Feb. 19: Dear Daniel

Dear Daniel,

There is a dull light outside and a yellow light within. Makes it a good day for staying indoors to study. Although I have been studying, I have also been playing quite a bit of solitaire this afternoon: good for processing thoughts and recent movies: The Lakehouse and Music and Lyrics. While I do enjoy the plot in the former and Hugh Grant’s wit in the latter, both pictured unhealthy relationship and culture phenomenon as normal. I really must write something phenomenal.

How’s this for a movie?
I call it 8 Cousins and it is the story of my life over the last six months.

• It starts with a trip with Cousin #1: Jennifer and Chrissy to see Grandpa,
• Cousin #2: Chad in the MAT program,
• Cousins #3Nancy and #3b Kelly,
• a massive family and friends’ reunion (Janel of Janel and Brian is now on my MySpace friends list) at Grandpa’s funeral,
• connecting with #4 Mary Bel,
• then #5 Dan and #5bTami Cammack,
• #6 Irene Tegler,
• then #7 Joel and #7b Mark Kelly at Yearly Meeting,
• dinners with #8 Jan and #9 Meghan,
• Thanksgiving with #10 Richard, Katie, Daisy, Margaret and Bill Edmison,
• finding creative ways around saying “She/He’s my cousin” when asked how I know ___
• catching up with #11 Steve at Christmas
• talking with #12b Bill and #12 Betty Kelly about teaching possibility in Morocco
• finally getting together with #13 Jennifer Johnson and her family this past Saturday. Who knew we now live only 26 miles and 30 minutes apart? She lives on the route we took as kids between Grandpa and Grandma’s Rosedale farm and Newberg during Yearly Meeting.

The “b” labels distinguish the supporting cousins. Maybe I should re-title it: my Newberg Cousins: a quaker family, 13 cousins, White’s 13 (racist feel?), Joyce’s 13 (hey, gear up for Ocean’s 13!) or My Brother’s Cousins.

To catch you up, we have been having a variety of weather states: sunshine and warm temperature, cooler weather, rain – especially in the evenings, wind, and more sun peaking through the clouds. I have enjoyed the rare sunsets.

Lent is coming – I just learned that the Sundays during lent are supposed to be a time of celebration. I plan to use a collection of scripture and meditations put together by Jo Lewis for my reflection time, which I have moved. I have been getting up with time only to dress and go to school – previous bad habit revisited. However, this week I am experimenting with moving it to the exact same time as Chrissy, in Rwanda. She plans to do devotions between 6am and 7:30am her time. My time, that is from 8 to 9:30pm. That is my experiment time for the week.

This afternoon, I have a date with Irene and Merritt Tegler at their home near Oregon City. We plan to have Salmon and ice cream and I will bring the chocolate cookie bars.

I brought some of the a’ fore mentioned bars with me when I visited Jen, Lonnie, Eric, Justin and Scotty. Jen and I went to watch Music and Lyrics and ate Chinese food. I recognized the computer came Runescape, which Eric and Justin were busy playing and gave tips on how to monopolize the sheep market. Then I lost against Scotty in both Wii baseball and Wii bowling. I also played with him in Tennis and successful managed to lower his average to just over Pro. I tried hitting his Wii character in the back of the head with the tennis ball, but I think there may be a flaw in the game. =)

How's the business? How are all your jv pals? Learn any new teaching tricks? I'm up for trying almost anything. Chrissy's advice is to not engage students in "argument" type conversations. I'd forgotten that. Maybe you could be a guest speaking, and come tell the students what a messed up life they could have if they don't buckle down and learn Spanish. Hmm, I suppose that might not be completely honest.

Last thing: if you were on MySpace with a bunch of friends your age, and then one of your JV kids asked to be connected to you as your "friend," your response would be . . .?