Letters to strangers, dogs, and friends

Dear Tim Tebow,
My cousin and his wife seem to think we should meet.  I've heard a lot about you from sports-crazed guys who have self-proclaimed "man crushes" on you.  Also, you have an autobiography out...in case you didn't know.  I read part of a chapter (that's as much as you can get away with when the Lifeway lady is smiling questionably at you, and you don't actually intend to buy the book), and guess what?!  We both went on mission trips to the Philippines!  Cool, huh?!  Another thing we have in common is that we both pray.  I don't do much praying on a football field, though.  In fact, I would say that a handful of my prayers have been requests for whatever plays will make the clock run down so I can get away from the stadium and back to the things I love.  Like, um, you know, things that make me sound super interesting...I'll let you decide what those things are.  Anyway, if you read this and think, "Wow, I should call that girl!" then please do.  I don't want to be too forward and give you my number right here in front of everyone, but if you leave a comment, I'll send some digits your way.
Sincerely,
The Future Mrs. 15 (Is that too much?  Wait, is that even your number?)

Dear Layla,
Thank you for being an awesome dog and selecting the best places to take care of business.  I am especially grateful for yesterday's duty, when you popped a squat approximately 2.5 inches away from shirtless, just-woke-up man who was standing on his porch enjoying a cigarette.  It was not at all awkward to avoid eye contact with said shirtless, groggy man while we both waited for you to finish your masterpiece.  Not awkward at all.
Sincerely,
Your ever-so-humble Pooper Scooper

Dear Shirtless, Just-woke-up Guy,
Thank you for playing along and pretending not to notice that my dog was decorating your porch.  I appreciate your patience and your feigned ignorance.  Maybe next time, you could walk around a bit inside your house so as not to give away the obvious truth that you were well aware of my four-legged friend's activities.  Just a thought.
Sincerely,
That girl who pretended not to see you

Dear Rude Man in the Hallway,
Thank you for yelling very loudly at the sweet girl next door that she needs to keep her dog quiet because it disturbs her neighbors.  I really appreciate that you care so much about the noise level on our floor that you are willing to yell profanities from one end of the hall to the other.  Thanks to your efforts, I'm sure our hallway will be much more peaceful.  Well done, rude man.  Well done.
Sincerely,
That eye that was staring at you through the peep hole

Dear Mr. Server Guy at Cafe Express,
Thank you for not asking me why ordering a cup of soup would make me cry.  And thank you for not staring at me like the cashier next to you.  Also, thank you for not putting a limit on how many packages of breadsticks or cups of garbanzo beans I can take home with me...because I'm pretty sure I would have exceeded even the most generous of limits by about 47.
Sincerely,
To-go order number 4723
P.S. I think you should check your register login...I'm pretty sure you're not Kathleen.

Dear Ashley and Jessica,
Thank you for allowing me to bogart 80% of our conversations, steal away significant chunks of your time, and eat the most sugar-laden contents of your pantry and fridge.  I don't think you realize how much pancakes and good friends mean to me.  I've had a rough few weeks (months???), and you have been incredibly gracious and patient with me.  So thank you, thank you from the bottom of this healing heart.
Sincerely,
Her again

Dear Jesus,
I don't talk to you much, but I know your dad pretty well.  I just want to thank you for knowing what I'm going through and for not thinking that I'm overreacting to anything.  Thank you for walking in loneliness and heartache and for declaring victory over its hold in my life.  Thank you for demonstrating obedience in suffering and for not rescuing yourself out of situations that I would have to face one day.  Thank you for a love that I do not understand and a patience that accepts me in my ignorance.  Thank you for knowing me well and loving me still.
Sincerely,
A girl who is not forgotten

let us give thanks...and pray

I was informed last week that I am in charge of coordinating our department-sponsored Thanksgiving Feast for over 100 guests.  All of the food is to be purchased and prepared by my students, so tomorrow, I'm taking twenty rowdy teens to the grocery store to pick up a few (hundred) items, which I then get to cram into our tiny shared fridge where it will remain until Monday, when, let's face it, all h-e-double-hockey-sticks breaks loose.  Keep in mind that at my family Thanksgiving dinners, I am in charge of rolls (the already baked, store-bought kind) for a reason.  Please say a prayer for me and for the health of anyone brave enough to eat the food prepared by twenty kids who have to revisit the hygiene checklist on a frequent basis, and me, Miss Three-Kitchen-Fires-And-Counting Howell.

Amen and Hallelujah

These songs are on repeat in my head...

Amen
Amen
With the dawn we all begin again
Amen
Amen
For what is done and yet to come
Amen
~ Dave Barnes

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Whatever's in front of me
Help me to sing hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Whatever's in front of me
I'll choose to sing hallelujah
~Bethany Dillon

If you want the read deal, you can check them out at the following links.  Not a huge fan of the slideshows (someone really likes horses), but the music is still divine!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8v5sZ4aaec
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-W7Md6mv74

Happy listening!

the weird kind

Today, when I was talking with one of my students, he told me that he liked only two of his teachers in high school.  He then proceeded to expound on all of the faults of the teachers who didn't make the cut.  Knowing I was playing with fire (this is the same kid who told me last year that he was going to recommend me to be on What Not to Wear so I could get rid of all of my tomboy clothes), I asked him what he would say about me after he graduated.  And without much hesitation, he replied, "Miss Howell has a lot of energy.  But it's the weird kind."

I'm not sure what that means exactly, but I'm pretty sure the patrons at Red River or Wild West or any wedding I have ever attended might say the same.

Keep talking, whoa keep talkin'!

My aunt was kind enough to accept my self-invite to her house, so off I went this morning with my laptop and my hyper dog in tow.  I intended to take advantage of some good ol' family wisdom and encouragement (and chicken salad) before hittin' the books and the keyboard.  But my lack of willpower had something else in mind.  Something like a day with my cousin Tatum.  First, she defeated me in "Just Dance."  I should have seen my fate when the Wii selected our character names and dubbed me "Poopy" and her "Sunny."  After cutting a rug (the very one that Layla had marked as her own within five minutes of bounding in the door), Tatum and I enjoyed a healthy snack of Doritos and some of Nick Jr.'s most educational programs.  Is iCarly's targeted audience 29-year-old females...because I definitely laughed out loud more than once.  Before the day was over, I had co-baked (and co-dented) some fabulous brownies, harmonized to some of Sandy and Danny's greatest hits, played Layla's favorite game of "catch-me-if-you-can-as-I-leap-over-couches," and added exactly one very poorly organized run-on sentence to my paper (and another to my blog).  Here's to you, Tatum, and the fun you bring to a Saturday afternoon!

Psalm 34:18

Today one of my students told me I looked different.  When I made the mistake of asking, "How?" he replied, "Your face looks worse."

I can't say that I disagree.  Actually, I was kind of impressed that he noticed.  That's a pretty important social skill.  Although maybe we need to work more on the "'Say it' or 'Think it'" game.  That one's definitely a "think it," much like another comment one of my other students made in the middle of class: "Man, my stomach hurts!  All this gas!"

Thank goodness my cousin and her husband welcomed me into their home tonight and provided an impromptu dance party to all "the ja-ams" of the nineties.  It's really hard to have a pity party while prancing (I think that's what you would call it) around to some Gangsta's Paradise.  A big thank you to Katie, DJ Smith, a sweet little raggedy clown scarecrow, and Coolio.

Jesus, please take it from here...

shot in the dark

I tried a little something different with my hair today.  One of my more vocal students said to me, "Ms. Howell, I really like this new look you have.  Was your power out this morning?"  I can't decide if I was more offended or impressed by her unintentional wit.  Either way, it made me giggle...and glance in the mirror a time or two.

On another note, this evening, I accidentally took Layla to "Yappy Hour" at our apartment's dog park.  She stealthily swiped an entire bag of community milkbones off the table and, after devouring them, proceeded to bark at any dog that attempted to greet or play with her, including a giant dog that was wearing a tutu as a collar...as if Twinkle Paws' self-esteem wasn't already plummeting.