Southern Louisiana... home away from home.

Last weekend, I went to Louisiana for a wedding for a dear friend. The weather was amazing and the smells from all the wild flowers in bloom made it a perfect day. Tia looked amazing and so happy. I'm so happy for her! It was a good day, but then, any time I am in Louisiana it's all good.
 I started going to Louisiana several years ago to visit some friends, Alfred and Janice, who lived in a little town called Maurice, just outside of the Lafayette area. I fell in love with the people, the culture, the music, and the food. It's home away from home for me. I try to visit as often as I can and every time I go, I experience something new. I've been to haunted plantations, The Myrtles and Oak Alley Plantation, and a wonderful alligator park the focused on preservation and education of the swamps and bayous of Louisiana. Of course, you can't go to Louisiana without experiencing the amazing local foods.. po'boys, crawfish and crab boils, gumbo, etouffee, oysters, and all kids of fresh fish. Strangely, one of my favorite stops when I'm there isn't for seafood, but Herbert's Specialty Meats, home of the stuffed chickens.They are whole de-boned chickens stuffed with various stuffings that are sewn back up, then rubbed with Cajun seasoning on the outside. Drool worthy!! The local shop does not ship them, but you can order from their Oklahoma store. They have become a favorite request from friends and family. My last trip had me returning with 43 chickens!!
 I didn't get to see my friends on this last visit, but still had a great time. I traveled with two friends, Lisa and Eddie. It was Eddie's first trip to New Orleans and he had no idea what he was in for on the road with Lisa and I. We introduced him to Hurricanes at Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop and Monsoons at Port of Call (along with their AMAZING burgers). We learned to cook at the New Orleans School of Cooking and had huge oysters and great food at the French Market Restaurant and Bar. Of course, we had to have coffee and beignets at Cafe Du Monde. I think we wore poor Eddie out. Nothing like trying to keep up with two tipsy women who go in two different directions. LOL!! Still, we all had an amazing time.
 The trip only had two drawbacks. The first was a personal attack by a horrible little caterpillar, the Buck Moth Caterpillar. He got under my pant leg and stung my ankle and hand when I grabbed him to remove him. It BURNED!!!!! Evil little slug. He died a horrible death at the foot of my friend Eddie. The second drawback? Leaving.
Someday, I am going to live in Louisiana... mark my words. It's already in my heart.

The Cost of Healthy Eating

  Did you know that grocery stores are set up so that all the basic food groups, your fruits, veggies, proteins, dairy, and grains are along the outside walls of the grocery store? Pay attention the next time you go to your local store. All the foods you should eat whether you are trying to lose weight or just eat healthier are easy to find and arranged in a nice, organized circle. In my quest to make better food choices, I try to shop these sections, but in doing so, I have noticed my grocery bills going up. Why? It costs more to buy fresh and healthy. The precooked, processed foods are cheaper to buy and make. One would think it would be the other way around. I mean, I'm doing most of the work to clean, prep and cook the food, so why is it cheaper to have someone else do it? Personally, I think it's a conspiracy. There are people out there that like/want us to be fat and unhealthy. Insurance companies make a killing off weight related illnesses and so do all those weight loss companies who hock programs and products to people who are looking for quick, instant weight loss. They'd be out of business if we could all afford to eat healthy. Summertime is easier on the wallet. Farmers markets and roadside stands help with reducing the cost of fresh produce and I am supporting my local farmers in the process. Bonus!
 In the long run, I know the payoff for a healthier me is going to be worth it, so I keep buying fresh and healthy and try not to cringe too much when I hand over my debit card. Hurry up Summer!!!

Why A Teacher?

As long as I can rememeber, I wanted to be a teacher. Well, except for that short period when I thought I might be a veterinarian, but the thought of putting an animal to sleep was just too traumatic for me. Plus all that math!! Blah!
Teaching was a natural choice for me. My mother was an amazing teacher, my father became a teacher after he retired from the military, and I had a string of crappy teachers who made me want, more than anything, to be a better teacher than they were. I also had some teachers who had a positive impact on me... Miss Eanice, Mrs. Edmunds, and Mr. Rocci to name a few. To them I will be forever grateful for their encouragement, advice, and dedication to their students and profession.
So really.. why teaching? The pay stinks, you spend a lot of time working after hours, weekends and even at home, you spend a LOT of money out of your own pocket to buy things to enrich your teaching and you get little respect from the government officials who decide your fate without ever having walked in your shoes. Then there is the biggest pressure of all... meeting the individual needs of twenty-five bright, energetic, eager, fragile, small individuals. As a kindergarten teacher, what I do today lays the foundation for what they will do in the future. No pressure there.
Teaching is joyful, heartbreaking, funny, random, frustrating, rewarding, challenging and I love ever minute of it! I love the look on a child's face when they "get it". I love their open, unfiltered view of the world. I love the challenge of meeting the needs of each child and watching them grow more excited with each new word they can read on their own. It's the hardest job in the world and the most rewarding.
Let's not forget the perks of teaching, too. Where else can you work and be guaranteed to get a hug or random, "I love you"? What office is decorated with unique artwork created by curious, talented, creative minds? Where can you work and get stories written and illustrated just for you by budding little artists and authors or gifts of melted chocolate from fuzzy little pockets and crushed backpacks? Jealous? You should be!
Why do I teach? Because I can.

Love is a beautiful thing, but....

Love is a beautiful thing. We make a big deal out of love. Valentine's Day, weddings, flowers, gifts, rings, candy, and other romantic gestures abound, especially this time of year. Yep, love is great, but trust is better. If I had to choose, I'd pick trust over love any day. You may love me, but will you catch me if I fall? You may love me, but can I say anything to you and trust you with my words? You may love me, but can I share my feelings with you and trust you to keep them safe? You say you love me, but do your actions match your words? I hope you can answer yes to these questions. I hope I can, too.
Don't get me wrong, I am NOT down on love. I truly believe it is a wonderful thing, but sometimes I think we throw it out there too easily.  I am not expert on relationships. Heaven knows, I can't seem to get it right, but I recently listened to a friend talk about his/her struggling relationship and wonder, why do you stay? Their issues weren't the day to day frustrations all relationships face, but  "trust" breaking issues... cheating, lying, and a total lack of communication with a healthy dose of insecurities heaped on top. Trust is all but gone and neither is doing anything to fix or change it.
If you love someone, but you can't trust them, how can you say you even have a relationship? Do you work at making it better and try to build that trust back? It's hard, but not impossible. I think, if you love someone, you owe it to yourself and them to try. However, if you work at it, make changes and even seek outside help and still can't trust again, why stay in a situation that is only going to continue to hurt? How can you even say that is love? Sometimes, you just have to love and trust yourself more and walk away. I believe in love, but I believe in trust to keep that love strong.
And for my friend.... love yourself.

Steady As She Goes

The holidays are behind us and so is all the good food. Thank Goodness!!!!!! Why is it during any holiday, the food and temptation to over eat seems greater? I mean, it's all the same foods that are available any other time of the year.. cookies, cakes, casseroles, turkey, ham, beverages. Yet when you add the word holiday, it seems to put an emphasis on those foods and a license to overindulge. I tried to be good, I really did, but I found myself giving into temptation more than once. I ate that slice of chocolate cheesecake made by my brother-in-law's sister. I had seconds of the cheesy-pineapple casserole that I made for the family holiday meals. I ate, drank and made merry, but I also tried to be good. So instead of a HUGE slice of cheese cake, I had a small sliver. Instead of heaping spoons of my casserole (and others) I had small scoops. In between holiday meals and parties, I ate lighter and walked more. The payoff? I didn't lose weight, but I didn't gain either. I stayed the same. I'm pretty content with that. In some ways, it has motivated me more than if I had lost. I now know I can control my portions and still enjoy all the foods I love... especially at the holidays. I can do this!

Life is Short...how will you live?

I'm a cancer survivor. My first diagnosis was seven years ago. I required surgery and six weeks of radiation. A year to the day later, I was diagnosed with early stage one cancer, this time in my left breast. More surgery and more radiation. That same year, I lost my father to cancer and almost lost my mother to a brain injury and heart issues. Life was a horrible roller coaster ride and I wanted to get off, but it's also a short ride. I decided then that I was not going to be afraid to let the people I love know that I loved them.. no matter to what degree that love reached. If they didn't love me back, that was ok. I decided not to take life for granted and to live each day with no regrets. Somewhere along the way, I forgot that. I slipped back into the same old routines I always had.. work and home with some play. I didn't do a lot of the things I wanted to do.
Yesterday I got the news that one of my best friends through high school and after college had passed away suddenly that morning. Her name was Tami. We had lost touch over the years and had only recently reconnected on Facebook. She had done so much with her life and had big plans to do even more. I was thrilled to hear all about her life since our days of running around. Then all of a sudden, she was gone. I was stunned. It was too soon. Her passing had my thoughts turning again to all the things I wanted to do, but hadn't. She had done so much with her life and I felt as though I had done so little.
So today, I reflected and decided to follow her lead and live life so everyday is special. When I lay my head down at night, I want to know I lived the best I could. I am going to get out more, dance, play, volunteer, love and live. I'll let you know how it goes.
Thank you Tami, you lived well. You will be missed.

The Garden

In their innocence, kids say the funniest things. We've probably all heard their opinions of the world through their little eyes and chuckled or even been embarrassed at their poor timing for such observations, but sometimes they ask questions that make us think.
A few years ago, I was teaching kindergarten in an inner city school in Knoxville, Tennessee. It was January and the week before Martin Luther King Day. My students were heavily involved in a lesson and discussion about Dr. King, segregation and civil rights. (Yes, kindergarten... don't underestimate their ability to understand deep topics.) In the back of my room stood the husband of a coworker and our class visitor for career day (he also happened to be a black man). Suddenly, my blonde haired, blue eyed Patrick speaks up and asks, "Miss Pucker, why did God make black people?" I froze. My eyes popped up to see what Mr. Grays reaction would be and Patrick sat there and patiently awaited my answer. Then it came to me...
Me: Patrick, if you planted a garden, would you plant just red flowers?
Patrick: No.
Me: Would you plant just orange flowers?
Patrick: No.
Me: Blue?
Patrick: No.
Me: What would you plant?
Patrick: Well, I'd plant all kinds of flowers.
Me: Well, we're like God's garden and he likes a lot of colors, too.
Patrick: OK.
I smiled. Mr. Gray smiled and to Patrick, it was as simple as that, "OK".
We celebrate the life of Dr. King on Monday, but we should celebrate his teachings and message every day. Every year, I am reminded of that conversation with Patrick and how simple it's message was and how it made me think. We are like a garden, each flower beautiful in it's own way. Together we have the potential to make something magnificent, if we could all learn to accept and respect the beauty and diversity of all cultures. Dr. King dreamed of this and others continue in his footsteps. Let's not forget. God loves diversity and color, why can't we?