Smells of food or cookies
The way you look into my eyes
When someone loves me for me. Doesn't matter what kind of love. But when I know I am just enough as I am and don't need to apologize or change.
Feeling like a badass for whatever reason... when wearing my Snape costume.... when I'm done with a hard skate and I'm in my sweaty ass gear... when I've just done a killer experiment... when I know I've just made someone's day.
My yellow blanket
Long dinners with friends
The way a man's hands and arms are strong
Burning leaves
The sounds of blades on ice
Taking off my bra at the end of the day.
The way Tala snores
The smell of Polo cologne
The way my lips feel after playing my euphonium
Laughing wholeheartedly at something freaking hilarious
The way I get butterflies when I wait for you
The smell of library books
The way certain tastes and smells remind me of my travels or of people
Inside jokes and knowing glances between friends
A massage
Lavender
Shooting stars
When I decide to give up on the lesson plan and just do something related that is right for kids and that they love
Tingles throughout my body when something is real or true or right for me
Sun King Wee Mac and pizza
Rainy weekend mornings
Playing card games until you're crying from laughing
Getting stuck in a YouTube "click hole" of cute or funny or interesting videos
When kids tell me I'm the best teacher they've had and I should be Teacher of the Year
Fixing something with my own two hands
Slap Shot
Tommy Boy
The smell of your hair
Fire
The feeling of peace and connection you have when you're with like-minded people
I stumbled upon a name-analyzing report from the Kabalarian Society (sounds futuristic, eh?) and found it interesting. Here are some highlights: FIRST NAME
Your name, Brooke, reveals that you are cheerful and gregarious and have the ideal of helping those in less fortunate circumstances.
You desire wealth not just for yourself, but to share with others.
Because you are a quick, analytical thinker, witty, and spontaneous, you excel in debates and arguments.
You are positive in opinion and fluent in speech.
You could excel in public speaking, in the entertainment industry, or in sales and promotion.
You have artistic and musical abilities and would endeavour to commercialize your talents. Being ambitious and visionary, you desire to create the best opportunities.
You are the happiest in positions of leadership where you are making decisions and dealing with the public, but you must guard against sarcasm and intolerance, as you expect others to be efficient and meticulous in their business dealings with you.
As you appreciate the best that money can buy, there is a tendency for you to be somewhat extravagant and to pursue the pleasures of life.
There are times when you are practical and budget conscious, but it seldom lasts, as you respond generously to others and enjoy the freedom to spend on those pursuits that matter the most to you. However, extravagance tends to spoil your financial success.
When you become involved in too many activities, it is difficult to fulfill your responsibilities successfully.
You like to do things on the spur of the moment. If activities demand too much detail and become monotonous, your interest and concentration diminish and you look for something new and different.
Your charm and natural affection for others may draw you into emotional experiences and situations. Many times you depend upon your self-expression, personality, spontaneity, and adaptability to carry you through the awkward experiences you attract in your life.
You are endowed with a great amount of vitality and energy and your undying enthusiasm and love of life maintains your youthful outlook. Though many times the conditions in your life are fortunate, they are not as stable as you would like them to be.
Health weaknesses tend to centre in the liver and bloodstream which may be brought on through over-eating of wrong foods.
SURNAME
The Nelsonfamily of people are very idealistic and desire refinement.
They are sensitive people who feel and sense the invisible forces of nature but cannot interpret what they feel; thus they suffer with mental confusion.
They are not too robust, and an inner nervous tension constantly depletes them of their vitality.
They are quiet types of people who find great joy in the beauties of nature, the arts and music, as well as poetry.
They are very easily hurt, and very self-depreciating, and thus could go into moods of depression.
To overcome their extreme sensitivity, people of this family could put on a false front and become extremely talkative at times.
They crave peace, understanding, and relaxation.
Weaknesses affect the heart and respiratory organs; kidney trouble and pleurisy are also experienced in this family.
It is a name that is very detrimental due to its over-sensitivity and lack of practicality, and it should be changed as soon as possible.
YOUR LIFE PURPOSE/BIRTHPATH
Your role is that of a philosopher and writer, searching for the deeper reasons of life through analysis of form and matter.
You have an inherent penchant for the precision of mathematics and science, an intrigue and curiosity for the unexplained and for the mysteries of life.
Your purpose is to find and apply the basic principles upon which life and human mind are based, to understand others, and to educate people to a clear, logical interpretation of life.
Your executive and mathematical abilities could be combined successfully in business activities, research, science, or education.
Within you is a deep appreciation for poetry, music, drama and art, and for nature—the beauty of flowers, the sound of birds, the wind in the trees, sunrises and sunsets—all of which touch your inner quality very deeply.
It is important for you to use your natural sensitivity and concentration to seek an understanding of the cause of life, particularly as it expresses in nature and the unfolding cycles of time.
You would find peace of mind and contentment free from the stress of living by taking time to enjoy the outdoors, observing and thinking about life. Find time to be alone to think and plan and to write down your thoughts, ideals, and goals. In this way, you would maintain the placidity and clarity of mind required of a thinker and theorist. You could touch the imagination of others through the depth of your knowledge, the refinement of your thoughts, and your mild, gentle treatment of others.
While there is an element of reserve in your inner nature, you should strive to work cooperatively with others as you would derive confidence and support from participating with a group. Any tendency toward moodiness, aloofness, and being too easily hurt should be countered by the development of depth of mind, and a thoughtful, magnanimous attitude.
You are in the: Fire Group
In business associations, friendships, and marriage, you will find the most congeniality with those who are also in the fire group. Those in the fire group have the responsibility of working with people to blend differences of opinion, and to create harmony and understanding.
They are educators who contribute through their factual, scientific, logical understanding of life.
Fire group members have the potential of expressing understanding, evenness of temperament, and objectivity.
They are able to utilize the ideas and opinions of others in their search for harmonious solutions.
The challenge they face is to retain their individuality and to remain impartial.
They flourish with the encouragement and support of family and friends.
CAREER
Indicates one possibility for a good career is university teaching. Yay!
CURRENT DESTINY
Your combined names of Brooke Nelson draw you into positions where you are often pioneering something for another’s benefit and seldom do you reap the full reward from the efforts you expend. The environments you are drawn into are somewhat limited and restrict your ability to experience the natural fulfillment of your potential. With this destiny, you are constantly starting new endeavours over and over again.
So I'm supposed to have a Balanced Name, i.e., change it.
I love music. It changes you and allows you to escape and be transported to another place. With 59 different genres, 1838 artists, 9602 songs, and 27 days of music on my iTunes, I like to keep it fresh and see what's new and what speaks to me.
So here are the highlights; songs that speak to me or don't, in the case of James Taylor.
If anyone wants an explanation of why I chose any of the songs, just ask. :-D
1 - A song that makes you happy
Girls Just Wanna
Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper
Hey Ya! - OutKast
2 - A song that helps you clear your head
Bohemian Rhapsody
- Queen
3 - A song that makes you laugh
Dumb Ways To Die
– Tangerine Kitty
4 - A song that reminds you of something sad
Somewhere Other
Than The Night - Garth Brooks
5 - A song that has a new meaning to you every
time you hear it
Crayola Doesn't
Make A Color For Your Eyes - Kristin Andreassen
6 - A song you can always relate to
Brown Eyed Girl -
Van Morrison
7 - A song that is your guilty pleasure
Disarm - Smashing
Pumpkins
No Rain - Blind
Melon
8 - A song you liked when you were younger
Diamonds On The
Soles Of Her Shoes - Paul Simon
9 - A song that makes you want to dance
A Soft Place To
Fall - Allison Moorer (slow dance in a barn)
La Vie En Rose –
Louis Armstrong (slow dance in a fancy dress)
Jungle Boogie -
Kool & the Gang (rockin' house party)
Mi Swing Es
Tropical - Quantic & Nickodemus (dancing around the house)
10 - A song that makes you cry
The Promise -
Tracy Chapman
Both Sides Now -
Joni Mitchell
11 - A song that reminds you of summer
(Mucho Mambo)
Sway - Shaft
Ghost Story -
Sting
12 - A song that reminds you of your best friend(s)
Power of Two -
Indigo Girls
Stay - Rihanna
13 - A song you sing to in the shower
Beautiful Savior
– St. Olaf Choir
14 - A song you like hearing live
I Will Wait -
Mumford & Sons - and it would be SO cool to see them at Red Rocks!
15 - A song people wouldn’t expect you to like
Sail - AWOLNATION
Pop, Lock and
Drop It - Huey
16 - A song that holds a lot of meaning to you
Say It To Me Now
- Beth Nielsen Chapman
Gravity - Sara
Bareilles
17 - A song that annoys you
Paradise By The
Dashboard Light - Meatloaf
18 - A song you have as your ringtone
Little Talks - Of
Monsters and Men
19 - A song you’re currently obsessed with
Cowboy Take Me
Away - Dixie Chicks
20 - An awesome
driving song
How You Like Me
Now - The Heavy
21 - A song you want to dance to at your wedding
The First Time Ever
I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack
Shameless - Garth Brooks - I remember watching this performance!
22 - A song that would be the theme song to a TV
show about your life
Born To Fly -
Sara Evans
23 - A song that makes you angry
Fire and Rain -
James Taylor I HATE James Taylor’s music!
I WILL NOT EVEN EMBED A YOUTUBE VIDEO. UGH!
24 - A cover song
Time After Time -
Eva Cassidy
25 - An acoustic song you love
Stardust - Nat
King Cole
26 - A song by your favorite band/artist
There Is A Tree -
Carrie Newcomer
27 - A song you make fun of
Mai Ai Hee
(Dragostea Din Tei) - O-Zone
28 - A song that reminds you of your
boyfriend/girlfriend (if you don’t have one, make one up :])
Give It All We
Got Tonight - George Strait
Just The Two Of
Us – Grover Washington, Jr.
29 - A song currently stuck in your head
Just Give Me A
Reason – P!nk
30 - A song that you haven’t listened to in awhile
Save The Best For
Last - Vanessa Williams
31 - A song from your childhood
Mama Don't Let
Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys - Willie Nelson
32 - A song you liked this time last
year
Fix
You – Straight No Chaser
33 - A song that you wish you could
play
Sweet
Child O' Mine – Guns N’ Roses
34 - A song that you listen to when
you're sad
Dark Road - Annie
Lennox
35 - A song that describes you
I Fall To Pieces
- Patsy Cline
36 - A song that makes you fall asleep
Sleep
– Eric Whitacre
37 – Favorite title track from an album
Before
And After – Carrie Newcomer
38 - A song that reminds you of
a certain event
Wonderful
Tonight – Eric Clapton
39 - A song that reminds you of
somewhere
Touch
Me – The Doors
40 - A song that reminds you of someone
Rodeo - Garth
Brooks
41 – A song from the first
album you ever bought
Heaven
Is A Place On Earth - Belinda Carlisle
42 – A song you know all the words to
Ain’t
Goin’ Down Till The Sun Comes Up – Garth Brooks (weirdest video, but the actual song, not a cover!)
43 – A song by a band or
artist you’ve seen live
Billie
Jean - Michael Jackson
44 – A favorite song that
was used on a TV series
Theme
from “Jonny Quest” - BEST trombone part to play!
45 – Your most played song
on iTunes
The
Lamb – Cambridge Singers (John Tavener)
46 – Favorite new release
(has to be less than 2 months old)
Get Lucky - Daft
Punk
47 – A song with
incredible lyrics
Prayer
of the Children – Kurt Bestor (start at 1:01)
48 – A song off an album
that has brilliant cover art
All
My Loving – The Beatles
49 – Your favorite
song from a movie soundtrack
More
Time – Needtobreathe (from “P.S. I Love You)
Windmills
of Your Mind – Sting (from “The Thomas Crown Affair”)
End
Titles – Marc Shaiman (from “An American President”)
50 – A song that reminds
you of a holiday
The
Christmas Song – Nat King Cole
51 – A song that makes you
think of a family member
When
God Made Me – Neil Young. Makes me think of my Me-Me in 2005 when she stayed with me while Hurricane Katrina was happening and this song came on Farm Aid.
52 – Your favorite piece of classical music (this needs to be its own category!!!)
Adagio
For Strings – Samuel Barber
53 – A song you can’t help
but sing along to
Don’t
Stop Believin’ - Journey
54 – A song that reminds
you of a close friend
Bicycle
Race - Queen
55 – A song you play
when you want to relax
Misty
– Ella Fitzgerald. I feel a glass of scotch makes the experience even better.
56 – A song you play to
get pumped up
Thunderstruck
– AC/DC
57 – A song from a band no
one’s heard of
Cloud
Nine – Ben Howard
58 – A song off of the
last album you bought/ last track you downloaded
Skyfall
- Adele
59 – A song you would sing
at a karaoke bar
White
Horse – Taylor Swift
60 – A song recorded
by someone you know
Another
Thang Cummin’ – Tony Cheeseborough Band Since none of the Band's stuff is on YouTube, check out their guitarist, and my friend, Patrick, in this jam.
61– A song with a
secret, hidden meaning to you
I Can’t Make You Love Me – Bonnie Raitt
62 – A song you loved
long before everyone else did
Nothing Else
Matters - Metallica
63 – A song from a band
your best friend introduced to you
Joey
– Concrete Blonde
64 – A song you’ve
performed in front of people
Ready
For Love – India.Arie
65 – A song from an
artist a family member has introduced you to
Landslide -
Fleetwood Mac
66 – Your favorite Beatles
song
Eleanor
Rigby
67 – A song with a great
video
Take
On Me – A-Ha
68 – A song that brings
back amazing memories
I’ve
Had The Time of My Life – Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes
